Diamonds and Stones

“So... I guess it wasn't all that bad.”
“I guess,” I agreed with Lizzy. “Who were those girls you were with?”
“Oh, Rachel and Molly. And those guys?”
“The twins are Jack and Finn, and the other one's Dan.”
She raised her eyebrows at me and I rolled my eyes.
“Shut up. They're friends. You know I get along better with guys than girls.”
“I know,” she replied.
I picked up on of the Rock Sound magazines that was laying on the floor. I was currently in Lizzy's designated room, helping her decorate. There was magazine papers and posters strewn all over the floor, half-empty cardboard boxes, and clothes hanging over everything.
As I flipped through it, a couple of old photographs fell out. I picked them up, knowing exactly what they were.
One was an old photo of Lizzy and I. The other one... Well...
“Um, Liz, here.”
I handed her the two photos, and she sighed sadly.
“Sometimes I wonder if I was the lucky one, or the unlucky one.”
“Lizzy...”
We'd had this conversation before, and it never changed.
“I mean, seriously...”
“In a way, you're both, Lizzy. I understand what you went through, you know. That makes you the unlucky one, yeah. But also the lucky one, in a way. You're here, Lizzy! You met me, and I met my bestest friend ever who then became my sister. What would I have done without you?”
She smiled slightly and I scooted over to sit next to her.
“It doesn't stop the pain, I know.”
“Thanks.”
“You're my sister, I have to look out for you.”
“And so do I.”
“I, well,” I said, ruffling my hair slightly. “This isn't the moment.”
“Okay.”
I got up and picked up her All Time Low poster. “So, where should this one go?”
----
“Hey, check this out!”
It was lunch time once again, and we were all watching Finn trying to balance a banana on his nose. When it finally fell, we all laughed, and as I wiped my eyes, I looked around the room.
Eh, just a regular school lunch room.
But then I saw someone.
A tall-ish black haired boy.
But that wasn't what caught my attention.
It was the fact that he was, one: alone, and two: thin. Very thin. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that he resembled a stick.
“Hey,” I said to Dan, not leaving him from my sight. “Who's that?”
“Who?”
“That really thin, black haired kid.”
“Oh, him. Phil, I think.”
“Phil,” I repeated. “Hunh.”
“He doesn't talk much,” Finn said.
“I've actually never heard him talk,” Jack agreed.
“What grade is he in?” I asked.
“Ours,” the twins said in unison.
“But...”
“He's here most of the time,” Dan said. “But other times, he disappears for days. No one knows what happens to him.”
“No one's asked?”
Dan made a slightly pitiful face. “It's... I don't know. I've never questioned it because it isn't any of my business.”
“Right, I get it.”
“Anyways.”
The conversation topic changed, and we started talking about skateboarding.“I’ve never skated,” I answered honestly.
“What?” Dan said, shocked.
“Well, I- I never really got the chance.”
“Now’s your chance! Today, after school!” Finn said. “Bring Lizzy with you, too.”
Jack, Dan, and I laughed.
“What now?” Finn replied, confused.
“ ‘Bring Lizzy with you’,” Jack imitated.
“Way not to be obvious, loverboy,” Dan laughed.
“Finn's got a crush!” I said, in a sing-song voice.
“Will you twats shut up! It’s not true!”
The three of us looked at each other, then raised an eyebrow at him.
He frowned at us. “It isn’t.”
“Fine, I believe you,” I said, rolling my eyes playfully.
“Yeah, we all do,” Jack and Dan said. “One hundred percent.”
Finn mumbled something under his breath.
“What was that?”
“Uh, what? No, never mind.”
I shot him a look. “Don’t do that.”
“I’m sorry! But it’s nothing!”
--

“I’m scared,” I said, grabbing around for something to hold on to.
Finn had insisted on teaching me how to skateboard, but I wasn’t managing very well.
“Finn?” I called out, but when I turned to look, he was too busy conversing with Lizzy. I rolled my eyes.
I got back up on the skateboard, trying to get balanced. But I ended up falling face first.
“Woah, watch out!” someone laughed. I looked up to see Lizzy’s friend Molly. “Need a hand?”
“Yeah, thanks!”
She helped me up and I smiled. “Can you skateboard?”
“No, but I’d like to!”
“Neither do I. Finn was supposed to show me, but he’s too busy with Lizzy over there,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Aw, well, I’m sure he’ll be done soon,” she chuckled. “Well, I was just passing by, say hi to Lizzy for me!”
“I will! Bye!”
She walked away, and I decided not to get back onto the skateboard until Finn was done talking, or until Jack and Dan had come back. I sat on a large rock and looked at the sky for a bit. It was a light blue, cloudless sky. A few birds flew by, and I sighed. What I’d give to be as free as them.
I looked around the park then, and spotted someone I recognized. Phil.
I don’t know what I was thinking, but at that moment, I don’t think I was.
I pushed myself up from the rock, rushed past Dan and Jack, telling them I’d be right back, and straight to where Phil was sitting. I slowed down before reaching him, letting my breath go back to normal.
It was when I had reached him that I realized that I didn’t know what to tell him.
“Uh, hi…” I said lamely, but he was so lost in thought that he didn’t even notice me.
“Um,” I started again, getting nervous. “Can I sit here?”
He finally heard me. “Uh, sorry, what was that?”
His voice was low but I heard him perfectly.
“Can I sit here?”
I pointed to the empty spot on the bench he was sitting on.
“Erm, yes, of course…”
I sat down awkwardly and mentally face-palmed myself. What was I doing.
“So, um, I’m Juliette.”
He looked at me and my extended hand strangely. I brought it back up to ruffle my hair.
“Phil,” he replied.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“L-Likewise.”
I took a moment to look him over. Jeans, converses, a Sunnydale High tee shirt, hands in his pockets, bla-
Woah woah wait. A Sunnydale High tee shirt?
“This is going to sound random as heck,” I said, trying to control my excitement. “But I really, really love your tee shirt. Like, really.”
And then, he smiled. A genuine smile. He looked down, up at the scenery, then at me. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. So you like Buffy, too?”
“Yeah, a lot.”
“That’s… That’s awesome,” I grinned.
“Juliette!” I heard someone call. Both of us looked to see Dan waving his arms around, calling me.
“Uh… Well, um, I’ve got to go, but uhh…” I trailed off when I looked at him. He was looking down once again, any traces of a smile gone. It made me wonder whether I had imagined it, or whether it was real.
“It’s okay.”
“I… I’ll talk to you sometime soon. It was nice meeting you.”
“Yeah, same. Bye.”
My heart dropped, and I stood up and walked away, but not without looking back numerous times. There was something about this kid that I had to figure out.