risswrites

                   The brunette sighs, folding her arms at Jessie’s words. Although Eleanor was, in fact, being stand offish… she couldn’t find the courage to confirm nor deny her actions out loud. The reason was beyond her comprehension, and as much as she seemed intimidating, Eleanor just wasn’t into confrontation as much as their peers believed. That being said, she couldn’t find herself answering him straight away, going quiet as she tries to find the best response. However, his next few whispers triggered a humorless laugh, her eyes rolling as she shifts her weight from one side to the other. “That’s rich, Jess,” she chuckles softly, the corners of her lips lifting in what seems like genuine amusement. Sure, in retrospect, part of what he said genuinely amused her. For example, him feeling shitty. Still, Eleanor couldn’t imagine Jess feeling such a way with his tongue down Bree’s throat last month. “I can’t imagine you missing me knowing how busy you’ve been.” Her words were vague, but Eleanor didn’t want to hide behind a bush. She folded her arms, nodding to Bree standing in the kitchen, watching them along with everyone else.  

-

Jessie knew better than to lie to Elenaor. Which is why he decided it was better to keep the incident with Bree a secret. However, from the expression on Bree’s face, this was the exact thing she wanted to happen. On the night in question, Bree had lured Jessie into her room with a drink and a shoulder (among other parts) to cry on when he felt the most vulnerable. Jessie had opened up to her about his feelings for Eleanor in which Bree took advantage, comforting him in Elearnor’s stead. In hindsight, maybe Jessie could have avoided the whole mistake, but it was too late now to contemplate what could have been if he just walked away.

All this time, Jessie had been respecting Eleanor’s wishes for space. The last thing he wanted to do was to give her the reason she needed to leave him. "Like I said, I’ve been feeling really shitty without you.” He said, wanting to clear the air, but not knowing how. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but it was nothing and it meant nothing. I was so drunk I thought I was with you the whole night.”

                       We have a few years of catching up to do… Lip grinned in response, dropping his gaze for a moment as he rubs the back of his neck. Although he knew he’d certainly hear it from a few of his close friends —like Riley and Matt, who gave him an ear full yesterday— it was hard to deny how embarrassed he felt hearing it come from Juli. The girl before him wouldn’t harm a fly, but just as he did all those years ago, it deeply shamed him whenever he disappointed her… and there was no doubt in his mind that after all these years, that he hadn’t. “We do… we… definitely do,” he replies softly, his mind clouded with a confession and the opportunity to share it. Feeling a bit restless, Lip clears his throat, thankful Juli decided to speak again as he wasn’t sure what else he could say. All he could think about was telling her the truth, regardless of the consequences. “—Oh, I…” he looks down at the glass he was given before Juli had showed up, grinning softly. “I’m okay. I’m afraid if I drink anymore, I wouldn’t be able to…” he draws out, nearly letting his confession slip. “—hold my own.” Nice save, Lip tells himself, sighing deeply. As the bartender fixes Juli her drink, he looks around for a moment, noting this might be the only shot he had now that they were alone (sans bartender). “Jules, I wanted to ask if… um, you’d like to take a stroll or something to the football field with me?” Feeling his chest tense, Lip clears his throat again, moving his gaze around the room as he gestures with his hand, gaze falling back onto her. “It’s a little loud in here and I’d like to… you know, catch up.” He licks his lips, tilting his head to the side with an unsure grin. “Properly, I mean.”

-

Refocusing her eyes back to Lip’s, Juli tried her best to listen to the words he was saying. Which was surprisingly difficult to do with how overwhelmed she felt standing so close to a man she’d missed so dearly, but still feeling like she wasn’t close enough. She was so distracted that she barely noticed Lip stumbling with his words, but the subtlety of it was enough to relax her and put a smile on her face. Maybe Lip was as nervous with their reunion as she was. “Sure, I’d like that.” She finally responds, subconsciously biting her lip in response to him licking his. “Don’t forget your drink, it’s on the house.” the bartender reminded, pushing Juli out of her trans. “Ah, yes. Thank you.” She said as she reached for her glass before turning back to Lip. “Let’s go?” She said walking towards the exit before getting stopped by a stranger.

“Oh em gee, Juli Nguyen!” The woman squeeled, extending her arms to give Juli a hug while spilling some wine on the floor. “Hi, uh.. Sorry, who are–.” Juli greeted back half confused and half apologetic for not recognizing the woman before her. “Don’t worry, it’ll wash off. Anyway! I didn’t think you’d come to our small town reunion, specially with all the news of your engagement to some hot shot Holywood hunk! Where’s your big giant ring everyone was talking about?” The woman glanced at Juli’s hands, searching for a ring. Juli opened her mouth to correct the rumor, only to be bulldosed by the other woman’s rambling. 

She glanced over to Lip, worry sinking in. She was planning to tell him about her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend, but they’ve only exchanged a few sentences since they met. It would be incredibly weird to spring that up in a conversation, right? Specially if Lip didn’t ask... At least that’s what she told herself to feel less guilty for stringing along a man while she waited hoping for something impossible to happen.

                     “Wanna make a bet?” Looking up, Lip raised a brow curiously at the bartender speaking to him. “Bet?” he reiterates. The bartender grinned, resting their palms on the countertop, nodding to the entrance doors. “Bet whoever you’re waiting for will never show.” Lip couldn’t help but grin, a chuckle escaping him as he realized the questionable ‘bet’ was more so them teasing more than anything else. “Am I really that obvious?” He supposed so, the bartender nodding with a grin, refilling Lip’s drink. “A bit.” He chuckled again, reaching for his wallet until the bartender raised their hand, stopping him. “On the house. Hope they show,” he waves off cooly, tending to another patron approaching them soon after. 

Fingers tapping the glass gently, Lip sighs deeply, his nerves getting the best of him. If you asked Lip why he was getting so worked up over seeing an old friend, he wouldn’t have the faintest idea. However, the years did more than just age Lip. He knew better now and was more self aware than he’s ever been. He supposed, one way or another, he had these deep-seeded feelings for Juli that couldn’t be explained. He was protective, possessive… and enamored to the point that it nearly frightened him. It was depressing to admit, but it took Lip at least 6 years and 7 months to realize what he had truly lost. He remembers when that clarity came to him. Funny enough, it was during a kayaking tour in California— unable to stop himself from telling Warren how much Juli would’ve ‘loved to see this’ as they rowed through an underwater cave of sorts. 

Lip couldn’t help but wonder if tonight was supposed to mean something. Should he tell her? What if she’s dating someone? What if she’s married? It pained Lip to no end not knowing what Juli had been up to the past ten years. Since he went ‘off the grid’ and (sadly) forgotten his facebook password, he hasn’t exactly had the pleasure of snooping. He supposed tonight would be that night, given she shows up. Even if nothing would come out of it, Lip needed Juli to know… for his own peace of mind, and that maybe he can move on if he did. 

At that moment, the gym doors opened to a few people making their way inside. Lip looks up helplessly, spotting Juli immediately as she’s greeted by a few people. —Wow, he breathed in, eyes fixed on her figure from head to toe. Beautiful. Juli enters gracefully, her very aura bringing shame to people like him that didn’t do more like him and his semi formal wear. He wasn’t too embarrassed that he was staring at her for this long, because when her eyes finally meet his, Lip decides it was worth it. A small smile appears on his lips, his name coming from her mouth melting his heart. “Neither did I,” he replies, hands nervously playing with his credit card in his hand. “But now that you’re here, I’m glad I did.”

-

If Juli hadn’t been wearing make-up, the very real blush that warmed her face would have been more noticable. Such a simple sentence, I’m glad I did, had caused a smile to appear on her face and for her heart to quicken its pace. For a moment, it felt that she was alone with him and not a single day has passed since they last saw each other. A comfortable silence fell between them and Juli couldn't help but to try and memorize his features in fear that he would vanish again. “I’m glad you did too.” She said, finally taking note of how close they were standing to one another. The moment between them felt nostlagic. It was a similar moment from years ago, at Rose and Jack’s wedding. “So, how have you been?” She asked, but not bothering to increase the distance between them. “We have a few years of catching up to do.”

                   Eleanor pulled back, her ‘bitch face’ emphasized for the world to see. With narrow eyes, she gives Jessie a once over, scoffing. “—Yeah, because that’s how you greet your girlfriend in the twenty first century.” The word ‘girlfriend’ rolled off her tongue unfamiliarly, as Eleanor wasn’t exactly giving much attention to her relationship the past month. Sure, maybe it was due to her deflating interest for the ‘popular’ crowd, but finding out Jessie cheated on her was just the icing on the cake. Since then, the brunette started to distance herself subtly. Going home alone, going shopping alone… and in a strange way, found her independence through avoidance. It was a bittersweet pill to swallow, but it was just what she needed to fully agree to her father about switching schools. 

Knowing she was going to leave all of this behind… the ‘queen bee’ status, the royal treatment… and accepting it, Eleanor no longer felt the need to hold onto people like Amy or Jessie anymore. She wanted something different— something real. “I’m just not into the party,” Eleanor deflects, eyes suddenly noting a few people watching them from across the room. Although they weren’t exactly making a scene, Jessie and Eleanor as a couple held the attention of many— even if they were simply chatting in the middle of a crowded party. Despite the nagging feeling of wanting to out him for being a cheater, Eleanor just wasn’t in the mood for being on everyone’s Snapchat tonight. 

-

Though their relationship started off as a ploy to achieve the ultimate royal status on campus, Jessie didn’t care much for the labels. He had everything he’s ever wanted, fake admiration from his peers was more of an annoyance than a benefit. One thing he’d never told Eleanor before is that he would have had agreed to anything she had wanted in order to have the privilege to be close to her. But in this moment, the way she looked at her triggered feelings in him that he didn’t knew still existed. “Then what is it? I tried to do some cute shit you usually like and you act all stand offish. You’ve been like this all month. I can’t do shit to be there for you if you keep pushing me away.”

                      Parties. —G*d… how Eleanor came to despise them. Walking around the backyard, brows knitted, she tries her best to keep her facial expressions rested but how could anyone when a group of morons were jumping into the pool with their clothes on? The brunette groans, shaking her head at the drenched Gucci floating in the pool. A waste, she sighs, proceeding to evade chaos as much as possible. Moving her way through a sea of people, Eleanor wonders if it’d be too lame of her to hide in the bathroom for the rest of the evening. It was hard option to pass, being that she really didn’t want to be here. Showing up to Amy’s birthday party was a formality, at best. Sure, she was one of her ‘closest friends’, but if Amy or a dog was hanging off a cliff… Eleanor would not hesitate reaching for the much lighter option. In any case, she figured showing up would save her an earful at school the next day. Guilt tripping was Amy’s favorite past time, and even Eleanor wouldn’t wish her worst enemy at the hands of a shameless whiner. 

The music gets louder as Eleanor makes her way back inside, her mouth beginning to salivate as she remembers a pile of newly delivered pizza boxes sitting in the living room. With her eyes on the prize, she makes her way towards them until she’s stopped by a tall figure, nearly bumping into them. “Watch where you’re—” she pauses, eyes finding the very loafers she bought for him just last year. Eleanor rolls her eyes, crossing her arms as she releases a sharp sigh. “Guess you found me.” The brunette shrugs in half hearted defeat, despite knowing very well Jessie would’ve found her even if she did decide to hide in the bathroom. @risswrites​

-

Wherever Jessie went, he always became the life of the party despite how rude or obnoxious he may be. It was the perks and consequences of being born in wealth and politics. You can get away with anything since things are easy to cover up and no one really seems to care what you do, only how much money you have. It might not seem like it, but his temper and sense of privilege has gotten a lot better since meeting Eleanor. Sure he still had many, many flaws, but with Eleanor by his side, he had been trying to be a better version of himself for her. Even if he doesn’t truly understand what that means.

With the party at its peak, he wondered why Eleanor was nowhere to be found. In fact, he actually hadn’t seen her all day. Making his way through different corners of Amy’s house, he searched for his Queen, only to find her in the living room making her way towards a box of pizza. In an attempt to pleasantly surprise her, Jessie wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her cheek. “Found you.” he said teasingly, before dropping his arms at the unwelcomed reaction he received. “What?” he asked, watching as she crossed her arms and sighed. “Why do you have your bitch face on?”

                         Elbows resting upon the granite countertop, Lip nurses his drink, unable to keep himself from grinning as he begins to feel that liquid courage seeping in. A deep sigh leaves him as he looks up, baby blue eyes scanning his surroundings. Mystic High... he sighs softly, fond memories beginning to flash before his eyes, nostalgia pulling at his heart strings. Although reunions were surely a thing a town like Mystic thrived in, Lip never thought he’d see himself actually returning— at least, not for the last decade or so. He always believed he would be the last person out, convinced he couldn’t make it anywhere else. After all, that’s what most people believed, right? He was just that guy who worked at Pennys… with the Lazarus brother and cold hearted mother. In any case, Lip didn’t want to think about that. Warren was doing well for himself now and as the years went by, he was no longer desperate to win his mother’s affections. He was in a good place. 

The music, although incredibly loud, was nothing more than white noise to Lip. He was preoccupied, glancing at the doors, waiting for a certain someone to walk in. He could feel his palms begin to sweat, the anticipation of seeing Juliane Nguyen after all these years being the main reason why he came tonight. He wondered briefly if she would be mad at him for not trying as hard to keep in touch. They promised each other to do so, but… life happened, he supposed. With all his traveling and focus spent on rekindling his relationship with his brother, Lip realized he was slowly losing touch with his friends back home. He wondered, at the time, if that’s what it meant to ‘growing apart’… it was just a hard thing to accept when it came to a friend like Juli. Friend… he sighs again, eyes lifting to the bartender as he beckons them for another glass. This was going to be one hell of a night. @risswrites​

-

Years passed, but Mystic still felt the same. Every building Juli walked by triggered one memory after the other– some pleasant, but most reminded her of the loneliness she felt while living in Mystic all those years ago. When she arrived at the front of the school, she couldn’t help but stand completely still. For a moment she contemplated if it was a good idea to attend the festivities or to turn around and fly back home. If she was being honest with herself, there was only one reason she flew back to Connecticut and it was to see an old friend, Phillip Wolff. A treasured friend that had made her heart skip beats and comforted her through the darkest time in her life. To this day, Juli couldn’t pin point the exact reason or moment the two grew apart. But when they did, a good friend of hers, Layla, was able to help her put the pieces back together again. After Lip had told her of his plans to travel the country with his brother, Juli moved out of their apartment to live with Layla. Then after she got accepted to a vetenary school in LA, she packed her bags and her best friend.

After a few moments of awkwardly standing outside the door, Juli shoved the thoughts of doubt and regret out of her mind. She took a deep breath, put on a fake smile, and entered the doors of Mystic High. She made her way through the corridors gracefully and to her surprise, was greeted by many. Some were familiar and others were complete strangers. “I guess this is the perks of being friends with a famous screenplay writer,” she thought to herself begrudgingly as she continued to return fake smiles and greetings.

The 10 Year Reunion Outfit

10 Years Forward