Sequel: The Lunacy Fringe: Part Two ›
The Lunacy Fringe
Twenty-Eight
Later, after my dad dropped Billie off at home, I went to sit outside on the back porch. The sun had already set, but I could still see the light of it in the distance. It was my favorite time of day in California because that’s when the frogs started to make noise, and the air got chilly and crisp.
My dad was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner. I should have been upstairs doing my homework, but I just wanted a few minutes to myself since I’d been with Billie all afternoon. In truth, sitting out there in the chilly air with the sound of frogs just made me feel peaceful.
I brought the puppy with me so she could go out one last time before bed. She couldn’t come up and down the stairs yet, so she usually just stayed in my dad’s room. It was easier for him to pick her up and haul her out if she needed to go since I couldn’t move or hold her very well anymore.
I took a deep breath, taking in the scent of jasmines even from the back porch. They were starting to die off already. My dad said they never lasted long, but he’d always liked them too.
I didn’t come outside hoping that I’d see Felix, but I wasn’t disappointed when I saw the light come on and heard his dogs rush out into the yard. I thought about going over to say hi to him, but I didn’t want to seem weird. And there was always the possibility that it was just his mom, so I didn’t want to have to explain myself to her.
But then the dogs rushed right to the fence between the yards. My puppy got excited to see familiar faces and bolted to the fence to greet them. They were sniffing each other when he appeared between the jasmines. I watched him bend down to reach his fingers through so she could sniff and nibble at him. I decided to get up and talk to him. Mostly because I didn’t want him to catch me staring.
He looked up when I approached.
“What did you say her name was again?” he asked.
“Cerberus. Cerbie for short,” I replied.
“That’s right. Three heads. What are you doing out here?”
“Letting her out one last time. And I don’t know. The frogs are kind of peaceful.” They were louder by the fence. He smiled, but he was still bending down, watching the dogs try to play with each other through the fence.
“They are kind of nice.”
“It’s just that—when I lived in Detroit, I used to fall asleep to sirens and cars and dogs barking. Kind of a nice change of pace.”
“Well, we definitely get that too, but this area tends to stay pretty quiet. Just out of earshot of the freeway, I guess.” I nodded to myself even though he was looking at the dogs.
“Well—I should probably head back inside. Night, Felix.” He stood up as I turned away. The dog chased after me, and I’d just barely taken a few steps when he spoke again.
“Hey, Ruby?” I turned back to face him. God, he was so pretty. Especially in the lingering twilight. His hair was as black as the sky, and his eyes were so green. He had his fingers laced in the fence, surrounded by wilting jasmines. If I could paint, I would want to capture this moment forever. It was unfair.
“Yeah?”
“Meg told me that she talked to you today.” I nodded and pulled my hair behind my ear nervously.
“Yeah, she did.”
“I just want you to know that—whatever she said….” I shook my head again.
“It’s okay. She didn’t say anything bad, I promise.”
“She told me what she said. It’s just—it wasn’t her fault we broke up. It would have happened either way. It’s just that….” He hesitated and shuffled his feet for a moment. “I guess I just didn’t love her.” I nodded and looked away. The puppy had gone back to sniffing the bushes.
“You didn’t know her very long.”
“No,” he said slowly. “I guess not. But—I could just see that it wasn’t ever going to happen, you know?” He sighed heavily. “Goodnight, Ruby.”
“Night.”
I turned back toward the house and called for the dog. I didn’t know why he felt the need to say any of that. I didn’t hate Meg. I wanted to, and I was angry at myself for wanting any excuse to hate her. But she’d never actually done anything to me. She clearly liked him enough to be heartbroken. To want him back. It wasn’t my business how he felt about her.
My dad was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner. I should have been upstairs doing my homework, but I just wanted a few minutes to myself since I’d been with Billie all afternoon. In truth, sitting out there in the chilly air with the sound of frogs just made me feel peaceful.
I brought the puppy with me so she could go out one last time before bed. She couldn’t come up and down the stairs yet, so she usually just stayed in my dad’s room. It was easier for him to pick her up and haul her out if she needed to go since I couldn’t move or hold her very well anymore.
I took a deep breath, taking in the scent of jasmines even from the back porch. They were starting to die off already. My dad said they never lasted long, but he’d always liked them too.
I didn’t come outside hoping that I’d see Felix, but I wasn’t disappointed when I saw the light come on and heard his dogs rush out into the yard. I thought about going over to say hi to him, but I didn’t want to seem weird. And there was always the possibility that it was just his mom, so I didn’t want to have to explain myself to her.
But then the dogs rushed right to the fence between the yards. My puppy got excited to see familiar faces and bolted to the fence to greet them. They were sniffing each other when he appeared between the jasmines. I watched him bend down to reach his fingers through so she could sniff and nibble at him. I decided to get up and talk to him. Mostly because I didn’t want him to catch me staring.
He looked up when I approached.
“What did you say her name was again?” he asked.
“Cerberus. Cerbie for short,” I replied.
“That’s right. Three heads. What are you doing out here?”
“Letting her out one last time. And I don’t know. The frogs are kind of peaceful.” They were louder by the fence. He smiled, but he was still bending down, watching the dogs try to play with each other through the fence.
“They are kind of nice.”
“It’s just that—when I lived in Detroit, I used to fall asleep to sirens and cars and dogs barking. Kind of a nice change of pace.”
“Well, we definitely get that too, but this area tends to stay pretty quiet. Just out of earshot of the freeway, I guess.” I nodded to myself even though he was looking at the dogs.
“Well—I should probably head back inside. Night, Felix.” He stood up as I turned away. The dog chased after me, and I’d just barely taken a few steps when he spoke again.
“Hey, Ruby?” I turned back to face him. God, he was so pretty. Especially in the lingering twilight. His hair was as black as the sky, and his eyes were so green. He had his fingers laced in the fence, surrounded by wilting jasmines. If I could paint, I would want to capture this moment forever. It was unfair.
“Yeah?”
“Meg told me that she talked to you today.” I nodded and pulled my hair behind my ear nervously.
“Yeah, she did.”
“I just want you to know that—whatever she said….” I shook my head again.
“It’s okay. She didn’t say anything bad, I promise.”
“She told me what she said. It’s just—it wasn’t her fault we broke up. It would have happened either way. It’s just that….” He hesitated and shuffled his feet for a moment. “I guess I just didn’t love her.” I nodded and looked away. The puppy had gone back to sniffing the bushes.
“You didn’t know her very long.”
“No,” he said slowly. “I guess not. But—I could just see that it wasn’t ever going to happen, you know?” He sighed heavily. “Goodnight, Ruby.”
“Night.”
I turned back toward the house and called for the dog. I didn’t know why he felt the need to say any of that. I didn’t hate Meg. I wanted to, and I was angry at myself for wanting any excuse to hate her. But she’d never actually done anything to me. She clearly liked him enough to be heartbroken. To want him back. It wasn’t my business how he felt about her.