June

by Erik Schubach

  Then Vanessa looked up at her with tears falling. “I want to get better Frannie. You know that don't you? You know I love you more than life itself?” Fran was nodding. Then Vanessa looked down, golden blonde locks obscuring her face. “I want to check myself into the hospital. Go through a mental health program.”

  Fran, to her credit just smiled and hugged her sister tightly and stroked her hair and whispered, “Oh god. That would be great sis.”

  Vanessa choked out, “I may be in there a long time. It takes weeks, if not months... I didn't want you to think...”

  Her sister was shushing her. “I just want you to get better sis. I love you.” I was amazed at this young girl. She was mature beyond her years and I had no doubt of her commitment to her sister's health.

  Vanessa took a deep cleansing breath then her voice was rock solid again. “And I love you runt.”

  Kat stood and went to the kitchen and returned with three coffee's and one hot chocolate. We sat and discussed everything and what it would all entail. Kat seemed to have a lot of insight into things. Then I remembered her sister in law's family had gone through something similar a few years back.

  Before long, Kat nudged her eyes from Fran to the kitchen and the two left Vanessa and me on the couch while they prepared dinner. I really needed to come up with a way to thank Kat for putting up with all the drama that happens whenever I'm around. This was supposed to be a quick in and out visit, staying one night. Now it has been weeks and she takes care of all of us like it is nothing. She's going to make a phenomenal mother one day.

  Vanessa just curled into a ball again, with her head in my lap. I turned on the television and placed the hand that wasn't in hers, on her shoulder. She made some sort of cat sound and rubbed her head against my hand cutely. I sighed. “You're spoiled.” I grinned and started running my fingers through her hair.

  She shrugged, “It's your fault, you started it and it feels heavenly. You sure you're real?”

  I snorted. “The last time I checked with my flying gerbil overlords.”

  She nodded like it was a normal thing to say. “Good.” Then snuggled in.

  It felt right and I basked at the moment. A few minutes later the evil culinary ladies called out to us. “Dinner lovebirds.”

  I sputtered out, “We're not... she's... I...”

  Vanessa came to my rescue. “You broke her you evil girls. Now leave my girl alone.”

  I turned to her quickly and cocked an eyebrow, and said, trying to keep the hope out of my voice. “You're girl?” I really did want it didn't I?

  She smirked as she hopped off the couch and headed for the kitchen table. “I don't see anyone else claiming you. And besides, it's just a probationary status, until I get out of the hospital and decide if it is real.” I stood there not moving. She put some extra sway into her hips to tease me as she took the last couple steps before sitting. Calling back over her shoulder almost demurely. “Unless of course you don't want it.”

  I remembered to shut my mouth before I started drooling. I nodded and squeaked out, “Ok.” Then I joined all the snickering women at the table. I looked around to all of them with a reprimanding glare. “You're all mean.”

  Nobody denied it, they all just grinned and we ate the homemade spaghetti with fresh garlic bread, salad, and mixed veggies. I grinned, Kat seemed to eat a little healthier with Fran around. She had that maternal instinct running full tilt.

  After Vanessa and I did the dishes, with her bumping my hip from time to time to knock me out of my thoughts. We all sat down and discussed the plan. We would bring Vanessa to Bellevue Tuesday afternoon so she could get herself admitted. That would give me time to check with Frank to see if there is anything else we would need for me to be assigned as Fran's legal guardian for the duration or if the emergency custody paperwork enough. We'd get whatever paperwork was necessary taken care of that morning.

  Kat reinforced the fact that both Fran and I were welcome in her home for as long as was needed. I can't stress enough how friggin' awesome my friends from June's Eight are. I'm so blessed to have them in my life.

  We talked about Fran's schooling, the possibility of her moving to Washington to stay with Zoey if Vanessa stayed beyond the opening of London Harmony. I had a couple contingency plans in mind for that in case Fran didn't want to move across the country. But Small Fry seemed excited, saying, “I've never been out of the city before. Well, unless you count Jersey, but nobody counts Jersey.”

  Kat burst out laughing. “Said like a true New York native.” She slid the last cookie on the coffee table toward her as a reward. I almost snorted, what is it about New Jersey that New Yorkers hate so much? I guess I'd have to have grown up here to know the answer to that. I just sat grinning like an idiot at their antics.

  Chapter 13 - Liberty

  I sat there looking between the sisters. This was their last night together for possibly a long time. I didn't know how often they'd allow visitors in the mental health institute. There had to be something I could do to make this night memorable. My confidence that had somehow deserted me the past few days came flooding back, I felt unstoppable as my eyes shot open. “Hey, Brighton girls, you ever look at the city at night from the top of the Statue of Liberty?”

  Vanessa squinted. “They don't allow people there after dark.”

  I grinned a knowing grin and said smugly, “Oh that? I know a guy who knows a girl who is related to a guy who's cousin is a night guard there. He owes me big. I set him up with his wife and smoothed over a slight misunderstanding on the Staten Island Ferry a few years back.”

  Both Fran and Vanessa did a double take at me and blurted out simultaneously, “That was you?” Fran continued alone, “But that's just urban legend.”

  I shook my head. “No, it was Kat here, me and six of our dearest friends.” Then I spoke in a hushed, conspiratorial tone, “But we're not supposed to discuss it.” I held a finger to my lips.

  I don't think Fran's eyes could have gotten any bigger, but it was Vanessa, biting her lower lip at my admission. Oh, great spaghetti monster in the sky was that was heating me up in some embarrassing places. She leaned in and placed her forehead against mine so she could gaze into my eyes and she nodded.

  Kat clapped her hands and rubbed them together like a mad scientist and said, “Great! It's a plan!” Then she looked at Fran. “Dress warm, it gets windy on the island.”

  Frannie rolled her eyes and trudged toward the guest room, “Yes Kat.” We all chuckled.

  Then I froze, realizing Vanessa's eyes were studying me. I searched her face but had no clue what she was thinking, then she smiled and shook her head slowly. “I still don't have a bead on you June. I don't know your endgame, but you're pretty great.”

  I turned away from Kat and then stopped signing and said, “Your lips are my endgame you eternal tease.”

  Kat made a buzzer sound. “Hey, none of that now. Either get a room or say things for all of us to see.”

  I turned toward her and she was grinning like a loon and stuck her tongue out at me. I signed something at her that just made her burst out laughing. Vanessa looked between us and asked in frustration, “What?”

  I walked past her and ran a finger along her collarbone as I headed to the kitchen for more coffee, “It's not for your delicate virgin ears.” This got another explosion of laughter from Kat. She really had a great laugh.

  I left the confused blonde standing there pleading with Kat, “Now you have to tell me!”

  Before long we were all in a fresh change of warmer clothes, Vanessa looked awesome in one of my knit sweaters. It fit tightly and left little to my imagination as to what lay beneath. I got a look at her emaciated back when she was switching out of the shirt. It made me wince, but even so, still had some muscle. If she looked good now, I imagined what she must have looked like when she was tone and in shape before she lost her job and apartment.

  I was knocked out of my drooling imagination by Fran. “Earth to pervy June.�
��

  I blinked and looked over at her. She gave me a cat who ate the canary grin. “If you're done fantasizing over my sister, we're ready to go.”

  I blustered, “I was not... I didn't... she...” Damn add another person the list of people who can derail me dammit! Wait, I got it. “She said I'm her girl,” I said smugly then stuck out my tongue at the whole unruly lot of them and marched out the door. I reached back in and grabbed Vanessa's hand and laced our fingers and dragged her giggling self after me.

  Twilight gave way to the artificial glow of light that seemed to ooze from the pores of the city. I would often look to the sky and you could see the hemisphere of light that faded into the sky where you could only see the brightest of stars. Quite a contrast to Seattle, and especially to the Cascade Mountains just a few minutes from town where the sky is a riot of light filled with stars in the heavens.

  Vanessa leaned over me and looked up to see what I was looking at. She cocked an eyebrow at me. “The sky,” I said. She looked again then smiled and sat back. Kat turned on the radio and cranked the bass so she could feel the beat better and we all had a giggling blast singing on the way to Battery Park.

  I sent a quick text message then we all just strolled the park. The evening wind was starting to kick up a bit. Vanessa was using me as a wind break so I grinned and stopped quickly, causing Vanessa to run into my back. I looked back at her with an evil grin. She chuckled and rolled her eyes and stepped beside us as we walked. We stopped at one point to look up at Freedom Tower and took a moment to reflect.

  Then my phone buzzed and I checked the text. I grinned at the women. “Our ride is here.” I changed our direction and headed to the ferry. Vanessa hugged my arm staying close, I think she was leeching the heat from me, then I realized that she probably was. She had no fat or meat on her bones to insulated her against the wind. She usually wore so many layers of secondhand clothes and now I realized why. I should have given her one of my coats to put over the sweater. I wrapped an arm around her and she grinned at me. “Brr.”

  I started a conversation with Vanessa, still no nickname, and Kat and Fran fell behind to give us a false sense of privacy. She asked me about my family and home-life. I went on and on about my parents and Lizzie. Of Zoey and her mini-mes. Of the friends, I have watched become spectacular people who I was proud to know.

  She listened intently and gave me a little smile when we came to a stop at the ferry dock with the ferry idling at it. There were two men on board. The captain and Darryl, who quickly came down to the dock. I smiled at the man, he had put on a little weight since the last time I saw him. It looked a lot better than the skeleton thin frame he used to sport. Besides that, he still had his usual slicked back black hair and roguish looks.

  I released Vanessa and gave the man a hug. “Hey Darryl. It's good to see you again. Thanks for doing this for us.”

  He chuckled an flashed a white-toothed grin and chided, “Like it is a favor? I don't want to come home to find my house packed with prairie dogs like your group did to...”

  I held up a hand and made shushing sounds. We shared a knowing grin and I looked to the other girls. “Darryl, I'd like you to meet Fran and Vanessa. You already know Kat.”

  He shared a smile with Kat, “Indeed I do.” Then he turned and offered his hand to Vanessa and Fran. “I'm pleased to meet you. What are two nice upstanding ladies doing hanging around with this lot?”

  Frannie almost giggled as she said, “We have no clue who they are, they just grabbed us off the street and said we were coming with them.”

  Darryl deadpanned with no animation to his voice at all, “Again?” Then on a three beat, after the girls started looking around at us in an uncomfortable silence. He broke into a smile and said, “You could do worse. JW and Kat are good people.”

  Then he motioned to the ferry, “Your chariot awaits ladies.” We boarded enthusiastically and picked the best seats to observe the city and the statue as we traversed the Hudson. As we crossed over from New York to New Jersey in the waterway, the captain rang a little brass bell and called out, “Entering the land of the bus-train and shoobies.”

  The sisters chuckled at that and I signed it to Kat and she snorted. I rolled my eyes at the whole silly lot of them. I still didn't get the whole 'hate Jersey' thing. So what if they increased traffic and slowed access to the city? They were just as much the lifeblood of the city as the people who lived on the island.

  Fran looked over at Darryl and then tilted her head. “You were there?” His brow furrowed in confusion. She clarified, curiosity painting her face, “With June's Eight on the Staten Island Ferr...”

  Darryl interrupted quickly as he was waving his arms wildly like he was waving off a landing attempt on an aircraft carrier, “Ut ut ut! Shhhh! Yes, and we don't talk about it.” His eyes were darting around like he was making sure the universe wasn't listening in. We exchanged sober, knowing nods.

  Vanessa chimed in, “So it's really true?” He just nodded with a grin and my girl exhaled and whispered, “Holy shit.” Then she grinned at me and cuddled in for some warmth. Who was I to deny her my body heat? I simply smiled contently and held her.

  I don't care how many times I see it, but the statue at night, with the floodlights illuminating it, is pretty dang awe-inspiring, especially when you put into context what it meant for the immigrants in the late eighteen hundreds when their ships sailed into the harbor. There was this lady standing larger than life, shining hope like a beacon, welcoming them to the land of freedom.

  I noted that we were all just silently staring at her as we swung around the island. Darryl threw some lines to a woman on the dock who was in the same uniform as the captain. She must work for the ferry line. She secured them to the bollards on the dock as the captain cut the engines.

  Then as we disembarked, Darryl kicked into tour guide mode when he stepped onto the dock and looking back to our group as he explained, “While technically, Liberty Island is in New Jersey, the island itself is New York territory so as you step onto the dock, you step over from Jersey to New York.”

  Kat pushed his shoulder playfully as she walked past with Fran by her side. She said to him, “Drop the tourist crap, we're all New Yorkers D. 'Cept our ringleader, and she's close enough.”

  He nodded. “Fair enough Miss Wind out of Your Sails.” They both grinned at each other, weird New Yorkers.

  I stepped back and forth, on and off the dock a couple times and everyone looked at me like I was nuts. I grinned, “What? I was just seeing if there was a difference between Jersey and New York. Feels the same to me.” Hey, stop mocking me, it was legit. I had to run to catch up with the quickly retreating New York natives who were just shaking their heads. They are all so on my list. I plotted their demise; all I would need were some hot air balloons, a tunneling machine, and a toothpick.

  We got to the pedestal and the security guard and Port Authority officer guarding the entrance stopped our little group. The officer asked Darryl, “This them? Which one is West?” Darryl nudged a thumb toward me. The guy blinked and pretended to look me up and down and without losing eye contact with me, turned his head back toward Darryl and said, “I thought she'd be... I don't know, bigger?”

  I grinned at the men. “Hey, I'm standing right here you know guys.”

  The guy just broke out into a smile and barely contained a chuckle as he said, “Sorry, the stories about you are larger than life. I mean that thing with the marching band and the subway, just to prove a point to the city council. It was inspired!”

  I shrugged and blushed a bit. I had forgotten about that one. God we were so bad if we got into so much mischief I'd forgotten something like that. He added, “But I just have to ask, what was the deal with the three alpacas there?”

  I shrugged like it was common sense. “Every good plan should include animals.” I tried so hard to suppress the full belly laugh that was threatening to explode from me. I didn't want to let on that I had no clue why all of our plan
s always included animals, besides the fact that our youngest member, Zilrita, loved animals. That crazy, hug happy, overly cheerful goth girl. Again I grinned internally, she hadn't changed a bit, except now Zilly is a crazy, hug happy, overly cheerful goth 'woman'. Time marches on.

  God, I was getting older and still hadn't done anything with myself, hadn't made my mark. Hopefully, London Harmony will do that for me. I'll make my moms proud one day.

  Darryl looked at the men. “Jake, Lamar, this is June West and her motley crew, Kat, Fran, and Vanessa.” Everyone exchanged polite head nods.

  Jake looked at Lamar and just nodded and the man opened the doors. Then he looked at Darryl and asked, “Two season passes to the Yankees?”

  Darryl nodded and replied, “As promised.” I groaned at that, knowing what was coming. No sooner than the doors finished closing then Darryl leaned over toward me and whispered, “Oh, by the way, I need two Yankees season passes.”

  I sighed and shot him a chastising look. “Yeah yeah yeah, I'll talk to Xavier.” The man looked like the cat who had swallowed the canary as he fell back. He called after us, “All I can get you is a half hour JW.” I gave a dismissing gesture behind me as we headed to the stairs. A guard walking the floor gave us a knowing nod. I had to wonder what Darryl had promised all of them. This would probably make us about even after this, so I was glad I was using up the rest of my clout with him on Vanessa.

  We started the long, noisy climb up to the observation area in the crown. I had a great view of Vanessa's butt as we climbed the stairs. I heard Fran asking from below me, “How did she get us in here after hours?”

  I smiled at my longtime friend's simple response in a tone that implied it was obvious. “She's June.”

  When we finally reached the top, I was a little winded and so was Vanessa. The other girls didn't seem phased. I must be getting out of shape. Maybe I should take Brandye Callahan up on her offer back home to join her in her morning runs.

  There was a static sound then music started playing quietly from some local radio station. I grinned, this was Darryl's doing no doubt. I was grateful for it though as I saw some of the stress drain from Vanessa's face as her fingers absently tapped in time with the music.