Practice Makes Perfect

I listened to the new song by one of my fav. bands Cute Is What We Aim For, it inspired me to write this story.

Julie always knew what she wanted, a white picket fence, children in the backyard playing on a swing set and a white wedding. She thought about it when she was in grade school and slowly the image died away but still remained. Fading into the rest of the dreams like a pool filling so deep yet she became so shallow. Julie wanted to be happy at any cost she would get those things, through his school the fact that she lived in a broken home with her mother who worked day and night to feed her and pay bills and recuperate from a divorce which left the two with nothing but each other. She was willing to sacrifice her "white wedding" for it. Living in a smaller town she made it to the top of the social food chain without any competition. Everyday she looked in the mirror and watched as who she was diminished increasingly, behind a smile she was fierce and as willing as any to do the necessary. School was the place where she used the only talents she thought she had making her C’s from late nights at the bush parties instead of at her desk where she should have been. A’s were easy things to get with desperate teachers though. From day one peer pressure compromised a good girl, but in December of her second last year of school she dangled the notion of a happy life with the star quarter back Dillon Mackenzie, the relationship carried on for almost eighteen months. Julie was in euphoria showered in gifts from one of the wealthiest families on the west coast. She could never anticipate that all the walls she built would be infiltrated by him, he broke her without question. Gaining her trust he was a better player then Julie, their final school year was at it’s end and prom night came. This was the night she would let him have whatever he wanted. She felt so real around him, so safe, so happy. Was it all coming together? Alicia, one of his ex’s came to her and told her about the times she felt like he was the one, being so young and stupid but Dillon was a player and the best. They were over in grade eleven because of that, if Alicia never found out they probably would have still been together. Julie told her to f**k off, it was an act to break up what they had. Weathering so much and Julie was so close to becoming prom queen with Dillon nothing could stop them.

"Miles?" Miles mother called from the living room, he went out to see what was wrong

"Yeah mom?"

"It’s your father, he was on his way home and was in an accident" she said tearing in her chair "He was taken to the hospital"

All he could think about was the police car that was leaving the drive-way "They said that he might not make it" With tears running down her cheeks and a tissue in her hand he went to his mother to comfort her. That night was all he thought about during the funeral. Mile’s soon after that found out that his dad was not the man he thought he was. He had another life, complete with skeletons. They were a middle class family, on weekends he would leave town, living in Nebraska was all he had known, this was always how it was but his families lawyer scheduled a meeting after the burial. Mile’s father was an addicted gambler and his dad had another family who lived up the road in another town. The devastating news was just the first, his dad left half of everything they had to them and Miles and his mother’s half was to be seized to pay for his addictions bills. They were left with nothing, this caused his mother to take him away from all he knew, moving to Oregon. Soon after the summer before his final year of highschool they moved. He knew that financially they were not set to do it but they managed to find low-income housing. Miles never was a popular kid but ha made friends. They formed a band in the garage of a neighbours house. Living quietly Miles and his mom lived.

Prom night approached for the two of them, Miles took his best friends older sister and Julie went with Dillon. Prom was set in the night sky at a hotel ball room, elegantly cleverly disguised christmas lights lined the ceiling cascading down the walls it was magical and made even more by the off-guard proposal of marriage during the crowning of king and queen. Miles paid no attention but heard the name Julie Myers and Dillon Mackenzie being called as he left to the after party. He took his date home and he went on to the Milliar farm where the majority of school-year society spent nights drinking. Julie’s dream was so close to reality, but her dreams were not long lived, she took a limousine Escalade with Dillon crying in joy to the farm party. They made out in happiness, twelve turned to two. Drinks made the night seem like a blur, the fire roared, the boys cheered in celebration as Dillon stood in the middle downing cans of brew, Julie sat in the car with all her girlfriends admiring the gorgeous ring Dillon had gave her. It was final that what she worked for was becoming a reality. As the party died down she went looking for her fiancee in the crowds but found him making out with one of the tramps from a neighbouring school. She backed away seeing her future. A lonely desperate housewife, talent less and alone, she backed away thinking, something I wanted, wasting days dreaming about it instead of making a backup plan. Loveless marriages was a sight depressing to see, unusually complicated for any boy or girl’s pre-life world. Stepping out into the light she went down to the lake without anyone in frustration and anger. Miles was having just about enough of his friends, being the sober good-boy he went down to the lake to escape it all. From behind Miles recognised Julie from an approaching yet distant range he greeted her.

"Congrats Mrs. Mackenzie" he joked

"F**k off kid" she said sniffing away tears, he instinctively knew that she was crying from hearing his mother in her room for the last year from down the hall ignoring her for fear of making matters worse or it becoming real for them both.

"Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t mean... what’s wrong?"

"Nothing can you just go away?"

"Uh" speechless he approached with shaking knee’s, he was there not two minutes he was definitely not the reason she was crying "Do you want to talk about it"

Right then and there a bond was made, from there the time she spent away from Dillon was spent with Miles. They were opposites, Dillon was blond with blue eye’s and muscular, Miles had dyed jet-black hair piercing’s on his face and green eyes. They were socially opposites to, Miles was a "reject" no one ever got the time to know from there circle of friends and was poor. Julie stayed with Dillon, August came along and even though they had not set a date they planned the wedding. September Dillon went to France for a family gathering but Julie didn’t go. She was so confused about what she had seen that prom night, inflicted with the though of living that kind of life with a man who had just committed life-long then turned around and went to do someone else was nothing she wanted to be apart of. If she left him then what? Live like her mom? It was a moral predicament but she was as much of monster as him.

"Julie, I know you have someone in your life but I think I like-like you." Miles whispered to Julie laying beside her on the hood of his beaten and rusted car. She felt the same but at what cost was the only thing that came to mind.

"Haha, well what does that mean?" she asked jokingly

"You know exactly what it means, don’t play coy"

She looked into his eyes with a smile on her face but from behind her eyes the screaming contest taking place in her conscience made her turn away.

"Take my home, please."

That conversation was the last they had. Life was about to begin for all three of them, Dillon had a collage scholarship and his future was so bright. He had his dads money at his disposal, he was willing to take a wife. She was willing to be his even though she knew he wasn’t faithful and who’s to say that the future would be different? Miles was left alone in all of this, he cared for her and only wanted the best, those summer months turned their relationship serious. This situation was put on hold dangling by threads so much hung in the balance. For the love of money, the pursuit of happiness so materialistic and sadistic the torture of decisions that left them in a bind that could not go unanswered. Dillon returned, Julie went on pretending that they were fine, her friends were not friends at all. They were an entourage, a possie, clique in cliche of a teen movie. The trauma of the drama that taken place with Miles and Julie was something that was bigger than any of them, it was what Julie wanted. But without money and a future anyplace other than childcare and cooking was impossible. As she sat on her bed Julie’s phone rang from her purse, startled she walked over to her chair where her bag laid and answered it. Miles soft, deep voice soothed her putting her at ease, the answer was right there.

"Please, I know you know how I want to say what I feel."

"Miles, please, you know what would happen if we were together. What do you have to offer me?"

"My heart, it tears me apart to know that your life is going to be spent wondering how much he spent on the w***e he has on the side pleasing him because of his own male issues he can’t work out with anyone but himself. I want to see you happy, I want to wake up and make out, I want to walk the beach, I want to lay under the stars, with you."

She knew his sincerity, with a tone of harsh severity "Miles, stick to writing songs" then with that she hung up. Falling to her floor in a fit of anguish she cried the night turning stars to sunrise with tear filled eyes. Turning away from the best thing she felt in many days it flooded the gates of her mind. Helping her unwind and pass the time picking out floral arrangements with her mom and step-mom. They picked December as the month of there wedding. Over the months Miles disconnected himself from any further thought of Julie, she sat of a arrogant pedestal of wealth. He thought all she wanted was money, but it didn’t matter what he led himself to believe but it wouldn’t relieve the underlying truth. She needed to feel secure and there was no way of providing that and the last conversation left him without dignity. Stick to writing songs? He did, Miles worked on getting gigs and making himself know to the local scene. Earning her love was so shallow a thought but not at all. To provide for your wife was an outdated thought but what she told him about whoring herself to teachers to make a grade just to be someone out side the required curriculum was extremely indignant but nonetheless what she did. It made her broken but who was he to judge her? So writing about heartache’s and headache’s was what he had chosen to do to get to the top of the scene. In November he got a record deal with a label, he had not given up on a lost cause so from LA he drove up the coast to visit his one true love that Christmas. The song we wrote her was what he opened with on main street hauling out equipment and speakers so he could reach her house two blocks away. Phoning her he asked her one thing, open your window. From there he played his song for her at midnight. In plain sight with insight under traffic lights he publically displayed his affection for the woman he loved. Just enough to make her go out to see, she cried that night as he countered Dillon’s proposal with one of his own. I wish I could say they lived happily ever after but life isn’t so sweet to make it’s fruit sour. But I guess you’ll never really know if they ate it in time to suffice a suffocating flare-out which many loves have. But one can lie and say, together forever right?