Anthology: A Collection of Short Stories

Spring Cleaning

6/8/23

Prompt: A forgotten object is found in an attic during spring cleaning.

About two years ago, my friend from high school, Solomon, formed a Spring Cleaning Committee (SCC) in our town. Every Monday, he asks for volunteers for the Spring Cleaning Tag Sales every Friday & Saturday from April to August.

I decided to give it a go this year since my house was overwhelmingly crowded. As long as I had a table with priced items in my driveway by 8:30 AM, I'd be in the clear to go.

I never remembered how many things I would get over the fall and winter. As I cleaned out my house, I was always surprised at everything that I found. I didn't look for anything specific. Instead, I just looked for things I no longer wanted.

My bedroom has always been the messiest part since that is where I keep most of my belongings. Clothes, trinkets, things I ordered online, holiday and birthday gifts, and enough inherited items to run an antique store for several years.

As I was going through everything, I was finding my belongings from when I was a kid. Old stuffed animals and toys, my first disposable camera, a copy of my college essay my parents had framed, a cheap makeup pallet from when I was 13, and several faded posters with the edges torn and corners folded.

I then found my first phone. It was an iPhone 6 from 2015- it was now 8 years old, and to think I got it when I was 15; I was curious if anything was still on there.

I managed to find a charger that fit and sat on the floor to look. I laughed when it turned on. The screensaver was of Solomon and me at our first homecoming dance- we had opted out of going to it our freshman year and went our sophomore year instead.

It was themed "Royal Night on the Town," so he had gone as Aladdin dressed as Prince Ali and I was the Genie. We had taken the selfie on Snapchat, and what I wrote at the bottom was "Solomon and Silas? No, Ali and his (magical) attendant."

I remembered my passcode to the phone itself was the date the picture was taken, too, in mid-November.

I looked through the apps I had- seeing the apps that had been discontinued and down since 2015 was as nostalgic as it was strange. The pictures, though, were even more so.

Seeing me again between the ages of 15 and 17 was odd. Even between those two years, I had changed so much, especially so compared to now.

I saw old text messages, not only between me and Solomon but also between me and a girl I had a crush on in our Junior year. I told her I liked her and she said "LOL no" and blocked the number.

She still has it blocked, too. "You Can No Longer Send Direct Messages to This Person." I get it, though- high school was a lot about looks, and I wasn't it.

I stood up and put the phone in my pocket. I then started gathering everything to put onto tables in the driveway- it was already 8 AM. Even though I saw everything in my house before putting it out, it seemed like so much more while sitting on the tables.

I also learned that the SCC drove to every house participating to check everything and to see if anyone needed help.

"What are you guys, the HOA?" I chuckled once the SCC member got out of their car.

"You only wish," Solomon responded.

That surprised me, seeing Solomon. He walked up my driveway, looking at everything.

"You have a lot of stuff," Solomon said, smiling slightly even though I didn't really know why.

"You... You're head of the SCC, shouldn't you be doing something important?" I asked him.

"This is part of it, checking up on everyone before the time begins," Solomon shrugged. "I've never seen your name on the list before, so I figured I'd be the one to stop by."

I didn't expect that out of him, being the one to reach out. He wasn't like that in high school, so I wouldn't think that would change so soon.

"How have you been?" I asked as he looked around.

"I've been alright. Doing this has its perks, but also its downfalls and stressors."

"Big language from someone who failed high school English," I retorted.

"You weren't that great either."

"At least I passed."

"Touché."

He finished looking around and ended up near me.

"Find anything interesting? Anything from high school?" Solomon asked me. I smiled, pulling the phone out of my pocket.

"My first phone. Look at the lock screen," I responded.

"'Royal Night on the Town,'" Solomon chuckled. "I remember that."

"Ali and his advisor," I added.

Solomon looked at it for a moment more before handing it back.

"I can't believe you still have that," he said.

"Me too. I just found it this morning."

"Really?"

"Yeah..."

We both stood there for a moment, both thinking to ourselves. Then I asked something that didn't really register until it came out of my mouth.

"Would you ever want to go to lunch?"

I don't know why I asked it, really. Fortunately, he smiled.

"Absolutely," Solomon said. "I would love to catch up."

"Alright," I sighed, relieved. "Want to go to Eb's sometime soon? It's been so long since I've been there."

"Of course, I would kill for an egg cream."

I am happy that I signed up for the Spring Cleaning Committee.