Ground Rules Are Set

Meanwhile, on the other end of the lodge, Brian and Juliet were the last to get to their room. The blonde teenager turned the handle and pushed it open, allowing Juliet to enter first. The brunette kept her head low and turned aside, not wanting to so much as catch even half a glimpse of Brian as she entered. The room itself was just as lovely and cozy as the others but much smaller, to be sure. Two full beds sat across from one another against either wall, along with two dressers against the far wall. "Not as grand as the other rooms, but trust me, these beds are just as comfortable. Not to mention you lucked out by getting me as the roommate; I may have given up the best room in the lodge, but everything else around here is mine. We get first dibs, and trust me, Julie, we can totally --"

Juliet loudly let her suitcase clang to the floor, and she spun around, "Stop, just stop, Brian." The blonde teen shut his mouth, but a small amused smirk remained on his lips, "Now, I am really, really, trying to be nice here. I know that you did me a favor by inviting me up here and then letting me bring Claire and Kennedy; I get that. And I am supremely appreciative, okay?"

"Why am I get the sense that there is a "but" coming here," Brian stepped back, leaning against the wall as he patiently waited for whatever scorn Juliet was about to send his way. It wasn't something unusual between them; it was a pretty simple tale in his mind. She was a beautiful, feisty bombshell of a woman who ticked just about every last damn box on his perfect girl box. And in her eyes, he was the rich, attractive playboy who was, in all reality, a piece of shit; and before this last year, she was right. Brian could never blame Julie for how she felt about him, but he'd be damned if he hadn't been doing everything in his power to change that conception.

"But," Juliet shot him a stern glare, "That doesn't mean I'm happy with how things worked out here. Appreciative or not, just because you let me come on this trip doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to fuck you, okay?"

"Damn, did I say we were going to fuck?" Brian scratched the top of his head; dimly looking around, "I mean, I'd believe it's something I said, but I could have sworn I was only talking about the beds being comfortable,"

Juliet's icy blue eyes narrowed, "Asshole, I know that's the only thing on your mind every time you look at me." From freshman to junior year of high school, Juliet had found herself with an irritating thorn in her side. Brian White was like a circling shark at every party and every cheerleading practice, and his eyes were always on her first. The number of times she had rejected him was ungodly, ranging from initial sweet denials all the way to cathartic fuck offs. Nothing phased him. True; Brian hadn't asked her to hook up in well over a year now, but even with his newer date requests, she knew what it really meant. A tiger doesn't change its stripes, after all.

"You say that as if it's a bad thing; would you rather I have zero attraction to you at all? You're a beautiful girl, Julie; I can't help but notice that." Brian lightly defended, but just as he could see Juliet ready to huff back one insult or another, he held up a hand, "However, I also know that this week could be the last chance for a lot of us to spend time together and I don't want to ruin that by making you want to leave. So, no, Julie. I wasn't trying to get you into one of these beds right now. I'm just trying to be a good host,"

Juliet let out a sarcastic laugh, "Really? You expect me to buy that?!"

Brian smirked and shrugged, "I was hoping you would,"

"Tell you what; you want things to stay good and happy this whole week?" Juliet planted her hands on her hips, "I'm gonna set a couple of ground rules, and you will adhere to them, got it?"

Brian pushed off the wall and gave a full accepting nod without the tiniest bit of hesitation, "Sure, hit me,"

"You aren't gonna argue?" Juliet warily replied, immediately thrown that Brian wasn't immediately trying to worm his way around this slyly. The teen merely tucked his hands behind his back and stood tall, waiting for her demands, "Okay then, good, glad to see you were being at least half honest with me. The first rule," Juliet pointed to the center of the room, tracing out an invisible line from the door to the well, splitting it in two, "This is my half; that is your half. You don't step foot on my side, you don't try and get close to my bed, and you definitely don't touch or look at any of my fucking clothes,"

"What, you think I'm gonna go pantie-raiding?" Brian teased, and Juliet instantly cringed, "Jesus, Julie, that's a joke. I'm not that fucking ****. Watch out for that kid, Avery, if that's your worry,"

"That brings me to rule two!" Juliet immediately snapped out, "First off, shut up, Avery is supremely sweet, and he isn't some fucking pervert like you." Brian turned his head, giving his eyes a small roll and fighting off a laugh, "Secondly, you need to be nice to everyone this week. And not that shallow; "What's going on bro," type of nice. I don't want you teasing anyone,"

"What are you, my mother?" Juliet tightened her lips as she glared back at him. Any look of amusement left Brian's face, and a sincerely stern one took its place, "That's not me anymore, Juliet. I don't do that, and I never would again. You don't want to believe anything else; you better believe that,"

Juliet lets out a slightly sympathetic exhale but crosses her arms, "I'd like to, Brian, but that Avery comment makes it kinda hard,"

"It's illegal to make a joke?" Brian dryly replies; silence lingers, "Fine, fine, I'll keep them zipped up as best I can,"

"Good, and one last one; stay out of my friend's pants," Brian finally let out a scoffing, bewildered laugh, "I'm fucking serious, Brian. Claire is here because she's trying to get over her breakup with Henry and Kennedy --"

"You don't need to worry about me trying to get with Kennedy," Brian injected, still gleefully laughing, "I can handle some...spice...but not that,"

"I don't believe that for a second. You, Brian White, are a textbook fuckboy, and any girl with a heartbeat making a pass at you would get you into bed," Juliet retorted with a bit of deviousness in her tone,

"Hey, hey, hey, I do have some standards," Brian easily replied, taking the little jab in good faith, "Anyway, let's get unpacked and meet back up with the others so we can actually do something today. Other than you giving me **** stares, I mean," Brian held up his hands while he began to carefully sidestep around Juliet, "Now please, excuse me, I'm moving past you now...in no way is this sexual, Ms.Clark. I am simply getting to my half of our room." He sarcastically said, and Juliet rolled her eyes, turning away with a shake of her head,

"You're such a smart ass," He muttered under her breath, and Brian couldn't help but look the brunette's body over,

"And you've got one hell of an ass," Brian whispered under his breath before turning around, his lips curled. All and all, he had to admit this may have been one of the best conversations he was able to hold with Juliet in a very long time.