Ketchum, ID

ch 9 - julien

 We've gone to the studio every day for almost two weeks. If I was going alone, I probably would've gotten bored by now, but Phoebe and Lucy somehow make the most mundane tasks so much better. I have to rerecord my guitar part again? Boring. I have to try not to laugh while rerecording my guitar part because Lucy and Phoebe have their faces pressed up against the window? The time of my life. I could not wait for us to finish this album and get on the road to perform all of these songs we had poured our blood, sweat, and many many tears into for people who wanted to hear it. But if I'm so excited to perform our music for a crowd, then why does the idea of singing in front of Alex and Jo make me so nervous? Well maybe not as nervous about Alex as I am about Jo.

"Lucy, don't forget to grab your jacket!" Phoebe yelled down the hallway. "You know how cold you were yesterday!"

"Thank you! Did anyone tell Jo and Alex it's cold in there?"

"I didn't even think about that," I admitted.

"Well I'll grab Alex something. JB, you grab Jo a sweater or something," Phoebe directed me. I walked back to my room to grab a sweatshirt and a sweater so Jo could have options, and headed back to meet up with Lucy and Phoebe at the car.

As I climbed in the backseat, Phoebe and Lucy both turned around to look at me and giggled to themselves in the front seat.

"What are you two goons laughing about up there," I whined.

"You're just cute, JB that's all," Lucy said.

"She brought options! I love you Jules, never change baby," Phoebe said.

We pulled into the coffee shop and decided to wait in the car for Alex and Jo to get here, so Phoebe turned down the music and turned around to face me.

"So, you like Jo. What are you gonna do about it?"

"Whaaaaaaat," I said in a high pitched voice.

"Don't play, Julien Baker. She's interested in you too. And we're not going to ignore that fact. We've only been around her for a short amount of time, but I've seen how you look at each other. So no more awkward between you two. Confidence only, baby," Lucy chimed in.

As I was processing this information, a car pulled in next to us with the windows rolled down. I looked over and saw Jo and Alex bickering in the front seat. Then, Phoebe's phone rang over the car's speakers. She answered it and Alex's voice rang through the car.

"Hey guys, we just pulled in and Jo is freaking out. Jess' car is here, and she doesn't want to go in and ruin her day," Alex said. I was watching them talk through my window and saw their dramatic eyeroll that accompanied that comment.

"Ohhhh no. We are not worried about ruining her day. She cheated on you babe, it's time to let her know you've moved on," Phoebe said.

"We're going in there," Lucy said. "Think about the iced lavender oat milk latte you'll get out of this deal."

"I know, I know. I'm being silly. I just can't help it. She's done so much to me and made me feel like I'm the one in the wrong for so long that I've actually started to believe her," Jo said back in a voice that sounded like she was tearing up. I looked out the window and saw Alex wiping her eyes with a napkin from the center console.

"Hold my hand," I said, feeling a sudden urge of protectiveness come over me.

"What?" Jo asked in the sweetest voice as Phoebe and Lucy's heads whipped around fast enough to give themselves whiplash, stunned by the events occurring in front of them.

"Hold my hand. We'll walk in together, holding hands, or I could wrap my arm around you if that would make you more comfortable. She'll have no option but to leave you alone," I said.

"That actually might work," Alex said as if they'd just heard the best idea in their entire life. "She's been able to control you because you've been alone and vulnerable-"

"Okay, ouch," Jo cut in.

"But I'm SAYING," Alex chimed back in. "If you go in and show just how unbothered you are, she'll have no choice but to accept that she's out of your life for good. We can even block her number so she can't reach you after we leave here."

"We're taking back things that are important to us, starting with your happiness and going in for the kill with the iced lavender oat milk latte," Lucy said.

"Okay. Let's try it," Jo said as I watched her wipe her face off through her still rolled down window.

"Are you guys here?" Alex asked genuinely.

"Babe we've been parked next to you the whole time, my car just has extremely tinted windows," Phoebe laughed.

"Oh god. So you've been able to see me this entire time," Jo said, sounded panicked. "Great. Today is going great."

"You look beautiful," I said, with Phoebe and Lucy acting like they were screaming in the seats in front of me. "Let's go get some coffee."

We climbed out of the car and I walked up to Jo.

"I brought you a sweatshirt and a sweater just in case you got cold at the studio," I said in a sheepish voice.

Jo didn't say anything. She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I wrapped her into the biggest hug I could manage in an attempt to transfer her whatever courage I could muster.

"Thank you," Jo said with tears in her eyes. I reached up and wiped the stray tears away and gave her a small smile.

"I was serious about what I said in the car. Let's go in there and ruin her day. She deserves it," I heard myself say.

"She deserves it!" Phoebe, Lucy, and Alex all said together in a cheery tone.

"I love you guys," Jo said, extending her arms to include everyone in a group hug.

"And we love you baby," Alex cooed.

"Now let's go get you that latte," Lucy said.