you can't help but become the sun / julien baker

chapter ten

The car ride back to the hotel was opposite of the prior one. Magnolia and Julien's laughter filled the car. After the layer of anxiety was gone, it was like they had known each other for years.

"They tease me about it all the time! Maybe I look a little like him but I don't think I look exactly like Dave Grohl!" Julien exclaimed, through laughter.

"You kinda do look like him," Magnolia quickly looked over to Julien, who groaned in response.

"Everlong" was playing over the radio, which sparked the current conversation. "We recreated the Nirvana Rolling Stones cover for our cover story and they had me stand on like three boxes!"

Magnolia's giggles became louder, "You got called short by the Rolling Stones!"

Julien leaned forward, laughing so hard that small tears started forming in her eyes. "It's not my fault I was born short! How tall are you?"

"I'm 5"5! I'm not very tall either!" Magnolia replied, pulling into the parking lot of the hotel.

"You're five inches taller than me! That's gotta count for something!" The two girls got out of the car.

"I'll walk you inside," she said, taking Julien's hand as they walked through the lobby of the hotel.

The older girl's smile grew as she squeezed Magnolia's hand. "I had a lovely time tonight, I really wish I wasn't leaving tomorrow."

Magnolia's smile diminished slightly, "I know, we can call and Facetime. It's not the same but it's something. I really like you, Julien," she confessed, her thumbs running over the back of Julien's tattooed hand.

"I really like you too," the elevator door dinged as it slid open. "I guess I should go," Julien sighed, reluctantly pulling away from Magnolia's touch. "Text me when you get home?"

"Of course," she replied, placing a gentle kiss on Julien's cheek. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Julien whispered, blushing as she walked into the elevator.

As the doors closed, the girls waved at each other with small, sad smiles. Magnolia knew that Julien had to leave but she wanted her to stay so bad. Of course, she had to fall in love with a girl who lives in a different state.

Julien rushed as quickly as she could to the hotel room. It took her three tries before the door opened because she was properly freaking out. The door slammed shut, causing Phoebe and Lucy's heads to immediately whip toward their friend.

"She kissed my cheek!" Julien kicked off her Doc Marten combat boots and face-planted down onto the uncomfortable hotel bed. "I've never felt this way about someone before. What If I'm making a mistake?" She sat up, looking at her friends for guidance.

Lucy had a smile stretched from ear to ear, while Phoebe was smirking. "Oh, how I'm so glad Tina gave you Maggie's number. JB you've got the start of something really good, there's no way you're making a mistake," Lucy crossed her arms.

"Julien you're out of the band if you mess this up, I'm dead serious. Tina, Chloé, and the two of us have been talking all day and I really like them!" Phoebe waved her finger around.

"It's just been a while since I've had a girlfriend and the last one couldn't handle the distance and the constant touring." Julien recalled her last relationship, which ended rather rocky, "And I have to fall for the girl who lives in North fucking Carolina."

"Technology is a powerful thing, you have a phone and she has one. Don't get all in your head about things, JB," Lucy could tell Julien was thinking too much, it happened often when it came to things like this.

"You tend to have this effect on people where all they wanna do is be around you, we might be leaving but I guarantee that you two will talk every single day," Phoebe looked down at her phone, replying back to Tina's latest text message.

"I kissed her on the cheek! Why did I do that?" Magnolia sat on the end of the couch, covering her face with her hands.

"Ah yes, gay panic. Something that according to Phoebe, your date is also going through," Tina flashed the messages between Phoebe and her.

"What is she saying? Julien hates me, huh," Magnolia started chewing on her nails.

"Actually quite the opposite, she doesn't wanna leave North Carolina," Chloé smiled. "Speaking of not leaving, we couldn't find an apartment just yet but there is no way in hell I'm going back to Georgia and all of my stuff is already in a storage unit here so can I just move in?"

"Please! Please do!" Magnolia's eyes widened, having Chloé live there was gonna be so great but knowing that Julien was leaving still lingered in the back of her mind.