Day By Day
Chapter 11
May 10th, 2009
“Alright, so if you’re nineteen, why haven’t you graduated yet?” Lily was digging through the drawer of the credenza, looking for her AP review book. Johnny was choking on the piece of popcorn he had just attempted to swallow.
“What?” He was radically coughing. It was as if that tiny piece of popcorn paining his throat symbolized the fear and suspicion that was sticking itself into his head. Lily suddenly appeared behind him with a cold glass. Johnny downed the water, reassuring his physical troubles. He sipped slowly, hoping to evade the question altogether.
Lily pried the glass slowly from his fingertips after he’d held onto it for much longer than necessary. They both sat quietly on the couch while some commercial for laundry soap was advertising how it could clear away any and all stains, guaranteed or your money back. Johnny itched at the fabric of his jeans with a finger, missing the cold glass in his hand.
“Hello? Lights, camera, action – now where is the star of this dang production?” Lily leapt onto Johnny as the unfamiliar voice reverberated through her house. He snickered quietly into her ear as she tried to calm down her breathing. “Lillith? Lilliam? My sweet – Dear JESUS Lillian Michelle!”
Allison Grayling dropped a Wal-Mart plastic bag full of food onto the floor. An open sack of Skittles was soon dispersed across the carpet. Her eyes didn’t leave Johnny as she put her backpack on the floor, and the sight of Lily grasping onto him did not evade her vision either. Lily was still breathing quickly from the shock of someone unexpectedly shouting inside of her house, and Johnny was staring at an orange Skittle resting against the base of the credenza.
“Al, you forgot the Mountain – whoa!” Johnny protectively pulled Lily an inch closer as another person brazenly entered the living room. “Um, pardon my asking and/or total obliviousness, but you aren’t in our history class… are you?” Evan put the Mountain Dew on top of the credenza.
“Al, Ev, could you do me the pleasure of,” Lily began to speak, but the spontaneity wasn’t finished yet. Miranda joined the rest of them in Lily’s living room with a rather loud scream.
“Oh my god have we just walked in on a kidnapping? Shit, my cell phone is out in the car. Why aren’t you calling 911? Does he have a gun? Oh my god! What is happening here and who do you think you are!” Johnny watched Lily’s face go from a mild red to full-blown scarlet. Allison gave Miranda a swift kick to the foot and some amplified accompanying gestures to the popcorn bowl and open DVD cases next to the television.
“Lily, you knew we were meeting at your place tonight, right dearest?” Evan led Miranda to the kitchen while Allison slowly approached the center of the living room. She took a seat on the coffee table and Lily sat a little less on top of Johnny and a little more calmly. “After all, it is a Sunday. We’d agreed that all Monday tests meant studying at your place Sunday nights. Remember?”
Lily noticed that Al had been observing Johnny, and couldn’t help but see that her friend looked a little dejected. She knew it didn’t have anything to do with studying; Al was naturally smart and didn’t need to do it.
“Do you want me to go, Lil?” Johnny spoke quietly and directly to Lily. Allison’s eyes widened, hearing him speak for the first time. Lily leaned towards him, but then stopped awkwardly.
“I’ll walk you to the door?” To Al it was obvious Lily didn’t want him to go and wished that her friends hadn’t burst in without knocking. “Al, I’ll be right back. You guys can set up all the junk in the kitchen as per usual.” Allison took it as her cue to leave the room. Once she’d left Johnny laughed a little bit.
“At least we weren’t in your bed this time.” Once it escaped his lips he couldn’t help but smile and laugh. Lily glared at him for a second before allowing a bright smile to crack through the façade. “And you should lock your doors. I want to be the only one able to sneak into your house.” Her eyes grew big when Johnny said this, and Lily was rendered speechless.
“Promise you’ll sneak in to see me again soon?” Lily closed the door as they eased their was out onto her front steps.
“You’ll see me. Now go study.” Johnny stepped down the first step, bringing him eye level with the girl whose interest he had captivated completely all in the manner of a few days. “Now shoo.”
With a peck on the cheek, Johnny was gone.
“Alright, so if you’re nineteen, why haven’t you graduated yet?” Lily was digging through the drawer of the credenza, looking for her AP review book. Johnny was choking on the piece of popcorn he had just attempted to swallow.
“What?” He was radically coughing. It was as if that tiny piece of popcorn paining his throat symbolized the fear and suspicion that was sticking itself into his head. Lily suddenly appeared behind him with a cold glass. Johnny downed the water, reassuring his physical troubles. He sipped slowly, hoping to evade the question altogether.
Lily pried the glass slowly from his fingertips after he’d held onto it for much longer than necessary. They both sat quietly on the couch while some commercial for laundry soap was advertising how it could clear away any and all stains, guaranteed or your money back. Johnny itched at the fabric of his jeans with a finger, missing the cold glass in his hand.
“Hello? Lights, camera, action – now where is the star of this dang production?” Lily leapt onto Johnny as the unfamiliar voice reverberated through her house. He snickered quietly into her ear as she tried to calm down her breathing. “Lillith? Lilliam? My sweet – Dear JESUS Lillian Michelle!”
Allison Grayling dropped a Wal-Mart plastic bag full of food onto the floor. An open sack of Skittles was soon dispersed across the carpet. Her eyes didn’t leave Johnny as she put her backpack on the floor, and the sight of Lily grasping onto him did not evade her vision either. Lily was still breathing quickly from the shock of someone unexpectedly shouting inside of her house, and Johnny was staring at an orange Skittle resting against the base of the credenza.
“Al, you forgot the Mountain – whoa!” Johnny protectively pulled Lily an inch closer as another person brazenly entered the living room. “Um, pardon my asking and/or total obliviousness, but you aren’t in our history class… are you?” Evan put the Mountain Dew on top of the credenza.
“Al, Ev, could you do me the pleasure of,” Lily began to speak, but the spontaneity wasn’t finished yet. Miranda joined the rest of them in Lily’s living room with a rather loud scream.
“Oh my god have we just walked in on a kidnapping? Shit, my cell phone is out in the car. Why aren’t you calling 911? Does he have a gun? Oh my god! What is happening here and who do you think you are!” Johnny watched Lily’s face go from a mild red to full-blown scarlet. Allison gave Miranda a swift kick to the foot and some amplified accompanying gestures to the popcorn bowl and open DVD cases next to the television.
“Lily, you knew we were meeting at your place tonight, right dearest?” Evan led Miranda to the kitchen while Allison slowly approached the center of the living room. She took a seat on the coffee table and Lily sat a little less on top of Johnny and a little more calmly. “After all, it is a Sunday. We’d agreed that all Monday tests meant studying at your place Sunday nights. Remember?”
Lily noticed that Al had been observing Johnny, and couldn’t help but see that her friend looked a little dejected. She knew it didn’t have anything to do with studying; Al was naturally smart and didn’t need to do it.
“Do you want me to go, Lil?” Johnny spoke quietly and directly to Lily. Allison’s eyes widened, hearing him speak for the first time. Lily leaned towards him, but then stopped awkwardly.
“I’ll walk you to the door?” To Al it was obvious Lily didn’t want him to go and wished that her friends hadn’t burst in without knocking. “Al, I’ll be right back. You guys can set up all the junk in the kitchen as per usual.” Allison took it as her cue to leave the room. Once she’d left Johnny laughed a little bit.
“At least we weren’t in your bed this time.” Once it escaped his lips he couldn’t help but smile and laugh. Lily glared at him for a second before allowing a bright smile to crack through the façade. “And you should lock your doors. I want to be the only one able to sneak into your house.” Her eyes grew big when Johnny said this, and Lily was rendered speechless.
“Promise you’ll sneak in to see me again soon?” Lily closed the door as they eased their was out onto her front steps.
“You’ll see me. Now go study.” Johnny stepped down the first step, bringing him eye level with the girl whose interest he had captivated completely all in the manner of a few days. “Now shoo.”
With a peck on the cheek, Johnny was gone.