[JENLISA] Age of Death

Chapter 8

"Hey, what's up?

I tried to hide a sniffle, hoping Jennie couldn't hear it through the phone. "Um, are you busy?" I asked her.

"Just playing a board game with my parents. Why?" I didn't answer at first, and Jennie sounded concerned the next time she spoke. "Is something wrong?"

"Not really. I just... thought you might come over?"

"Sure. Just give me a few minutes and I'll be right there." There was a brief pause, and I heard what sounded like two distinct voices in the background. A moment later, Jennie was back on the line.

"Hey, um, actually, how do you feel about coming here? If you don't want to, I can come over, but Dad's only met you that one time and Mom wants to meet you. We can provide free food..."

I considered it. Earlier on in my friendship with Jennie, I'd wanted to avoid her parents. But a few weeks had passed and things were different now. Getting to know her parents wouldn't make things much worse than they already were. It was probably worth it to make Jennie happy. Talking to her alone could wait.

"Okay."

"Seriously?" She sounded surprised. Apparently I'd been a little more obvious about my urge to keep away from her family than I'd originally thought. "Okay! See you soon?"

"Yes," I confirmed and hung up.

I went to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was messy, and I probably smelled like fast food. I did what I could to fix myself up, and was halfway out of the house when Dad stopped me.

"Where're you off to? I thought your stomach was bothering you."

"Um, I feel a little better now," I explained. "It stopped hurting. I'm just going to Jennie's."

He studied me, eyebrows furrowed. I could tell he didn't believe me.

"Are you sure? You seemed pretty upset when you got home." "I'm okay, Dad." I brushed a stray tendril of hair out of my face and turned away from him quickly, eager to go.

"Wait a second, Lisa. What aren't you telling me?"

I froze in the doorway and let out a quiet sigh. Then I faced him again. He'd folded his arms across his chest now. "It's nothing, Appa. Just... typical girl stuff. I'm PMS-ing and a guy broke my heart."

"Very funny. I've known you your whole life, don't think I haven't realized that the biggest sign something's wrong with you is when you start using jokes to deflect my questions."

"I'm just going to Jennie's," I insisted. "I'm playing board games with her family. They're feeding me. I'm okay."

He watched me for another long moment, and then pressed his lips together almost sadly. "I worry about you, Lisa."

"Yeah, I know. I'm anti-social. So keeping me from my new friend is definitely helping."

"You've been different lately," he told me. "You come home upset and don't tell me why, you broke your phone the other week; you don't tell me what's going on in your life-"

"Oh, that's rich coming from you." I rolled my eyes and mirrored his crossed arms with my own, the open front door abandoned behind me. "You had a girlfriend and didn't tell me."

"And given how you've reacted, can you blame me?" He shook his head, and I stared at him, suddenly feeling very numb. "It hasn't been easy with just the two of us, Lisa. But we'd watch our shows and movies together and had nightly dinners and I always knew what was going on with you and what you were going through, even if I didn't understand it all. I always felt close to you. And now, out of nowhere, there's this wall up I can't get past and I can't figure out why. I feel like I've done something wrong."