Chapter 7

Seven-Liam
I knew June wasn’t telling me everything. She told me about her mother and rubbed a spot right above her elbow, and then she began to trace a line through the shirt. This act seemed strange to me, she wasn’t looking at me at all, and she continued to trace lines. I held her hand with one of mine and pulled at her shirt with the other. She yanked the sleeve back down before I pulled it up high enough.
“Is there something you’d like to tell me?” I asked her. She looked me in the eye.
“It seems like you already know,” she said. I had to let out a breath before I continued, this couldn’t be real. I touched the end of her sleeve again and this time she didn’t resist, she simply looked away. Right above the crook in her elbow were straight red lines. There were six on her left arm and three on the right. Some of them were dull, but the ones that frightened me most looked to have just healed over. I wanted to cry for her. I wanted to kiss it and make it better. But I knew I couldn’t do any of these things. I kissed the raised lines anyway.
“Please don’t do this,” I told her. She met my gaze then, the hurt and confusion all spilling out with a simple look.
“I don’t know if I can, it just feels so good to know I’m here,” she said. This part stings the worst. I pull her into my arms. I wondered how someone could feel so numb to the world that causing them pain would bring satisfaction only because it meant they could feel something. I had never experienced this, and I never wanted June to ever again. I looked her straight in the eyes.
“You’re here, I’m going to spend every day reminding you,” I told her, “never again will you have to doubt.” We sit like that forever, actual time: half an hour. She pulls away.
“Trudy’s probably looking for us,” she said. I nodded and pulled out of the Sonic parking lot, never letting go of her hand. “I don’t think your mom likes me,” June said. I chuckle.
“Are you kidding? You’re the daughter she never had,” I told her. She doesn’t seem convinced. I had no clue where this could be coming from, but I thought it might just be her way of not talking about her cuts.
“She just feels bad, I’ve lived a pathetic life compared to hers,” she said. I didn’t know how to respond to this, she had never been one to talk so blatantly negative about herself. So I just continued to drive home. I still didn’t know what to say when we got home so I went up to my bed and did all of my homework. I fell asleep reading The Princess Bride, my assigned English reading material.
I was having a dream like Buttercup, only it wasn’t a baby I was holding, it was June. I looked into her eyes and she screamed out in pain
“What is it?!” I asked her, alarmed. She pointed to her arm. There was blood soaking through her shirt and running down her arm. I removed my own shirt and held it over her cuts, but it was too late. She let out a final shriek and her face went blank.
Then I was outside of school with Elaine. She was slapping me across the face, telling me it was my fault. I had no idea what she was talking about until she pointed to my favorite tree; it was the tree I had first seen June sitting under. June was under the tree again, but this time she was hanging from the branches, swaying in the wind. I let out a moan; it came from deep inside of me. I fell to my knees and wept.
I was now in my own house, my mom sitting across the table from me like she was when she announced that Louise was going to move in. This time her face was pale and gaunt.
“I have some horrible news,” Mom said. I stood up, not able to sit any longer, the waiting had become unbearable.
“What is it?” I demanded. She shook her head.
“She’s dead, Mrs. Lepolsky killed her,” my mom told me. She was talking about June. I lunged at her. She simply moved out of the way and laughed as I hit the floor. “Did you think you could come in on your white horse and save her?” Mom asked.
“I could have done SOMETHING!” I yelled. Mom shook her head.
“You can’t change fate, she was born like that. It’s genetic.”
Now I was outside of June’s old house. The place was in flames and smoke was everywhere. I could hear June screaming and ran into the burning building. I found her wrapped in a blanket in the corner of her room. I tried to help her, but she refused.
“I belong to the fire,” she said.
I woke up sweating. I had been screaming in my sleep, I could tell by how raw my throat felt. There was a knock on my door and June walked in. I immediately got up and brought her close to me.
“I’m so sorry,” I said. She looked into my eyes, confused. “I didn’t say anything earlier, your life is not pathetic and my mom is not better than you. You lived a different life. She couldn’t have made it, you’re strong,” I said. She blushed at the compliment.
“Are you alright, I heard screaming,” she asked. I nodded.
“My dreams helped me realize what’s really important. You’re so sweet to come and check on me, when I should be the one to check on you,” I said. She looked down, obviously not used to the compliments. I kissed her and that electricity I felt the last time was back. She looked up at me.
“Your kisses leave me tingling, should I be worried?” June asked. I laugh and shake my head.
“No, that’s just the sign of a good kiss,” I said. She looked down.
“I guess that’s why I didn’t know, you were my first,” she said. I was shocked. I cupped her chin in my hands and smiled.
“I knew you were perfect,” I said. She squinted and shook her head.
“I am the farthest thing from perfect,” she told me. Her eyes were clear and there was pain and honesty in her voice. Here she was beautiful, smart, and most of all, the kindest person I had ever met. How could she not see these things? The answer was clear: she’d never been told anything of the kind. Her father spent time knocking her down; no one was there to build her up. This time I shook my head.
“You’re the closest I’ve ever met,” I said. She wrapped her arms tightly around me and buried her head in my chest.
“Then why am I so stupid?” She asked, her voice muffled by my shirt. I stroked her hair.
“You are not stupid, just hurt. I’ll help you get past it, alright?” I questioned. She nodded.
“I really want to get better,” she said. A few minutes later I kissed her again and sent her to bed telling her to rest for the next work day. I went back to bed as well and I wasn’t interrupted by any unusual dreams.
The next morning I sat down to breakfast with June at seven o’clock even though I had nowhere to be. June worked Saturdays, making Sunday her only day off. I made funny faces as she tried to eat her Lucky Charms. I guess she was over the fact that her dad had made a big deal about the cereal, because she had insisted on Lucky Charms. She laughed and made faces back. She saved the marshmallow pieces for last, something I did as well. I thought that if I ate the charms last I would get more luck. She shrugged when she saw me notice the marshmallows.
“I need all the luck I can get,” she said, “better to have more than just you as a good luck charm.” I smiled.
“Aww, I’m flattered,” I said. She rolled her eyes at my goofy remark. I walked over and kissed her. “Have fun at work,” I told her. She shook her head, trying to be angry, but I knew she wanted to laugh.
As she walked to the Lepolsky’s I pulled out my phone to call Owen.
“Yo, this is O,” Owen answered. He had come up with that five years ago and still got a kick out of it.
“Dude, it’s Liam,” I said.
“Ah, Liam, my man, your lady is a frequent here,” he told me. I smiled. Owen was a complete and total goof when it came to pretty much everything.
“Yeah, I know. She said you tried to pick her up yesterday,” I said, jokingly. I could hear him moving around in his room and he shouted a hello.
“Oh, yeah, I didn’t know she was…” I laughed at his befuddlement.
“It’s cool; she told me you kept it totally professional. She also said your mom was laying the work on hard, something about not getting lunch,” I said.
“Say no more, I’m your man for the job. Sometimes the old woman doesn’t know how demanding she is,” he joked. We spent the rest of the time talking about our parents. I told him about Louise moving in and he told me about his dad getting promoted. He asked a few questions about June, but she was heading his way so we got off the phone.
Later in the day I texted Owen to see if June was on her lunch break, he said she was sitting outside eating a sandwich. I made one for myself and ran out to sit with her. I was really running and she cringed like I might not stop before hitting her. I jumped up suddenly and landed next to her with a plop. June smiled at me and I felt like I was on fire. She made me feel as if anything were possible.
“How did you know I was out here?” She asked. I looked left, I looked right and then I whispered.
“I have spies everywhere,” I informed her. She laughed and kissed me.
“I forgot I wasn’t free of observations,” she said. I wrapped an arm around her.
“Trust me, it’s good to have someone like me on your side,” I said. She nodded and bit into her sandwich. I bit into mine as well.
“Mhmm, jelly,” she said. I raised my eyebrows.
“Mhmm, peanut butter,” I replied. Then I looked at her and we kissed. It was the perfect peanut butter and jelly sand-kiss, I’d ever experienced. It was the first of many to follow. Five minutes later, however, Mrs. Lepolsky was outside telling June to get inside and finish cleaning. She said she wasn’t paying her for lolling around and June could stay poor if that’s what she wanted to do with her life. I turned around and the look on her face changed.
“Hello, Mrs. Lepolsky, I’m sorry for distracting your fine worker here,” I said sweetly. I hoped the sweetness of my voice gave her cavities.
“Oh, don’t worry about it; I was just seeing if she was finished with lunch. Tell your mom it would be nice to have dinner with her and Louise again soon,” she said. I nodded and she went back inside. I helped June to her feet and her cheeks were rosy.