Jukebox Lovers

I tossed in my bed, unable to sleep after witnessing what was happening to Jacqui Larson. I looked at my digital clock. It was three in the morning. I rolled out of my bed and quietly dressed myself, walking to my personal bathroom to wash my face and fix my hair. I applied a minimal amount of makeup, positive there was no one I needed to impress out at this time of day.

I opened my window and stretched my leg so I landed on the roof of our shed. I climbed the latter leaning against the shed to the ground and began walking downtown, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness.

I felt raindrops begin to fall, gradually growing heavier and heavier. Before I knew it, my canvas shoes were squishing against the moist ground as I made my way across people's yards. Streetlights from downtown grew nearer and nearer, and as I thought I saw movement across the street, I began walking faster and faster, hoping once I was in the light strangers would be too afraid to come near me. I had never been afraid of late night walks in Hampton, but after what I saw happened to Jackie, the small town felt much less safe.

I finally hit Main Street, but regrettably had to side step into an alleyway when I saw a police car. The town curfew for minors was eleven o' clock, and they weren't allowed to be out until six o' clock in the morning. As I backed far into the alley, I tripped over something, almost giving myself a heart attack when that something said, "Watch it!"

"Oh my God, whose there?"

"Who are you?"

"I asked first," I said, terrified of what could happen next, though the voice sounded slightly familiar.

"Jacqui Larson, now tell me your name."

"Oh, thank Jesus. I'm Adrian. It seems I see you everywhere I go."

"Yeah, what are you doing out so late?"

"Couldn't sleep. What about you?"

"Perhaps I ought not tell you. And perhaps you ought go back home to your mommy before she worries."

"You know my mother?" I joked.

"When the cops pass, go back home. I need to sleep."

"Why are you sleeping outside?"

"Why do you care?"

I sighed and looked to see if the cop car was gone, which it was. I peeked again, just to make sure, and began walking back home as I tried to let my squishing shoes distract me from the thoughts of Jacqui Larson.

I climbed the shed latter, making my way onto the roof and across to my open window. I slowly shut the window once I was inside and stripped myself of all my clothes, besides my boxers. I slid under my covers, staring at the ceiling, trying to think of a way to help Jacqui that didn't involve upsetting him.

Not one of my ideas would keep him from being upset.

I awoke the next morning, still worried about Jacqui, but trying to keep my daily routine as normal as possible. Making my way to my door, I crossed another day off of my summer calendar, realizing today was my last day of summer. Tomorrow I was to go back to school, except this year as a junior. I sighed and glanced at my alarm clock so I knew what time it was and groaned. It was noon. I had less than twenty-four hours left of summer.

I dialed Annemarie's number from my house phone, hoping we could do something to make our sophomore summer go out with a bang, but she didn't answer. I walked downstairs to smell my mother's infamous tuna melts and held back making the disgusted face I wanted to make. She smiled and put the pile of overaged cheddar-covered tuna on a slab of French bread in front of me. I forced a smile and took it over to the table, prodding it with a fork before braving a bite.

"How is it, dear?"

"Great, Mom," I lied as I ate the concoction.

She smiled and made her way back to the stovetop to get her own ghastly sandwich.

The phone rang and I answered, immediately knowing it was Annemarie calling me back, "Hey."

"What'd you want?"

"It's our last day of summer. Let's do something."

"Fuck, I forgot it was the last day. What did you have in mind?"

"Movies?"

"Come on, how lame are you? We can do something better than that."

"We could drive to Grangow and go to the mall."

"And wreak havoc?" she asked, excitedly.

"I suppose."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes to pick your car-less ass up."

We hung up in unison and I informed my mother of our plans. She simply nodded and continued reading her book as she ate her tuna melt, surprisingly worry-free.

The drive to Grangow was never as long as it really was when it was Annemarie and I in her van. We sang to the radio and discussed the most random things that somehow kept us entertained, occasionally interrupted by my mother calling Annemarie's cell phone. However, this time we never heard from my mother.

We walked around the mall, bored with the products we had already seen the week before, so we walked into stores we rarely went into. We looked at everything from vinyl to leather boots, but once we were in the shoe store, I stopped dead in my tracks.

I rubbed my eyes, hoping it was a dream, but it surely was not.

The man looking at boots in the aisle next to the one Annemarie and I stood in was Jacqui Larson's father.