Julia? Doug stopped just short of a tombstone and stared. Julia was a girl in his class, blonde and beautiful, in Doug's eyes one of the "popular" kids. He had never really had a conversation with her before only ever in passing or not at all. He liked to keep to himself, it was easier that way.
He just shrugged and kept walking to his grandfathers grave. He kept a small awareness of Julia, but didn't really care about the why of her presence there. It didn't really matter. Unfortunately he had to pass her to get to his granddad, hopefully, he thought, she wouldn't notice him like everyone else and just leave him alone.
As he passed by her she jumped up in shock, Doug almost fell from her surprise. She wiped her eyes and exclaimed, "What are you doing?"
Doug caught himself from falling over and huffed, he didn't want to talk to her.
"Why aren't you in school?" She seemed almost embarrassed that Doug saw her this way.
"I could ask you the same question, but I skipped and came here like I usually do." Doug stopped. Why did he say that? Just walk away, he thought, she can't stop you. He turned to keep walking but she kept talking at him.
"A smartass huh." She got angry all of a sudden. Doug paused as if to say something but didn't turn around. He didn't think he'd have to be dealing with people here. This really was starting to make his day even worse.
"Just forget about it," Doug sighed, "I'm not in the mood." He started to walk again. He could hear her coming up behind him.
"Stop dammit " She grabbed his arm. What was going through her head right now to treat me this way, he thought.
"What's your deal?" He brushed her off.
"You can't tell anyone you saw me here. Do you hear me?! No-one " He finally turned around and got a good look at her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, she'd been crying, a lot. Doug looked over her shoulder to the grave she was at. Who's over there, he wondered. As far as he knew both her parents were alive, no one at school had said anything about anyone dying recently.
"I don't understand." Doug just stood there uncomfortably wanting to walk away, but his curiosity finally took hold.
"Just please don't tell anyone." She wiped her eyes again, and waited for an answer of reassurance from him. He didn't owe her anything, but it's not like he had anyone to tell this to anyway even though to him it seemed rather bizarre.
"Sure. I won't tell anyone, can I go now?" He felt stupid asking this girl permission to leave like she was his mother. Just another reason he hated interacting with others.
"You better not." She turned around and stormed off. Why was she so angry by his presence? Was it just the fact he saw her crying? Or had he stumbled into some stupid drama? Doug turned around and huffed again. He hoped this little encounter wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass. Maybe he should have went to school today.
He made his way over to his grandfather and sat down and pulled out his notebook and CD player. He leaned up against the stone and started writing. His grandfather would always encourage his writing and read everything he wrote, he guessed that's why he felt good writing here.
An hour passed and Doug got up to stretch, when he did, he looked over to where Julia was before. His curiosity came back and he wanted to know who was buried over there that got her so emotional. He laid his stuff down and walked over, enjoying the warm sun and cool breeze. Maybe today isn't so bad after all, he smirked to himself.
The tombstone was nicer than his grandfather's but older. It had more wear from the harsh weather changes here. The Midwest was horrible for weather. He looked at the name, Harrison Delaney, same last name as Julia, her grandfather, he thought. Then he looked at the years, born 1968 died 2003.
"Her father..." Doug looked up, and wondered why it seemed no one else knew. Was she keeping it from everyone? It happened only three years ago, Doug would have remembered people talking about something like this.
"Must be why she told me not to tell anyone." Doug put his hands in his pockets and looked towards the gate. "Never thought I'd have something in common with a popular kid." He turned and walked back to his grandfather. Doug wondered if he should talk to her again. Maybe tomorrow he would. He sat back down and got back to writing.
As he passed by her she jumped up in shock, Doug almost fell from her surprise. She wiped her eyes and exclaimed, "What are you doing?"
Doug caught himself from falling over and huffed, he didn't want to talk to her.
"Why aren't you in school?" She seemed almost embarrassed that Doug saw her this way.
"I could ask you the same question, but I skipped and came here like I usually do." Doug stopped. Why did he say that? Just walk away, he thought, she can't stop you. He turned to keep walking but she kept talking at him.
"A smartass huh." She got angry all of a sudden. Doug paused as if to say something but didn't turn around. He didn't think he'd have to be dealing with people here. This really was starting to make his day even worse.
"Just forget about it," Doug sighed, "I'm not in the mood." He started to walk again. He could hear her coming up behind him.
"Stop dammit " She grabbed his arm. What was going through her head right now to treat me this way, he thought.
"What's your deal?" He brushed her off.
"You can't tell anyone you saw me here. Do you hear me?! No-one " He finally turned around and got a good look at her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, she'd been crying, a lot. Doug looked over her shoulder to the grave she was at. Who's over there, he wondered. As far as he knew both her parents were alive, no one at school had said anything about anyone dying recently.
"I don't understand." Doug just stood there uncomfortably wanting to walk away, but his curiosity finally took hold.
"Just please don't tell anyone." She wiped her eyes again, and waited for an answer of reassurance from him. He didn't owe her anything, but it's not like he had anyone to tell this to anyway even though to him it seemed rather bizarre.
"Sure. I won't tell anyone, can I go now?" He felt stupid asking this girl permission to leave like she was his mother. Just another reason he hated interacting with others.
"You better not." She turned around and stormed off. Why was she so angry by his presence? Was it just the fact he saw her crying? Or had he stumbled into some stupid drama? Doug turned around and huffed again. He hoped this little encounter wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass. Maybe he should have went to school today.
He made his way over to his grandfather and sat down and pulled out his notebook and CD player. He leaned up against the stone and started writing. His grandfather would always encourage his writing and read everything he wrote, he guessed that's why he felt good writing here.
An hour passed and Doug got up to stretch, when he did, he looked over to where Julia was before. His curiosity came back and he wanted to know who was buried over there that got her so emotional. He laid his stuff down and walked over, enjoying the warm sun and cool breeze. Maybe today isn't so bad after all, he smirked to himself.
The tombstone was nicer than his grandfather's but older. It had more wear from the harsh weather changes here. The Midwest was horrible for weather. He looked at the name, Harrison Delaney, same last name as Julia, her grandfather, he thought. Then he looked at the years, born 1968 died 2003.
"Her father..." Doug looked up, and wondered why it seemed no one else knew. Was she keeping it from everyone? It happened only three years ago, Doug would have remembered people talking about something like this.
"Must be why she told me not to tell anyone." Doug put his hands in his pockets and looked towards the gate. "Never thought I'd have something in common with a popular kid." He turned and walked back to his grandfather. Doug wondered if he should talk to her again. Maybe tomorrow he would. He sat back down and got back to writing.
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