The Framing

The difference

December 12th 2015 9:55am
"Well I'm ready to leave when you are." Jeremy said. We were in the cafeteria yet again, studying the quadratic formula.

"Yeah I guess it would hurt to leave a little early." I smiled. We each got up and went to Tom's van.

"So what do you want to do?" I asked as Tom drove away.

"I was actually going to spend the day with Neil and drop you off at your house." He said. I felt sad, but I understood. I didn't want to get in the way between those two.

I said goodbye to them, my parents weren't home. That was a huge relief.

I opened the gate, walking into my house and watched as Tom drove away. "What, is that your boyfriend or something?" Logan, my brother asked.

"No he's not. He's the guy I've been forced to tutor, remember?"

He ran back upstairs without answering me, whatever.

I opened my sliding glass door and sat on the old swing set. It was incredibly overcast today, a gray day to match my gray attitude. So I decided to do what I usually would if Jeremy wasn't around, and text Jules.

"Hey." I said and didn't wait too long for a response.

"What is it?" She asked. It was not like her at all to be so rude over text messages. I shrugged it off and decided to text back.

"Nothing much just bored. You should come over."

I saw the bubble with the three dots appear and waited for her response.

"LN" she said. That meant "leaving now" it was an old abbreviation thing we did back when we still had flip phones. It was tradition.

I opened the sliding glass door and waited for her to walk up. She only lived about four houses away from me so it wasn't that hard.

I saw her walk up my driveway, "Hey, I forgot that I have to walk my dog. Can you come with me?" She asked.

We used to walk her dog every day after school and just talk about our days. I hadn't been able to do that lately because of my detention and spending a lot of time with Jeremy. So I of course said yes.

I walked with her over to her house where she put her German Shepard-Border Collie mix dog on a leash. She was one of the most well behaved dogs I had ever come to know. She didn't need a leash, but the neighborhood forced her to be on one. We have a neighborhood watch program and everyone once in a while, people will drive around and inspect us. There were also a bunch of cameras everywhere, which didn't matter to me. I never did anything wrong.

We walked for a while in mostly silence and the occasional chatter. It was unlike her to be this way. "Is something wrong with you?" I asked.

My question seemed to have startled her, "Uh no. I'm perfectly fine."

I rolled my eyes and continued to walk beside her dog. "Well next Sunday I was going to go down to the humane society and help out, did you want to come?" I asked. I hoped that she would say yes, I haven't been spending a lot of time with her lately.

"No thanks. I think I'll stay home and do homework or something."

Ok she must have been probed by an alien or something. She never did homework on Sundays.

"Well then I guess I'll see you in school on Monday." I said as we approached her house again.

She said goodbye and let me walk away. It started to rain a little, which I knew was going to happen. It was always raining here.

I walked back to my own house being able to stay somewhat dry. I walked upstairs to my room and shut the door, trying to think about everything.

I took out my phone to go on Instagram. Just because I was curious, I searched for Jules' profile. It had been inactive now for the past three weeks.

She used to post something once or twice a day. Her last post was a picture of her and me the day before a knife was found in my locker. Ever since then, she was different. But it wasn't her, she wouldn't do that to me and I know it. I'm just paranoid.

Someone knocked at my door and startled me. "Uhm come in." I said. My dad opened the door and was holding something shiny in his hand.

"I guess it's been long enough and you're doing all this tutoring. Here." He said and placed my car keys on my desk.

"Oh thanks." I said and ran up to get them, I opened up my phone to text Jules, but decided not to.

"Can I go out now?" I asked. He said sure as long as I was back by 10.

I ran down the stairs and found my car parked behind the garage. I felt so great when the engine started to run, no one had turned it on in a few weeks and I was concerned it wouldn't start.

I pulled out of the driveway with my favorite playlist blaring through my speakers. It was a bunch of stuff that would probably make Jeremy and his friends throw up.

I would call Jeremy and ask if he wanted to hang out, but I had to respect that he was spending time with Neil. And you know what, after all this, I could really use some alone time.

So I drove to my safe zone, wherever I go when I'm upset. The mall, yes it's really cheesy and stereotypical. I don't care that much.

I pulled into the parking lot outside the food court and went inside. I turned right and just looked through some store windows until I came across a darker looking store, Hot Topic.

I had heard Jeremy talk about it before. I myself had never been inside, but in the display window they had some cute book bags.

I walked in and was immediately greeted by an employee. She had stretched ears beyond anyone I had ever seen. But she was really nice, nicer than anyone I had ever met.

"What can I help you with?" She asked. Even though I didn't know my way around the store, I'm sure I could figure it out.

"Nothing, but thanks." I said and smiled at her. I continued to walk closer to the very back, where they sold band shirts. A bunch of which I had never heard of.

I didn't end up buying anything from there, I got a few pants from CottonOn and a pretzel from the food court before I went home.