Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It was a bright Saturday morning, the kind where you can feel the sun practically begging you to go outside and do something productive.
But instead of diving into my half-written English essay about "Romeo and Juliet," I found myself glued to the window, spying on the house across the street, which sounds creepy, but trust me, its not, it's just... Juli.
There she was, in all her early morning glory, watering the grass like it was her life's mission. The yard looked like something out of a gardening magazine-thick, green grass that swayed slightly in the breeze, white picket fences standing proudly, and a vibrant splash of flowers scattered around, making the whole scene look like a Monet painting. I had to admit, Juli and my grandpa had done a spectacular job turning that once sad patch of dirt into a mini Eden.
But instead of admiring the scenery, I was stuck swimming in a pool of guilt. Not the shallow end either-I was in the deep, murky part where your feet can't touch the bottom and you're just treading water, hoping not to drown.
I knew I had to say something to her. Apologize. Beg for forgiveness. I didn't really have a plan, but I grabbed onto that idea like a lifeline and headed downstairs before I could talk myself out of it.
Grandpa was sitting at the kitchen table, his hands wrapped around a cup of tea like it was a precious artifact. He smiled at me, that knowing smile that old people do when they've seen every mistake you're about to make and have made peace with it. He waved like he was sending me off to battle, and in a way, he was.
"Where are you going?" My dad called out from the living room, not even looking up from his newspaper.
"To Juli's." I mumbled, trying to slip out before any follow-up questions.
His head snapped up so fast I thought he might get whiplash. His eyes widened, probably thinking I'd lost my mind. "What? You-"
But before he could finish, I was already out the door, trudging across the street to Juli's yard like a man heading to the gallows.
Juli was facing away from me, her back framed by the bright green of her flannel shirt. She had on her usual jorts and those ridiculous garden boots she always wore, like she was ready to trek through a swamp rather than just water some grass. And, wait-her hair was up? That was new. It was usually so short that there was no point, but I guess she's been growing it out. Huh.
I cleared my throat, loud enough to get her attention but not so loud that it felt like I'm trying to startle her. "Looking good, Juli." I say, trying to sound sincere and not like I've been standing here rehearsing this in my head for the last five minutes. I glance around, gesturing to the yard. "The grass, the flowers... You did an awesome job.
Juli turned around slowly, and when our eyes met, it's like I'm staring into a completely different person. For as long as I've known her, there's always been this spark in her eyes whenever she looked at me, but now? Nothing. No glint, no sparkle, just... nothing. Just a blank, cool stare that made my stomach drop to somewhere around my shoes.
