She's Just Weird

6:38 PM

The sun’s orange light peeked through the clouds as one last effort to impress its audience before the night began. The temperature crept lower until jackets are mandatory outside. Jason and Myra walked up the cement stairs to the sanded wooden porch of Lydia’s house, their faces in awe. Lydia, their undergraduate theater friend who ate only twice a day, shouldn’t be able to afford this place, they thought. Nevertheless, they reached the welcome mat and the tall plant on the right side, where she left a spare key to enter the home. 

The entrance had two sets of doors: the first had church-themed glass in red, green, and blue, while the second was redwood with a mail slot and a peephole. Once they unlocked the doors and stepped inside, amazement increased as Jason and Myra were wide-eyed, admiring the architecture. Everything was in pristine condition, with the design of a pastor’s house influencing the holiness surrounding them. At the end of the entry way was an out of place industrial door, most likely added in when the house was bought. 

“She has to have a rich uncle, grandfather, or something, right?” Jason asked after turning in circles twice while looking at the walls and furniture. “I bet you the basement is a fully renovated mancave.

“Never asked,” Myra replied, pulling out her phone. “But we are running out of time, so let’s read her message again.”

Lydia 6:00 PM

8585 Judas Ave. Two-floor, almost maroon house with an open porch. Spare key in tall plant, right of front door.

Wizard hat in my room. 2nd floor. Third door on the right. Ignore mess.

DO NOT OPEN ANY OTHER ROOM UPSTAIRS!!

Before you leave, lock the basement door just across the entrance before 7 o’clock, PLEASE!!!

If you don’t

Just get in and get out. LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

“Yeah, that’s not suspicious at all.” 

“Shut up, Jason.” Myra hit him in the shoulder. “I’ll go get the hat. Don’t touch anything.”

“Sweet. I’mma go look around.” Jason sped off to the open living room to the left. 

The living room consisted of a scholar’s bookshelf wall filled with young adult romances, tarot card tutorials, history books, and worn-out Bibles. A random selection of succulents and small plants lined the windowsill, which added an earthy smell to the room. The furniture was a green suede sofa big enough for three people or one hungover or stressed-out college student. Two accompanying chairs made of the same material sat across from each other with a cluttered coffee table separating them. 

“Who the hell is this girl?” Jason shouted to Myra. 

“I said don’t touch anything!” Myra shouted back halfway up the stairs.

“Oh come on, Myra! Do we really know who this girl is?”

“Yes! A friend! Now stop shouting before the neighbors call the cops.”

Myra made it up the stairs to a nearly dark second floor and opened Lydia’s bedroom door, surprised by its differing appearance compared to the rest of the house. The walls were littered with emo bands and horoscope posters. An old Mac computer with random papers and a couple of empty mugs sat opposite the door. As she went further in, there was her customized wizard hat for tonight’s play: Magician’s Daughter. For being made by a first-year undergraduate costume designer, it was pretty unique and eye-catching: all black with the right amount of purple glitter to be hidden but also be noticed. 

Her bed was a mess, along with the floor. A fluffy comforter, two regular pillows, and a full-body one laid on top, while the dark carpet had some crumpled-up papers, notebooks, and dirty laundry. 

“This girl is so messy,” Myra said just before Jason came up the stairs to join her. 

“So that living room has weird vibes…” He stopped at the sight of Lydia’s room. “And the weird vibes continue. So she’s really emo.”

“Yeah, I didn’t expect this either. I knew she wore black mostly but I thought that was because she was a Scorpio.”

Jason’s eyes darted over every poster and light in Lydia’s room; it overloaded his senses. What caught his eye were some red laced panties peeking from under her bed, which he quickly reached down and grabbed. 

“I told you not to touch anything, you sicko!” Myra snapped.

“Relax… oh, look, a book.” 

6:45 PM

With Lydia’s panties hanging from his fingers, Jason picked up the smooth, black-covered book. The edges of each page were also black, adding mystery to the recent finding. He sat on her bed, but before he could read it, Myra snatched the book and panties from his hands, throwing the underwear to the other side of the room. Letting curiosity take over, she opened it to a random page. 

“It’s a journal.”

“Don’t you mean a diary?” Jason said. “And I thought you said not to touch anything?”

Myra let out an irritated sigh. “Women…can call it whatever they want. And that was meant for you, not me.”

“Well then, what does it say?” Jason crossed his legs and waited like a kindergartener during storytime.

Myra flipped through page after page, spending no more than two seconds on any entry until a date caught her eye.

Aug. 25th 

“Hey, this is the first day of school.” 

“Well, read it to me, Mommy,” Jason said in a childish voice. “Let’s see how weird she really is.”

Rolling her eyes, Myra sat next to him and read on.

Being in this new house made me more nervous for my first day. I couldn't care less why this pastor’s house was abandoned or not torn down. I have run out of options. Maybe I’ll find some holy water stored away and drench the floors with it. Maybe he will stay put and allow me to visit him when I’m free. Who am I kidding? He’s just as impatient as me. Lord, if you still exist in this house, let me have a normal first day.

“Well that was a short entry,” Jason said with a confused face. “And what does she mean by ‘he’? Is there a dog we’re supposed to leave treats for?”

“Lydia never mentioned a dog,” Myra replied. “She could have a stalker that she makes deals with.”

As Myra flipped through different entries, the topics were about her hard courses, perverted TAs, and more mentions of the ‘him’ from the first journal entry. She eventually entered September, and another important date.

Sept. 18

“Whoa, whoa…Myra, there’s your name.” Jason said anxiously.

This was a great day until I came home. I think I officially have a best friend, Myra. She’s so beautiful and insanely smart. Her intelligence and her passion behind it- I couldn’t stop smiling at her. She includes me in things- study groups, drinks after class, even birthday parties for some of her friends I don't know yet. The best part of my day is hearing her sweet ‘Hello’ when I get to campus…

“Aww,” Jason playfully wraps an arm around Myra’s shoulders. “You’re her 13th reason why not.”

“Can you not be an asshole, please?” Myra said before reading on.

… what makes this a terrible situation is that he found out. He smelled her on me. I’ve seen him get angry before, but never this violent…toward me. My back stings every time I move. The position I'm in while I write this is how I’m gonna sleep. I’m trying not to cry on this page. But I’m afraid I’ll have to visit him every night now to satisfy him. 

Why did I think this house would work? I don’t believe in God myself, so why would a pastor’s house even think about keeping me safe?

I’m going to try to sleep now, but I can hear him coming up the steps. Please…let this be a good night.

Myra slammed the book shut and shot up off the bed. Her face was a mix of worry and terror as she began pacing the room. Jason, however, still sat on the bed looking confused. 

“So she has an abusive ex who stalks her, but she lets him come over?”

“Jason, I’m going to need you to think a little bit.” Myra leaned closer to his face. “This is not some manchild who is taking advantage of her. This… this is something else.”

“You're telling me you believe in some evil entity that is jealous and scratches up her back?” 

“Were you not listening to what I read? It all makes sense now. She keeps her past to herself. Barely looks at cute boys when we go out. She avoids hugging you.”

Jason’s face scrunched up. “I thought she just didn’t like me?”

“That could be the case.” Myra pulled back at the possible misassumption. “Is it mad about me?”

“I mean…” Jason shrugged his shoulders. “Y’all do look a little too friendly when you see her.”

“I’m not bi.”

“But you could be curious. And I’m pretty sure she is.” 

Jason picked up the book to keep reading while Myra continued pacing; her hands couldn’t stay still. 

“Myra. She mentions you again. Three days ago.”

Myra sat back down on the bed and snatched the journal out of his hands.

Oct. 1st

I can’t shake these feelings. I want so badly to tell her how I feel, but what if she doesn’t like me back? 

Myra looks so happy to see me every time I meet her at the coffee shop or go to a house party. When she asked me to go into the bathroom with her, I thought my fantasies were about to come true. It was a small space, too; how could we not put our tongues together? But my hormones and I were wrong. She’s just comfortable around me. 

And that’s the problem. I’m not. My body craves her touch, and I can’t do anything. Being her friend will have to be enough. It has to be, for her safety. I won’t make the same mistake again. He won’t take her from me. He can stay with me. That was the deal. He can touch, hurt, and latch onto me all he wants, but no one else. Especially Myra. 

The house can be his home, just as long as he stays locked in the basement when I leave…

“The basement!” Jason and Myra screamed, rushing downstairs. Myra ran back to get the hat, remembering why they were there at the last second. 

The stomping on the floor couldn’t be muted by the carpet laid over the wood. They ran down like children hearing the ice cream truck outside. Jason was the first to the main floor, and Myra was right behind him as they rammed their bodies against the basement door. It wasn’t locked, with three different locks common for restaurant freezer doors and hotel rooms. Jason leaned his weight on it while Myra quickly locked the door. Both of them took a few steps back and then listened carefully to the basement steps. Nothing.

Jason checked his phone for the time- 7:02 PM

“Two minutes shouldn’t matter, right?” he asked out of breath.

“How am I supposed to know?” Myra said, still huffing and puffing. The two of them hustled their way out of the house, locked the front door and headed to the car.

“So Lydia is apparently cursed, bi-curious, and in love with you? And that…whatever it is can’t stand it!”

“Stop it., Just stop.” Myra shouted, slapping the car’s hood. “It’s just a damn diary. We followed the rules; now let’s go.”

“I thought it was a journal,” Jason said.

“Get in the damn car!” 

Myra push-started her car as Jason closed the door. The wizard’s hat, now partly ruined by her tight grip, was thrown in the backseat. Myra sped off from the house a little too fast; it pulled Jason back to his seat.

“It’s not real, right?”

“No, it’s not real.” Myra denied his suspicion quickly. “She’s…just weird.”

Myra’s eyes shifted from the road to Lydia’s house in the rear view mirror, where the front door was now open.