June’s good sense and Trisha kept her from talking to Mercury for still months more. By the time June almost got up the guts to talk to him, it was nearly summer and school was almost done.
June came inches away from his table at the cafeteria and looked at him awkwardly. He glanced up at her for a moment, saying nothing but his bizarre eyes pierced her very soul. June turned away at that moment. Mechanically, she went to sit with Trisha and a few other friends as well.
Trisha’s mouth was open in worry and disgust. “What the hell, June? You know the risks! I’ve warned you several times!”
June scratched her head nervously. “Mom said it was okay…”
“Well, your mom is wrong.” Trisha replied.
One of June’s other friends, Justin, was shocked. “You like that kid?”
June was sweating. “I don’t know. I don’t even know him.”
Trisha could sense the tension between the two and June’s reputation that would be damaged if Trisha didn’t step in. In late spring, Justin had asked June out and June had politely declined along with declining many other perfectly handsome and suitable boys in the school.
Trisha said, “She just feels bad for him. I mean, who wouldn’t? A kid like that who smokes, looks like a q-tip, never takes notes, and barely shows up for class. I can’t blame her for having compassion for someone like that.”
Justin was silent for a moment. June didn’t make eye contact with him. He then said, “I suppose the kid is pretty pathetic. Maybe we should invite him over to our table sometime?”
June said nothing--but Trisha added, “Only if you want to. I don’t know though; he could be a psycho.”
Justin addressed June directly; “What do you think, June? Would you like him to sit with us?”
June grinned awkwardly and shrugged. “I don’t care either way. If you want to invite him over sometime, go ahead.”
And, of course, Justin never invited him.
*
As summer passed, June thought her infatuation with Mercury would pass as well. Even as other troubles arose in her life, such as her parents beginning to squabble over things like they never had done before.
“Why aren’t you ever home with our daughter? You’re working too much!” Said Mother.
“We need money to survive, Ann. You know I’d like to be home more.” Said Father.
Mother would usually leave it at that, but she began to act strangely during July. Ann had never worked—instead, she dedicated her life to her family. She cooked, cleaned, got June involved in various extracurricular activities, and helped June study.
But during July, Ann did less and less of that. Eventually, she had been reduced to a husk of her former, cheerful self--and une barely recognized her. She sat on the couch watching TV all day, and did nothing else.
June was incredibly worried about her mother. She told her father about how she was behaving, but her father seemed to not care for whatever reason, which was even more concerning. And June had her own problems; she found herself obsessing over Mercury. She used her computer to look up his name, tried to find his house, and then chided herself for how creepy and disturbing her behavior was.
Sitting at her computer screen, she buried her face in her hands.
***
June was subjected to many more fights between her parents even as school began again in the fall. Her father would yell about her mother not doing enough around the house, but her mother wouldn’t even reply. She just sat there, staring at the TV screen emotionlessly.
June didn’t know what was wrong with her mother, but she felt like her whole world was falling apart. Her mother was her primary source of company and affection. Craving company of others by any means, she called up some of her friends from school often and hung out with them whenever she could.
Trisha was still her best friend, and June hung out with her the most often. She and Trisha liked going to the mall together and shopping for clothes, but they also liked playing basketball together and going to the arcade. But after awhile, even hanging out with Trisha was losing some of the glamor it used to have.
During math class, Trisha whispered to June, “Your grades are slipping so badly—you’re looking so thin and tired… what’s going on with you?”
June’s hair was disheveled and she wasn’t wearing the expensive, tight-fitting clothes she usually favored. She was now wearing ugly, oversized t-shirts and distressed jeans.
June was exhausted. She said to her friend quietly, “I… I can’t concentrate. Mom and Dad are yelling all the time. Calling each other names… mom doesn’t pay any attention to me anymore…”
Trisha was stunned. “I had no idea.”
June didn’t cry. She was too old for such things, she convinced herself.
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