Holly and the Framed Friend Read online

Sitting back, Holly allowed the time to pass by thinking of all her friends back home and imagining what they were doing at that moment. She hoped Brigid and Linc were having a good time on their honeymoon. Hopefully Brigid hadn’t found another murder to investigate or something like that, although Holly was beginning to suspect that Brigid secretly liked doing all that sleuthing. And, Holly had to admit, it seemed she’d also been bitten by the bug.

  Eventually, Katie pulled off the highway and began driving through a suburban neighborhood. Holly continued to watch the landscape, taking in the homes lining the streets and even the gas station on the corner. She silently wondered how different it must look now compared to when her mother left her home for the last time. She could almost imagine her walking down the side of the road, heading to a friend’s house or going somewhere to get a bottle of soda.

  Finally, they pulled into a long driveway that ended beside a sprawling one-story home. It reminded Holly of Katie’s home. Well-kept and simple. It had grey siding with decorative maroon shutters. The front door opened and a grey-haired older man came shuffling out. He was slightly stooped as he walked, but he still looked healthy and sturdy, even if he was moving a bit slow.

  “Well, hello,” he called out. He was wearing faded jeans and a dark green flannel shirt. His large glasses had slid down to the end of his nose.

  “We’re here!” Katie called to him as they climbed out of her minivan. Holly pulled her backpack over her shoulders and faced her grandpa nervously. She felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach, and she hoped she wouldn’t throw up. Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath and attempted to settle herself. Plastering a smile on her face, she tried to remind herself that he was her grandfather. There was no reason to be nervous.

  “Well, I’ll be,” he said as he drew closer. “This must be my other granddaughter. Holly, is it?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir,” she said politely.

  “Don’t give me any of that ‘sir’ stuff. I’m your grandpa. Come here,” he said as he opened his arms and pulled her in. Holly was taken completely by surprise, but responded with a hug of her own once she recovered. The old man squeezed her much tighter than she would have expected, making her smile a bit.

  Once he released her, he held onto her arms and looked her up and down. “Now I want to take a good look at you.” It seemed that he found her suitable and patted her on the arm. “Come on, young lady. Let’s get to know each other.” Then he gave Lissa a big squeeze and herded all three of them inside.

  “Did you have anything you needed to do today, Katie?” he asked as they stepped into the living room. Holly looked around at the family photos that were on the walls and a tall table near the wall.

  “Well, I do need to go pick up a few things, but I thought the girls and I could do that later,” she said as she looked at Holly.

  “Nonsense, the girls and I will be just fine. You go do whatever needs to be done. We can manage, can’t we, girls?” he said turning to the two teenage girls who both nodded affirmatively.

  “Well, if you insist,” Katie said. “I’ll be gone for a while.”

  “Take all the time you need,” he said as he escorted her to the door. When she’d finally left, he turned and smiled. “Now that the boss is gone, we can enjoy ourselves. Who wants ice cream?”

  Holly was surprised but smiled. Ice cream was one of her favorite snacks.

  “I think you know the answer to that one,” Lissa said with a laugh.

  “You like ice cream?” he asked Holly.

  “Like it? I love it. One of my favorite things to eat,” she admitted.

  “Mine, too,” he said smiling. He shuffled by them and then turned, looking closely at her. “What’s your favorite?”

  “Rocky road,” Holly answered quickly.

  “Yep, you’re my granddaughter,” he said as he turned and headed for the kitchen. Holly looked around the living room one more time. The furniture was slightly dated and the walls were painted a simple white, but everything was tidy and in its place. Smiling, she turned and followed the other two into the kitchen.

  Grandpa had already started pulling out three bowls and filling them with rocky road. Once he put it away, he opened a cabinet door and pulled out a bag of marshmallows and chocolate syrup.

  “Lissa and I like a bit extra on ours. How about you?” he asked.

  “I haven’t ever added extra marshmallows before,” Holly admitted.

  “Then you’re in for a real treat,” he said as he added some to each one. After sticking spoons into the ice cream, he slid two bowls across the counter top.

  Holly looked at her heaping bowl of ice cream and wondered what kind of adult fed kids ice cream before lunch. Not that she was complaining. If this was what grandpas were like, she wished she had three more.

  CHAPTER 9

  Leah and Chloe had been friends since kindergarten when they sat next to each other on the first day of school. Leah had been to every birthday party, sleepover, and bonfire Chloe had ever hosted. That’s why it really surprised Leah when she realized she wasn’t a big fan of Chloe’s anymore.

  It wasn’t that her friend had really done anything specifically wrong. Leah was fairly sure it had been a slow process. Small little things had built up over time and she finally realized that she really didn’t care for Chloe like she had when they were growing up. She was trying to ignore the growing resentment she felt toward her longtime friend, but it was getting harder and harder.

  Pacing around her room, deciding what to wear, Leah thought she knew when it had all started. When she was ten, at her fifth-grade birthday party, she’d tried to have a big party like Chloe always had. She invited all of her classmates to the park, determined to have a party just as big as Chloe’s had been.

  When only half of them showed up, she was crushed. To anyone else, it probably would have looked like a great birthday. For Leah, it was the worst day ever. It was then that she realized the world wasn’t always fair. All she’d wanted was to feel as special on her big day as Chloe had. When it didn’t happen, that was the start of her resentment.

  In middle school, people started calling her Chloe’s shadow. They all meant it as a joke, because Chloe was fair with her blonde hair and light eyes while Leah was darker skinned with black hair and brown eyes. Chloe and Leah were always together. As they grew older, Chloe filled out and dyed her hair even blonder, making her even more eye-catching than before.

  Leah continued to walk around her small lavender colored room, trying to decide if she had the courage to ask Jayce out. She’d been wanting to ask him out for a long time, but she’d always ended up talking herself out of it.

  Jayce had moved in just down the street about five years ago. He’d seen her trying to ride her skateboard up and down the sidewalk and had come over to help. They’d been friends ever since. Even on that first day, with Jayce’s hand on her arm helping her to balance, she knew she liked him. That crush had grown over the years. So many times when they were playing video games or chatting through text messages she wanted to tell him how she felt. She’d type it out or picture it in her mind. She’d psych herself up time and time again only to wait too long and have the moment slip by.

  Not today, though. She’d done her hair and put on just a touch of makeup. After changing her outfit a million times, she’d finally decided on a cute corduroy skirt and the top she always wore with it, a white breezy thing that felt like silk on her skin.

  “Come on, Leah,” she said to herself as she stopped in front of her full-length mirror. “You can do this. It’s just Jayce. He’s sweet and kind and so smart. There’s no way he’ll tease or make fun of you. But you can’t have what you want if you don’t reach for it. If you want to go out with him, you’re going to have to ask him, since he doesn’t have a clue about how you feel. Maybe he wants to ask you out, but he’s afraid that you think of him only as a friend,” she said, trying to convince herself.

  She took a deep breath and walked over to
her bedroom door. She put her hand on the knob to open it and froze. I just have to go talk to Jayce like I’ve done so many other times, she thought. She turned around and looked at her room, seeing all the clothes she’d tried on earlier scattered all over the place.

  “I better pick all this up,” she said aloud, postponing leaving. She told herself it wasn’t because she was nervous. No. It was because her mom would freak out if she saw the mess and just might step outside and yell at her if she saw it. How embarrassing would it be to be trying to ask a guy out and have your mom yelling from the yard that you had clothes laying all over the place? Most likely she would add something about living in a pigsty or some other equally horrifying generalization.

  Finally, after picking everything up, she knew it was time. There was no way she could put it off any longer. She wasn’t sure if she could do it if she thought about the whole thing. Instead, she broke it down into manageable bits. I’m just going to the front door, she told herself at first. Then, I’m just walking down the street. Once she made it to his house she thought, I’m just checking to see what he’s up to.

  She rang the doorbell and waited. Leah knew both of Jayce’s parents worked during the day, but he’d still be there. He was probably playing his newest game online or something. After a few moments, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

  “Hey,” Jayce said as he pulled open the door. He was so incredibly tall. Already over six feet, he towered over her. His blonde hair was longer on top and hung over his left eye. “What’s up?”

  “How’s it going?” she asked. “Having fun playing video games all day?”

  He laughed as he held the door open for her. “Yeah, something like that. Actually, I’m glad you came over.”

  “Oh?” Leah asked, a slight flutter of excitement running through her.

  “Yeah, I wanted to ask you something,” he said as he led her to the front room. He held up a bag of chips. “You want some? Or maybe a can of pop?”

  “No, I’m good,” she said waving the offer away. She joined him on the couch as he placed the video game on pause.

  “I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” he began. “I’ve had my eye on this girl for a while. She’s really pretty and nice. Everyone likes her, but I don’t think I have a chance with her.”

  Leah wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt. Is he talking about me? she wondered. Could he possibly have felt the same way I feel this whole time and been too afraid to say anything? She continued to listen nervously.

  “I thought about asking some of the guys about this, but well, you know how they are,” he shrugged. “Teenage guys aren’t exactly who you ask when you need encouragement to ask a girl out,” he muttered.

  Leah laughed nervously. “I wouldn’t imagine so. Especially knowing who some of those guys are.”

  “Right,” he said, continuing, “so I started racking my brain on how to go about all of this. Finally, I decided. The answer was in front of my face the whole time, and I never even realized it. The answer, Leah, is you.”

  Ears buzzing, Leah felt as though her head had just become a helium filled balloon and lifted from her shoulders. She opened her mouth to speak, but he kept talking.

  “Since you’re her best friend, I thought I would ask you. Do you think Chloe would go to the Tripping Daisies concert with me this weekend?” he asked.

  Leah snapped her mouth shut. It took her a moment to recover, considering that wasn’t at all what she’d thought he was going to say. “Chloe?” she asked.

  “Yeah, that’s the girl I’ve had a crush on. I mean, I know she doesn’t actually ‘date’ anyone, but it’s just a concert, right? I mean, we could just go as friends or whatever. Just to hang out,” he said as he continued to talk, but Leah tuned him out.

  Chloe? she thought. He wants to take Chloe to the Tripping Daisies concert? She could see that his mouth was still moving, but he was completely oblivious to the fact she wasn’t listening. I’m the one who told him about that band. He wouldn’t have known they existed if it wasn’t for me! The more she thought about it, the madder she became. Suddenly everything that Chloe had ever beaten her at came crashing down, from the fourth-grade spelling bee, to the birthday party, and now Jayce. Added to everything that had happened in between, Leah had had enough.

  She stood up and rushed towards the front door.

  “Hey, where are you going?” Jayce asked.

  “I have to go,” she said as she pulled the door open and hurried outside.

  This was the final straw. Leah had playfully been thinking about ways to trip up Chloe. Little things that could happen to help her fall from grace. Now, she planned to revisit them. It was time to make perfect little Chloe not so perfect anymore.

  CHAPTER 10

  “You know, I still have boxes and boxes of your mom’s old stuff,” Grandpa said as they were finishing up their bowls of ice cream.

  “Really?” Holly said, surprised. “Why, after all these years?” It was mind-blowing to think in this house there was a room that held what used to be her mother’s things. What would be in there? She felt as though this woman she was learning about was a complete stranger to her. There was nothing about her that sounded remotely like the woman who had given birth to her. Holly was struggling to put the two women together. How could a girl who had lived such a normal life turn into an addict who didn’t care for her only child?

  “Well, it was probably me avoiding it more than anything,” he admitted as he stood up and collected the now empty bowls. “Although I don’t think I could tell you what I was actually avoiding. Possibly it was my mistakes. It’s much easier to pack things in a box and forget about them. Once Louise was gone, I didn’t feel like doing much for a long time. That was your grandmother. I haven’t changed much of anything since then if I could help it.” He sighed as he set the empty bowls in the kitchen sink before making his way back to the table.

  “I can understand that,” Holly said. “I had a tough time going through our old trailer and picking out what I thought was important.”

  Lissa was listening quietly, a somber look on her face.

  “If you don’t mind, I think I’m going to go turn on the television and catch the weather. Why don’t you and Lissa go in the back room and look through the boxes. I’d be more than happy to ship anything you’d like to have. Don’t worry about the expense. I can manage,” he said softly. Holly thought she could see a tear collecting in the corner of his eye.

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “Positive,” he said with a smile. “You know, other than your hair color is different than your mom’s, you’re the spitting image of her. I’m so glad you came to visit. When you’re done, we can talk more. Okay with you?”

  Holly nodded, a lump forming in her throat. She swore she saw a single tear slide down the old man’s cheek before he turned and made his way back to the front room.

  “You ready?” Lissa asked.

  “I think so,” Holly replied. “But don’t be surprised if I cry,” she admitted as they stood up and headed towards the back of the house.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t,” Lissa said as she gently reached out and placed her hand on her cousin’s back.

  They quietly slipped by Grandpa as he was sitting in his recliner, watching the weather forecast. Holly and Lissa looked at the photos hanging on the walls in the hallway as they walked past them. Holly was starting to piece together who each person was. It was odd to sometimes see what almost looked like her own face staring back at her.

  “This should be it,” Lissa said, as she turned the knob on the door at the end of the hall.

  Holly couldn’t help but feel anxious as the door slowly opened. In front of her was a room that looked as though someone was moving out or moving in. A bed was taken apart and propped up against one wall. A vanity was tucked in another corner, bare except for the years of wear. Nicks and scratches had roughed it up, but it still looked solid and well loved. In the middle were box
es of various sizes. None were labeled.

  “Where do you want to start?” Lissa asked as they stepped into the room.

  “I guess with the closest ones,” Holly shrugged. She unfolded the flaps on the nearest box and began to rifle through the contents. It looked as though someone had haphazardly put the contents of the room in the box. There was no rhyme or reason to any of it. There were CD’s and a CD player, so they plugged it in and began to listen to them as they went through more boxes.

  Eventually, Holly opened a box full of books. She almost closed it back up, but then she caught sight of something glittering at the bottom of the box.

  “What’s that?” she said, thinking aloud. Pulling out a stack of novels, she found it was a glittering diary. The cover was plastic but it looked like blue glitter. The latch was undone, as if the owner didn’t care who read it.

  “Is that a diary?” Lissa asked.

  Holly flipped open the little book and recognized the handwriting even though it was slightly different from what she remembered.

  “This is my mother’s,” she whispered. Running her fingers over the words, she quickly glanced at them. It seemed to be just an average day in the life of a high schooler. Talk of friends, teachers, and other everyday issues. She tucked it in her backpack and continued to search. “I’ll read it later,” Holly said. “I’d rather look through these boxes for now.”

  “That’s probably smart,” Lissa said nodding.

  Holly emptied one box by putting some of its contents into another. Then, she began to place the items that she wanted to keep in the empty one. There wasn’t much she wanted to keep, but a few things seemed to jump out at her, like some stuffed animals, figurines, a jewelry box. She and Lissa carefully packed them in the box so when it went through the mail nothing would get broken. After a while, they heard snores coming from the front room.

  “Sounds like Grandpa fell asleep,” Lissa giggled.

  “I’d say so,” Holly laughed. “That’s some serious snoring.”