Julianna
Julianna unzipped the sides of her leather boots.
“Is lemonade okay?” Sam said into the fridge.
“Perfect, yeah,” Julianna said, looking around the
kitchen of the townhouse.
The peach wall paper and pink tiles were terribly
dated, but Sam had never really had an eye for interior design. If Julianna
remembered correctly, the only two objects she’d contributed to their college
apartment were a black and white poster of John Lennon and a turquoise lamp
with a Care Bear lampshade.
Julianna noticed the John Lennon poster hanging
unframed in the family room when she arrived. The lamp, unfortunately, met its
demise when it was “accidentally” smashed into a million pieces one day when
Sam was out. But it was really for the best. Julianna was never going to get
used to that eyesore.
“I’m so glad you finally stopped by,” Sam said,
putting two glasses of icy lemonade down on the round table.
“I know. I’ve been an awful friend,” Julianna said.
“My program’s been kind of demanding.”
“You did that to yourself, though, didn’t you?” Sam
asked. “Didn’t you say you were trying to finish in half the time?”
“Yeah.”
“You always were a bit of a masochist.”
“Well I figure the sooner I can start getting paid
instead of paying, the better.”
Sam swirled the lemonade in her glass. “I hear
that.”
“I’m so glad you were in. I was dying to see your
place.”
“I know!” Sam’s eyes lit up. “It’s hard to believe
we’ve been here for a year and you haven’t been over yet. Now that you’re back
in town, you’ll have to stop by more often.”
“Agreed.”
“Kevin will be so disappointed that he missed you.”
“I know. What a shame,” Julianna said. “Where is he
working now?”
“For his dad. He’s got a chain of gyms.”
“Oh wow.”
“Yeah.” Sam pulled a knee up onto her chair. “We
have a free membership and everything.”
“Sounds like a mixed blessing.”
Sam laughed. “I know. Sometimes it hangs over me
like a black cloud, but whatever. If guilt is what it takes for me to stay in
shape, so be it.”
Julianna examined her friend’s jaw line. “You look
like you’ve lost weight anyway.”
“I wish I could say it was from the gym, but I think
it’s just that I don’t drink beer every day anymore.”
Julianna leaned back in her seat. “Ahh the good old
days.”
“You haven’t changed an inch.”
Julianna shrugged. “I was never much of a beer drinker.”
“Like that matters. The only time I can ever remember
you gaining any weight it just went straight to your tits.”
“Don’t worry,” Julianna said. “You’ll have the last
laugh someday when gravity catches up with me.”
“Yeah, right,” Sam said. “Like you’d ever let that
happen.”
“True.”
“Well if you have any tips I could use them. Kevin
and I are thinking about getting married next spring.”
“Shut up.”
“I know. Isn’t that great!”
“I didn’t see a ring.” Julianna grabbed her friend’s
hand.
“You’re sitting in it.” She raised her hands above
her head. “We put everything we had into the house. I told him the ring could
wait.”
“How romantic.”
“So he didn’t technically ask me yet,” Sam said,
pulling her hand back. “But we’ve discussed it like a thousand times.”
“It seems like things are moving so fast for you
guys.”
“Well, I don’t know. I know what you mean, but it’s
been two years.” Sam pulled her long black hair together and twisted it around
so it hung on one side of her head. “When you know, you know… you know?”
“So they say.” Julianna made a pouty face. “I
already never see you, though.”
“Whose fault is that?!”
“We’ll have to have a few girls’ nights on campus
like old times.” Julianna trailed her finger through the sweat on her glass.
“Promise?”
“Only if you promise you’ll be a bridesmaid.”
Julianna crinkled her nose.
Julianna unzipped the sides of her leather boots.
“Is lemonade okay?” Sam said into the fridge.
“Perfect, yeah,” Julianna said, looking around the
kitchen of the townhouse.
The peach wall paper and pink tiles were terribly
dated, but Sam had never really had an eye for interior design. If Julianna
remembered correctly, the only two objects she’d contributed to their college
apartment were a black and white poster of John Lennon and a turquoise lamp
with a Care Bear lampshade.
Julianna noticed the John Lennon poster hanging
unframed in the family room when she arrived. The lamp, unfortunately, met its
demise when it was “accidentally” smashed into a million pieces one day when
Sam was out. But it was really for the best. Julianna was never going to get
used to that eyesore.
“I’m so glad you finally stopped by,” Sam said,
putting two glasses of icy lemonade down on the round table.
“I know. I’ve been an awful friend,” Julianna said.
“My program’s been kind of demanding.”
“You did that to yourself, though, didn’t you?” Sam
asked. “Didn’t you say you were trying to finish in half the time?”
“Yeah.”
“You always were a bit of a masochist.”
“Well I figure the sooner I can start getting paid
instead of paying, the better.”
Sam swirled the lemonade in her glass. “I hear
that.”
“I’m so glad you were in. I was dying to see your
place.”
“I know!” Sam’s eyes lit up. “It’s hard to believe
we’ve been here for a year and you haven’t been over yet. Now that you’re back
in town, you’ll have to stop by more often.”
“Agreed.”
“Kevin will be so disappointed that he missed you.”
“I know. What a shame,” Julianna said. “Where is he
working now?”
“For his dad. He’s got a chain of gyms.”
“Oh wow.”
“Yeah.” Sam pulled a knee up onto her chair. “We
have a free membership and everything.”
“Sounds like a mixed blessing.”
Sam laughed. “I know. Sometimes it hangs over me
like a black cloud, but whatever. If guilt is what it takes for me to stay in
shape, so be it.”
Julianna examined her friend’s jaw line. “You look
like you’ve lost weight anyway.”
“I wish I could say it was from the gym, but I think
it’s just that I don’t drink beer every day anymore.”
Julianna leaned back in her seat. “Ahh the good old
days.”
“You haven’t changed an inch.”
Julianna shrugged. “I was never much of a beer drinker.”
“Like that matters. The only time I can ever remember
you gaining any weight it just went straight to your tits.”
“Don’t worry,” Julianna said. “You’ll have the last
laugh someday when gravity catches up with me.”
“Yeah, right,” Sam said. “Like you’d ever let that
happen.”
“True.”
“Well if you have any tips I could use them. Kevin
and I are thinking about getting married next spring.”
“Shut up.”
“I know. Isn’t that great!”
“I didn’t see a ring.” Julianna grabbed her friend’s
hand.
“You’re sitting in it.” She raised her hands above
her head. “We put everything we had into the house. I told him the ring could
wait.”
“How romantic.”
“So he didn’t technically ask me yet,” Sam said,
pulling her hand back. “But we’ve discussed it like a thousand times.”
“It seems like things are moving so fast for you
guys.”
“Well, I don’t know. I know what you mean, but it’s
been two years.” Sam pulled her long black hair together and twisted it around
so it hung on one side of her head. “When you know, you know… you know?”
“So they say.” Julianna made a pouty face. “I
already never see you, though.”
“Whose fault is that?!”
“We’ll have to have a few girls’ nights on campus
like old times.” Julianna trailed her finger through the sweat on her glass.
“Promise?”
“Only if you promise you’ll be a bridesmaid.”
Julianna crinkled her nose.
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