Part II Chapter IX: Heart to Heart

Julie flung herself on the bed, exhausted. She pulled out her phone from the pocket of her uniform. She saw that Doreen had called her so she decided to call her back. They talked for a while before she hung up. Scrolling through her phone, she saw she had two unread messages. One was from Kyrie, asking if she was home. She quickly replied to her before moving to the next one. She didn't recognize the number, it wasn't in her contacts. She wrote back, demanding to know the identity of the mysterious person. In a short while, she got a reply. She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It was from Laurent. She could already picture his gorgeous emerald-green eyes.

"How did you get my number, was it Jacques?" She asked.

"Maybe…" He replied.

"Don't you have better things to do?" She wrote, "Like Courtney?"

He sent her a laughing emoji. She grunted and typed, "Unlike you, I am very busy and have better things to do than waste my time on you, so good night!"

She switched her phone off before proceeding into the bathroom. When she was dressed, she snuggled into bed and soon fell asleep.

She waited for Kyrie at the gate. She eventually arrived at the Maybach and signaled her to enter the car. She quickly got in and once again, they were on their way to Spring Day. They were walking through the garden when Kyrie spotted her father. She ran to him and hugged him tightly. He patted her back and said, "I didn't expect to see you here…"

"I'm still working on my project, you know that," She complained. He laughed and said, "I believe you're here with Julianne."

"Yes, she's over there," she said pointing at Julianne, who was looking at the white roses.

"Why don't you invite her for dinner?" He said briefly. Her face beamed. "Seriously?" She said in disbelief. He nodded his head in affirmation. She ran over to Julie who was still observing the flowers. "I've never seen white roses before…" She mumbled. "Guess what Julie…" Kyrie giggled. She frowned. She hated it when people made her guess. "What happened?" She asked.

"My dad says you should come to dinner!" She squealed. Her face lit up. "Really?" She asked. She nodded happily. She decided to go back to the apartment to prepare.

She made her hair into a thick bun. She went through her wardrobe, looking for a dress. Her eyes landed on the green kimono she got the previous year as a Christmas present. It was a brilliant shade of green, reminding her of Laurent's eyes. She wore it on her simple purple gown and went off.

She found herself in front of the large Heathrow manor. Her eyes went from the fountain in the center to the lush garden at the side. She admired the sculptures and carvings, as well as the tapestry. Intrigued by its splendor, she stood on that spot for a few minutes before shaking her head and entering the manor. The first person she saw was Kyrie who was pacing about the large room, checking her watch at intervals. She cleared her throat making Kyrie startled. Seeing her, she ran towards her, careful not to trip on her ankle-length beige gown.

"I'm so glad you came, Julie! I thought you ditched me!" She said in one breath. She hugged her lightly before pulling her further into the house. There, she saw a strawberry-blond lady with the coldest blue eyes she had ever seen. She looked elegant in her black off-shoulder gown however, her presence made her feel intimidated. Kyrie pulled her to the ice-cold woman and said, "Mom, this is my friend Julianne, Julie, this is my mom!"

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Heathrow," She said in a quiet voice. Her eyes scanned her clothing before they finally landed on her face. "Yes I'm black, deal with it…" She said to herself. Her lips curled into a smile. She cleared her throat and said in a rich British accent, "Indeed." After saying this, she walked away, her black fur coat neatly brushing the floor. Julie had never felt so intimidated in her life, she was the one who intimidated people! She sighed and knotted her fingers, creating an awkward silence. It was Kyrie who broke the silence. "Dinner's not quite ready so we'll have to wait if you don't mind,"

She said. Julie nodded, still walking beside her. They walked to her room and once they were inside, she couldn't help but compare her room to Kyrie's room. It was neat and girly, everything was pink! The sheets, the bed, the carpets, the couch, the beanbags, the chairs, the wardrobe, and even the wallpaper. She felt she just entered a dollhouse! Kyrie sat on a plush beanbag and beckoned on her to sit by her side. She sat on the beanbag but felt uncomfortable. She decided to sit on the couch opposite Kyrie.

"What? Is there something on my face?" She asked, noticing her stare on her.

"Let's talk," She said in a giddy tone.

"About what?" She said, moving closer to Kyrie.

"You know, girl stuff," She said mischievously.

"I don't know what to say," She said confused. Kyrie positioned herself properly on the beanbag and said, "Is there any guy you like at school?"

Her cheeks reddened when she heard Kyrie's words. Kyrie squealed in excitement. "You do like someone! Tell me, who is he? Is he tall? Or handsome? Tell me, Julie!" She said happily. She twiddled with her fingers and said, "There is a guy…"

"Who is he? Tell me!" She said jumping up and down.

"Calm down Kyrie!" She said, trying to control the hyperactive Kyrielle. She finally sat down, her face still beaming with excitement. "If you don't want to tell me, at least describe him!"

"Well…"

"Is it Jacques?"

"Eww…why would you think that?" She said in disgust. Kyrie giggled and apologized. She grunted and continued, "He's tall, handsome of course, a spoilt brat, crude…"

"Seems like you've fallen for a bad boy," She tittered. "I wouldn't call him bad, just misunderstood."

"What does he look like?" She asked inquisitively. "He's muscular, has black hair…"

"What about his lips, are they sexy?"

"What is wrong with you Kyrielle?" She shouted. Kyrie laughed till she became blue. Catching her breath, she said, "Don't be so shy Julie, so are they?"

"Well, kind of…"

Kyrie clapped her hands and said, "Lovely, go on…"

"He has black hair and the most gorgeous green eyes I have ever seen," She said in awe. Kyrie stared blankly at her for a few seconds. "Wait, is it Laurent?" She questioned. "I didn't say he was the one," she said defending herself. Kyrie squealed once more. "You guys would make the cutest couple. I can even think of a ship name for you two!"

"Shut up Kyrie," she said placing her head in her palms.

"How about Laurenne or Jurent?"

"Kyrie, you aren't listening…"

"I've got it, Julient! It's almost like Juliet but way better. What do you…"

"Just stop it Kyrie!" She shouted. Kyrie froze, not expecting to hear her scream. "Fine I like Laurent but he doesn't consider me a person. I mean look at me! I'm black, dumb, and stupid. He has everything and I have nothing. He can get any girl, so why would he want to be with me?" She sobbed. Kyrie sat on the couch, softly patting her back. "What makes you think Laurent wouldn't want to be with someone like you? You're beautiful Julie, believe me, you're way prettier than Courtney," she said rolling her eyes. "If he doesn't want to be with you then it's his loss."

She sniffed and hugged her tightly. "You're the best Kylie," She whispered. "Thanks, I get that a lot," She smiled. "Also, those are the worst ship names I've ever heard," She giggled. "What?" She said before throwing a cushion at her. She dodged easily but in retaliation, threw another at her. They continued until they were sprawled on the floor laughing.