Wonder of You | Elvis Presley

Chapter 7

August 20th, 1956

IT WAS THE DAY OF GEORGE AND AUDREY'S WEDDING, AND THE TILDEN HOUSE WAS COMPLETE CHAOS.

Juliet's mama was busy getting ready, rushing around the house like a chicken with its head cut off. Gene was taking secret sips of whiskey while everyone was distracted. Gwendolyn was yelling at Genevieve at the base of the staircase, claiming she 'took her lipgloss and lost it.'

Juliet watched the chaos from her spot by the telephone. She was currently perched on a chaise lounge chair.

  She waited until the entire house was quiet; her mama, Gwendolyn, Genevieve, and Gene having left. Luckily, none of them noticed her sitting by the telephone in their haste to leave.

  She reached over and picked up the telephone, dialing a number she knew by heart.

"Hi, Elvis," she greeted, keeping her voice quiet.

"Hey."

"I'll be in California in a few hours," said Juliet, rushing her words out. She had come up with a plan lat last night; she'd decided to sneak away from the wedding and go to California anyway.

"But—what about your parents?" Elvis questioned, sounding confused.

"I don't care about them," replied Juliet, resentment lacing her voice. "Their opinions don't matter to me anymore." While that was partly true, she also knew that sneaking away from her brother's wedding would anger her parents.

"I'm sorry, Juliet, but I've cancelled your plane tickets to come out here," he said, sounding genuinely apologetic.

The Tilden shrugged, "That's okay, E. I'll just buy my own plane ticket."

"I'm staying at the Knickerbocker Hotel, room 1016." He told hr, excitement coursing through his veins. He was finally going to be able to see her again.

"Okay, thanks," a grin made its way onto Juliet's face. She was finally going to be able to see him again. "I-"

"Juliet, what're you doin'?"

Her head snapped up to see her sister, Gwendolyn, standing in the doorway of the parlor room.

"We have to get to George's wedding. Mama and daddy are starting to get mad because you're waisting time in here," said Gwendolyn, an annoyed expression on her face.

Juliet quickly placed the phone back onto the receiver, standing up. She followed her older sister out of the house and to the car. She was greeted with annoyed expressions from everybody in the car, except Genevieve, as soon as she climbed in.

"What took ya so damn long?" Her daddy snapped from the driver seat, pulling away from their house.

"She was talkin' to someone," said Gwendolyn, a smirk on her face. Juliet shot her a dirty look, wanting to shove her older sister out of the car.

"It better not be that Elvis Presley," said mama in a snippy voice, her eyebrows narrowed as she looked at Juliet. Her daddy's hand clenched around the steering wheel slightly.