✸ ANYONE ELSE
chapter ten ━━ we want different things

"HOW DO YOU break up with someone you aren't even officially dating?" Julie's question made Conrad's head snap up to look at her.

"What?" He stared at her in disbelief.

"I want to break up with James," she turned to look at him.

"Yeah, I got that part," he turned his chair to face his younger sister more. "but why?"

"I just," she hesitated for a moment. "I don't think we want the same things."

"Then tell him that,"

"Can I just do that?" She bit down on lip, already beginning to create the conversation she would have with the boy.

"I think the best way to tell anything is just telling exactly how you feel. Be honest," his voice trailed off towards the end of the sentence.

"Yeah, you're right. Mom always says to be honest," she nodded her head slightly.

Conrad looked away, biting the inside of cheek harshly.

"Thank you, Con. Really," she smiled at her brother, frowning a bit when he still looked away. "Are you alright?"

He looked back, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach as he watched the smile on the most important girl in his life. She deserved the world.

"Yeah, I'm always alright. Tell me how it goes when you've talked to him."

She nodded, chair scraping against the floor as she left him alone with his thoughts in the dining room.

☼  ☼  ☼  ☼

THE FAINT SOUND of the air conditioner was heard in the back of the café as Julie moved nervously around in the booth. It was burning hot outside, and even the cold air coming along with the sound didn't do enough to cool her down, as her sweaty thighs glued themselves to the leather of the seat.

She took a small sip of her Diet Coke, trying to build up the courage to say what was on her mind. She had planned it all out in her mind, but now, sitting in front of him, it felt all wrong. He was so nice. It felt wrong to end it, but at the same time, it didn't feel right to continue it.

"So," She looked up at him, quietly twirling the straw in her glass. "I think we need to talk,"

He looked at her questioningly, putting down his Dr. Pepper. Julie hated Dr. Pepper.

"What's wrong, babe?" He talked with a soft tone, his cute smile plastered on his face, but Julie found herself cringing on the inside.

Babe. Babe was such a weird nickname. Her mother called her babe. Laurel called her babe.

"I think we want different things," she tried to keep the smile on her face as she spoke the words. "maybe we should break up."

"What?" His voice wavered, and Julie instantly felt her heart sinking. "Why should we break up?"

"I- " she tried to get out all the words she had thought out perfectly earlier that day, but it felt like they were stuck in her throat.

He let out a sarcastic laugh as he sunk back into his seat, looking anywhere but at her.

"It's because of that guy, right?" His voice raised slightly in volume, and she flinched, afraid that he would be mad. "Steve or something, right?" He went to stand up. "I knew you were still hung up on him!"

"James," she made him stop in his track to look down at her. "This has nothing to do with Steven. I just think you deserve someone who's more on the same page as you."

"But I want you!" He looked at her sadly.

"You're amazing, James," she stood up too. "We just aren't meant to be. You see that too,"

He went to disagree, but instead sunk together. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Here," he said, "it's on me." He threw a ten dollar on the table, looking at her a last time before practically running out the café, leaving Julie alone at the table.

She sighed. It could have gone worse, but the look on his face left her with a terrible feeling. She didn't want to break his heart, because she knew all too well how that feeling was.

She grabbed her bag of the table and downed the last of her drink, before standing up, discreetly amending her shorts, before she too made her way out of the building.

✸ edited ✸
i love you guys but please stop telling me how to write my story 😭😭 i know this is rushed, but i don't have the energy to rewrite it for the 28393384th time