Mortis

6.

It was around seven thirty in the morning when I finally walked down the spiral staircase, through the foyer and into the kitchen. Julie sat on the counter dressed in a black Armani suit. Her hair was pulled back in a tight, low bun and her makeup was flawlessly done with a flare of red on her thin lips. She had a coffee mug to her lips and her Black Berry glued to her left hand. There were two suitcases on the ground beside the counter that matched her red lips.

"Morning sexy," I said with a whistle.

"Oh, please," she said with a wave, "don't flatter me."

"Where are you going?"

"New York," she put down her coffee mug along with her phone. She swung her Christian Dior heeled feet over the counter and looked up at me. "It's just for three days," she mumbled with a hint of guilt.

"Julie," I began with a smirk, "you don't ever have to worry about me being alone." I've been alone for the most part since I moved here, I thought to myself.

"I know, I just hate leaving all the time. It's such a pain in my ass."

"What ass? You don't have one."

"Bitch," she scoffed as she folded her arms across her petite frame, "I guess I won't leave the car for you while I'm gone then."

"You know I don't need or want your overly priced car, Jules," I retorted as I opened the fridge and pulled out some yogurt.

"True," she placed a hand on her chin as if in deep speculation, "you're a tough person to punish."

I hopped onto the counter beside her and took a long sip from her coffee mug. "Maybe that's why you've never punished me."

"Don't get chummy, kid," she said with a playful shove.

Our joking was suddenly interrupted by a short honk outside our house. Julie leaned into me and gave me a hug, "That would be my ride to the airport." I nodded and hugged her back as she slid off the counter and onto the ground. She reached for her suitcases in visible frustration, "The keys to the car are in my office along with some extra cash. Bottom left drawer, you know where the key is right?"

I nodded and slid off the counter beside her, "Jules, let me help with the suitcases−"

"−No need! My friend will help me get them in and out of the car!" She said as she walked towards the foyer with a wave.

I followed after her and rushed to open the door for her as she struggled with the suitcases, "Jules, you look like a twig dragging two suitcases filled with bricks, let me help−"

"−I'm fine! Bye, Hayden!" She said as I opened the door for her. She pushed through the door as if in a terrible rush. "Be good, kid!" She said while trudging her suitcases down the driveway towards a white Ford F150. The tailgate of the car was decorated in a bunch of strange patriotic bumper stickers and nine-eleven remembrances. The real oddity was the license plate, reading: WAK3UP.

What the hell? I thought as I watched Julie knock on the heavily tinted window and mouth something to the driver with the shake of her head. I closed the door but watched through the glass slivers in the door.

She struggled to put the suitcases in the truck bed and almost twisted her ankle in her high heels. Although the vigilant side of me cried out in curiosity, I figured that this oddity was not worth diving into if I wanted to be at school on time. It's probably some new romance in her life that she isn't ready to come to terms with.

I perish the thoughts of Julie's personal life because I know it's no good to ponder. As I made my way back up the stairs to get the keys to Julie's car, I realized that today was going to be a strange day. Ben and I are no longer friends and John seems to have no desire to be around me anymore. "Sometimes I wish I was a cat," I said to the large and empty house. I was answered by my own echo that proceeded to remind me of my ever-growing solitary life for the next few days.