Status: Thank you for reading!
The Long Journey Ahead
Assumptions.
Frank
"Is there something going on between you and Jes?"
I don't have time for this! "No Casey! She's my friend!"
She flicked her blond hair back, crossing her arms across her chest, and leaned against the locker. "Oh I don't know. Doesn't it seem strange that she shows up at your doorstep all of a sudden? That "something" happened with her family and she moves in with you, no questions asked? Isn't it-"
"Casey shut up! You don't know what she had to go through. You haven't lived her life. Stop thinking she's doing all this for the attention because she isn't."
If she won't stop bashing Jes, I'm going to hurt something.
"Maybe I will find out," she mumbled.
I closed my eyes and opened them again. The clock on the wall told me I'm going to be late for work. Should I care right now? I could stay here and argue with Casey some more. It's all we've been doing for the past few months.
I'm going to work. "I can't be late for work. I'll see you whenever." I picked my bag up from the floor, walked out of school, and walked away from Casey.
I don't understand why my girlfriend is jealous of one of my friends. We aren't doing anything to make her think I would be cheating on her. Jes is only a friend and she's living with me because she has nowhere else to go.
If your father told you that you don't deserve to breathe because you didn't get perfect grades in school, would you be able to stay in the same house as him? Especially when your mother and sisters just let him say those things and don‘t intervene? I'm surprised Jes made it as far as sophomore year of high school.
I walked into the shop finding no one out in the front. Don't they know how dangerous that is? Someone could just come in here and steal things.
Where was Jes? She's supposed to be out here all the time. I sighed, walking to the back storage room to put my bag away.
I didn't make it far before I heard voices. They were both male, telling me it had to be Darren and Damien. I decided to wait outside the door until they finished their conversation.
With my head rested against the wall, I accidentally heard snippets of what they were talking about.
"I have to get her a gift!"
"No you don't."
"Yeah! I want to get her something special!"
"Would you stop? I mean come on it-"
"I’m back with your food!"
The three of us walked out, seeing Jes with two bags of brown paper bags in her hands. She looked wiped out and tired.
She smiled at me. I smiled with half the enthusiasm. I'll figure this out later on. Right now, I need to put my bag away and check the stock.
For the second time since I began work, Jes walked past me in the storage room to get whatever equipment she had to get for Damien.
I felt ignored. She walked past me, never saying hello or even looking in my direction. What was that about? Today was getting too frustrating for me.
To add on to the things I didn't need to deal with today, Darren couldn't keep his pervert eyes off her! Whenever he could, he would look at Jes like he wanted something from her when she wasn't looking. I saw and counted each and every time he looked at her like that. The count so far is 26.
I checked my watch. Only a few more minutes until I can get home and go to sleep. I can do this. I can do this.
Closing time really couldn't end fast enough for me. I was the first person out of there, but I still had to wait for Jes. She walked out second to last, with Darren following her afterward. Do they really have something going on?
I sighed, deciding to talk about this to her later on. We walked silently home. Jes made to grab the doorknob to our house but I held onto her wrist.
Her eyes flickered to meet mine, confusion evident on her face. "Something wrong Frank?"
"Is there something going on between you and Darren?" I was tired, too tired to argue with another person, but I wouldn't mind this one.
She rolled her eyes. "No! Why would you think that?"
"I see the way he looks at you. I heard him talking about getting you a gift. What was that all about?"
"Does he really and he's stupid! He was talking about how my birthday passed a month ago. I guess he feels bad about no one getting me anything so he decided to buy me a present."
Oh boy I was gonna get it now. "Your birthday was a month ago?"
Anger erupted in her facial features. "You forgot my birthday? And, you accuse me of doing something with Darren? Are you stupid? Darren is older than me! And I remembered your birthday! How hard is it to remember mine back?"
I was trying to think of a comeback real quick. It didn't work though. Jes opened the door and ran up to her room, slamming the door very hard.
I stupidly walked into the house, took off my shoes, and looked at mom before I began walking again.
"What did you do Frank?" she asks.
I shook my head, muttering stupid things.
"Is there something going on between you and Jes?"
I don't have time for this! "No Casey! She's my friend!"
She flicked her blond hair back, crossing her arms across her chest, and leaned against the locker. "Oh I don't know. Doesn't it seem strange that she shows up at your doorstep all of a sudden? That "something" happened with her family and she moves in with you, no questions asked? Isn't it-"
"Casey shut up! You don't know what she had to go through. You haven't lived her life. Stop thinking she's doing all this for the attention because she isn't."
If she won't stop bashing Jes, I'm going to hurt something.
"Maybe I will find out," she mumbled.
I closed my eyes and opened them again. The clock on the wall told me I'm going to be late for work. Should I care right now? I could stay here and argue with Casey some more. It's all we've been doing for the past few months.
I'm going to work. "I can't be late for work. I'll see you whenever." I picked my bag up from the floor, walked out of school, and walked away from Casey.
I don't understand why my girlfriend is jealous of one of my friends. We aren't doing anything to make her think I would be cheating on her. Jes is only a friend and she's living with me because she has nowhere else to go.
If your father told you that you don't deserve to breathe because you didn't get perfect grades in school, would you be able to stay in the same house as him? Especially when your mother and sisters just let him say those things and don‘t intervene? I'm surprised Jes made it as far as sophomore year of high school.
I walked into the shop finding no one out in the front. Don't they know how dangerous that is? Someone could just come in here and steal things.
Where was Jes? She's supposed to be out here all the time. I sighed, walking to the back storage room to put my bag away.
I didn't make it far before I heard voices. They were both male, telling me it had to be Darren and Damien. I decided to wait outside the door until they finished their conversation.
With my head rested against the wall, I accidentally heard snippets of what they were talking about.
"I have to get her a gift!"
"No you don't."
"Yeah! I want to get her something special!"
"Would you stop? I mean come on it-"
"I’m back with your food!"
The three of us walked out, seeing Jes with two bags of brown paper bags in her hands. She looked wiped out and tired.
She smiled at me. I smiled with half the enthusiasm. I'll figure this out later on. Right now, I need to put my bag away and check the stock.
For the second time since I began work, Jes walked past me in the storage room to get whatever equipment she had to get for Damien.
I felt ignored. She walked past me, never saying hello or even looking in my direction. What was that about? Today was getting too frustrating for me.
To add on to the things I didn't need to deal with today, Darren couldn't keep his pervert eyes off her! Whenever he could, he would look at Jes like he wanted something from her when she wasn't looking. I saw and counted each and every time he looked at her like that. The count so far is 26.
I checked my watch. Only a few more minutes until I can get home and go to sleep. I can do this. I can do this.
Closing time really couldn't end fast enough for me. I was the first person out of there, but I still had to wait for Jes. She walked out second to last, with Darren following her afterward. Do they really have something going on?
I sighed, deciding to talk about this to her later on. We walked silently home. Jes made to grab the doorknob to our house but I held onto her wrist.
Her eyes flickered to meet mine, confusion evident on her face. "Something wrong Frank?"
"Is there something going on between you and Darren?" I was tired, too tired to argue with another person, but I wouldn't mind this one.
She rolled her eyes. "No! Why would you think that?"
"I see the way he looks at you. I heard him talking about getting you a gift. What was that all about?"
"Does he really and he's stupid! He was talking about how my birthday passed a month ago. I guess he feels bad about no one getting me anything so he decided to buy me a present."
Oh boy I was gonna get it now. "Your birthday was a month ago?"
Anger erupted in her facial features. "You forgot my birthday? And, you accuse me of doing something with Darren? Are you stupid? Darren is older than me! And I remembered your birthday! How hard is it to remember mine back?"
I was trying to think of a comeback real quick. It didn't work though. Jes opened the door and ran up to her room, slamming the door very hard.
I stupidly walked into the house, took off my shoes, and looked at mom before I began walking again.
"What did you do Frank?" she asks.
I shook my head, muttering stupid things.
♠ ♠ ♠
Happy Halloween and happy birthday Frank!