A Summer To Remember

The Silence Is Deafening

Jade kept her distance from me all day. She shut down and closed herself off from us all. I knew there was a lot to think about and deal with. There was more that had happened than what mom had told me. I wasn't sure I wanted to know, honestly.

But the silence was deafening. I felt like I'd done something wrong or said something wrong. Did her mom say something about me to make Jade suddenly feel differently towards me? I wanted so badly for us to work and to be able to be there for her. But it was hard when I didn't know what was going through her head or how I could help.

She sat on the floor in my room and watched TV, her knees pulled tightly to her chest. I didn't argue when she put a stupid movie on and instead tried focusing on homework that I desperately needed to catch up on.

Mom opened my bedroom door and glanced between the two of us. "Dylan, I told Jake to make his bed up for you. I don't want the two of you sleeping in the same room."

I rolled my eyes. "I can just sleep on the couch, mom." There was no need to piss off Jake by me sleeping in his room. He was still annoyed he had to go to my classes with me at school every day.

"You need to get a good night's sleep. I'm not having you miss any more school."

"It's not like I'm missing anything." I mumbled.

She narrowed her eyes. "You're going, Dylan. That's final."

I sighed and watched her leave, hearing her bedroom door shut not long after. I reached beside the bed and pulled my wheelchair closer. Then I lifted myself off the bed, grabbing my phone off the bedside table. "Do you need anything before I go?"

Jade shook her head, not turning away from the TV to look at me. She'd been quiet all night and hardly said anything to anyone. I knew she had a lot to think about and process so I wasn't pushing her to talk.

"My bed's... kind of clean. There are extra blankets in my closet if you get cold. And, um, my mom's room is across the hall if you need anything else."

She turned the TV off and got to her feet. She glanced at me, on the other side of the bed from her. "Do you need any help?"

"No, I got it." I wheeled myself to my dresser and pulled out a thick sweatshirt. I tossed it onto the bed in front of her. "Just in case you get cold."

I was in the doorway when Jade stopped me, her voice soft in the dimly lit room. "Dyl?"

I turned myself around the best I could, trying to not bump into the doorway as I did so. "Yeah?"

She held the sweatshirt to her chest, her eyes glazed over with tears that waited to fall. "I'm sorry."

I gave her a tight smile. "Goodnight, Jade."