Frozen Memories

Something Strange About Lisa Jones

    After leaving the house, we ended up at an eating establishment that ironically enough held the poster of a cow on the fronts of the entrance, though only sold chicken based foods. How impeccably strange this era was. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my meal.

    “Soo-are we not going to approach the elephant in the room?”

    I eyed Lisa curiously. “Elephant?” Naturally, I was clueless. Still, considering this place would probably not fit an elephant so easily I figured it was just another form of slang that Max neglected to mention.

    “It’s not-never mind.” Dr. Byrne chuckled. “It’s a turn of phrase.”

    “Oh.” Enlightened I nodded in understanding.

    “On the other hand, I think Lisa is referring to the fact that it seems like you’re adjusting pretty well to your new life.”

    “Oh-” I shrugged. “Well, I would not have adjusted so easily if it were not for Max.”

    “Max, huh?” Lisa Jones returned, her face furrowing into a near grimace before she curtly smiled. “Have to meet this Max one day.”

    “Yes! That would be a wonderful idea!” I smiled.

    “Yea, yea okay. So!” Lisa Jones intercepted. “About this Roman Dharke character.” She shifted her gaze between Dr. Byrne and I. “Looks like, you both are very acquainted with the family.”

“Acquainted?” I returned. That was a term that could have easily gone either way. “I would not use that term in particular.”

    “Well, I said acquaintance-not friends.” Lisa Jones retorted. “Though, doesn’t seem like you and Roman Dharke are necessarily on bad terms.”

    I scoffed. “Truthfully, Lisa Jones, I do not know what terms we are on.”

    “Hmph! Well,” she began, sucking her teeth, her gaze now looking past Dr. Byrne and I. “So you’re saying-Roman Dharke is unattached.”

    “Unattached.” I was suddenly confused. “I am not sure I know what you’re insinuating-”

    “Roman Dharke is-he’s still in high school, sweetie.” Dr. Byrne returned. “I mean-if you’re lucky, he may be 18.”

    “I am very lost right now.” I muttered.

    Lisa shrugged. “He certainly doesn’t look that young.”She laughed. “And besides, that’s the in thing now. You know moms usually have problems with their sons dating older women; and well-no offense but his is apparently not in the picture any more so-”

“Lisa-” Dr. Byrne intervened. “That’s a cruel thing to say.”

Dr. Byrne chanced an uneasy glance at me before returning her gaze to Lisa Jones. I hardly felt that it was the most appropriate thing to say but I wasn’t sure if it were my place to say anything either.

“Did not mean anything by it.” Lisa Jones said. “Only saying that, I am sure that his uncle would not mind.” She said. “Age is nothing but a number anymore.”

    Still, I attempted to grasp what the conversation was between the two. I watched as Dr. Byrne’s features turn into unease. She started to say something when Lisa spoke again.

    “Besides, not like I’m hardly thirty.” She smirked. “I’m barely twenty-five.” She bit her bottom lip. “I’m sure he wouldn’t have a problem with it.”

    Dr. Byrne’s eyebrows furrowed. “Lisa, are you alright?”

    Lisa bit into her meal again before hunching her shoulders. “Never better.” She returned.

    Dr. Byrne hesitated before she reluctantly turned my way. “So, Mina-what do you mean by your not knowing of the status of your relationship with Roman Dharke?”

    Taking a moment to assure that Lisa did not mind the subject change, I paused before I spoke on Dr. Byrne’s inquiry. “Well I honestly do not know. He acts weird, you know? As if he does not prefer being near me, so needless to say, we do not speak much.”

    “So then why was he at the house?” Lisa asked.

    I could not place the emotion that she displayed before I answered. “As I said before, Lisa Jones, we are classmates.” I answered. “And as it happens, we are partners on a class project.

To this, Dr. Byrne seemed pleased as she smiled. “Class projects and school. This is great, Mina!” She said. “Things seem to be progressing well with you. Also, I must say it’s a small world to be partnered with the nephew of Killian Grey.”

Lisa grinned. “I bet he is the sexiest thing walking in that school.”

    “Well, if you are basing that assumption on the fact that he is a part of the Grey clan, there are two others that go to that school.” I informed, though I would have assumed that Lisa Jones knew this considering how close she and Dr. Byrne seemed to be.

    “Oh, really?” Lisa’s gaze was that of complete interest. “And is Roman the oldest or-”

    “Yes!” Dr. Byrne interceded randomly. “So, have you spoken to his brothers. Surely they are not that bad.”

    “Actually, Thorne Grey, the oldest-” I added, so as to both answer Lisa Jones’ question and Dr. Byrne’s. “Is pretty nice. And I share a class with him. He seems courteous enough and though a few of our run ins have not been ideal, Nixon Grey has been nice to me as well.” I answered. “Along with their female comrade, Amorah Lane.”

“Amorah Lane, huh?” Lisa Jones asked. Her expression suddenly turned dark.

“Yes.” I reluctantly answered. “However, she does not seem the one that dislikes me so much as the other-Keyvah Marsh-”

“Three.” She muttered. “There are three.” She whispered.

I watched for a long moment. “Are you alright?” I asked.

She stared out into nothing before she suddenly looked at me again and smiled, one seeming feigned before she spoke again. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Well for the one that doesn’t like you there seems to be three to four more that does.” Dr. Byrne said. “And as long as you keep that amazing character that you have then I’m sure the friends will just keep coming. Right, Lisa?”

I hadn’t come to notice that Lisa Jones had been staring at me so pointedly until Dr. Byrnes mentioned her name. In that moment was when I saw what almost looked like a clouded look in her eyes as she watched me. Or at least it seemed as if she were watching me; to be honest, I couldn’t be sure at first.

“Lisa?” Dr. Byrne called to her.

The concerned tone in Dr. Byrne’s voice alerted to the fact that she may have been thinking the same as I-or something along the lines. We exchanged nervous glances before I looked at Lisa Jones again. She then did the oddest thing; a smile steadily grew upon her face when she finally spoke.

“Right, Dr. Byrne. Bodies and bodies of friends will just pile on.” She said. She suddenly scoffed. “Sounds like you didn’t need me at all, Mi-na.”

I was admittedly, hurt and confused by her taunting words, knowing that she meant harm in the tone that she used. Her eyes seemed to darken even more than before when she said what she said. I tried, if at all possible, to assure her that her words were farthest from the truth.

“I will always need you, Lisa Jones. You and Dr. Byrne are my friends-always.” I reached out to touch her exposed hand, taking a mental note of how pale it seemed to be. I don’t know why I had not noticed this earlier when I saw her. Maybe my excitement coupled with Roman Dharke’s presence had something to do with it.

“Lisa, are you sure you’re alright?” Dr. Byrne asked.

Lisa Jones retracted both her hand and her gaze from me before she nodded a simple yes. Her eyes widened for a moment as she shook her head and closed her eyes for a second or two.

“Have I done something to offend you, Lisa?” I asked. This was certainly not the reunion that I had in mind when I imagined seeing Lisa Jones again.

When she looked at me again, confusion set in as I saw a glimpse of the Lisa Jones that I knew. A sympathetic smile took the place of the crude and seemingly judgmental smirk that was on her face barely a moment ago. 

“No, Mina, of course not.” She tried to assure me. “I’ve just had a rough couple of days is all.”

“Yes,Dr. Byrne mentioned something about you being sick.” I said, though, after witnessing her odd change in behavior, I could tell that there was something else the matter. Glancing over at Dr. Byrne, I could tell that she saw the same.

    Lisa Jones scoffed. “Yeah, sick-really sick.” She looked away. “Could say it changed me.” She muttered, so low barely audible; in fact, I was sure that only I could hear her. “Not so sure I like this new person.” She whispered.

“I thought it was just a bad cold.” Dr. Byrne said, oblivious to Lisa’s small confession.

I wasn’t, however, and I wanted so badly to confront this feeling that seemed to torment her. I wanted her to know that I heard her words; when she looked up, her eyes seeming streamed with what looked like tears, it made me wish all the more to speak. But should I? Was it my place? 

In the end, I really did not care whether it was my place or not, concern for Lisa Jones outweighing any doubts that I had.

“Lisa, ma-”

“Everything is fine, Mina.” She suddenly said, her once pitiful expression turning into that unrecognizable and smirkish Lisa Jones of before. “You’re the one that we all should be worried about and focused on-or did you forget that you just recently got out of the hospital two weeks ago.” She chuckled.

“It-actually has been over a month or so.” I corrected, realizing that it had also been that long since I’d really laid eyes on Lisa Jones.

“Really?” There seemed to be a subtle surprise on her face before she scoffed. “Boy, how time flies when you’re sick.”

Dr. Byrne seeming frustrated, stood from her seat and grabbed her bag, when her cellular device began to ring. She looked at the caller ID. “Oh, one minute ladies, it’s my daughter.” She said before quickly rushing off.

“I hope to meet her one day.” I said.

“Who?” Lisa Jones asked disinterestedly.

I looked at Lisa Jones, whose gaze seemed more interested in her nails than the conversation. I answered, nevertheless. “Dr. Byrne’s daughter.”

“Oh?” She finally looked at me. “And why is that?”

I simply shrugged. “To thank her for the clothing and the shoes.”

“You want to thank that brat for hand me downs?” She scoffed.

Taken aback by Lisa Jones’ insensitive response, I defended. “Hand me down or not, I had nothing before now. I am thankful for all that I have.”

“Hmph.” She grimaced-one so quick, I had half-doubted whether I saw it or not. “I guess that’s one way to look at it.” She said. She then looked at me again, eyes a little wider than before way more curious. “Now about this Roman Dharke.” She grinned.

Not that I was jealous or angry, only curious at this point in her obsession of these guys. “Why are you so interested in Roman Dharke?”

“I just-I’ve gained an extreme interest in the opposite s*x lately. And he is the one that has caught my eye.” Before I could reply, her gaze narrowed. “Why does it matter to you why I am so interested?” She asked. “Am I stepping into your territory?”

“Territory?” Before I could further inquire on her odd question, Dr. Byrne returned.

“Sorry about that, let’s get you home, Mina.” Dr. Byrne said.

As we left the restaurant, Lisa Jones walked next to me. “Don’t worry, Mina, I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough what being territorial means. Whether it be your possessiveness that kicks in or someone else’s.” She nudged me with a wry smile.