Leave the World Behind

My phone obnoxiously rings to wake me up for another boring day. I groan and reach for my phone to turn off my alarm. I roll out of bed and made my way to the bathroom for a quick shower, taking my toothbrush with me to do two things at once.
I dried myself off with the towel before wrapping it around my body. I eyed my straighter as I brush my hair. I look at the clock on the wall and decide to leave it in its natural waves. I still had to go to Spencer’s and pull him off that new video game he got.
I did my make up so light people wouldn’t even know I had any on. I went back in my room to drop the towel and put on a white matching underwear set. I put on a pair of ripped fitted jeans. I carefully put on a white lace up blouse that show a lot of cleavage, not wanting to get any makeup on it. I slip on some white sandals. I put on a necklace that had a ring on it that had don’t lie engraved in. Spencer had a matching one that had friend engraved on it. We were both obsessed with Stranger Things and we’re planning a sleepover to binge the new season when it comes out.
I grab my phone and match it up with my wireless black and blue cat ear headphone. I turn on Pandora. I slide my headphones on and put my phone in my back pocket. I grab my Mushu backpack and head out the door. I walk along the streets by myself since my older sister started college.
I pull headphone, so they were around my neck and I turn the music off as I walk up the driveway of my best friend's house. Being that I’ve been coming to this house every morning since I start walking to school, I walk right in.
“Hi Ms. Gilpin,” I greet my friend’s mom who was rushing past me.
“Morning Jennifer, can you remind Spencer about his EpiPen and to text me if he’s going to his dad after school. I’m running late to work.” She looks through her purse and let out a sigh of relief when she pulls out her keys.
“Will do,” I heard a thank you and a door slam as I made my way up the stairs.
I knock on his door, you can never be too careful with a teenage boy. “Decent!” He yells out.
I walk in to see him playing video games. “Seriously Spence, turn it off we got to go.” I roll my eyes. The boy woke up with barely enough time to get ready for school and he was playing video games.
“Bye guys, mom said I got to go to school.” He snickered into his headset. I glare at him as he turns off his play station.
“Your mom said to text her if you’re going to your dad.” I emphasize your mom.
He nods his head as he took out of phone to text her. I grabbed his backpack and an EpiPen from his desk drawer to put it inside. “Can you grab the essay on top of the printer too?” He asks.
As I did what he asks I saw the name on the top corner, Anthony Johnson. “I thought you were going to stop tutoring the Fridge?” I put air quotation around tutor and spat out his nickname. Just thinking about him made my blood boil.
“I don’t know why you’re so mad. You’re not the one doing it.” He grabs the essay and backpack from me. He gently put the papers inside, not wanting to rip or ruin it in any way.
“He ditches us, Spencer. He treats us like we're his dirty little secret. The fact that you have to meet him at the freak house to give him the homework that you did for him shows how he sees us. Yet, you treat him like he’s still your best friend.” I rant as I fantasize about ripping that essay of his up.
“You can hold a grudge if you want to, but I’m not going to.” He slid his yellow raincoat and then backpack on.
I took a deep breathes as I follow him out the house. I had to remind myself that he didn’t know the whole story between Anthony and me. He didn’t know what really happened that summer.
It was the summer before we went to high school. Spencer was away at some science camp. Anthony was going to football practice Monday through Friday, but we hang out every night and weekend.
One night, while watching reruns of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. he leaned over and kissed me. I was so shocked. I mean, I notice how he stares at my curves that were just developing at the time, but he never said anything. I figure he would flirt with me first, not go right for the kiss.
I was attracted to him. I couldn’t deny that puberty had been very good to him. The way that he shot up and the muscle he gained from his football coach making him weight lift. I remember how I tried to recall my older sister’s kissing tips, but I was only half listening to her since at the time the advice was unwanted.
That first kiss was exciting, but shitty. We were both so inexperienced. By the end of summer we were both skilled at kissing and other things, everything. If I just thinking about that summer and not the aftermath of it I still get a warm feeling and I hate it: all the dates, holding hands, kissing, pet names, and the sex. My god, all the sex that we had, I hate that I haven’t had anyone since. If the different girls on his arms were an indicator then he’s had more than he can count.
We agree that we would tell Spencer about us on the first day of high school. That's why I was surprised that when we got to his house and his mom said he left already. I was crushed when we got to school and he made like he didn’t know us. It took everything in me not to cry right there. I fell apart when I got home.
The first feeling of rage I had for him was when he texted me that night, asking if I could come over. I told him that if he wasn’t going to acknowledge me in front of his new friends, than to forget about me and he did. It was then I had to accept that he was no longer my Anthony, he was Fridge, the popular jock that all the girls wanted to get with and the boys wanted to be.
It was both frustrating and depressing to watch how happy Spencer is with any attention that Fridge gives him. He was bouncing up and down in glee when he told me that Fridge came up to him to ask him to do his homework. As a response I smack him upside the head.
We stop in front of the freak house. “Can you believe it Georgie, first you do his homework and now we have to wait on him?” I scoff as we look up at the house.
“What did you call me?” Spencer narrows his eyes at me.
“You just be lucky we don’t live in Derry, Pennywise would think you look like a snack in that jacket.” I tug the hood off his head.
“Yo,” Fridge walks up to us. His eyes flick to me but after seeing my glare, he focuses on Spence.
“Hey, Fridge,” He smiles at our ex friend, making me shake my head.
“Why are you wearing a raincoat?” He looks at the yellow jacket in confusion.
“Waiting for Penny,” I comment. I staring up at the house, so I miss the weird look Fridge gave me and the annoyed look Spence did. If we had a Pennywise, this would be his house. Thinking about that made me turn to the boys hoping they’d hurry up.
“What do you mean?” He looked down at his choice of clothing.
“I mean, it's not raining.” Fridge looks up at the sky to make his point.
“Oh, well, it might. I mean, you never know what's going to happen.” He shrugs. I snicker that was his mom talking, not him. A squirrel squeak making Spencer jump and scream out in fright, causing Fridge to jump. “Oy vey,” He put a hand on his chest.
“What the hell, man?” Fridge glares at the smaller male for scaring him.
“Do you mind? Can we speed this up? Freak House makes me very uncomfortable. Here you go.” He opens his bag to grab the essay from it. I bite my lip to stop from laughing, because I knew it wasn’t the house, it was the squirrel.
“You proofread everything?” He glanced over the papers. I scoff the nerve of this guy.
“Yeah, I proof it. And I gave it a beginning and an ending and s-some in the middle.” He plays with the straps of his bag.
“I would've done it myself, if I had the time or whatever, but...” He tried to come up with an excuse. But, we know football didn’t take up that much of his time, it was dating and partying that did.
“Yeah, it's no big deal.” He shrugs, playing it off like he didn’t have anything better to do. “Hey, man, I was thinking, so… I mean, it's been really fun, doing your papers and your homework and stuff, but I don't know what you're doing this weekend. I was thinking maybe we could...” Spencer rambles on in his unique awkward way. No matter how many times I saw him like this it always made me cringe. I felt the pain from here.
“This weekend, yeah, ah...” Fridge was looking anywhere but at him. I was about to snap on him when a car pull up next to us.
“Hey, Fridge,” A beautiful cheerleader called out to him.
“Hey...” He smiles at her. I roll my eyes. I bet all the money I had in the bank that he didn’t know her name.
“You need a ride?” She made sure to only keep eye contact with him.
“I'm going with her.” He told us with no hesitance.
“Good.” I snap.
“You know what? That's actually better for me, scheduling-wise, too, so…” He was saying when he realizes the jock was already walking away from him. “See you later, Refrigerator.” He wave making him turn back to give him a look. “Sorry. Sorry.” He apologizes.
“Whatever. It's not like I was your best friend for your entire childhood. That's fine.” He talks under his breath as Fridge got in the car and they drove off.
“Oh, now you see my point?” I cocked an eyebrow at him.
“What'd you say?” A growl came from behind us made us whip around to see an old man standing there.
“Uh, nothing, sir,” Spence said after the shock wore off.
“What are you guys doing out here?” He looks us up and down.
“We were just talking to a friend.” He told him.
“His friend,” I corrected him.
“You should be more careful where you loiter, you hear me?” He steps towards us, making us take a step back. I wasn’t sure if he was warning us of the dangers of the world or threatening us.
“Yes, Mr. Vreeke. I hear you.” I nod as I pull Spence more back. I didn’t want either of us to be in reaching distance of this guy.
“This world swallows up kids like you.” He stares at Spencer. We nod our head in acknowledgement and ran off.
“No more favors for Refrigerator.” I punch him in the arm when we got to the front of Brantford High School. “I’m not wearing the right bra to be running today.” I adjust my boobs.
“Woah,” I look up to see Fussfeld stare at my chest.
“Get your friend, Spence.” I told him as I brush past the gawking boy to get to class.