Sector City

Chapter 8 ~Julie~

  I wait to open the box until I get on the bus. By then I can barely contain my excitement, I have not seen anything of my parents' since the day we, Aunt Anne and I, went to get some of my stuff from my parents' apartment before it got cleaned out by the landlady.
             I shove my bag under the seat in front of me and scoot to the window seat. I get situated so that every little jolt in the road won't throw off my balance and stare at the box.
      The seat next to me moves and my eyes shift quickly to the right. It's Lilly. I feel my shoulders relax, and I let out a breath held in unintentionally.  She glances at me then sees the box.
        "What's that?" she asks staring at it in curiosity.
      "Nothing." I lie, and slowly put the box away in my backpack.
~
        When Lilly falls asleep, I reach in my bag to get out the box. I stare at it for a minute before I slowly open it.
Under a thin sheet of tissue paper there is a slim gold chain with a diamond-encrusted heart-shaped locket. I gently pick it up and hold it's so that it dangles in front of my face. It spins slowly and pops open. I put the box on my lap and catch the locket in my hand. On one side is a picture of my mom on the other is a picture of my dad. I smile when I see them. They look so happy.
But they're dead.
      At least that's what my aunt and uncle told me. I still find it hard to believe sometimes.
I close the locket and put it away.
Two years. I haven't heard from my mother in over two years, haven't spoken to her since before their memorial. It seems like such a long time, and it is.
         I may have grown used to life on a farm, hearing crickets at night instead of cars, gathering eggs, and milking cows, but I miss the city, the horns honking the sirens blaring the music playing from one street corner to the next.
I feel my hair get pulled gently and turn around quickly in my seat. I breathe a sigh of relief when I find that it's only Jenny Kay.
"Hey stranger!" She says laughing.
I grin a little and say, "Well hey back there. Any room for one more?"
She pats the seat beside her and I crawl over Lilly. She's beat from the long day so she doesn't even notice. I go and sit with Jenny Kay holding the locket tightly in my fist. She notices it quickly and asks what it is.
"Can you keep a secret?" I ask seriously.
"Sure I can! You know that." She whispers, and I think of all the other times I've asked her that same question. But this time is more serious. It concerns my family and possibly my future.
I open my hand and show it to her.
She stares at the locket for a second, then cautiously reaches out her hand to pick it up. I let her lift it the same way I did before even catching it when it spins.

"This showed up in my bag today, in a box with my mom's initials on it!" I barely can hear myself tell her.

 She gets very quiet and looks enchanted at the miniatures. 

"Are those your parents?" 

I nod.
She starts to hand me back the necklace and I stop her.
"Will you put it on me?"
She nods and I turn away from her.
~
I stay sitting by Jenny Kay talking about my parents most of the way home. When we are almost there I move back to my seat and wake up Lilly. We gather our things as the bus comes to a stop. Then we all file off the bus and everyone heads home. Tom and I walk home in silence. I had hidden the necklace under my shirt so that no one would ask me about it. I'm not sure why but I have decided not to let anyone but Jenny Kay know about my necklace for now. I guess I'm worried someone will take it, or that I'll get accused of stealing it.  
~
I try to do my chores quickly so that I can go to my room before supper, but Uncle Lou had extra things he wanted me to do. And since I didn't have to excuse of homework, because of it being the test day, I was stuck at the barn.
It was getting dark when we had finished refilling the laying boxes with fresh hay and finally gotten all the cows milked and stalls cleaned.
I ate my supper quietly with Aunt Anne chattering away in the background. When I had finished I asked to be excused, got up, rinsed off my plate, and fork and put them in the dishwasher.  Then I trudged up the stairs bone tired.
I got in my room, flipped on the lights, kicked off my shoes and sat down on my bed. I took off the necklace and looked at it. Half asleep, I decided not to change and pulled the string for my lights.
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A/N
I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in so long!! I had to write this chapter completely. I do have the next one but I didn't have a connecting one yet. Again I'm sorry but I really hope you're enjoying my story! Please let me know what you think about it!!!
EJD