Dear Jason

I Can't Talk

***FRANKIE'S POV***

Alex and I ran out of the main office nearly in tears from laughing. We sprinted around a corner, and then stopped and waited for Heather.
"There was absolutely a simpler way to cause a distraction" Alex laughed, catching her breath.
"Who cares?" I laughed along. "That was freaking hilarious. And we both stayed in character."
"Yeah," Alex replied, "but I think you bruised my side."
"Sorry," I laughed, and then Heather came around the corner with a piece of lined paper.
"That was ridiculous," she said to us, and we both shrugged.
"Did you get what I need?" I asked, and she nodded.
"Yeah, here," Heather replied, handing me a sheet of paper.
On the paper was J.D's address and phone number. I recognized the street name because I passed it every day on my way to school. He didn't live too far from me; maybe a ten or fifteen minute walk.
"So, what're you gonna do with it anyway?" Alex asked me, and I shook my head.
"I'm not telling," I argued. "Not unless my hunch is correct."
Heather and Alex let out a low groan, and I shrugged.
"Tough," I chuckled. "Thanks though."
I gave the two of them a small, two-fingered salute, and headed down the hallway that lead to the parking lot.

I had five hours to kill before I snuck over to Jason's place, so I went home and grabbed some things before going back to school and hanging out on the bleachers of the football field. Five hours is a long time, but not when you're reading. I had snacks in my bag, a few books I had been reading, and my small radio. As I nibbled on Goldfish crackers and read some of The Great Gatsby, I noticed the sun beginning to set. It was a nice night, especially for April. It wasn't cold or rainy at all. It was chilly, but not the kind of chilly that my jean jacket couldn't fix. As the sun began hiding behind a hill, my radio buzzed a bit.
"Hello ladies and gentlemen," Red's voice rang out. "This is 92.6 FM and the night has just begun." He paused for a long moment, and then let out a small sigh. "Apparently my identify is a big deal," he started. "People say they know who I am, but you really don't know who anyone is. I could be exactly how I sound, or I could be the quiet kid in the back of the room who looks at you. And then you notice, and I look away. I could be a jock who doesn't want to be known as clever or intelligent. I mean, God, I don't know why anyone looks up to me. I'm using voice alter! I'm just as phony as the rest of you! Maybe I don't want to be found."
Red stopped speaking, and I hurried to my car. I had Jason's address down, so I headed in that direction. Music played through the radio as I pulled onto his street. When I got out of my car, I could hear it quietly. I walked around the back of the house to a sliding glass door. There were curtains up behind it, preventing anyone from looking into the room, so I pressed my ear to the door. As I expected, Red's loud, rock music was pulsing through the room.
I knew knocking on the glass wasn't going to do me any good, so I tugged on the sliding door. It was unlocked. The sliding door slid open, and I pushed my head through the curtains.
"Hi," I chirped, and Jason jumped slightly.
He quickly began covering things with blankets and old pieces of wood, and I shook my head.
"Sorry for my etiquette," I chuckled, and he nodded, avoiding eye contact.
I stepped into the room and looked around. "So it is you?" I said, music still playing. "You're him. You're Red."
J.D pushed his tongue against the inside of his mouth and nodded slowly.
"Well?" I started. "Aren't you gonna say anything?"
J.D continued to sit in silence, and I grew slightly annoyed.
"C'mon!" I urged. "Talk!"
"I can't... talk," he mumbled, his back to me.
"What do you mean you can't talk?" I asked, annoyed. "You just did. You talk on the radio every night."
"I can't talk to you!" he snapped, turning to face me. "Okay? I can't... talk to you."
His voice went back to being quiet and calm, and he looked away from me again. We stood in silence for a moment, when there was a banging on the door.
"J.D!" a man's voice called. "J.D, your mother and I want to talk to you."
"Shit," J.D muttered under his breath, as he turned off the music and began to hurriedly hide the rest of his radio equipment.
Not wanting to get busted, I ducked under the back side of J.D's bed, and heard him open his bedroom door.
"Uh, what's up?" he asked his parents. His voice was full of attitude. Attitude I didn't know he was capable of.
"We want to talk to you about this new school," a woman's voice, I assumed his mother, spoke. "We're concerned that you haven't brought any friends around since the beginning of the semester."
"Why does it matter?!" J.D snapped. "I get good grades, you get off my ass. Wasn't that the deal?"
"Jason," his father hissed, when I shot up.
"Well, he does have friends!" I said, and J.D looked at me. "I didn't want you to think I was getting in the way of J.D's work or anything, so I ducked behind here." I laughed slightly and saw J.D's eyes widen.
"Oh, oh no," his mother smiled. "No it's so nice to meet you!"
"Frankie," I said, shaking her hand. "I'm Frankie Chandler. J.D's been tutoring me in math and we became pretty close friends."
"Pretty close friends?" J.D's dad asked, looking at J.D with a mischievous smile.
"Uh, yeah!" J.D agreed. "Yeah. Frankie and I were just hanging around."
"Oh, oh well sorry for interrupting!" his mother exclaimed. "It's great to meet you, Frankie."
I smiled and nodded, as the two of them left the room. J.D closed the door and looked at me.
"You're welcome," I spat, erasing the smile off my face.
He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. It didn't matter, as I was already halfway out the glass sliding door. I closed it behind me and sat on the grass in his backyard. I had nowhere to go. I didn't want to go home yet; I told Heather I'd be out for most of the night and she'd give me shit if I came home early. So, I sat and listened to J.D continue with his show.