Explosions
I see it through your eyes.
June Ringold was a prodigy of all sorts. She’d been accepted to Harvard at the age of 16, and it was a good thing she did – she had no plans to go anywhere else. She had excelled in every class from a young age, and she never settled for less than an A.
She had been a ballerina, and she had the body to prove it. Her tall frame and muscular legs matched those of the others in her dance troupe, but her dark skin and long black hair made her stand out beautifully. She was a terrific singer as well. Her talents had earned her a spot in the off-Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire.
Charlie had always been amazed at her friend’s life, from the moment they met the summer before college. June’s mother, Elizabeta, had been a refugee from the Congo. When she’d made it to America, she met June’s father, Trevor. Trevor had helped Elizabeta learn English, and slowly they fell in love. June was their only child, and they loved her more than anything.
She’d grown up in Manhattan, right above her mother’s African grocery story. Her father, a St. Louis native, worked as an ESL teacher at a community center in Queens. June had learned Spanish, French, and had even started learning Mandarin. She had always been in love with learning; it was one of many things that had earned her acceptance to Harvard.
She’d graduated from Harvard and went back another year for her Bachelor’s in bioengineering. She moved to Seattle to study for her Master’s, planning on only being there a year.
During that year, she’d met Benjamin Newhart. She’d immediately hated him. He was just as smart as she was. He was arrogant. He was a Seahawks fan. He was everything June despised. And yet, every day, she couldn’t bear to talk to anyone but him. They fell in love, the first real love June had ever experienced, and they were married two years after they’d met. They had their son, Dean, almost exactly nine months after their marriage, and he was the spitting image of his father.
Once or twice a year, Charlie and June would see each other. June would go to Houston or Charlie would go to Seattle. Charlie had gotten tickets to a Rams game in St. Louis last year, and she flew the newlyweds out to see them play the Texans. They had not been disappointed.
June was sitting at home now, playing with Dean on the floor of their home, when she heard a knock on her door. She kissed Dean’s forehead and stood up. She straightened her sweater, glancing at the clock in the hallway. She’d only barely gotten home, and she couldn’t imagine who’d be here right now.
She opened the door, and she let out a long shriek. She hadn’t seen her best friend in almost five months, and here she was. Charlie dropped her suitcase as June wrapped her arms around her.
“Oh my god!” she shouted. “What are you doing here?”
“The NFL Marketing Conference is in Seattle this year,” Charlie laughed. “I’ve been waiting forever for this.”
“Come in, come in,” June said, stepping aside. “Ben’s not home yet, and I haven’t started dinner.”
She went into the living room, picking up Dean off the floor. She handed him a toy, which he immediately proceeded to chew on. Charlie sat down at one of the chairs in the kitchen, and she took Dean from June’s hands.
“Hi, buddy!” she said cheerily. “How’s my little Dean?”
Dean smiled up at her.
“How have you been?” asked Charlie.
“Good,” said June. “I’m going to start studying for my doctorate at the beginning of the year, so I’ve picked up some extra shifts at the University. Right now we’re looking at possibly coming up with a vaccine for salmonella.”
“How’s that coming?” said Charlie.
“Not great. But we’re just starting out, so I don’t really expect much right now. If it’s even possible.”
Dean shoved his toy into Charlie’s face, and she smiled, playing with it a little before handing it back to him.
“How long are you in Seattle?” asked June.
“I leave Monday.”
“Five days, that’s not so terrible.”
“Most of it’s going to be spent at the conference, though.”
“Where are you staying?”
“The Hilton,” Charlie said. “A couple miles from here.”
“Are you staying for dinner tonight, or do they have you eating a five course meal with all of your counterparts?” asked June.
“I’m completely free tonight, June,” said Charlie. “And even if we had something extravagant planned, there’s no one I’d rather spend my evening with than the Newharts.”
June smiled and said, “Can’t say I wouldn’t ditch you for fine dining.”
Charlie laughed, “I would expect nothing less.”
June pulled up to the address Charlie had given her. It was a large house situated just outside of Houston. She looked inquisitively at the house. Charlie hadn’t mentioned anything about moving, but she trusted her friend. Ben cleared his throat next to her, and she looked over at him.
“Sorry, I just didn’t remember anything about Charlie moving,” June said.
Ben took her hand and said, “Maybe it’s a surprise.”
June shut the car off, and they got out. She knocked on the door. Ben put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. The door opened, and Charlie stood there, beaming.
“June, you’re here!” she said. She hugged her friend. “You brought Ben! Oh my god, this is going to be an exciting weekend!”
June and Ben exchanged glances, and June shrugged.
“Come in, please,” said Charlie. “Now, this isn’t my house, but I have been staying here on and off for a month or so.”
“Whose house is it?” asked Ben.
“I’m so glad you asked,” Charlie said. “It’s my boyfriend’s house.”
“Your…boyfriend?” June said. “Wait, do you mean”-
“Yep,” said Charlie. “Come on, J.J.’s been wanting to meet you.”
She led them into the living room, where an enormous man sat at a desk with a pair of headphones on. Ben grabbed June’s arm, and she smiled.
“No, I understand that,” said the man, talking into the microphone on his computer. “I’m just asking how much it would take to make it happen.”
“J.J.,” said Charlie. “We have company.”
J.J. looked up, and he smiled. He looked back at the computer and said, “I’ll have to call you back Monday, Mr. James. I’ve got some really important guests here.”
He took his headphones off and stood up. He held his hand out to Ben, and Ben shook it, still in disbelief.
“You must be Ben,” he said. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“You’re…you’re…” Ben said. He pointed at Charlie, then back at J.J. “And…and you’re…”
“I think he’s broken,” said Charlie, chuckling lightly. “Yes, J.J. and I have been dating for about six months now.”
“June, you have the coolest friends,” Ben said.
“I know,” said June.
J.J. pulled her into a hug and said, “Charlie’s told me so much about you guys.”
“I’d say likewise, except that Charlie hasn’t really said anything about you,” June said.
“I didn’t want to jinx it,” Charlie explained. “Sometimes things happen…”
“Well, I don’t have anything going on this weekend, so it looks like it’s going to be just one continuous double-date,” J.J. said. “I hope that’s okay with you guys.”
Ben grinned at him, and June rolled her eyes.
“Somehow, I don’t think that will be a problem,” she chuckled.
June handed Charlie a mug of tea and sat down next to her on the couch. Charlie sipped it lightly.
“So…how’s your personal life going?” asked June.
Charlie sighed, “I told J.J. about Ryan. He wasn’t thrilled about it at first, but they’re getting along. They’re kind of bro-ing out this weekend. J.J.’s hosting a party at the house while I’m gone. The whole team is probably going to be there.”
“You’re getting along okay?” said June.
“I guess,” Charlie said. “It’s just a little weird, you know? I didn’t expect to see him. I mean, last year, he was on the Titans, but it wasn’t a big deal. I saw him at one game in Houston, but I didn’t think about it really. Now he’s here, and I see him everyday.”
“And your feelings?”
“I haven’t decided. I thought everything I felt for him was dead when we had that last fight. I looked at him, though, and it was like…it was like he had changed and I had changed and everything was okay. When I hugged him again… I don’t know, June. I love J.J. Of course I love J.J. I’m not saying I’m in love with Ryan again, but obviously I still have feelings there.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m just going to keep going. J.J. is my boyfriend, and I want him in my life. I think that’s the end of the story.”
“Okay,” said June. “I believe that.”
They locked eyes for a moment, and Charlie groaned.
“June, he says he’s not going to get in between me and J.J., but what if he does?” she said. “What if I don’t see it until it’s too late? What if it’s already started, and right now, he’s getting under J.J.’s skin and getting to know him”-
“Stop, Charlotte,” said June. “You’re over-thinking this.”
“I know, but”-
“Charlotte,” June said. “Stop. You know Ryan. He’s not going to do that to you. He wants you to be happy, yes?”
“Yes.”
“Ryan Fitzpatrick is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. Do you think he’s so stupid that he would get between you and J.J. to ruin your happiness so there would be a fraction of a percentage of hope that you might be with him?”
“…No.”
“Then stop. You are my best friend, and I want you to be happy. That doesn’t mean I have to agree with everything you say. I’m here to tell you when you’re being an idiot. You’re being an idiot.”
She had been a ballerina, and she had the body to prove it. Her tall frame and muscular legs matched those of the others in her dance troupe, but her dark skin and long black hair made her stand out beautifully. She was a terrific singer as well. Her talents had earned her a spot in the off-Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire.
Charlie had always been amazed at her friend’s life, from the moment they met the summer before college. June’s mother, Elizabeta, had been a refugee from the Congo. When she’d made it to America, she met June’s father, Trevor. Trevor had helped Elizabeta learn English, and slowly they fell in love. June was their only child, and they loved her more than anything.
She’d grown up in Manhattan, right above her mother’s African grocery story. Her father, a St. Louis native, worked as an ESL teacher at a community center in Queens. June had learned Spanish, French, and had even started learning Mandarin. She had always been in love with learning; it was one of many things that had earned her acceptance to Harvard.
She’d graduated from Harvard and went back another year for her Bachelor’s in bioengineering. She moved to Seattle to study for her Master’s, planning on only being there a year.
During that year, she’d met Benjamin Newhart. She’d immediately hated him. He was just as smart as she was. He was arrogant. He was a Seahawks fan. He was everything June despised. And yet, every day, she couldn’t bear to talk to anyone but him. They fell in love, the first real love June had ever experienced, and they were married two years after they’d met. They had their son, Dean, almost exactly nine months after their marriage, and he was the spitting image of his father.
Once or twice a year, Charlie and June would see each other. June would go to Houston or Charlie would go to Seattle. Charlie had gotten tickets to a Rams game in St. Louis last year, and she flew the newlyweds out to see them play the Texans. They had not been disappointed.
June was sitting at home now, playing with Dean on the floor of their home, when she heard a knock on her door. She kissed Dean’s forehead and stood up. She straightened her sweater, glancing at the clock in the hallway. She’d only barely gotten home, and she couldn’t imagine who’d be here right now.
She opened the door, and she let out a long shriek. She hadn’t seen her best friend in almost five months, and here she was. Charlie dropped her suitcase as June wrapped her arms around her.
“Oh my god!” she shouted. “What are you doing here?”
“The NFL Marketing Conference is in Seattle this year,” Charlie laughed. “I’ve been waiting forever for this.”
“Come in, come in,” June said, stepping aside. “Ben’s not home yet, and I haven’t started dinner.”
She went into the living room, picking up Dean off the floor. She handed him a toy, which he immediately proceeded to chew on. Charlie sat down at one of the chairs in the kitchen, and she took Dean from June’s hands.
“Hi, buddy!” she said cheerily. “How’s my little Dean?”
Dean smiled up at her.
“How have you been?” asked Charlie.
“Good,” said June. “I’m going to start studying for my doctorate at the beginning of the year, so I’ve picked up some extra shifts at the University. Right now we’re looking at possibly coming up with a vaccine for salmonella.”
“How’s that coming?” said Charlie.
“Not great. But we’re just starting out, so I don’t really expect much right now. If it’s even possible.”
Dean shoved his toy into Charlie’s face, and she smiled, playing with it a little before handing it back to him.
“How long are you in Seattle?” asked June.
“I leave Monday.”
“Five days, that’s not so terrible.”
“Most of it’s going to be spent at the conference, though.”
“Where are you staying?”
“The Hilton,” Charlie said. “A couple miles from here.”
“Are you staying for dinner tonight, or do they have you eating a five course meal with all of your counterparts?” asked June.
“I’m completely free tonight, June,” said Charlie. “And even if we had something extravagant planned, there’s no one I’d rather spend my evening with than the Newharts.”
June smiled and said, “Can’t say I wouldn’t ditch you for fine dining.”
Charlie laughed, “I would expect nothing less.”
June pulled up to the address Charlie had given her. It was a large house situated just outside of Houston. She looked inquisitively at the house. Charlie hadn’t mentioned anything about moving, but she trusted her friend. Ben cleared his throat next to her, and she looked over at him.
“Sorry, I just didn’t remember anything about Charlie moving,” June said.
Ben took her hand and said, “Maybe it’s a surprise.”
June shut the car off, and they got out. She knocked on the door. Ben put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. The door opened, and Charlie stood there, beaming.
“June, you’re here!” she said. She hugged her friend. “You brought Ben! Oh my god, this is going to be an exciting weekend!”
June and Ben exchanged glances, and June shrugged.
“Come in, please,” said Charlie. “Now, this isn’t my house, but I have been staying here on and off for a month or so.”
“Whose house is it?” asked Ben.
“I’m so glad you asked,” Charlie said. “It’s my boyfriend’s house.”
“Your…boyfriend?” June said. “Wait, do you mean”-
“Yep,” said Charlie. “Come on, J.J.’s been wanting to meet you.”
She led them into the living room, where an enormous man sat at a desk with a pair of headphones on. Ben grabbed June’s arm, and she smiled.
“No, I understand that,” said the man, talking into the microphone on his computer. “I’m just asking how much it would take to make it happen.”
“J.J.,” said Charlie. “We have company.”
J.J. looked up, and he smiled. He looked back at the computer and said, “I’ll have to call you back Monday, Mr. James. I’ve got some really important guests here.”
He took his headphones off and stood up. He held his hand out to Ben, and Ben shook it, still in disbelief.
“You must be Ben,” he said. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“You’re…you’re…” Ben said. He pointed at Charlie, then back at J.J. “And…and you’re…”
“I think he’s broken,” said Charlie, chuckling lightly. “Yes, J.J. and I have been dating for about six months now.”
“June, you have the coolest friends,” Ben said.
“I know,” said June.
J.J. pulled her into a hug and said, “Charlie’s told me so much about you guys.”
“I’d say likewise, except that Charlie hasn’t really said anything about you,” June said.
“I didn’t want to jinx it,” Charlie explained. “Sometimes things happen…”
“Well, I don’t have anything going on this weekend, so it looks like it’s going to be just one continuous double-date,” J.J. said. “I hope that’s okay with you guys.”
Ben grinned at him, and June rolled her eyes.
“Somehow, I don’t think that will be a problem,” she chuckled.
June handed Charlie a mug of tea and sat down next to her on the couch. Charlie sipped it lightly.
“So…how’s your personal life going?” asked June.
Charlie sighed, “I told J.J. about Ryan. He wasn’t thrilled about it at first, but they’re getting along. They’re kind of bro-ing out this weekend. J.J.’s hosting a party at the house while I’m gone. The whole team is probably going to be there.”
“You’re getting along okay?” said June.
“I guess,” Charlie said. “It’s just a little weird, you know? I didn’t expect to see him. I mean, last year, he was on the Titans, but it wasn’t a big deal. I saw him at one game in Houston, but I didn’t think about it really. Now he’s here, and I see him everyday.”
“And your feelings?”
“I haven’t decided. I thought everything I felt for him was dead when we had that last fight. I looked at him, though, and it was like…it was like he had changed and I had changed and everything was okay. When I hugged him again… I don’t know, June. I love J.J. Of course I love J.J. I’m not saying I’m in love with Ryan again, but obviously I still have feelings there.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m just going to keep going. J.J. is my boyfriend, and I want him in my life. I think that’s the end of the story.”
“Okay,” said June. “I believe that.”
They locked eyes for a moment, and Charlie groaned.
“June, he says he’s not going to get in between me and J.J., but what if he does?” she said. “What if I don’t see it until it’s too late? What if it’s already started, and right now, he’s getting under J.J.’s skin and getting to know him”-
“Stop, Charlotte,” said June. “You’re over-thinking this.”
“I know, but”-
“Charlotte,” June said. “Stop. You know Ryan. He’s not going to do that to you. He wants you to be happy, yes?”
“Yes.”
“Ryan Fitzpatrick is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. Do you think he’s so stupid that he would get between you and J.J. to ruin your happiness so there would be a fraction of a percentage of hope that you might be with him?”
“…No.”
“Then stop. You are my best friend, and I want you to be happy. That doesn’t mean I have to agree with everything you say. I’m here to tell you when you’re being an idiot. You’re being an idiot.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Title Credit: Durban Skies | Bastille