Fences
Questions
Lily A. Romero lived next door to me. She was small, pale, shy, and all around weird. She wore glasses, she wore pale, floral dresses and talked to herself. She lived with her mom and her goldfish, Artemus.
I didn’t talk to her for the first year of her being new in town. There was rumors swirling about the girl, but nothing concrete. My mom had me stay away from her, but never said why. Some rumors went around that she was crazy and had some weird disease. I heard my mom say she and her mom had AIDS.
I was only 15, I knew what AIDS was, but never actually thought about it. I was freaked out, I thought maybe her and her mom were lesbians; since I heard most people with AIDS were homosexuals. The following year, I learned that wasn’t true; anyone can get AIDS.
It was summer 1998 when I finally spoke to the girl. She was in backyard, the 12 foot fence, that my dad had put up for my mom separated us. I heard her singing Armatage Shanks by Green Day, I was sitting in my backyard, hiding away with my notebook, waiting for my mom to get home from work. School had ended for the year, and I was glad, I hated everyone at school, they all made fun of my height and called me fag. I hated that fucking place.
“I’m a loner in a catastrophic mind…” I heard her tiny voice and walked to the fence. I saw her dress sprawled, her black shorts hid anything indecent.
“Who’s there?” I asked dumbly.
I heard her hum, “Excuse me?” She didn’t move.
“I said who’s there.” I tried to sound tough.
“Just me.” She said softly, “Am I disturbing you?”
I felt shy all of a sudden. A 16 year old boy afraid of a kid. Why?
“No. I was just wondering who was there.”
“Oh. Well, it’s just me. Do you mind me singing? I could stop if you’d like me to.”
“No…it’s okay.” I muttered, “I was just leaving.”
“Okay.” The tiny girl went on to sing Stuck With Me.
I stepped away from the fence and listened to her sing the entire Insomniac album until her mom called out to her. I had learned her name; Lily. I thought it fit her so well, because she was delicate and sweet like a flower. I was getting gushy over a kid. Not typical of me.
The following day, I went out to my backyard, hoping to hear Lily again. I could see her through the slits, but she didn’t sing. She hummed, and I stood by, listening.
“Hello?” She spoke up, “Is that you again, sir?”
I chuckled, “Sir?”
“Well, um, I don’t know your name.” She still didn’t move; she was sitting up, her back turned to me.
“I’m Frankie.” I murmured.
“Lily. Nice to meet you…in a way.” She didn’t laugh, even though she was joking.
“Yeah.”
“Is school out already?” She asked, “I’m home-schooled, so I don’t know. It’s noon, and I was wondering why you were home.”
“Yeah, summer vacation. Why are you home-schooled?” I sat at the fence, close as I could.
“Well, my mom thought it’d be best for me. Even though we moved for a better start, I guess the rumors beat us making a good impression.”
I frowned, “Rumors?”
“You don’t know about me?” She questioned hopefully.
“No.” I answered semi-truthfully, “Uh, but people ‘round the neighborhood have said some stuff about you. I don’t know anything.”
“Oh.” Lily’s hope sunk, “I have AIDS.” She told me quietly.
“AIDS.” I repeated, “How did you get it?”
“Blood transfusion gone wrong.” She spoke blandly, “Everyone thinks my parents have it, and gave it to me, but they didn’t. My dad left us because of it, he couldn’t handle the stares and whispers.”
I was speechless. It seemed that she didn’t care, or she had told this to many people before. I felt for her, I mean, I wouldn’t want my dad to leave just because of whispers and stares.
“How old are you?” She asked after I didn’t answer.
“16. How old are you.”
“I’m 14. When’s your birthday?”
I smiled at the way she seemed to move quickly and ask me questions.
“Halloween.”
“That’s awesome,” she finally faced me and stood; she walked over and sat closer to the fence, I could see her pale face and her rosy cheeks, “Mine is coming up, June 17th. How do you celebrate? Do your parents let you go out or do they have a party?”
“I usually just go out and terrorize the neighborhood. My dad usually gets me a cake and I go to his place to celebrate.”
“Your parents aren’t together either?”
“No. They divorced when I was younger.”
I saw her look down, “Do you mind if I ask you something personal?”
“No,” I shrugged, “go ahead.”
“Do you wish they were together still?” She looked up; I saw she had green eyes hidden behind her square glasses.
“No, I use to, but not anymore.”
Lily didn’t say anything pertaining to my answer, “What’s your favorite color?”
“Black.”
“Black isn’t a color. It’s a form of all colors. At least, that’s what my mom says.” She had slumped one shoulder, “Mine is red.”
“Why red?”
“It’s bright and it helps me see better.”
We were quiet for a moment. I finally decided to ask a question myself, “What’s it like having AIDS?”
“Um…it hurts sometimes. It’s tiring, I see doctors and take pills more than the normal teenage girl. I have to watch out when I bleed too, I have to be ultra careful.” She didn’t seem to down about it.
I swallowed hard when I thought about something else. Death. I wanted to ask, but I was afraid to.
“Lily, come in honey!”That was her mom.
“I have to go Frankie, doctor’s appointment.” I saw her stand and grab her glasses from her dress pocket, “It was nice speaking to you. Goodbye.” Lily spoke as if she wouldn’t see me again.
“Bye.” I managed to say as she walked steadily away from the fence.
She was out of my sight before I could stand look through the slits again. I sighed and waited until I heard her back door close and I knew she was inside. I walked away from the fence, hoping I’d see her again.
I didn’t talk to her for the first year of her being new in town. There was rumors swirling about the girl, but nothing concrete. My mom had me stay away from her, but never said why. Some rumors went around that she was crazy and had some weird disease. I heard my mom say she and her mom had AIDS.
I was only 15, I knew what AIDS was, but never actually thought about it. I was freaked out, I thought maybe her and her mom were lesbians; since I heard most people with AIDS were homosexuals. The following year, I learned that wasn’t true; anyone can get AIDS.
It was summer 1998 when I finally spoke to the girl. She was in backyard, the 12 foot fence, that my dad had put up for my mom separated us. I heard her singing Armatage Shanks by Green Day, I was sitting in my backyard, hiding away with my notebook, waiting for my mom to get home from work. School had ended for the year, and I was glad, I hated everyone at school, they all made fun of my height and called me fag. I hated that fucking place.
“I’m a loner in a catastrophic mind…” I heard her tiny voice and walked to the fence. I saw her dress sprawled, her black shorts hid anything indecent.
“Who’s there?” I asked dumbly.
I heard her hum, “Excuse me?” She didn’t move.
“I said who’s there.” I tried to sound tough.
“Just me.” She said softly, “Am I disturbing you?”
I felt shy all of a sudden. A 16 year old boy afraid of a kid. Why?
“No. I was just wondering who was there.”
“Oh. Well, it’s just me. Do you mind me singing? I could stop if you’d like me to.”
“No…it’s okay.” I muttered, “I was just leaving.”
“Okay.” The tiny girl went on to sing Stuck With Me.
I stepped away from the fence and listened to her sing the entire Insomniac album until her mom called out to her. I had learned her name; Lily. I thought it fit her so well, because she was delicate and sweet like a flower. I was getting gushy over a kid. Not typical of me.
The following day, I went out to my backyard, hoping to hear Lily again. I could see her through the slits, but she didn’t sing. She hummed, and I stood by, listening.
“Hello?” She spoke up, “Is that you again, sir?”
I chuckled, “Sir?”
“Well, um, I don’t know your name.” She still didn’t move; she was sitting up, her back turned to me.
“I’m Frankie.” I murmured.
“Lily. Nice to meet you…in a way.” She didn’t laugh, even though she was joking.
“Yeah.”
“Is school out already?” She asked, “I’m home-schooled, so I don’t know. It’s noon, and I was wondering why you were home.”
“Yeah, summer vacation. Why are you home-schooled?” I sat at the fence, close as I could.
“Well, my mom thought it’d be best for me. Even though we moved for a better start, I guess the rumors beat us making a good impression.”
I frowned, “Rumors?”
“You don’t know about me?” She questioned hopefully.
“No.” I answered semi-truthfully, “Uh, but people ‘round the neighborhood have said some stuff about you. I don’t know anything.”
“Oh.” Lily’s hope sunk, “I have AIDS.” She told me quietly.
“AIDS.” I repeated, “How did you get it?”
“Blood transfusion gone wrong.” She spoke blandly, “Everyone thinks my parents have it, and gave it to me, but they didn’t. My dad left us because of it, he couldn’t handle the stares and whispers.”
I was speechless. It seemed that she didn’t care, or she had told this to many people before. I felt for her, I mean, I wouldn’t want my dad to leave just because of whispers and stares.
“How old are you?” She asked after I didn’t answer.
“16. How old are you.”
“I’m 14. When’s your birthday?”
I smiled at the way she seemed to move quickly and ask me questions.
“Halloween.”
“That’s awesome,” she finally faced me and stood; she walked over and sat closer to the fence, I could see her pale face and her rosy cheeks, “Mine is coming up, June 17th. How do you celebrate? Do your parents let you go out or do they have a party?”
“I usually just go out and terrorize the neighborhood. My dad usually gets me a cake and I go to his place to celebrate.”
“Your parents aren’t together either?”
“No. They divorced when I was younger.”
I saw her look down, “Do you mind if I ask you something personal?”
“No,” I shrugged, “go ahead.”
“Do you wish they were together still?” She looked up; I saw she had green eyes hidden behind her square glasses.
“No, I use to, but not anymore.”
Lily didn’t say anything pertaining to my answer, “What’s your favorite color?”
“Black.”
“Black isn’t a color. It’s a form of all colors. At least, that’s what my mom says.” She had slumped one shoulder, “Mine is red.”
“Why red?”
“It’s bright and it helps me see better.”
We were quiet for a moment. I finally decided to ask a question myself, “What’s it like having AIDS?”
“Um…it hurts sometimes. It’s tiring, I see doctors and take pills more than the normal teenage girl. I have to watch out when I bleed too, I have to be ultra careful.” She didn’t seem to down about it.
I swallowed hard when I thought about something else. Death. I wanted to ask, but I was afraid to.
“Lily, come in honey!”That was her mom.
“I have to go Frankie, doctor’s appointment.” I saw her stand and grab her glasses from her dress pocket, “It was nice speaking to you. Goodbye.” Lily spoke as if she wouldn’t see me again.
“Bye.” I managed to say as she walked steadily away from the fence.
She was out of my sight before I could stand look through the slits again. I sighed and waited until I heard her back door close and I knew she was inside. I walked away from the fence, hoping I’d see her again.