"I can't believe Iris would do this to me!" Caitlin exclaimed, pulling out her Apple to text her friend.
Iris!! After a few moments, the grey answering bubble popped up, signifying that Iris was responding.
Julian winced as he imagined all of the guests pausing their rehearsal as the bride bent over her phone.
Is something up? Iris finally texted back.
YES, Caitlin replied, AND HE'S STARING RIGHT AT ME WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU GET HIM TO STAY HERE?
"Are you playing a game?" Tim asked restlessly, standing on his toes to strain his eyes to see better.
"No," Julian remarked tensely. "She's not."
"Then why's she look so mad?" Tim wondered.
"Um…" Julian began, looking for something to stall his answer with.
Tim gasped. "Is it because I've done something wrong?" he asked.
"No. No, she is playing a game." Julian lied, sensing Tim was close to tears. "And she's losing horribly. That's why."
Listen, girl… Iris texted Caitlin. Don't run from your problems, you and Julian figure this all out and then we'll be back before you know it!
"I hate you…" Caitlin growled under her breath, staring daggers at her phone.
"What did I do?" Tim asked, his lower lip quivering.
"He thinks you're mad at him." Julian explained half heartedly.
"What? Of course I'm not mad at you sweetheart…" Caitlin's voice changed completely as she cupped Tim's cheek.
"Then why are you being so grumpy?" Tim inquired.
"I-" Caitlin bit the inside of her cheek.
"Is it too late to apologize?" Julian put his arms tentatively around Caitlin.
Caitlin didn't answer, but pushed Julian back.
"Cait…" Julian took a step forwards, looking defeated and tired.
"There's a kid watching, Albert, keep it pg." Caitlin hissed.
"Watch. Tim's smart. Hey, Tim… do you know what I'm doing?" Julian asked the little child.
"Yes." Tim replied evenly.
Caitlin's eyebrows shot up in shock.
"Hm? And what's that, then?" Julian asked.
"You're giving her a hug- so she feels better! My mommy says a hug always helps…" Tim turned to Caitlin. "So, you should probably stop pushing him and let him do it…"
Julian's jaw dropped but her recovered fast.
"Tsk, tsk… Caitlin, what's it come to… taking advice from a four year old…" he said, glancing at Caitlin to see her reaction.
Caitlin was smiling. "Revenge is sweet…" she mouthed at him. "Maybe," she answered. "But I don't take hugs from people who-" Left? Gave up, abandoned the team? Took off my power dampener? "Who are mean to me…" she told Tim in little kid language instead.
"He was mean?" Tim frowned, thinking it over. "Ok. Mr. Albert, you need a time out!" he declared, pointing at a chair by the wall.
"I don't! What'd I do, I'd like to know!" he spluttered.
"Hey, yeah… Ms. Snow, what did he do?" Tim turned back to Caitlin.
"Well," Caitlin paused, changing her quick thoughts into words Tim would understand and then condemn Julian for. Having Tim get angry for her was cute to watch. Plus, it was funny to see Julian get flustered with his answers. "He took away my favorite crayon."
"I'm guessing you're referring to the dampener…" Julian huffed quietly as Tim stumbled back in horror.
"Was it purple?" he demanded. It seemed to be his favorite color from the way he was dressed from head to toe.
"What?!" Caitlin shook herself out of it and looked down. "Uh- yes! It was…" Anything to get more of a reaction.
Tim scrunched up his face in anger.
"Now look what you've done…" Julian accused the young Snow as Tim looked ready to hit something.
Suddenly, his foot landed on Julian's shin. Julian lifted his leg a little off the ground instinctively. He wobbled precariously and fell back against the brown couch.
He sat up rubbing his head. "Ok? What was that for?" he asked.
"You stole her crayon!" Tim shrieked, hopping onto Julian and pummeling him with his tiny fists.
Julian couldn't help but laugh at such a strange little child who thought he was such a bold fighter.
Biting her lip against a laugh now too, Caitlin picked Tim off of Julian easily.
"That's enough… I think he got the message…" she said gently.
"Apologize." Tim demanded.
"I'm sorry…" Julian told Caitlin truthfully. He picked his next words very carefully. "Although she did leave me all alone at the playground once."
"What? Were you scared?" Tim breathed.
"A little. Yes, I was. I was scared and alone. And what makes it so much worse is that I'd worked so long on making a bandaid for Ms. Snow's cut- she… fell down the slide. Anyways… and when I finally gave it to her, she threw the band aid on the floor and ran away. She left me. That band aid was me, saying sorry for her lost crayon." Julian replied.
Tim looked up at Caitlin resentfully.
"My teacher would probably wack you both with rulers…." he mused.
Julian snorted.
"So she said you weren't her friend anymore? And left you?" Tim clarified.
"Something like that." Julian muttered, eyes on the ground, very aware that Caitlin was looking at him.
"That wasn't very nice…" Tim reprimanded Caitlin.
"I know, I know… but I just wanted to let my cut air out a little before bandaging… and I left because… I didn't want him to follow me and-" Caitlin bit back a grin. "And fall down the slide, as Julian put it." Caitlin played with her purse. "I didn't want him to get hurt…"
"Mate, you could be a psychologist!" Julian said loudly, feeling the room get warmer. "Have you ever considered that as a career choice?"
"I've only really ever considered finishing kindergarten, so far, sir. But… thank you for the suggestion, I'll look to you when I need a recommendation letter for college." Tim replied.
"Right, makes sense." Julian chortled.
"Will you listen to me?" Caitlin demanded, bringing them back to their conversation.
"Yes, let's." Tim sat criss cross applesauce.
"Um… ok. Please, go on." Julian answered.
"I told you not to take of my necklace." Caitlin told him heatedly. "He stole one of my crayons and a necklace, Tim."
"OI! Objection, objection!" Julian exclaimed.
"What? You stole my necklace!" Caitlin said incredulously.
"Yes, but I didn't steal anything else, if you want to do it this way, on realistic terms, then substitute 'crayon' for 'jewelry', yeah? Because you're making me seem like some psycho thief…" Julian grumbled.
Tim giggled.
"And besides," Julian said, exasperated. "You stole the rock I spent my whole life looking for!"
"I said I was sorry…" Caitlin replied, looking pained. "You just never formally forgave me."
"I never got the chance!" Julian exclaimed.
The two panted, staring at each other in silence.
"I can tell misunderstandings are key here." Tim noted slowly.
Julian and Caitlin gave him a look.
"Are you eighty?" Julian blurted.
"No, just highly observant." Tim answered.
"Listen, I'm done here…" Julian said dismissively, making to go for the stairs.
"WAIT!" Tim shouted, blocking the door with his tiny form.
"What is it now?" Julian asked, running a hand through his hair roughly.
"Don't give up, you're both so close... " Tim whispered.
Julian chuckled. "No, sorry… she's never going to change her mind about us- being friends again." he said.
"Yeah huh! Look at her- sir. She wants to be friends again!" Tim pressed. "And… so do you."
Julian sighed, shaking his head.
"Ms. Caitlin?" Tim asked for support.
Caitlin did not say anything.
"If she wanted to be friends she would have said so before…" Julian remarked, voice raising an octave.
"You left." Caitlin shot.
"No, you left." Julian retorted.
"You made me Frost again! She's a monster!" Caitlin countered swiftly.
"You risked making me one by keeping the Philosopher's stone, Caitlin…" Julian replied, flushed.
"We all make mistakes! I owned up to it- you didn't! And- and I tried to make up for it!" Caitlin said shakily.
"I saved your life by taking off the necklace, Caitlin!" Julian snarled.
"Uh oh…" Tim said.
"I could have killed you!" Caitlin shouted.
"Well you didn't, did you? I couldn't very well stand back and just let things progress- no!" Julian broke off, burying his face in his hands with a groan. "I made you a cure, but you didn't take it. You said you never loved me."
"That's not true…" Caitlin pressed.
"That's what you made it out to…" Julian told her.
Silence.
Just then, Alice let out a shrill wail from the hall.
"Um." Julian shifted his weight.
"I'll get her." Tim piped up.
"I'm sorry." Caitlin and Julian said in unison, the second he stepped out.