Julie in the Rain

Here is my June topic that is way late. Oh my! Luke, I would like to say that I loved your topic and I feel crazy just now getting to it. But I'm working on catching up with all of the Ditalini topics.

Julie was "bored to death" as she liked to say, and she hadn't a car to travel. She began calling friends and family to visit her while her Lexus was in the shop down the road. Her car was her baby - without it she was beginning to feel a lot like a child.
"Tom? This is Julie. Hey. Are you and Patricia busy today? What've you got going on?" She was frantic with the address book, wondering how she had so many people listed within it but so few of those names were people she wanted around. Julie was in need of some new friends. Exciting ones.
Just as Julie reached for her coffee mug to get a refill, she heard tapping on the far kitchen window. "What?" She exclaimed out loud. As she shuffled her stocking feet to check out the noise, a fierce wind threw a plastic flower pot at the house and an incredible rain pummeled the glass pane. She stood in wonder at where this sudden storm had come from. "Argh!" She stomped her right foot and on the way down hit her toe on the table leg. "This day couldn't get any worse! Oh my God!" Julie felt like her day would be best spent in bed with some sleeping pills. "Just let it end." She began to walk toward her bedroom with a "Home & Away" magazine she'd already read through years ago, when she heard a faint knock on the door. Her eyes widened and her ears started to tingle. "Could it be? Someone has answered my call? Oh Angel!" She whipped the magazine onto the floor and skipped over to the door expected to see a familiar face. She threw the door back and there was someone there alright, but might unfamiliar. "Hello, could you spare some dollars for the Wildlife fund at my school? I'm sorry to bother you." A small thin girl stood there completely drenched with her knees clasped together and shaking. "What are you doing in the rain?" Julie asked in a sour tone. "I thought you were someone else."
"Well, the rain just hit ma'am, and I didn't foresee it coming."
"If you'd like to get warm then come on in. But I don't have any bills. Just change."
"I can make it home alright. I'll just wait on the porch til it passes. My fundraiser form says to not go inside."
"Hell girl! You're going to freeze. I have a warm couch just inches away! Come in please, I'd hate for you to get sick."
"Alright ma'am."
The girl entered the warm home and felt instantly better and surprisingly comfortable. "You have a nice home."
"It's really nice right now!" Julie laughed. "I was cleaning up this morning for guests."
"Oh! I didn't realize. I should definitely be going then."
"No dear, just sit down... here is a towel for you. Dry off."
"Are they not coming over?"
"Not today. No one could make it. So what's your name?"
"I'm Claire. I go to school at Middlemonte. I can't believe how cold it got, my mom might be worried. Can I call her from here?"
"Of course, I'll get the phone." Julie grabbed the portable and handed it to Claire, who was now wrapped in a giant towel sitting on the edge of the couch. Claire began to dial.
"Momma? I'm at a lady's house. I was in the rain and she invited me in." Claire paused for a moment, and then put her palm on the talking end. "My mom wants to talk to you."
Julie took the phone and spoke, "How are you! My name is Julie."
"I'm just fine. Is Claire alright?" The mother sounded quite jovial for asking a concerned question.
"Claire is warming up, she'll be fine. I couldn't believe the weather. Just hit us out of nowhere."
"Right. It was intense and I realize Claire hadn't gotten very far but she has all those papers to carry and I'd hate for her to ruin them. Sorry for the inconvenience of having her."
"It's fine, really. Just one of those sorry, kind of drab days anyway. I wasn't busy." Julie looked up at Claire who was trying to separate her fundraiser brochures to lay them out on the floor to dry.
"Well, I'll be over to pick up Claire. Where are you? I actually was supposed to be somewhere so I might need to leave now." The mother's voice was calm and relaxing to Julie's ears. She liked this woman.
"I'm on Fallbrook and Vestin, right on that roundabout. You know the gray barn by the road? That's mine."
"I've seen it! Thank you ..." the mother paused.
"It was Julie."
"Oh, that's right. Great. Thank you Julie. My name is Reba."
"Like the singer." Julie gave an awkward laugh. "Ok I'll be seeing you then."
"Bye Julie."

Julie walked to the front door and checked to make sure the gray barn was still in the front yard. Only minutes later, she watched as a small yellow sports car pulled into the drive. Out walked a vibrant woman dressed in a beautiful beige dress that extended to her ankles. Her hair was pulled back and there were sparkly barrettes on each side of her head. Julie noticed that Reba had a very youthful walk. "Hey there!" Julie yelled from the front porch. "Looks like the rain subsided a bit just for you!"
Reba laughed and gently brushed the light wetness from her shoulders. "I'm all dressed up, I know!"
Just as Julie went to open the front door to get Claire, the door opened up and Claire outstretched her arm with the towel. "Thanks for that." Claire smiled and waved timidly to her mother.
"Going somewhere fancy?" Julie asked Reba.
"I think I'm a little overdressed. My best friend Shiela gave a book reading last week, and she's throwing a party to celebrate. We're all very excited for her."
"Oh wow! That's incredible. What an inspiration." Julie felt a tinge of envy, as she had wanted to get published for almost a decade. "What is the book?"
Reba took ahold of Claires shoulders and began to rub them. " "Monkey in the Middle'. It's a memoir."
Julie almost dropped to the ground. She knew the book. "You're kidding me right?! That book is amazing! I just read it!"
"Oh my goodness! Isn't that something?!" Reba smiled and looked at Claire.
"That is strange." Claire sayed softly.
"Hey! Why don't you come to the party with us!" Reba looked back at Julie.
"What?!" She laughed heartily. "I would be so out of place, not to mention what I'm wearing!"
They all chuckled together and then Reba said, "I'm already late, and she said I could bring a friend. I think it would be a lot of fun. I don't really know any one else there."
"Really?! You really don't mind?"
"Not at all. Go get dressed!" Reba nudged.
Julie ran quickly inside and changed clothes. She was so excited! "This might just be the start of a great friendship." She thought to herself as she looked into her bedroom mirror. She smiled as she grabbed her purse and dug for her lipstick.
"I'm coming!" She yelled to Reba and Claire. "I'm just going to put the towel in the dryer!"