Twenty eight

                                    

                                          
I wake up around 8:00 while the other girls were still passed out. I tiptoe downstairs and find my dad sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper.
"Goodmorning, sunshine." He smiles. I roll my eyes. My dad always called my sunshine in morning, it gets old after 23 years. 
"Goodmorning. I think the girls wanted to go have brunch at Mr. Garners rest stop, can I borrow the car?" I ask.
My dad looks back down at the paper.
"Sure thing sweetie." He scribbled something down on his crossword and I walk out into the sunroom and call Cal. He picks up after afew rings.
"Hello?" He says, his voice slurred and drownsy.
"You were sleeping... I'm sorry!" I say softly. 
"No... Nope, I've been up for hours." He says and yawns into the phone.
"So how's Tennessee?" He asks in a groggy voice. 
I turn and see my dad trying to peak at me from the table to see what I was going.
I open the screen door and walk outside. It was cold but bearable for afew minutes.
"Really good. Have you talked to Mali?" I ask.
There's a slight pause on the other line.
"No but I think we're bonding. Does watching real estate shows count as bonding time?" 
I laugh.
"I guess so... As long as your trying." I say.
There's another long pause.
"I'm going to hang up now, bye Cal. I'll text you when I can." 
Calum sighs.
"Cya J." He says quietly and hangs up.
I laugh, knowing he was going to fall back asleep.
I go back inside and try to avoid my dad and walk straight upstairs.
"Who was that on the telephone?" He asks as I try to walk by unnoticed.
"Calum. My boyfriend. From New York." I reply.
My dad folds up his news paper.
"Me and your mother will have to meet him sometime. You two should come visit us sometime." 
I give a small not and a smile.
"I'm sure he would like that." 
                          
I go back upstairs and get ready for the day. I put on a black V neck under a red flannel and some white wash jeans. I put my hair in a pony tail and put on some light makeup. Carrie and Peyton had eventually crawled out of bed at one point or another. 
Once Carrie and Peyton are ready we head out into town and keep driving until we're at the outskirts of town. 
I get a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. Would he even remember me? Maybe not. 
Ouch.
                          
We pull up and I park my parents car. 
Carrie is the first one out of the car and already walking in. 
Peyton and I linger. 
We walk inside and Carrie walks over to a tall boy who looked alittle older than her. He was hot, that was for sure. He smiled down at Carrie then looked to Peyton and me. 
"Julia? Peyton! Y'all look so different I almost didn't recognize you!" In front of me was little Maxwell Garner. 
His quirky grin lingered.
"Max! Look at you! You're so old oh my gosh!" A smile laces my face as I think back to the little 12 year old Max memories. 
"Eli's working the counter, you should go surprise him." Carrie elbows me and I roll my eyes and walk over to the counter. Nothing had changed. Still only 3 booths and a front counter. Afew tables scattered around. Posters and signs hadn't been moved. 
A guy walks up to the counter. His greenish-blue eyes quickly darted up at me but the crouched down to look for something. He had a scruff of a beard starting to form and his ears stuck out like they always had.
"Hi, would you like a menu?" He asks not taking a second glance at me. I clear my throat.
"No thanks actually I'm just here to see someone." 
Eli Garner slowly stands at hearing my voice.
He quickly scans my face and grins.
"Julia Albright? Do my eyes deceive me?" He says simply.
I laugh. 
He walks quickly around the counter.
"Jules! I thought you ran off to New York forever! What have you been up to? Oh gosh you look... Wow you grew up fast!" 
He pulls me in for a bear hug. 
"Thank you, Eli." I say with a smile that was ever growing. It was good to be home.
"And you don't look too bad yourself! Look at the scruff!" I tease. He laughs and runs his hand across his cheek and down his face. 
"Come, sit! We have to catch up!" Eli drags me to a booth and I sit across from him. 
"So how's New York? Anything exciting up in the city?" He asks, putting his elbows up on the table.
I give a light laugh. "Well everything's exciting there. Always something to do. I mainly keep to myself though. I've acquired afew close friends recently but besides that..."
"How could Julia Albright of all people not have that many friends? Who wouldn't want to be friends with you?" Eli gives me a smile but looks a bit confused. 
"Oh you'd be surprised..." I say shaking my head.
"So how about you?" I ask changing the subject.
"Are you done with school?" I ask.
Eli shakes his head.
"No. Almost! I'm done right before Christmas. I'm excited to get into the work field though. Architecture and building design -incase you forgot." He winks at me. I laugh. 
"So have you been getting all the girls while I've been gone?"
He scratches his head with an embarrassed expression.
"Remember Lindsay Wellens from bio? We had reconnected and dated for awhile. We were um... Engaged too..." Eli trails blushing.
"Lindsay was so sweet! Wait... Were? What happened..." I ask.
"She dumped me 3 months after we got engaged. But I survived and alive and well to tell the story of terror! Anyways, you have anyone back in New York?" He asks.
"Yes actually..." I smile.
"Oh?" Eli says.
"Yes. His name is Calum. We've been dating alittle over a month. He's great." I say. 
"Oh that's great. I'm happy for you Julia, I truly am. Well while it was delightful chatting with you, I have to get back to work. Maybe we can meet for coffee before you go back?" 
"I'd love to! I'll just call here sometime this week." I give a warm smile.
"Bye Jules." Eli grins at me.
I wave and meet Peyton and Carrie at the car.
                          
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Eli is pictured as Zedd 
And Max as Dylan O'Brien
So yes Max is hot - he's freaking Dylan O'Brien
                          
Hey wanna hear something funny??
                          


                          
Juli
                          
;)
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Ed Sheeran is beautiful //S