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.