Julia disappeared inside the girls bathroom before we could catch up to her. Greg let out a frustrated little groan before we followed her inside.

"Julia?" I called out.

"Leave me alone, Micah." She barked from one of the stalls. "I don't want to talk to anyone right now, okay?"

"I'm here too." Greg announced.

Julia grew quiet. "Great. Just fricking great."

"Did something happen?" He asked, voice low and steady.

Julia didn't answer.

I didn't want to push her. "Is it because of earlier at lunch?"

She burst out the stall suddenly, eyes red and puffy, but lips curled back in a snarl. "You have no idea what you're even talking about, and you!"

She turned to Greg, who paled and backed up. "I trust you with everything. I guess I thought you did too."

Greg winced. "I was going got tell you-"

"Don't give me that crap. I thought we were best friends. I thought you were my only friend." She started menacingly, but her hands were shaking. "I thought you weren't fake like everyone else."

I stood there in shock. What had we done to provoke such a reaction. Julia was always happy, always kind. She was untouchable, I guess people took that too literally.

I reached my arms out to touch her shoulder lightly. She whipped around to face me, angrily. Then started sobbing again and let me hug her. She cried into my shirt for a bit and Greg stared at me, obviously very rattled up.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. "I should have told you."

Julia shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I'm over reacting. I'm so sorry, God, I hate myself. I'm such a failure."

"No you're not." I started. "Julia, you're amazing. You're smartest in our class, and super kind-"

"Stop it." She begged, pushing away from me. "You sound just like everyone else."

That stung. I didn't want to sound like 'just anyone else' for Julia, I wanted to be her friend.

"I mean who am I kidding, that's not even me." She said, waving her hands in the air and laughing sarcastically. "That's just the person my parents want me to be. I hate them, no, I hate me. I don't even know who I am."

"Julia...you know, I know how that feels." Greg pointed out. "You know I've been there."

Julia looked up at him, still crying. She glanced over at me cautiously.

"Yeah he knows." Greg admitted. "Micah knows."

Julia frowned and clenched her fists. "Oh, and when were going to tell me that. Just another giant moment happening in Gregory's life, and he never bothered to tell his best friend."

She sobbed again. "Do you even still want to be friends?"

"Of course!" Both of us said at the same time.

Julia frowned, glaring at me. "I barely even know you Micah, as far as I know you probably just want to get in my pants."

"You'd be surprised, actually." I sighed. "And you know me, you're Juliet, I'm Friar Lawrence, I made you feel better at that party."

She clenched her fists again. "Boys at parties aren't exactly the most trustworthy."

Greg sat down next to her against the bathroom wall. I slowly followed suit on the other side of her. She didn't punch me so I took that as a good sign.

"I'm sorry." She choked again, hiccuping.

"It's not your fault." Greg insisted.

"Yes it is. If I could just be better than people would like me, and I would be so horrible to be around." Julia argued back.

"Who's putting those ideas in your brain?" Greg demanded. "Is it your parents again?"

"You know it's my parents, Greg. You don't have to make me feel worse." She growled, putting her head in her knees and rocking back and forth slightly.

"They said they'd pull me out of the play if I didn't get my grades up. I came home with a c, I failed. I can't keep doing this, this endless cycle of throw and fetch. I feel more like their slave then their daughter." She sobbed into her knees.

I let this sink in. Maybe I had been foolish to think she was happy that way. I never would have thought parents could do that to a child. It took vicarious living to a whole new twisted level.

"You're so strong." I said softly. "I just never realized how much until now."

Julia didn't reject that. She heard it and accepted it.

"I'm sorry I got so possessive on you Greg. I'm just terrified of loosing you." She said slowly. "This is super pathetic, but I actually have no other friends."

"You have Micah." Greg assured.

Julia looked at me, she eyed me up and down like she still wasn't sure. "Okay. I guess. Any friend of Greg is a friend of mine."

"Actually, Micah isn't my friend..." Greg started.

He made eye contact with me, asking if this was alright. I nodded. Julia had just told us so much, this was fair.

Julia blinked, waiting for him to answer. "What...?"

"He's my...boyfriend." Greg finished, watching her carefully to see her reaction.

Julia looked back and forth between the two of us. "Oh that makes much more sense than that stupid detention story you made up."

Then it seemed to hit her. "Wait you're gay?"

"I'm gay." Greg nodded.

"You too?" She glanced at me.

"I'm bi." I was getting real tired of being assumed gay.

She rubbed her forehead. "What?"

"I hate keeping secrets from you, but Micah already already got hurt because he came out. I know you're parents aren't going to like this-" Greg was interrupted as Julia snorted.

"Oh my parents aren't going to hear squat about this, same way they didn't the first time. The same way they still don't know me and Arthur broke up." Julia wiped her eyes as she laughed sarcastically again. "Heaven knows they need something else to shame me for. I haven't found my soulmate yet and I'm not pretty or trustworthy enough to keep a boyfriend."

"Oof." Greg sympathized. "I never liked Arthur."

"Me neither." I agreed.

"Oh shut up, he's really sweet once he opens up for you. Half the time he has no idea what he's doing. I think he was probably so desperately to keep our relationship together that he crushed it in the process." She sighed.

"Oh, there's a bit more." Greg added, unzipping his hoodie and grabbing my hand.

I stopping feeling so stressed about making Julia feel better. Instead I realized I numbly observed she still looked like a goddess to me even when she had been crying. The thought made me realize, maybe the first step to becoming her close friend would be to take her down from the pedestal I put her up on.

Julia's eyes widened as the familiar glow appeared on our chests. "No way!"

"Yeah." I affirmed.

Julia wiped her eyes again, seemingly calmer. "I...you guys, I...thanks. Thank you."

"Anytime." I reached forward for a hug, and she accepted it.

"Your parents aren't seriously gonna pull you out of theatre, are they?" Greg inquired, as we started to walk back.

"I don't know. I'd rather just not think about that right now, okay?" Julia requested. "Let's just enjoy practice for what it is."

"Okay, I'm gonna hang around in the back, call me if you need someone to beat up Arthur." Greg made a peace sign and went to go find a chair.

"Julia!" Mrs. Freida called out. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine now, thanks to Micah. That's why we're late, sorry." She sighed, scooping me into a small side hug.

I saw Arthur shoot me a look as she did. I gulped, wondering what this meant for any future encounters. I mean goodness' sake I have a boyfriend. I'm not going to steal your ex.

"Well we're glad you still showed up." Alex gave us a thumbs up. "I'm going to hug you is that alright?"

"Sure Alex." Julia rolled her eyes.

He grinned and scooped the two of us up, squeezing hard. This earned a laugh from Julia and gasping noises from me.

"Whatever." Maria flipped her hair and went back to looking at her phone. "It's good to see you."

"I would say you especially, are very important, Juliet." Abe added.

"Thanks you guys." Julia smiled softly, it almost looked like she was blushing.

This was one of those many moments where I was really glad I signed up for the play.