The Beard

Chapter Fourteen

Jenny's house comes into view after driving through her neighborhood for about a minute. Her house is a pretty two story, the place average and matching all the other houses around it. It's painted a pretty light blue, the shutters on the windows a navy blue, and the front door matching the shutters. There's a pretty trail flanked by flowers leading up to the steps that take you to the porch. Then it changes from concrete to a dark wood. On her porch are two chairs and a small table that's home to a little potted plant. Jenny's house is pretty, no doubt about that.

Jenny lifts her keys up and pushes a purple colored one into the front door. Turning the lock, she pulls the key out and pushes the door open. Walking inside, I'm immediately engulfed in the smell of fresh linen. The amazing smell matches how neat and clean Jenny's house is. Jenny's mom, Angela Braxton, is a bit of a neat freak, I know that from years of sleepovers. Since she runs her own paint shop in town, she mainly gets to stay home. Most of the art around the place are things that her mother has painted. Her father, Phillip Braxton, on the other hand, has an office job in the city.

That's one thing about Elderwood occupants. While our little town is well off, it's mainly because a lot of the citizens have jobs in the city where they have to drive long hours to get to. It kind of helps keep things running in Elderwood. Nobody will say it, but if it was just people working in town, a lot of places might go out of business or have one worker each.

"Where's your mom?" I question as we both take our shoes off at the door. Jenny shrugs as she sets them next to each other.

"Probably in her studio. Dad is still at work. He's had a lot of paperwork as of late," she motions me to follow her, heading towards the stairs. "Some guy got fired for forging signatures, then a lot of people got laid off because of some lawsuits. It's a miracle dad still has his job. He took a pay increase too because of all the extra work."

I raise an eyebrow at her words. "Wow, I hope he's not killing himself though. That sounds kind of terrible."

"He comes home tired but with a smile on his face."

With those words from Jenny, the conversation ends. I follow her up the stairs, taking in the familiar photos that line the walls. Most are of just Jenny and her parents, but occasionally I'll see a younger me in the pictures. It brings a smile to my face as the memories race through my mind. Seem we had really known each other for so long, and yet, I'm still learning things about my best friend.

Making it to Jenny's room, she pushes the door open to reveal a slightly messy room. Clothes are thrown on the floor, some looking worn while other look as if they were rejected. An empty can of sprite lays at the foot of her bed along with a bag of nacho cheese Doritos. This is the one place in the house that Jenny's mom is unable to penetrate. Jenny can be a bit confidential about her spaces.

"Oops, forgot to clean?" She gives me a sheepish look as she sets her bookbag down and falls onto her unmade bed.

I roll my eyes and give her a scoff. "Oh, please." I mumble, a smile growing on my lips. "You wouldn't have cleaned even if you did remember."

Jenny laughs lightly, her eyes closing slightly. The organization of her room is such a contrast to Jenny herself. While she's always so put together, her room is almost always messy. Her outfit could be picked out with impeccable patience, yet the effect of it will be half her closet on the floor of her room. She values her salads while at school or somewhere else public, but her room will be littered with junk. This is like Jenny's dirty little secret. Pun definitely intended.

"You're right. But maybe I should clean so I won't have to hear Micah's annoying mouth about how dirty my room is." She rolls her head to the side, looking at the purple, squared alarm clock on her black nightstand. With a groan, she pulls herself up from the bed. "Pretty please help me clean?"