IMPRINTS OF UNSPOKEN LETERS

JACKSON FRENSBY

Jackson

I came out of the convenience store and looked around the one way road which is empty almost all the time, this time as well, I just saw some kids riding their bicycles there.

I left out a sigh and wiped my sweat covered forehead with my hankey. "How many hours are you working a day?" I heard a voice behind me. I turned around and saw Charles, my flat mate from France and my childhood friend. I used to live in France for 5 months due to studies but the course I did there did not feel like my thing, so I came to California, San Francisco.

"What are you doing here?" I asked keeping my hankey back in. I did not look surprised at the least to see my friend from France standing in front of me, but as one would expect I was happy to see him here. "I expected such a reaction from someone like you, you did not call me much ever since you shifted."

"And I shifted two weeks ago." I added. He shrugged it and said. "Anyways, I came to visit my parents, you did not reply to my question though." 

"I don't work too much, just enough to survive." I replied in the same calm tone and turned to go inside the shop where I worked. I was about to enter but before I did so, I said something while facing my back to him. "Let's meet at night over dinner, Dan will also join us."
He smiled, he knew I cared. He agreed and left because I hated being disturbed during work hours. Dan was my bestfriend since we were kids, Currently I am 23 and on college last year.

I worked at the convenience store to earn myself something, I came here today after visiting college.

•
•
•

Soon it was time to get done with my work, I got on my bike and started my ride towards my apartment that I shared with Danial Jaydeck, commonly known as Dan.

My flat was a small one, it had two rooms, a kitchen, a living room and a bathroom. It was black, white and blue themed. I checked the clock to see it showing 9:30 pm which meant I would have to use the night to get done with my assignments.

I was neither poor nor rich. My parents bought this flat 7 years back for buisness purposes but did not use it later, instead of selling it they decided to hand it over to me which I am glad they did. Dan was the one who did renovations and made the flat look like how it looked.

I layed on the bed and started at the ceiling to think about life when my phone rang, I looked at it. It was 'Jamie' my ex, I broke up with her just recently, which is two weeks from now.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jackson! How are you?"

"Why did you call me Jamie?"

"Don't be rude, I asked how you are for formalities."

"You don't need to show formalities just tell me why you called."

"Ok, You left a bunch of your things in my house before we broke up, I definitely don't want to keep them, so I wanted to let you know if you needed them."

"Woah, I've never heard an ex be concerned if I needed my things or not, you're talking about my clothes right? Just give them to Charles, he'll return it me."

I cut the call, I knew she still liked me but how dare she after cheating on me? Jamie was from France as well and I couldn't go all the way to France to get my clothes, so I told her to keep it at Charles's, he most probably would be going back to France and whenever he comes here, he could return them to me.

I thought I was forgetting something.

The dinner!

I washed my face and went to the closet, after grabbing a white  sweatshirt and putting it on, I changed into green cargo pants and looked at the mirror, I brushed my dark brown hair for a bit and  touched the small scar running across my left eyebrow, it brought back memories of my childhood in a more clear form.

I went to Dan's room and knocked on the door. "Dan, open the door" I said in a tone little louder than usual. Just after a few seconds of waiting the door was opened by a blond man, less muscular than me. "Charles is here, do you want to go out for dinner?" I questioned and he quickly nodded. "Charles? I am coming in a second!"

He rushed inside his room and tripped over nothing, he landed on the floor flat on his butt making a natural chuckle escape my lips, "Oops." He whispered and got up massaging himself, this was a common site for me. With the clumsy and enthusiastic personality he had I saw this on a daily basis now.

"I am waiting outside, hurry up." I got the keys to the house and my bike and left his room with a grin on my face.

•

•

"I could not go to the shelter because of you today." I retorted on Charles last comment which was him telling me that I was not talking enough today.

"Your cats are more important than your friend that came all the way from France to meet you?" He taunted thinking he just won a fight. "Ofcourse they are." I responded and casually sipped on my drink.

We had a nice chat, even though I kept quiet and it was mostly Charles ranting about something that happened in his life or drunk Dan telling us how he got together with this girl named Jasmine.
As they continued talking to each other, a question was darted towards me.

"Jackson, wasn't Daisy sick?" "Daisy Is Sick?" I exclaimed, Daisy? and sick? and me not knowing? Impossible.

"I went to meet her in the evening, she was sick, she isn't eating anything since yesterday." The remark made my face pale with worry, I stood up and took the keys to my bike.

"Dan, go back home I'll come later and thanks for paying the bill Charles, bye!" I rushed away from the place to get on my bike and turn it on after putting on my helmet.

Soon, Daisy's home was more into view, and I was off my bike.

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Min Hanna