Romeo’s Kiss – chapter six

Brian looked back and forth between the phone and the little scrap of paper with Julie number on it. He had gotten her number from Trevor and now sat on the couch in the living room, the phone in one hand, and the number in the other. He knitted his eye brows together slightly in confusion. It was Sunday, he didn’t even know if she would be home or not, He leaned up from his position and placed the phone and the paper on the coffee table in front of him before leaning back again into the cushions.

“Bro?” He heard someone say from behind him. He turned his head slightly and looked up at his older brother. Harry could see the tension and nervousness all over his little brother’s face. He could help but laugh at him. “Call her.” He stated simply as he walked thought the room and into the kitchen.

“Call who?” Brian asked, deciding to play dumb.

“Whoever this chick is that you’re so hung up about.” He yelled back from the kitchen.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.” Brian stated as Harry came back through the door carrying a sandwich with him.

“Yes you do. You’ve been staring at that phone for an hour, and what is this piece of paper here?” He asked as he snatched up the paper and Brian fought with him tog et it back. “Oh the girl’s number, huh?” He teased. “Now I’m guessin’ you didn’t get this form her.” He asked, holding the paper up.

“Trevor gave it to me- now give it!” He squirmed as he reached up in the air for the paper that Harry held high above his head, taking advantage of the few short inches he still had left on his little brother. After some arguing he finally gave the paper back and walked back towards the stairs.

“Now call her!” He demanded as he made his way back to his room. Brian sat back down and smooth the crumpled paper back out before sitting back down in it’s place of the table. He picked up the phone and pushed the ‘talk’ button before placing the phone to his ear to hear the piercing dial tone. He looked over at the number. He lowered the phone and pushed the talk button again; letting the phone in his hand rest in his lap. He looked down at the phone then over at the number. He picked up the small piece of yellow writing paper and turned the phone back on before dialing the numbers written on the paper. It rang three times, and when he thought of hanging up someone answered.

“Hello?” It was Julie. He swallowed hard, not knowing what to say, ‘hello’, ‘hey’, he was getting even more nervous when she said hell0 for the second time, sounding a bit impatient. She said hello one more time and when she didn’t get a response she hung up. Brian sat the phone back down, listening to the loud dial tone; he stared down at the phone. He looked over at the paper in his left hand. He got up and got a glass of water, took a few sips of it and sat back down on the couch. He picked the phone and the number back up and hesitantly he repeated the number and held the phone up to his ear once more. When a different voice answered he suddenly felt nervous again, figuring this was her dad he swallowed the lump in his throat and asked if Julie was there.

“Yeah, just a minute.” The man said and Brian could hear in the background as he hollered for Julie, he could hear her ask who it was in the background and her fathered replied with ‘it’s some boy.’ In a fatherly tone and he could hear Julie laugh at this a whine ‘dad’ before getting to the phone and saying hello. He breathed in deeply before saying anything.

“Julie?” He asked hesitantly. He couldn’t back out now.

“Yeah…Brian?” She asked in a questionable tone. ‘At least she recognized my voice.’ He thought as he sighed heavily.

“Yeah. Um…Y’know when we said we should get together some time to rehearse our parts for the play?” He asked, when he heard a ‘uh-huh’ he continued, ‘well, I was thinking, why not tomorrow after school, before the rehearsals?” He held his breath at her answer.

“Um, yeah sure, but we’ll have to meet at the library. After school jobs are a killer.” Brian laughed nervously at her little joke and they set up a time and place to meet; ( colonel mustard in the library with the rope ;; sorry J) The Library at 3:30.