French Lessons, Volume 5: Risk.....Chapter 3

[fleurlb]

Warning: Takes place after the end of Season 3 and alludes to things that happened during that season. So, if you're very spoiler averse, you probably want to come back another time.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything here and am just doing this for fun and to pass the long months until Season 4.

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late-September

 

“Good-bye, I'll be home by one,” shouted Julie as she walked out the front door. She heard her mother tell her to have a nice time.

 

 

Julie walked over to Matt's car, opened the door, and tossed her jacket in the back seat. It was already dark and getting chilly, but Julie didn't want to ruin Matt's first impression of her outfit with a bulky jacket.

 

It was so rare that they got a night to go out. Everyone's schedules had to line up like the planets. Shelby had to be able to look after Grandma. Matt's days off at the weekends were rare. Julie couldn't stay out late on school nights and she was still working at Applebee's. Their lack of quality time made her spend extra time on her appearance.

 

She tried on six different outfits before settling on a swishy knee-length navy skirt, a tailored button-down blouse, and tan suede ankle boots. Her hair was curled and held back from her face with a clip. Seeing Matt's appreciative smile and feeling his eyes on her legs made it well worth the extra time.

 

“You look nice,” he greeted her, leaning across the seat to give her quick kiss on the lips.

 

“Thanks,” she said as she fastened her seatbelt. “How was work?”

 

“You know, the usual,” he said. “Although today, we did have a little extra excitement. The ice cream machine broke.”

 

Julie listened in amusement as Matt told the story. She thought it was funny but Matt was less amused at having to spend an hour cleaning ice cream off the ceiling.

 

“Anyway, that was my day. How was your day?” he asked, glancing over at her.

 

“Oh, you know, nothing as exciting as that. Mostly it was watching Gracie and studying SAT vocabulary words.”

 

“Yeah? You going to break out a couple of those five-dollar words for me?”

 

Julie thought for a minute. “Through assiduous and diligent study, I hope to suppress my nerves and prove my sagacity by performing in an exemplary manner next week.”

 

“Wow. That was pretty good.”

 

“Well, I need at least a 2200 and you know I only got a 1900 last time,” said Julie.

 

“You'll do fine. You're probably going to get at least a 750 in the writing part. Just relax.”

 

“You're right....So, I was looking at Northwestern and did you know that there are two ways to get from Evanston to downtown Chicago without taking a bus or using a car?” Julie looked over at him, hoping he'd hear the unasked question.

 

“Yeah, huh?” asked Matt, steadfastly refusing to make eye contact with her.

 

Julie bit her lip and looked out the window into the darkness. She hated to press him, but he kept avoiding her questions on the subject. She was starting to want some idea of where she should focus her energy. She'd definitely consider giving up Columbia for Northwestern if Matt was part of the package.

 

“You given any thought to what you're going to do next year?” she asked, struggling to keep her voice casual.

 

“Julie, I don't know and I'm not sure this is the time to talk about it,” Matt replied.

 

“It's okay,” she said quickly. “It's not a huge deal. I've just, you know, been thinking or wondering or whatever if I should focus my efforts on Northwestern, maybe even go for Early Decision. Especially if....you know....you plan on picking up your deferment at the Art Institute.”

 

Matt sighed. “Julie, you should do whatever you want to do. Don't even think about what I might or might not end up doing.”

 

“It was just a thought,” said Julie. “I'll probably just end up at UT anyway, since they have to accept me and everything.”

 

“Must be nice to have all these options,” he said.

 

His bitter tone was like an unexpected slap in the face. She opened her mouth to make a smart reply, but decided against it. They spent so little time together, she didn't want to fight with him.

 

She turned her head to look out at the road in front of them just in time to see a minivan cut them off, a Baby On Board sign swinging in its rear window. Matt slammed on the brakes and automatically threw his arm across the front seat to protect Julie.

 

“Asshole,” Matt hissed at the receding tail lights. When he spoke to Julie, his tone was quiet and concerned. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah, I'm fine,” she said, nodding as if to reassure herself. “I hate those Baby on Board signs. Everyone has people in their car that they care about. Just because your baby is precious to you, doesn't mean the rest of the world has to think so.”

 

Matt chuckled and his lips quirked up into half a smile. “Besides, if you drive like that much of an asshole, your kid is probably going to be a major league jerk.”

 

“Exactly,” laughed Julie, relieved to feel the sour mood in the car dissipating. Hoping to make Matt laugh again, she continued. “You know what else I hate?”

 

“What?” he asked.

 

“Those guys who drive giant gas guzzling SUVs, like Expeditions or Hummers, who have 'I Support Our Troops' bumper stickers. Great, but maybe it you really did support them, you'd drive something that got more than 12 miles to a gallon and the troops wouldn't need to be in the Middle East.”

 

Matt bristled. “You making fun of servicemen, now, Julie?”

 

“No,” she replied, surprised. It was the sort of wry observation that Lois or Landry would have appreciated.

 

“Because I don't think that's very funny.”

 

“No, no, Matt, I didn't mean it like that.”

 

“My dad,” he said, beginning to pick up steam, “He sure doesn't think that we're over there because of oil.”

 

Julie twisted her fingers together in her lap and looked down at her hands. She recognized a no-win situation when she saw it.

 

“Matt, I didn't even mean it like that,” she said softly. “And I think you know it.”

 

He took a deep breath and let it out as a long-suffering sigh. “Julie, you know what, I am so sick of the way you're all smart and snarky all the time. You've just been so.....bitter lately.”

 

Julie scoffed at his words. “I'm bitter? You think I'm bitter? You have been wallowing in bitterness and self-pity for the last two months.”

 

“What are you talking about?” he asked, ready to play the role of the aggrieved party.

 

Julie looked away from Matt and stared out the window for several beats. She could see their evening was already pretty much ruined. Maybe it was time to put her cards on the table.

 

“Matt, we both know we're not fighting over bumper stickers or my snark or anything else like that,” she said, striving to keep her voice from going shrill, which was hard because her throat was getting dry and tight. “We're fighting because you made a decision that you regret and now you're angry and resentful. You keep taking it out on me and really, I'm sick of it.”

 

She stole a look at Matt and the image reminded her of her father. His tightly clenched jaw had a muscle twitching so badly, she thought it might burst through his skin and run off on a murderous rampage.

 

“You know what, Julie, I have responsibilities that you can't understand. Don't you dare look into my life from the outside and tell me what I resent or don't resent. You've got two parents who would do anything for you and have always, always been there for you, no matter how much of a brat you acted like.”

 

His words were poison darts: fast, deadly, and right on target.

 

“Stop the car,” she said.

 

“What? No. We're 10 miles from Dillon. What are you going to do? Walk home?” Matt looked at her like she was crazy.

 

“Stop. The. Car. Now, Matt, I mean it.”

 

He spotted the neon sign of a gas station about a quarter of a mile up the road. He sped up and then sharply whipped over into the edge of its parking lot, tapping the brakes much more crisply than was necessary.

 

“Julie, look, I'll take you home, you don't hafta be ridiculous about this.”

 

“I'm not being ridiculous,” she said, throwing the door open and stepping out of the car.

 

“How are you going to get home?”

 

“That's not your problem any more. Get out of here, Matt. Just leave me alone.” She was angry enough that any minute, she was going to burst into tears and she didn't want to let him see that. She slammed the door and stalked away. She held a dim shred of hope that he would get out of the car, follow her and try to make things right. So she was crushed when she heard the squeal of tires as he drove away.

 

Chapter 1                   Chapter 2                  Chapter 4

Comments

[celtic-flicka.livejournal.com]

This link popped up on my flist while I was trying to get some work done last night, and you have no idea how hard it was to resist!

You're doing a wonderful job of moving this story along without making any of the characters unsympathetic.

[fleurlb.livejournal.com]

Thank you - both of those comments are huge compliments. I really struggled with this chapter, trying to get the right tone for the fight. (In an earlier draft, Matt kicked Julie out of the car and that just felt *wrong*.)