A Poignant Fallacy

Scene 16- JD's Graduation Party Pt. 2

The party is now in full swing. Teenagers and adults are being served alcohol. Dozens of people are on the dance floor. It's now late at night and the fairy lights strung throughout the yard shine bright golden orbs.

Juliette's cousin has crashed on the couch inside and Juliette was mingling with highschool girls. They are all dancing with each other to Party in the U.S.A..

One of the teenage girls spins Juliette around and Juliette's twirly dress swooshed around and she felt like a princess.

Juliette giggles and the girl says, "You're so cute."

Juliette smiles and thanks her awkwardly. She loves being admired by people her brother's age.

Another one asks, "You're JD's little sister right?"

Juliette replies trying to act cool, "Yeah. He's totally a jackass."

The girls looked at each other a little confused and Juliette realized she came off a little too strong.

Just then, JD comes up from behind her and grabs her arm to spin her around.

He is angry with her, "How many times do I have to deal with you tonight?"

Juliette turns her head to the girls behind her while her arm is still in JD's right grip.

She says, "See? I told you."

The high school girls laugh at Juliette and she felt proud of herself. JD then yanks her arm closer to him to get her attention.

Juliette wanted to be dramatic, "Ow! What is your problem?"

JD lowers to talk to her face directly, "You're my problem. Here I am at my party trying to make sure you're safe and protected when you shouldn't even be here."

One of the girls from the group of three says something, "JD it's ok! We've been watching her!"

All of the girls agreed to try and comfort JD. Juliette felt a little dumb now knowing that these girls just saw her as a baby, just like her family.

Juliette yells, "I'm fine JD! I don't need your protection!"

JD laughs sarcastically, "You don't even know what the hell I'm protecting you from. That's how innocent and dumb you are."

Gavin then comes over when he hears his sister yelling, "What's going on?"

Gavin then sees Juliette with a cup in her hand.

"Juliette! What are you drinking?"

Juliette is frustrated and angry, "It's just lemonade! Calm down!"

Gavin then takes the cup from her.

Juliette continues to yell, "What are you doing crazy?"

Juliette tries to take the cup back from him but he holds it over his head. She begins to jump and try to get it, but Gavin was too tall.

Gavin asks, "Who did you get this from?"

Juliette says, "I don't know. Some guy offered it to me."

JD and Gavin both erupt. "Are you fucking serious?!"

Gavin continues, "Do you know what "that guy" could have put in here? That could have ended your life."

Juliette yells, "It's not my fault! I didn't do it on purpose!"

JD yells back at her, "You shouldn't even be at this party if you don't know that you shouldn't take drinks from people!"

Gavin then pours the drink out in the grass and Juliette yells at him again.

He holds his hand out to her, "C'mon Juliette."

Juliette replies with all the venom she could muster, "No I'm not holding your hand! I'm not a little kid!"

Gavin rolls his eyes and laughs. Her acting like a brat was usually funny to him, and her getting punished is even more humorous, but he's had enough. He walks over to Juliette, and she starts to run away into the party. JD catches her after about 20 seconds and Gavin swiftly wraps his arms around her thighs hauling her over his shoulder. Juliette yells to put her down but he doesn't budge as he walks over to the adult tables.

She starts to lightly cry. She was confused, frustrated, embarrassed, and angry.

Gavin scolded her on their walk to their Dad.

"Just wait till Dad hears about this! I can't believe you'd be so naughty."

Juliette yells back at him and punches his back, "I was just trying to have fun! No one lets me have fun!"

Gavin passes Jackson and Beau sitting at a table far away from the party holding a crying, yelling, kicking, Juliette. Jackson is interested.

Jackson yells to Gavin, "Yo Gav!"

Gavin turns to him and walks over to his table with Beau.

Jackson starts, "What's wrong with her?"

Gavin and Juliette start to talk at the same time

Juliette- "He's being a douche!"
Gavin- "The little girl thought she could go to a high school party."

Jackson mouths to Gavin to put Juliette in his lap. He slowly lets her down and Jackson holds her. For a brief moment, Juliette tries to escape back to the party. Jackson holds her tighter and pulls her legs to the opposite side.

He says calmly, but patronizing, "Hey, hey, hey. You aren't going anywhere."

Juliette starts to cry harder than the first time, but still quietly. Jackson guides her head to his shoulder with one of his hands gently pushing the back of her head. He shushes her for a moment.

Beau asks Gavin, "What did she do now?"

Gavin, pisssd off, says, "She was dancing with these girls in the middle of the dance floor where no one could see her, and then I found her with a cup in her hand."

Beau and Jackson explode at the same time,

Jackson- "You were drinking?!"
Beau- "That is naughty Juliette!"

Juliette still has her head down and starts to cry more.

Gavin continues, "Well hold on. She said it was lemonade and I assumed it tasted like lemonade because she wouldn't like the taste of alcohol, but then she told me that she got it from some random guy. Who knows what he could have laced that with."

Beau adds, "Even a little bit of anything could have killed her. Her body wouldn't have been able to take that."

Jackson looks up to Gavin, "Do you think she's okay? Has she been showing symptoms?"

Gavin replies relieved, "No I think we got really lucky. I haven't noticed anything wrong with her."

Beau and Gavin thank god at the same time.

Juliette listened and had no idea what they were talking about. They sounded like they were talking in a new language.

Jackson says to Gavin, "I'm going to have a talking to with her, you go enjoy the party. Thank you for saving her."

Gavin waves and leaves to go back into the party, which looked more like a mob on their lawn.