The Framing

The absence

December 15th 2015 1:41pm
I saw Jeremy walk into study hall. "Where has Jules been?" He asked.

"I have no idea, she wasn't here yesterday and she isn't answering her phone."

"Oh well that's really weird." He shrugged and sat down. "So do you want to come over to my house after detention?"

"Yeah sure." I said. "But it's supposed to rain a lot tonight and I don't have an umbrella."

"You'll be fine without one. It's not like we'll be outside or anything."

I sat back in my chair so I could put my head down. "I'm just really worried about Jules. She hasn't been herself lately."

"Well I don't know her well enough to say that everything is fine. When's the last time you saw her?" He asked.

"On Saturday, after you dropped me off at my house. We walked her dog together like we used to do every day after school."

He nodded in understanding. "Well I don't know anything about her."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm sure she's fine and will be back in school tomorrow. What could have even happened to her?"

"I have no idea, but considering that you were framed for having a knife, I would say anything is possible."

"Ugh I hate to say it, but you're not wrong." I sighed.

"Am I ever?"

I just gave him a look. "Ok funny boy, are we gonna work on something today or not?"

"Ugh, not of course."

I rolled my eyes. "You're never going to get anything done."

"And I don't really care. They let Tom go to the community college here and he got expelled. So if I have to, I'll just go there."

"What did Tom even do to get expelled?" I asked.

"You know the sign on the upper courtyard that says 'No Heely's allowed on stair railing'."?

"Yeah. I've always wondered why that was still there."

"Well Tom and a bunch of his friends were wearing them and skated down the railing. Tom ended up knocking the Superintendent who was visiting out. So he was expelled immediately."

"Damn Jeremy, Heely's were last popular in like 2007. How old even is Tom?"

"Oh yeah he's like nine years older than all of us."

"Isn't it the least bit creepy that a 27 year old guy is parked in a white van outside of school every day waiting for us?" I asked.

"Well I mean, when you think about it like that, sure. But it's not like Tom is a murderer/rapist."

"Yeah, all he needs now is a 'Free candy' sign sticking on his window."

Jeremy gave me a look and just laughed. "I could totally see Tom doing that as a practical joke."

I laughed too. "Yeah, and then maybe this time he'll hit the Superintendent with his van."

I guess we were laughing pretty loud because pretty soon, everyone and I mean everyone were staring at us. Even the teacher told us to settle down.

We just stayed in our seats for the rest of class and would occasionally let out a snicker. The bell soon rang, but not soon enough and I was on my way to detention. The best part of my day.

I walked into the room that had a new smell everyday. Today's smell was either feet, or expired beans. I couldn't tell.

I sat in the very back. Today, only about three other kids were in here with me. Some of the faces I saw in here more often than others.

The hour was up and this one, surprisingly went by very swift. I got out of my chair, went down a set of stairs and out the door at the bottom. Seeing Tom's rape van parked where it usually is.

"Hey Ally, how was detention?" Tom asked like always. I was starting to think he thought I would have a different answer at some point, which I never did.

"It was boring like it always is. Nothing new."

Tom drove away. Listening to their death music which had some how started to grow on me. To the actual point where I looked it up on my phone.

"Oh can we stop by my friend's house?" I asked seeing the turn for my house near.

"Yeah sure, where does she live?" Tom asked.

"Literally like, across the street from me."

Tom turned and parked in front of where I told him too. "Thanks guys." I said and got out.

I went to ring the doorbell, and Jules answered it. "Hey." I said.

"Hey."

"So Jeremy and I are going over to his house if you want to come with us and hang out."

"Okay sure, just let me get my shoes on."

I was shocked that she said yes. With the way she's been acting lately, I would have assumed she was dying sick in bed or something.

She followed me back to the van where I introduced her to Tom. "So where have you been if you haven't been in school?" I asked as we drove away.

"I have been home taking some mental health days. School has been getting to be too much, so my parents let me stay."

I nodded in understanding. "Okay well I'm glad you aren't dead."

She didn't say anything else. So I guess she still was acting strange.

When Tom pulled into Jeremy's driveway, we all got out of the van. And it immediately started pouring buckets and buckets of rain.

I screamed and we all went inside, besides Tom who ran into his own house.

"Okay," I said out of breath. "What do we want to do?"

"We could go up to my room and just chill." Jeremy suggested. I had nothing better, so Jules and I followed him up the stairs.

We went into his room and Jeremy and I sat on his bed. Jules was sitting on the floor by the window, all the rain came straight out of no where.

Jeremy let me play music and I'm glad he did because his would have sent Julia running for the hills.

We all chilled in his room and had the time of our lives. It's not like there was anywhere else we could go, the roads were starting to close and I'm sure people are telling us to stay inside.

We just hung out. We talked, and we got Jules to act like herself again. Jeremy and I were still on the bed, and Jules on the floor. Everything was fine, until I leaned back and saw something shiny on the ground. Something familiar. A knife. But not just a knife, the same one that was found in my locker.

I felt my pulse rise. "Uhm Jeremy, what is that?" I asked and got up. Grabbing it from the floor and displaying it.

"Ally it's not what you think."

"Oh it's not what I think? Well I think you're the one who framed me!" I started to scream and I threw it on the ground. Wishing I threw it at him.

I ran out of his room and was followed by both of them. I didn't care that it was pouring rain, I ran outside. I had to get away from here.

I ran into the woods and within two minutes, I was drenched. I was soaking and sobbing. As soon as I had another great friend, he turns on me.

I heard someone scream my name, but it wasn't Jeremy. It was a girl, Jules.

I stopped and turned around. "Stop following me!" I yelled.

"Wait, it wasn't Jeremy who put the knife in your locker." She said. I stopped moving and she ran up to me.

"What do you mean it wasn't him? If it wasn't, then who?"

"Ally it was me. I did it."