Thought that was a good solution

Amy knew her parents would be upset when she told them she broke up with Eli. After all, Eli worked for her Dad at the Music Center in Old Towne just a block away from the Coffee Shop. But they were OK  with it. Just when she thought she might be a bad girl, they turned it around, inviting Nico over for dinner.

"I like him," her mother said. "He's really sweet." She made it sound as if Nico was a keeper. After all, he'd brought Amy lunch from time to time. In fact, he never let her run at night [which was the coolest part of the day to get her two-mile run in to keep up with her distance running]. "He cares about you, and he's got like two jobs, doesn't he?"

Her mother didn't talk about the fact that Nico wasn't in school anymore. She liked that he did things with her. "You make sure to appreciate his efforts. Maybe sometime, you could bring him lunch."

Amy gritted a smile. Yes, she was still in high school, and she was in angst mode less and less thanks to Nico. Still, he'd say to her from time to time, "You gotta chill more." Of course, later, as they got closer over the summer, he always added Babe to these one-liners, which gave way to her smiling more.

"Now, if you'd just get over this, whatever it is with Junie, well..." Nico shrugged.

"Well, what?" She was back in envy mode.

"Friendships are important," Nico said there was no need to be angry with Junie. Besides, he could tell it was a relief to break up with Eli. "I know you two go way back."

"She's changed." Amy found herself yelling at Nico as they walked off one of the summer runs down at the park after dark.

He took her hand and clasped his fingers between hers.

"You've changed too." He reminded her that Junie did ignore her when she met that Connor fellow. "I bet she regrets a lot of things that happened."

"Well, she left me out," Amy pouted. "We were best friends."

"Yeah, yeah, as long as she was there for you about every little thing, but you-"

"What?" Amy snapped.

"You're a funny girl," Nico smiled with a chuckle as if he knew something she'd have to find out for herself. "Now, just chill, Babe. No need to get worked up about it."

Amy sighed, knowing he was right. Actually, a lot of things worked her up in life. Her mother came back into her life. Her father and mother started a new family. It was so easy to find something to sulk about, yet it was taking a toll on her health. There was a time when she'd go without eating for days, and no one seemed to notice. 

She looked at Nico, finding his laughter infectious. She kissed him on the cheek. Finally, it felt she had someone on her side.

 

Junie & Eli

 

Junie wanted to say the 4th was spent with family, but who was she kidding? If Eli hadn't been there, well, there would be no thrill.  She couldn't help but smile about it now. Of course, most of the night was walking and talking in the humidity and soot of the 4th. Somehow they'd made their way down to the river. 

Now she kept wondering if she deserved this. The whole time, she kept switching the conversation back to what she'd done and what kind of fool she was for ending things like she did with Darry.

"How long are you going to carry this burden?" Eli looked at her as if a friend would, and then he took her hand. "Don't you know, not everything is about you."

His quote made her laugh. He grinned. Junie found herself smiling too. She coughed, then, in the smoke of the fireworks, and they ran through the streets of old town to the old bar where they shouldn't have been, but the air was refreshing, where the old-timers sat at the bar, and they made their way to the back booth in the dark of the neon lights.

Junie looked around, thinking they shouldn't be here, but soon enough, Eli told her the cheeseburgers were great here.

"Cheeseburgers?" Junie thought they only served alcohol, but she soon found out the vanilla Coke was exceptional, and the fries weren't even greasy. She hadn't realized this was the VA hall. 

He mentioned his dad was a member, and they knew him. She nodded, learning something new about Eli. Still, she had to ask, "Did you ever bring Amy here?"

"No," he cracked up with laughter. "Do you think she'd eat here?"

Junie shook her head, no as she dipped a fry in ketchup. She didn't want to bring up Amy. She didn't want to think about friends who didn't want to know her anymore. It was best not to mention it even if a lump of emotion lodged in her throat. She could barely eat even if she wanted to enjoy the meal.

Later, they went down to the park on the river. It was a short walk on the main street. Junie was quiet, letting Eli lead the way. She thought about not moving forward, but there was a certain rhythm that connected with Eli. His stride was a dance of life that she needed.

Yes, he was the friend she never knew she had. It was baffling and endearing. She didn't want to overthink it. Besides, she even wanted to know where it might go. And there at the water's edge, she knew. She knew she was more grown-up now. And when he put his arm around her, she knew she didn't want to go anywhere. She liked this closeness. It felt as if they were equals. And this was just the beginning. 

She reached up and pulled him toward her. "Are you sure we can just be friends?"

When his body shook with laughter, she knew then nothing was going to tear them apart.

The 4th is coming

 1. Damn, if those fireworks are ruining my week. The smoke is giving me headaches.

2. I have to work extra this week just to have Friday off. 

3. Can't watch the news. D.C. and the president are on the brink of God knows what, and I'm afraid he's just bluffing, as usual.

4. This holiday just isn't what it used to be. You know, poke cakes, and other cold treats with a backyard BBQ. 

5. It's just too hot to do anything. And I think that will be what July has in store for us. That is, if the state doesn't burn up with grass fires.

Yeah, not exactly what I was hoping for. Be careful out there.

-Crystal

One hand in my pocket

 

"Hey, now, don't be so blue," Rafe touched KC's shoulder as he contemplated going into the coffee shop.  "Let me buy you a coffee."

Rafe looked KC over. Usually, they kept their distance because of Ruby, but she hadn't been mad at KC for some time now. Rafe was still friends with him, in spite of the past. Even though he knew why Ruby's first love was KC, the dude was cool. He could be slumming and still master the walk of being his total self, no matter what. No matter how much trouble it was with Millie being sick with morning sickness.

"So how's it going?" He asked KC when they found a seat at the coffee bar.

"Oh, you know." KC yawned with a shrug. He looked slimmer than usual, and his hair was getting shaggy. 

"Yeah, you're still a long way from the finish line," Rafe nodded. "She's still having trouble sleeping?

"Uh-huh." KC was doing a few gigs these days. His boss was finding a way for him to have a side gig when he wasn't working at the recording studio. But the venues were close, and only on Friday nights. KC stretched then as if he'd just got out of bed, and his long fingers bumped the wood of the bar accidentally. He made a face of aggravated pain. "God, I'm getting old."

"You're not any older than me." Rafe's bright eyes glared back as he stirred his coffee with a little cream. KC drank his straight up black as if that was the only way to take it. 

"Yeah, well, these days are making me feel old. There just isn't enough time. I can't keep the place clean. I feel I'm at the grocery store all the time buying groceries. And that alone can be horrifying."

"But aren't your parents and her parents helping you guys?" Rafe looked at him as if it could be worse.

"Yeah, they do, but then she snarls her nose up about my dad's cooking or the bottled water her mother bought."

"She is sensitive. Probably just as sensitive as Ruby."

"Yeah, you got that right," KC agreed as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. "We're really into real food, you know. None of that packaged stuff." KC said it took longer to complete prepping. "But you know.."

"Never-ending is what it is."

KC chuckled at Rafe's remark.