Spotless Mind // H.S.

twelve.

We make it to Ms.Millers house, the car ride consisting of Harry arguing with me over what radio station to put it on before we both decided to leave it off making the car ride silent.

We get out of the car and walk up to the door, me knocking. I bury my face into the collar of my sweater. The weather outside today is freezing, making my once warm skin, cold.

The door soon opens and we're faced with a worried looking Ms.Miller. "Oh Harry!" She yells. "Where were you?" She grabs his hand pulling him inside. I follow them in, closing the door behind me.

"I hung out at Lydia's place..." He says, unsurely.

"You should have called me. I was worried about you." She sighs in relief.

"Sorry," he mumbles, looking to me with his eyes wide and I can't help but quietly laugh.

She nods. "Its okay. I just want to make sure that you're okay." She pats his back, the worry washing off of her face. If only she knew about the incident last night.

"I'll be up in my room, changing." Her grip on his hand releases and he walks up the staircase.

Ms.Miller watches as he disappears up the staircase.

"He stayed at your place? Why?" She blurts out once he's gone.

Oh, because he almost got robbed and he got beat up pretty badly. No big deal.

"After work he wanted to hang out and get to know me and stuff." I half lie. "It was really nice that you gave him a job so he can make some money." I make an attempt to change the subject.

"Oh yes, I'm sure he'll do great at the job." She smiles, nodding.

We make our way into the kitchen and take a seat at the table. "Didn't he already start yesterday?" I ask her.

"No, he starts in a week."

What? But he made me drive there yesterday...

"I thought he had a shift yesterday?" I ask, confused.

"No. He wasn't there yesterday." Her eyebrows furrow together and I nod.

"Well um... Okay." I smile. "I'll go say Hi to Braxton." She nods as I leave the room and walk up the stairs.

It doesn't make it sense. I drove him to the bakery yesterday and I physically saw him walk into the door. And I then picked him up from the same area. Maybe he was there but Ms.Miller didn't see him?

No, that wouldn't make sense either.

I huff as I push open Braxtons door to find the room empty. The shower is running from the bathroom so he must be in there.

"Braxton!" I call out, taking a seat in his swivel chair, spinning around. "Its Lydia!"

"Okay I'll be right out!"

He continues to shower and I look around his room. The walls are lined with with photographs from when he was younger. My eyes fix on a specific of us from when we were about ten.

I smile getting up to examine it. I grab the picture and smile.

I remember this day. We had just gotten back from the water park and we were at my house. The picture is of us in our polka dot towels with the widest grins on our faces.

I smile remembering how simple things were back then. If only things were the same now, I'd be much happier.

A yellow sticky note falls from the back of the picture frame and I pick it up from the floor. Small words are scribble on it. I begin to read it.