Three

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Julie's POV

I scurried away from Danielle and ran up the stairs to Ashley's room. I locked the door and placed a hand over my chest heaving a sigh of relief. It lasted all of two seconds.

"Jules everything okay?"

"Oh shit! You scared me Ash" I whined, complaining.

She looked up from what she was writing, took her headphones off and said "Sorry." Then continued, looking at me in the eyes and then asked "So is everything okay?"

I couldn't look at her and stuttered guiltily "What c- could have p- po- possibly happened?"

Ashley opened her mouth wide and said "OMG, Julie. For the life of me, you only ever stutter when you do something wrong." Then continued "What did you do wrong?"

"Nothing!" I yelled flustered and took off to the bathroom. Even then I could hear Ashley cackling behind the door.

"Jules,"she singsonged "What did you do.

"Oh shut up" I yelled and started biting at my fingers.

I heard someone knocking on the room door and Ash went to open it. The door then closed once more. I couldn't hear anything else apart from that.

Just when I was dying of curiosity and was about to open the door to check, I heard Danielle's voice "Where's Jules?"

I couldn't hear shit but I was pretty sure Ash had given me away. "Fuck this shit's frustrating."

So, yeah. What did i do?

Well, I didn't mean to. Like I just needed some air, and then I heard Danielle discussing with Daniel. I swear I wanted to leave, I was just curious.

I stopped.Great now I'm talking to myself.

That's not even the problem, the problem is... Gosh this is embarrassing.

I'm scared of Danielle, like she's intimidating as fuck. I know I'm older than her but she's tall, and she's got that build, and her eyes. Gosh her eyes I can't survive that.

If she asks me, I'm definitely spilling. But I don't wanna spill, she would be so disappointed.

Why do I care if she's disappointed?

Ugh I don't know. Oh Jules what have you done? What did you do? What did you -

A knocking sound startled me out of my thoughts "Jules everything alright in there?"

"Yeah I'll be out in a minute... just doing things... that people usually do."

"You sound like you did something wrong." I could hear Danielle say from behind the door.

"I didn't do shit." I yelled defensively.

"Hmmn just take your time." She said softly.

Okay, I was feeling guilty before. But this is guilty upgraded to the next level. Why is she so understanding?

"Okay thanks." I said and looked at myself in the mirror then told myself chastisingly. "Okay we'll go outside and we'll not... we'll DEFINITELY not look at Danielle in the eye, because if we do so. We're Fucked."

I then took a few deep breaths to calm myself down and opened the door just a little to take a peek.

Seated on the edge of the bed was Danielle.

Ugh, just my luck.

I exchanged glances with Ashley and immediately turned my face away to avoid her gaze.

"Why're you avoiding me?" Danielle asked referring to me.

"I'm not" I said in a small voice. Ugh why're you so pathetic? She's literally your junior.

But my thoughts were interrupted when she said "Then look at me"

"I'on wanna" I said feeling extremely guilty.

She stood up from the bed and walked towards me slowly.

Ashley sensed the atmosphere wasn't quite right and tried to help "Danielle what's up?"

"Nothing but Jules is lying to me"Danielle stated and pouted a little. She did not stop working towards me. I started fidgeting with my fingers. The urge to bite them was there but if I did that, they'd know I was lying to them.

Perks of having friends that know all about you.

Danielle stopped in front of me and lowered herself to my level "What're you hiding?"

I shook my head, looking at the pink cartoon slippers she was putting on. That looked cute.

Heh! So unlike her. Black and pink-

I was pulled out of my reverie when she pinched my chin and forced me to look up at her. She then tilted her head and asked me again "What're you hiding?"

Why'd she tilt her head like that? Aaaaah! Why'd she look at me like that? Why's she so cute.

I closed my eyes. I don't wanna say. I mustn't say -

Crack

"I DIDN'T MEAN IT! I SWEAR I JUST WANTED TO GET SOME AIR! I DIDN'T MEAN TO EAVESDROP" I blurted out.

Silence.

More silence.

Then "Oh" Danielle stated

"You heard?" She asked with a blank face.

Yep, she's definitely going to hate me now. "I know -"

"Urh, I'm going to give you guys some space, I'll be downstairs if you need me" Ashley interrupted and picked her headphones to leave.

"Stay" Danielle said.

Ashley used her index fingers to adjust her glasses and pulled her curls behind her ear. "Nah I think you guys need to talk alone."

And with that she left.

As soon as the door closed, I tried to escape but Danielle pulled me back "What did you hear?"

My eyes widened and I started to panic "Look I support you both, really. I won't interfere... You can do anything, I just -" At this point I was just babbling incoherent nonsense.

Danielle pinched her nose, her beautiful face wearing a frown, and ran her hands through her braids which she was wearing down today.

"So you're telling me you heard our conversation and this is still what you can say?"

"I mean..." I raised my eyebrows "You're not annoyed?"

"Were you always this clueless?" Danielle asked me and looked at me as if I were stupid.

"Hey that's mean, I already said I'd help you pursue Ash, why're you still-"

"Gosh I can't anymore" Danielle stated as she turned to leave the room.

I stood in the middle of the room looking confused and muttered to myself "I already said I'd help her, why's she still mad?"

I shrugged and flopped unto the bed and sighed happily...

"Haah! One disaster avoided!"

******

Adios

Ashley💜