Categories > Cartoons > Delilah and Julius > Surreal
Chapter Five - Breathe
Julius stood in his room, head against the clear window pane. He had been standing like that for hours, ever since his talk with Delilah. He just stood there, leaning against the window, sapphire eyes staring blankly into space. Focused on nothing, he looked as if he was in a trance. Al had come in once to check if he was there, and almost missed him.
"Dude ... are you okay?" Al had asked, looking uneasily at him.
Instead of answering, Julius had dismissed him with a wave of his hand. Al had thought of protesting, but had thought better of it. Talking to the young spy was like trying to get blood from a stone, as the old saying goes.
You're jealous, aren't you?
Perhaps he was. No, he most definitely was. He had to tell himself the truth, at least. Fate seemed to hate him. Whenever he was finally getting somewhere with Delilah, some guy showed up. Tyler Vane, that Howard person ... there were more, he just couldn't think of them right now. Too depressed.
A pair of lights on the road caught his eye. Delilah ... and Roger. He glanced at the clock: 11:30 p.m. She had been gone for five and a half hours. Never had he been out with her for that long.
He clenched his fists.
You're jealous, aren't you?
Delilah's words swam through his head, dripping with mockery. Roger's car pulled up in front of the Academy. He got out and opened the passenger's door. Can't she get out on her own? Apparently not. Roger reached inside the car and scooped her up. Delilah's head hung limply at her chest. Even from where he was, Julius could read the expression on Roger's face: anxiety.
Oh no. Oh, please God, no.
Julius raced out of his room and down the hall, fighting desperately to block out the thoughts of what could possibly have happened to his partner. As he came upon the corner that lead to Delilah's hall, he skidded to a stop. He could see Roger's shadow, opening her door.
Why is he doing that? Why doesn't he go to Al or Scarlett if she's hurt? In fact, why even come back to the Academy? I would have gone straight to the hospital!
He peered around the corner, watching Roger walk into her room. Seizing the opportunity, Julius shuffled after him, and darted into the bathroom. He could see everything clearly.
Too clearly.
Roger lay Delilah down on her bed and pulled the covers over her. He chuckled quietly. "Guess we had a little too much fun tonight, huh." He murmured, stroking her cheek.
Julius' insides twisted into a knot at the sight. He closed his eyes and looked away from the sickening sight. He could almost feel his heart breaking. As Roger walked past to leave, Julius snapped out of his depression. The door closed. He was alone with Delilah. But he didn't feel comforted, excited, relaxed. In fact, it was the worst he'd felt in a long time.
He stepped out of the connecting bathroom, fighting the urge to glance at his sleeping partner. Only days ago, if he had been in this situation, he would have walked over to her bed. He would have kissed her on the forehead and whispered "Goodnight," even though she was asleep. Not this time, however. He couldn't bring himself to face her.
Not tonight. Not for a long time.
-------------------------------------------------------
[Next day]
The events of the previous night had made Julius realized one thing: he needed to talk to someone. He couldn't solve all of his problems ... and he knew just the two people to turn to.
"So what's bugging you, man?" Al asked as Julius sat in the big, comfy chair in front of his desk.
Al and Scarlett were they only parents he had ever known, so it made sense to voice his concerns to them. He sat across from them; both of the elder spies were seated in enormous chairs (Al's new "thing") on the other side of Al's cedar desk. This wasn't going to be easy.
"Well ..." Julius began, unsure how to word his feelings, "... It's about-"
"Delilah." They both finished for him.
He looked up, half alarmed, half relieved. "How'd you know?"
Al glanced at Scarlett. "Dude, we'd have to be, like, blind not to notice you are having issues, mkay?"
Great. The whole word was aware of his problem. "I'm just ... worried about her. She's different."
"How, sugar?" Scarlett inquired.
"I don't know. She just is." I can sense it. I can tell something's wrong with her. Am I the only one?! "She's been spending so much time with Roger ..."
He noticed that Scarlett's eyes darted to Al briefly. Then she spoke. "Kitten, are you certain you're not just jealous?" When he opened his mouth to protest, Scarlett shushed him. "Just hear me out, ya dig? It's true, our little De has changed, but I'm not sure it's anything to worry about. She's more outgoing, not as shy ... in fact, it might be an improvement. But if anything happens, talk to us again, okay?"
Julius nodded. "Sure. Fine. Whatever."
As he walked out of Al's office, thoughts bombarded him. Am I really only jealous? Can I only see the downside to her change - that she's not spending time with me? Maybe I'm overreacting ... Nothing bad has happened yet. It's probably just like she said; she's simply being friendly. As soon as this babysitting shit is over, everything will probably go back to normal.
Julius had come all the way back to his room and subconsciously lay down on his bed. For some reason, he was incredibly tired. As he closed his eyes, one last question nagged at the back of his mind.
... Or will it?
=======================================================
Synonyms for /Breathe/: confess, tell, confide
_______________________________________________________
Okay.. shorter than originally intended, but I'm seriously tired. Can't think. R&R, but be nice.
Julius stood in his room, head against the clear window pane. He had been standing like that for hours, ever since his talk with Delilah. He just stood there, leaning against the window, sapphire eyes staring blankly into space. Focused on nothing, he looked as if he was in a trance. Al had come in once to check if he was there, and almost missed him.
"Dude ... are you okay?" Al had asked, looking uneasily at him.
Instead of answering, Julius had dismissed him with a wave of his hand. Al had thought of protesting, but had thought better of it. Talking to the young spy was like trying to get blood from a stone, as the old saying goes.
You're jealous, aren't you?
Perhaps he was. No, he most definitely was. He had to tell himself the truth, at least. Fate seemed to hate him. Whenever he was finally getting somewhere with Delilah, some guy showed up. Tyler Vane, that Howard person ... there were more, he just couldn't think of them right now. Too depressed.
A pair of lights on the road caught his eye. Delilah ... and Roger. He glanced at the clock: 11:30 p.m. She had been gone for five and a half hours. Never had he been out with her for that long.
He clenched his fists.
You're jealous, aren't you?
Delilah's words swam through his head, dripping with mockery. Roger's car pulled up in front of the Academy. He got out and opened the passenger's door. Can't she get out on her own? Apparently not. Roger reached inside the car and scooped her up. Delilah's head hung limply at her chest. Even from where he was, Julius could read the expression on Roger's face: anxiety.
Oh no. Oh, please God, no.
Julius raced out of his room and down the hall, fighting desperately to block out the thoughts of what could possibly have happened to his partner. As he came upon the corner that lead to Delilah's hall, he skidded to a stop. He could see Roger's shadow, opening her door.
Why is he doing that? Why doesn't he go to Al or Scarlett if she's hurt? In fact, why even come back to the Academy? I would have gone straight to the hospital!
He peered around the corner, watching Roger walk into her room. Seizing the opportunity, Julius shuffled after him, and darted into the bathroom. He could see everything clearly.
Too clearly.
Roger lay Delilah down on her bed and pulled the covers over her. He chuckled quietly. "Guess we had a little too much fun tonight, huh." He murmured, stroking her cheek.
Julius' insides twisted into a knot at the sight. He closed his eyes and looked away from the sickening sight. He could almost feel his heart breaking. As Roger walked past to leave, Julius snapped out of his depression. The door closed. He was alone with Delilah. But he didn't feel comforted, excited, relaxed. In fact, it was the worst he'd felt in a long time.
He stepped out of the connecting bathroom, fighting the urge to glance at his sleeping partner. Only days ago, if he had been in this situation, he would have walked over to her bed. He would have kissed her on the forehead and whispered "Goodnight," even though she was asleep. Not this time, however. He couldn't bring himself to face her.
Not tonight. Not for a long time.
-------------------------------------------------------
[Next day]
The events of the previous night had made Julius realized one thing: he needed to talk to someone. He couldn't solve all of his problems ... and he knew just the two people to turn to.
"So what's bugging you, man?" Al asked as Julius sat in the big, comfy chair in front of his desk.
Al and Scarlett were they only parents he had ever known, so it made sense to voice his concerns to them. He sat across from them; both of the elder spies were seated in enormous chairs (Al's new "thing") on the other side of Al's cedar desk. This wasn't going to be easy.
"Well ..." Julius began, unsure how to word his feelings, "... It's about-"
"Delilah." They both finished for him.
He looked up, half alarmed, half relieved. "How'd you know?"
Al glanced at Scarlett. "Dude, we'd have to be, like, blind not to notice you are having issues, mkay?"
Great. The whole word was aware of his problem. "I'm just ... worried about her. She's different."
"How, sugar?" Scarlett inquired.
"I don't know. She just is." I can sense it. I can tell something's wrong with her. Am I the only one?! "She's been spending so much time with Roger ..."
He noticed that Scarlett's eyes darted to Al briefly. Then she spoke. "Kitten, are you certain you're not just jealous?" When he opened his mouth to protest, Scarlett shushed him. "Just hear me out, ya dig? It's true, our little De has changed, but I'm not sure it's anything to worry about. She's more outgoing, not as shy ... in fact, it might be an improvement. But if anything happens, talk to us again, okay?"
Julius nodded. "Sure. Fine. Whatever."
As he walked out of Al's office, thoughts bombarded him. Am I really only jealous? Can I only see the downside to her change - that she's not spending time with me? Maybe I'm overreacting ... Nothing bad has happened yet. It's probably just like she said; she's simply being friendly. As soon as this babysitting shit is over, everything will probably go back to normal.
Julius had come all the way back to his room and subconsciously lay down on his bed. For some reason, he was incredibly tired. As he closed his eyes, one last question nagged at the back of his mind.
... Or will it?
=======================================================
Synonyms for /Breathe/: confess, tell, confide
_______________________________________________________
Okay.. shorter than originally intended, but I'm seriously tired. Can't think. R&R, but be nice.
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