Chapter 16: Watch the sidewheel spin
It rained on June's birthday. I remember the sound of it hitting the canvas on the large tents, shielding the tables and food from the moisture. It was her birthday, dammit, and a little rain wasn't going to put a damper on it.
The sun was setting, not that anyone could tell thanks to the clouds, and all of our parents--June's, Mark's, mine--were up on the deck, protected by an awning, downing their wine and champagne, talking about things kids neither wanted nor cared to understand. The party had wound down. All the other guests had left hours ago. Just a bunch of tables covered with food, disposable dishes, and ripped, plastic tablecloths.
I chased June through the trees at the far end of the sprawling yard, trying to drive her toward the water, make her pay for that piece of cake. Its remnants still painted the back of my shirt. She ducked behind one of the tall maples, and I didn't notice Mark stepping out from behind another one, just far enough to extend his foot and trip me. My face dove into the wet grass, and I rolled over with a fist ready to strike back.
He was smart, though. He'd already found another place to hide. I couldn't see June anymore, either. "Come on, guys!" I shouted.
Steamboats drifted by on the lake, big, red wheels slapping through the water. Light jazz pumped from speakers on the deck.
Mark tackled me and the taste of grass and dirt was in my mouth again. I locked my legs around his before he had a chance to get up, flipped him onto his back, and punched him in the jaw.
Really, it wasn't that great of an idea. Kid was stronger than me, bigger, and getting in a hit or two wasn't going to change that. He struck back, got me in the nose, knocked me right off of him. I sat a few feet away, leaned back, my hands holding me up. I looked at Mark. "Where's June?"
"How should I know? You were the one chasing her."
I wiped a little blood from my nose, swept it into the grass, and stood up. I made for the trees where I'd last seen her, checking behind each one. "Up here, dumbass!" I heard.
I glanced up and saw her, about twenty feet up one of the trees. "What are you doing up there?"
"A good job of hiding from you!"
"Well, get down! That doesn't look safe."
"Oh, fine." She began to shimmy down, and I noticed her hands slipping a little. I rushed to the base of the tree, just in case.
And yep, she fell. I held out my arms to catch her, but come on, she fell about fifteen feet. It just wasn't going to work. She landed on me and laid me out. June didn't get a scratch on her. "Thanks for breaking my fall," she said, climbing off of me. She helped me up and I dusted myself off. We were both pretty dirty--flakes of bark all over our clothes and skin, not to mention mud and grass stains.
She kissed my cheek and ran away, taking Mark's arm in hers and headed back up toward the house. I walked well behind them, rain washing the dirt from my face. I didn't say anything, but I wished it was me locking arms with her. She deserved better than Mark, I thought. Or I was just being selfish.
June turned thirteen that day. She died three years later.
Mark blamed me.
Chapter 16
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Hmm. I like most of it, but I