Family Secrets

[PunkPrince]

Juliette yelped as Kennedy pulled her backward, flinching and whimpering as Kennedy spoke. Her eyes remained shut, though her breathing was hard. Kennedy loosened her grip slightly, her touch becoming gentler than it had been before. "Juliette," Kennedy murmured softly. She gently tugged her niece back from the road, only vaguely aware of her mother following after her.

Stopping as the traffic behind them quieted, Kennedy knelt, gently tugging Juliette down with her. The girl's legs were still trembling, and Kennedy worried that she might collapse at any moment. She reached out and gently tipped Juliette's chin up to look at her. Bea soundlessly knelt next to her, and Kennedy was grateful for her mother's presence.

"Juliette," Kennedy said again, her voice softer this time. "Look at me. You're all right, I promise. You're safe."

 

[Ravenbelle]

Juliette stumbled as she was led by her arm, trembling. The sounds got softer, but her brain felt like a hurricane.
-
-tripping over her own feet while yanked by her elbow toward the smoke-filled--

Someone was tugging her downward and she was too weak to resist.

--a large hand tugging hers down to a bare mattress on the dirty carpeting--

Juliette fell to her knees obediently, but couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. Every touch felt like a new source of ants crawling under her skin. She tried to resist the fingers at her chin, but they softly tipped her head up. A pair of tears tracked down her cheeks. Her heart was pounding in her ears. It was always the worst when they were gentle at first, because the blows are harder afterward.

"Juliette," Kennedy said again, her voice softer this time. "Look at me."

Can't ignore an order. can'tcan'tcan'tcan'tcan't

"You're all right, I promise. You're safe."

Lies. She forced her eyes open. Her vision was blurry at first, then focused. Two people too close, too loud, too bright headlights. She gasped and jerked backward, breaking Kennedy's hold before landing on her butt. Her fingers clutched helplessly at the front of her sweater as if she could fix her lungs from the outside. Part of her knew she wasn't in immediate danger. That piece tried to get her to speak, to explain that she couldn't breathe. That she was hyperventilating and couldn't stop, but the words wouldn't come out of her tight throat and everything felt like it was spinning.

 

[PunkPrince]

Kennedy's heart sank as tears began to spill down her niece's face. The girl forced her eyes open and yanked herself out of Kennedy's grip before falling back onto the ground. Kennedy hesitated for a moment, and then gently nudged her mother away before crouching down in front of Juliette, slightly further away than she had been before. "Juliette," she said gently.

"You have to breathe. It's okay. Just concentrate on your breathing. Just try to inhale and exhale as slowly as you can. It'll calm you down. Like this." She took a long breath in and exhaled slowly. "Try that. I know you can."

 

[Ravenbelle]

Her head starting hurting along with the rest of her. Now that she was crying she couldn't make herself stop. IthurtsIthurtsIthurtsIt

"Juliette," she said gently.

Juliette's eyes snapped to Kennedy's. Woman. Real. She got blurry every time Juliette blinked. Pay attention! You ran. They're going to send you away
Why isn't she angry?

"You have to breathe. It's okay. Just concentrate on your breathing."

She coughed hard. Her throat was burning. She could hear Kennedy, but it sounded like she was 30 feet away instead of 5. She was so so scared, but knowing how badly she'd messed up, she was suddenly more desperate than scared. STOP freaking out!

"Just try to inhale and exhale as slowly as you can. It'll calm you down. Like this." She took a long breath in and exhaled slowly.

She wanted to. It sounded so easy and yet--
she whimpered. I can't!

"Try that. I know you can."

Everything in her battled that notion, but she wanted to make the pain stop. That's all. At first she just started sobbing harder and that made it hurt more and so she cried more, covering her face in shame. About 2 minutes later, she willed herself to try again. Get it together, idiot! She took a very shaky deep breath, but it came out all in a rush that made her cough and cover her mouth tight with both hands. She winced, but kept at it. The storm in her mind hadn't gone, but now at least it had an eye she could pay attention to. Before, she couldn't open her eyes. Now she didn't dare close them longer than she had to. She needed to stay here. Juliette stared at Kennedy. She kept trying, embarrassed and frustrated, but trying. And eventually, the storm passed.
Her breaths were slow now, and her eyelids droopy. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and slowly picked herself up off the sidewalk, wrapping her arms around her aching ribs.

 

[PunkPrince]

Juliette's breathing slowed after a minute or two, and Kennedy smiled as she picked herself up off the ground. "Good job," Kennedy praised gently. "You're okay." She reached out to give Juliette's shoulder a gentle, reassuring squeeze. Bea stepped forward as the girl apologized.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for," Bea told her. "It happens."

Kennedy paused and looked over at her niece. "Do you want to go back inside?" she asked. "The place is still standing, and Cherie's number is done now." She glanced back over her shoulder towards the bar. Sal's number had probably passed now too. "We could get you some water and watch the last couple of numbers. We can stay closer to the back if you want."

 

[Ravenbelle]

She fully expected a silent walk back to the bar, but instead she was given a non-sarcastic "good job." Good job for what? She thought. Running away from nothing? Acting like a crazy person and nearly turning into roadkill? Or forgetting how to breathe and forcing you away from your family?

"You're okay." She reached out to give Juliette's shoulder a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

Juliette rubbed at her eyes and leaned away from Kennedy's touch, though it was more an automatic response than a fearful one at this point. She felt too exhausted to be scared.

Bea stepped forward as the girl apologized.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for," Bea told her. "It happens."

Juliette kept her eyes downcast. She hadn't seen anyone ever react to anything the way she had. She assumed it only happened to psychotic or broken people, like her.

Kennedy paused and looked over at her niece. "Do you want to go back inside?" she asked.

Juliette looked back up at her cautiously and clenched her teeth at the suggestion to return. Her head responded by throbbing behind her eyes. But she didn't exactly have a choice. Where else would she even go?

"The place is still standing, and Cherie's number is done now." She glanced back over her shoulder towards the bar. Sal's number had probably passed now too. "We could get you some water and watch the last couple of numbers. We can stay closer to the back if you want."

Juliette figured she kept mentioning that the bar was still standing because she thought that Juliette was scared of a house fire or something, but she wasnt about to correct her. The real issue had been a combination of a lot of things, none of them as objectively scary as that. It might have been the lighter. A perfectly ordinary object she had no business being scared of, but here she was.
Water sounded nice though, so she nodded silently and took as deep a breath as she dared against her aching ribs. Round 2 she thought. Fingers crossed her brain doesn't betray her again. She's just too tired for that.

 

[PunkPrince]

Kennedy started back toward the building, slipping back into the open door. She glanced up at the stage for a moment, catching a glimpse of Sal walking off before Cherie took his place to introduce the next performer. Bea headed back towards the bar, returning after a moment with a glass of water and passing it to Juliette. "Here," she said gently. "Drink up. It'll help you feel better."

Kennedy wasn't really paying attention to what Cherie was saying, but she glanced up as the lights began to dim. She caught a glimpse of Eva near the front, glancing back at her and grinning before she turned to face the stage again. Her number must be the last one. It was probably Lucy's turn now.

The lights, which had dimmed only moments before, illuminated the stage once more. Lita was sitting, slightly slouched, in a chair in the center of the stage, Lucy standing beside her as the song began to play.

"Elphie, now that we're friends, I've decided to make you my new project." Lucy mouthed the words to this part, putting a hand on Lita's shoulder and straightening her posture as she did.
"You really don't have to do that." Lita shrugged Lucy's hand from her shoulder and leaned away, her expression hesitant.
"I know. That's what makes me so nice!" Lucy spun away from the other queen as she mouthed the words, giving an excited hop as she moved.

Whenever I see someone less fortunate than I
And let's face it, who isn't less fortunate than I?
My tender heart tends to start to bleed

And when someone needs a makeover I simply have to take over
I know I know exactly what they need

And even in your case, though it's the toughest case I've yet to face
Don't worry, I'm determined to succeed, follow my lead

Lucy stepped out towards the front of the stage as she mouthed the first part, her movements graceful and dramatic. On the second "I know," she turned back to Lita in the chair and put an arm around her friend, pulling her closer as Lita continued to feign being uncomfortable.

As the chorus of the song began, Lucy began to bounce excitedly across the stage, miming the mannerisms of the character in the song.

So let's start 'cause you've got an awfully long way to go.

As the song continued, Lucy leaned down to wipe off Lita's dark lipstick and pull her hair out of the ponytail it had previously been in, sweeping Lita's pink wig down across her shoulders. She struggled to replace the lipstick with a lighter shade as Lita leaned away from her, and then pulled Lita up from the chair and pulled her closer, Lita ducking away and slumping down, a ridiculously overdramatic grimace on her face as she scrambled away from Lucy, who grabbed her by the arm and shoved her back into the chair.

Most of the crowd was laughing by now, and it was fairly obvious both Lita and Lucy were struggling to keep from snickering too.

When I see depressing creatures
With unprepossessing features…

Lucy took a strand of Lita's wig between her fingers and eyed it unconvincingly before tossing it back. She tugged Lita's leather jacket down off her shoulders and rested it on the back of the chair, leaving only the pink tank top underneath it. She continued to mess with Lita's wig and makeup, Lita's protesting and Lucy's attempts to force her to stay becoming more and more ridiculous as the song continued. As the song seemed to draw to a conclusion, Lita's hair was in a single braid down her back, her makeup had become less dramatic—although somewhat messy—and a flower was tucked into her hair.

"Why, Miss Elphaba, look at you. You're beautiful!"
"I...I have to go!"

Lita sprang up and darted off the stage, Lucy staring after her and looking disappointed.

And though you protest your disinterest
I know clandestinely…

You're gonna grin and bear it: your newfound popularity!

Lucy strode to the edge of the stage in the direction Lita had gone as the song slowed. When it picked up again, she reached out and yanked Lita back onstage, who let out a startled sounding squeak, though she had clearly begun to laugh a bit. The pair fought one another as the song came to a close, with Lucy wrapping her arms around Lita, who looked like she would rather set herself on fire as she wriggled out of Lucy's grasp and dramatically flopped to the stage floor on the last note.

The entire bar was roaring with laughter at this point. Eva was laughing so hard that she had her head down on the table. She got up and slipped back in the direction of the dressing room again, Lucy helping Lita up off the floor. Lita collected the tips Lucy had dropped throughout the number and passed them to her.

 

[Ravenbelle]

Juliette followed after Kennedy, minding her step in case she got dizzy again. Stepping back into the bar was less frightening the second time, but the wave of sights and smells still made her want to hide. She clenched her teeth again and forced herself to ignore it, keeping her gaze on the ground. She was also too ashamed to look at the rest of Kennedy's family, on the off chance that they might be curious to see how she'd fare this time around. Bea interrupted her self-deprecating thoughts by passing her a glass of water.

"Here," she said gently. "Drink up. It'll help you feel better."

Juliette took it in both hands and nodded gratefully. She had finished the glass by the time the performers even started the song. She meant to just focus on breathing and ignoring the smell of alcohol, but the song the performers onstage were using was a familiar one. She'd heard it before when Wicked was popular among the theatre kids at her old school. So she watched. If only to make the time go faster. Her limbs felt like lead, but at least her headache was slowly fading.
Juliette understood the premise of the song, even if she didn't know the context of it in the play, but the version performed onstage was rather...over the top. She felt bad thinking that, since everyone else seemed to be enjoying it so much. You're just negative about everything all the time, why start feeling guilty about it now?
Juliette winced, but kept watching, sucking on an ice cube from the empty water glass in her hands.

As the song continued, Lucy leaned down to wipe off Lita's dark lipstick and pull her hair out of the ponytail it had previously been in, sweeping Lita's pink wig down across her shoulders. She struggled to replace the lipstick with a lighter shade as Lita leaned away from her, and then pulled Lita up from the chair and pulled her closer, Lita ducking away and slumping down, a ridiculously overdramatic grimace on her face as she scrambled away from Lucy, who grabbed her by the arm and shoved her back into the chair.

Juliette tensed at the harsh movement, crunching the ice between her teeth as everyone else in the building laughed. God, it's just a joke, stupid! You never enjoy anything do you?

Juliette spent the rest of the number leaning against the back wall and spinning the ice cubes in her glass around with one finger. If she just tried to listen to the clink of the ice against the glass under all the music and laughing, she could get through it. And she did, realizing it was finally over when Eva made her way across the bar back to the dressing room downstairs. She hoped that Eva's number would be the last one.

 

[PunkPrince]

Kennedy glanced toward Juliette as the number ended. The girl didn't look particularly enthused--which was fine--but she had yet to bolt from the building and seemed to be focusing on the ice cubes in her glass. Small bits of progress. Kennedy's gaze followed Eva as she got up to head backstage, and she instinctively leaned forward slightly. If tonight was like any other night Eva wore a corset, she'd want it either taken off or loosened the second she left the stage.

Cherie returned to the stage to announce Eva's number. She waited for the crowd to quiet before speaking. "And last," she said, "but certainly not least, my favorite sister--if only by default--Miss Eva Evanescence!"
Cherie bounded off the stage, shooting Eva a teasing glare and ducking out of the way as Eva moved to playfully swat at her.

The song began and Eva spun onto the stage. Her movements started light and graceful, a perfect balance between dramatics and poise. As the song became more intense, so did the dance, and Kennedy weaved forward through the crowd, her eyes glinting with pride as she gazed at her wife. She slipped out into the front of the crowd and held out a dollar for Eva to take.

Eva caught Kennedy's gaze for a moment before taking the dollar. She spun forward, grabbed Kennedy around the waist for a moment, and gave her a quick peck on the lips before returning to her dance. Kennedy laughed and ducked back into the crowd again before returning to lean up against the wall and continuing to watch, a small smile resting on her lips.

 

[Ravenbelle]

Juliette looked up when...(Cherie maybe?)..returned onstage and announced that Eva would indeed be the last performer of the night. Juliette gave a sigh of relief, then cocked her head curiously at the mention of Eva being Cherie's sister. Was that true?

She had no way of confirming; she wasn't certain if anyone had mentioned it before. She shook her head. Normally, she had such a good memory. She'd had to.
Regardless, when the song started and Eva began to dance, Juliette was sure she'd heard this song before. She sucked on another ice cube. That's right! In her mp3 player stolen from the lost and found. She'd had to save up to buy its corresponding charger, but from there figured out a way to download music she liked onto it using library computers. This song had been one of the ones she rarely listened to because it had been on the mp3 player before she "found" it, but she had grown to enjoy it when it came on shuffle play. There were only a few lyrics she could relate to, which was nice. Not the whole song, just little bits.

Here I am a rabbit hearted girl
Frozen in the headlights

She watched Eva twirl gracefully onstage and shivered, but only because she was cold. She wanted her sketchbook again. She had an idea. She wished she could memorize the dance. Had Eva choreographed it herself? Surely some of it was improvised, since she was willing to adjust part of it to kiss Kennedy partway through. It was a from a distance, but even from the back of the bar, Juliette could see Kennedy's smile.

I wish that I could just be brave
I must become a lion hearted girl
Ready for a fight

 

[PunkPrince]

The song eventually came to a close, with Eva gracefully dropping down to kneel on one knee. The crowd burst into applause and Eva remained on the ground for a few moments longer as she attempted to catch her breath. Kennedy picked up Eva's tips before reaching out to help her up. The pair left the stage and Kennedy wordlessly took to loosening Eva's corset. She glanced back out toward the crowd and caught Ronan's eye. Kennedy smirked, mouthing 'I told you so' before trying to hold in a small chuckle as she watched the boy start to snicker from his spot at the table.

"Dont you laugh at me!" Eva said, glancing back at Kennedy from the corner of her eye.
Kennedy smirked, leaning up to rest her chin on Eva's shoulder. "I'm not," she said gently as Eva spun around to face her. Gently taking Eva's hands in her own, Kennedy spoke again. "You were wonderful," she said. "You're wonderful. Let's get you home."

The pair descended the stairs to the dressing room. Hugo straightened up in his chair as he watched them, his eyes still glinting with as much awe as they had been throughout Eva's performance. He got up and silently made his way over to stand next to Bea. The older woman reached out to gently tousle his hair, and the boy ducked out of the way, a small smile on his lips. He looked over at Juliette, and was silent for several seconds, nervously contemplating whether or not to say anything.

"Did you like it?" he asked quietly. "The parts you saw?"

 

[Ravenbelle]

Juliette really did enjoy Eva's number. She danced beautifully, despite the tight corset. Again, she wished she had her sketchbook with her to she could draw. Eva's performance was by far her favorite. If only Juliette had been able to see it while she wasn't so tired and achy and...sad. She had locked her knees to stay standing, leaning against the back wall and nearly fighting to keep her eyes open. But when she was able to watch, the show really did look wonderful.

She was glad that Kennedy immediately moved to help her get that corset off when it was over. Juliette closed her eyes and tried to breathe from her mouth so the smell of alcohol wouldn't worsen her headache more than it already had. She didn't hear Hugo approach until Bea reached out and chuckled at him. Juliette blinked hard a couple times, both to try and stay aware and also in slight shock that he was quiet enough that she hadn't heard him get that close. He seemed as nervous around her, however, and hesitated before he spoke to her. She hoped she wasn't so fragile-looking that even the most timid member of their family was wary of scaring her.

"Did you like it?" he asked quietly.

She raised her eyebrows. Of all the things she expected him to say, it wasn't an honest question about her opinion.

"The parts you saw?"

Juliette tensed and returned her gaze to the floor. She was sure he was mocking her for having run partway through, which was fair. She shouldn't have taken away the attention from the performers like that in the middle of--
Juliette looked up and gasped. Her book! She rushed back to the table where they had all been sitting before, where she could have sworn she'd left it when she took off. She stumbled at the last moment and caught herself on the table, palms flat. But no matter where her eyes darted around, she didn't see her book. She'd only just gotten it. Had she really lost it already!? She swiftly knelt to look under the table and chairs. Where could it have gone?

 

[PunkPrince]

Hugo blinked in surprise and followed Juliette back to the table. The girl's gaze darted around in a panic, and just as Hugo opened his mouth to ask what she was looking for, Jupiter reached out and tapped Juliette gently on the shoulder. "Hey," they said. "Looking for this?" They extended a hand, holding Juliette's book out to her.

"Sorry," they said. "I was just holding it so nothing would accidentally get spilled on it." They cast a glance toward Eva's mostly empty drink glass, a few drops of peach daiquiri still in the bottom. Cherie's chattering on the microphone had ended, and Jupiter glanced up as they heard Cherie come up behind them. The drag queen's gaze drifted to Juliette, her expression shifting to worry as she caught sight of the girl's still panicked expression. "Are you all right, doll?"

 

[Ravenbelle]

She hadn't heard Hugo following her, and being so preoccupied thinking of how she would be further reprimanded for losing her book, she didn't turn to see Jupiter until they tapped her. She startled and straightened up, then took an automatic step back, but the table stopped her.

"Hey," they said. "Looking for this?" They extended a hand, holding Juliette's book out to her.

A breath of relief rushed out of her lungs as she gratefully took the book from their hands.

"Sorry," they said. "I was just holding it so nothing would accidentally get spilled on it." They cast a glance toward Eva's mostly empty drink glass, a few drops of peach daiquiri still in the bottom.

It was still so strange to have to get used to other people apologizing to her. She held her new book close to her chest and nodded gratefully, still a bit incredulous and attempting to calm down again. She almost succeeded until another shadow loomed over her. Her eyes snapped up to Cherie and the edge of the table dug into the middle of her back. She felt surrounded. Hugo, Jupiter and Cherie stoof in a loose semicircle around her. She tightened her fingers around her book to keep her hands from shaking as Cherie asked if she was alright.
fucking calm down or you'll pass out. Jesus just Lie.
"I'm fine," she forced a tiny smile, tipped her chin up and crinkled the corners of her eyes. Automatic.

 

[PunkPrince]

Cherie paused. Watching her, Jupiter could tell she didn't believe Juliette, but it wasn't likely she'd press it either. And she didn't. She only offered Juliette a small smile before turning her back and heading for the stairs. She stopped and turned to glance back over her shoulder at the group.
"Be nice to yourselves," was all she said before she disappeared around the corner.

Shortly after, Eva and Kennedy emerged from the basement. Eva was first to reach the group, and Jupiter stood up before looking over at her. "I liked your number!" they said, grinning.
Eva gave an amused smile, reaching out to give the teenager a quick, one armed hug. "You've seen it before. Several times."
"So?" they asked. "It's still my favorite."
"I'll have to think of something better, then," Eva said. "So you can finally have a new favorite."

Kennedy followed after her wife, stopping beside her before speaking to the group. "Ready to go home?" she asked.

 

[Ravenbelle]

Behind her smile, she grit her teeth, dreading Cherie's reaction. Her headache was really starting to get to her now. Thankfully, he simply gave her a little smile and turned to leave. When he made eye contact again over his shoulder, she stopped breathing. And blinked at what he said. Confusing. What would he get out of it if they did happen to be nice to themselves? What an odd request... Well at least he was gone now.

Juliette tried to keep her body from relaxing again. She knew the second she did, she'd get dizzy or fall asleep and she couldn't afford to let her guard down here. But she did sit down at one of the chairs for the table she was leaning on. The short break would hopefully give her enough energy to get back to the car when the time came.

It wasn't long before Eva and Kennedy returned, but Juliette was already blinking hard to keep her eyes open. Jupiter congratulated Eva on her performance and Juliette wanted to do so as well, but couldn't come up with the words before Kennedy asked if they were ready to go home. Juliette covered her mouth as she yawned, then glanced at each of the others and Bea, and hoped their answers would be yes.

 

[PunkPrince]

No one had to say anything, but Hugo gave a small nod in response to his mother's question. Kennedy called one last goodbye over her shoulder as they headed out the door. Kennedy slipped her arm around Eva's waist and glanced up at the taller woman, who was clearly worn out from the effort of her performance.

"I'll head home now," Bea said as they stepped through the door. She reached out to give Hugo and Ronan each a quick hug before doing the same to Jupiter. "Stay out of trouble, you three," she said sternly, a small smile on her lips.
"Absolutely not," Jupiter called back, rounding the corner to head up the stairs.

Bea paused at Juliette. Contemplation lingered in her eyes for a moment, and then she smiled and held out a hand for her to shake instead. "You enjoy that book," she said. "Maybe once you've finished it I can bring you something else to read."

Bea turned to go, pecking Kennedy on the cheek as she passed before vanishing out the door.

 

[Ravenbelle]

Hugo nodded, and Juliette was the last out of the door, holding her book close and thankfully leaving the smell of alcohol and smoke behind her. She focused on sitting up as straight as she could to avoid falling asleep on the car ride back.

By the time everyone was stepping through the door and lingering to say goodbye to Bea, Juliette's vision was periodically blurring. She saw the others hug the older woman and Juliette held her breath as they started toward the stairs behind her. Juliette didn't even look up at Bea until she held out her hand.

"You enjoy that book," she said. "Maybe once you've finished it I can bring you something else to read."

Juliette blinked at it, twice, then cautiously allowed a small handshake and met her eyes with weary wonder. Her hand was soft. She struggled to find something to say, she was so exhausted.
"...goodnight," she mumbled and let go of her hand. Her arm instantly fell to her side. Her limbs were so heavy. and cold. She turned to blink up the stairs as Bea left and the door closed behind her. They seemed tall as a mountain now, but she doubted she could sleep on the couch. She was the only one left downstairs except for Kennedy and Eva. Every moment of hesitation felt like an eternity, but she told herself she's had worse, and took hold of the railing tight. Her legs felt like lead, but she started up the stairs. At least she knew that if she got to a bed tonight, there would be no nightmares.

 

[PunkPrince]

"It's done. I finally managed to set the thing up."

Kennedy turned around as Eva's whisper met her ears. She tossed the rag--which she had been using to scrub the same spot on the counter for the past ten minutes--aside and grinned. She glanced toward the living room, where Ronan and Hugo had been--rather loudly--playing Xbox for some time now. Eva probably could have yelled and they wouldn't have noticed.

Eva had been upstairs, setting up a cage for Ronan's bird. They had decided to let him pick the bird out a few days before Christmas. All the baby birds had been ready to go home for several days and they figured that Christmas was close enough by now. At this point, everyone knew about it except for Ronan. Kennedy had been supposed to be keeping Ronan distracted and out of his room--not that she'd had to make much of an effort. "Should we tell him now?" Kennedy asked.

"Not yet," Eva said quietly. "Let's get him to the bird store and then tell him."

Kennedy headed into the living room and leaned up against the back of the couch. "Anybody up for a trip to the bird store?" She tapped Ronan on the shoulder. "I'm sure the conures are old enough for visitors by now."

Ronan shot up, earning a surprised squeak from Hugo, who gingerly set down his controller and stood up.
"Me!" Ronan chirped. "I want to go!"

 

[Ravenbelle]

Juliette slept in again, recovering from the night before. She had woken to the sound of Eva setting up a cage in Ronan and Hugo's room. She had been too curious to stay in bed, so she got up and checked on what was making that noise before she crept downstairs for her pills. She tiptoed around the house in her pajamas, still anxious in case they had decided to wait until today to lecture her about last night. Juliette attempted to remain unnoticed while Ronan and Hugo were playing video games. She wondered where Jupiter was. Then she snuck back upstairs after taking her pills as quietly as she could, and ate one of the stashed granola bars in her room.

She read her book for the majority of the morning, with the door to her room cracked as per usual. The sounds of Eva and the bird cage did not go unnoticed. So when they stopped and she heard Eva head downstairs, Juliette listened. After a few moments, she heard Kennedy offer a trip to the bird store and Ronan excitedly taking her up on it. She remembered when Jupiter had told her about Ronan possibly receiving a bird for Christmas. Was that happening today? It wasn't Christmas day yet. No way...she still had time to figure out something to give them! But what? Juliette tried to brainstorm without working herself into worry. Her fingers fluttered, frustrated along the pages of her book. Maybe if she went out with them she could find some things to pilfer. But she hadn't been invited. She wouldn't impose. If she were in their shoes, she wouldn't invite her.