The Girl Next Door

Part 11 - Iris

Part 11 - For Now

✾

"Where were you at?" my father asks, but not taking his eyes away from the television. It wasn't using a harsh tone, if anything it was the opposite since he had no energy from working. His face is glowing from the dull grey gleam, the only light in the entire house.

"I've been tutoring," I replied easily. "This kid's been having trouble in a few classes so the teacher thought it might be good for me to help him out since I'm at the top of the class." I go to grab a broom, taking it and starting to sweep the kitchen.

"Don't let it get in the way of your own schooling. That was a long time to be out."

"It's alright, I'll just stay up a little later tonight to catch up. Did you eat dinner?" I turn to the kitchen, seeing marinara sauce all over the counters and some dry noodles in a pan. A plate is crusty from the food residue in the sink, along with some other random dishes lying around the kitchen. Although he snores instead of giving me an answer, he doesn't have to.

After sweeping and mopping the house, I turn to make sure he's asleep before putting on some background music as I gather the dishes and start washing them. Once I'm finished with that, I pick up the various soda cans, cigarettes, and papers on the ground to throw away. After seeing the trash can full of even more papers, I remember that I have to take it out and do so. I wipe the counters and clear off the tables of any more garbage.

After that, I'm pretty tired though and I only do about two hours of homework. As I lay on my bed, stroking the spot between Jax's ears, I wonder why this has to be me living this drab routine. The last thought that drift through my mind before sleep takes me is one that I think about a lot in the morning.

Maybe this is the start of something new — the start of something that isn't the routine of a broken home.

✾

"Now. I asked you once for details and you failed me, so I need details again. But I really mean it this time. Was the apartment messy? Was it big? Did it smell good? Did he have a lot of stuff? Did anyone else live there? Did he talk to anyone? Did you do anything this time? Was there—"

"No!" I cut my best friend off. "No more questions. He just moved in so it's not that crazy, for starters, so no, it has no scent and not too much stuff. His little sister comes over sometimes, and Julian doesn't live there. And yeah... about anything happening..."

"Oh my gosh, what? What happened? You look terrible just thinking about it!"

"Sophie... For starters, you can't blatantly insult people like that, second, I'll tell you in a moment, and third, I'm also trying to catch up on math homework so try not to squeal so irritatingly. We're in the library."

"Okay, but what happened?"

"We went to the ice cream shop after I helped him study for his upcoming anatomy test. Amelia was working there... and I think she was the one with Logan, because she was on the phone with him. And what really bothered me was... she told him she loved him, just like the word meant nothing."

"Oh, Iris," she clicks her tongue, "you should know that he's a waste of time by now."

"It's been two days."