Shutter Buggered
- 1 year ago
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“Well, last period is finally here. Enjoying the first day?” I asked, leading Muireann to some desks on the side of the classroom. I avoided my usual study hall spot, where Carl and a couple of other guys I usually sat with were already seated.
“Aye, though it’s been a whirlwind,” she admitted.
“Yeah, introducing you in each class ... I swear everyone has met you three times over!”
Muireann sniffed. “At least that many. It felt a bit odd, all that. But everyone seems nice.”
“For the most part, yeah.”
“Tommy will be most unhappy tomorrow,” Muireann stated, looking around the room.
“Why’s that?”
“No recliners after all.”
I sniggered. “I feel bad now! First the disappointment with the swimming pool, and now this.”
“He’ll survive,” she dismissed.
“True. Heck, they way he manipulated the principal this morning, I wouldn’t be surprised of we actually do get some recliners in here within the week.”
Muireann giggled. “You may be right about that!”
“One thing’s for sure, I need to start bringing my sunglasses.”
“Oh, you’re not going to encourage him too, are you?”
Too... ? She means Lara?
I grinned at her. “I might have to! Every now and then, at least.”
She shrugged amusedly. “I assume Lara will be wearing hers every day.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised at that,” I said, stifling a laugh. Yep!
“Does she do well in school?”
“Yeah, she loves it, for whatever reason.”
“Oh, that’s good. I hope she knows what she’s getting into with helping Tommy.”
“Probably not. But I don’t think she cares.”
“What do you mean?” Muireann asked, glancing at me with some worry.
“Oh, just that it’s Lara’s way, to dive in like that. Not that she’ll do a bad job or anything.”
“I see.” She pulled out her notebook. “I should probably do some work now, so I have time to help Tommy later. At least until she gets used to things.”
“Yeah, probably a good idea. Though technically you and Tommy don’t have to do anything until a few weeks from now.”
“I know, but it’s best to start getting into the flow of things.”
“Sure. What do you want to work on?”
She considered. “Is our maths homework going to be the same as theirs?”
“Usually is,” I replied. “Same material, even if some of the problems are different.”
“Then we can wait on that. French, then?”
“Sure, since that’s just the two of us.”
Study hall passed rather quickly, and it was a lot more fun doing French with Muireann than it was alone. She’d taken a summer course in the language, so she wasn’t a complete novice, but she did have some catching up to do for the level of our class. I was happy to help, and I was actually strong enough in that subject to be able to do so.
When the bell rang, I almost didn’t want to leave school – an utterly outrageous idea – but I could tell she was eager to see Tommy. We packed up and started through the hallway.
“That was fun,” she said, giving me a smile. “Thank you for helping me.”
“No problem. Maybe we should just always knock our French work out during this period.”
She nodded gratefully. “That would be most helpful. But it will cut into your relaxation time,” she teased.
I grinned. “You’ll find out that Lara likes to exaggerate when it comes to teasing me.”
We encountered Tommy at his locker, laughing it up with Lara.
“I survived the first day!” he bellowed, when he realized we were near.
“The first day’s not over,” Muireann said. “Homework?”
“But Dr. Kendall said we—”
“Mam said she wasn’t sending us on a vacation.”
“And Mam’s not here,” Tommy retorted.
“All the same, we will be doing our work these next few weeks. Otherwise you know who will hear about it when we call home again. And it won’t be you!”
“Fine,” Tommy grunted.
Lara and I grinned at each other, finding the exchange amusing. I was already wondering how much Tommy got away with things due to his eyesight, but it was also clear that Muireann wasn’t a pushover. Not like Dr. Kendall!
After splitting up to go to our lockers, we all met again near the gym to find Alice for our ride home. As had happened all throughout the day, a few kids joined us and talked to the twins about Ireland, what they were into, and so forth. Tommy seemed to bask in the attention, hamming it up as always, joking about whatever came to mind even as Muireann looked on politely. Eventually we managed to drag him away from his already adoring audience and piled into Alice’s car.
“So, how was the first day?” Heather asked, immediately after answering the phone.
“Hello to you too,” I said evenly. “I don’t know how you always manage to do that.”
“Are they settling in?” she persisted, ignoring me.
“I guess. A lot of first-day kind of crap today, so it was a bit weird. Should be easier tomorrow.”
“Are they celebrities yet?”
I sniffed. “Tommy is. He sure doesn’t mind taking the stage.”
I recounted some of the highlights, including the sparring with the principal and my collateral permission to use sunglasses inside of school.
“You guys are going to be cool like Los Lobos,” Heather laughed.
“Uh, I think La Bamba went out of style in middle school.”
She giggled. “True, but they have some great songs anyway, so they’re still cool. Good for Tommy, though. He’ll shake stuff up there.”
“I have a feeling he will,” I agreed. “Muireann’s much more laid back. Well, maybe not laid back, but quieter anyway.”
“Probably not room for two hams in one house, I’m guessing.”
“No, probably not! Anyway, he’s a really good singer and guitarist. We played a lot yesterday and a bit tonight after dinner. We’re already talking about forming a band with Colin on bass.”
“Giving up on the old band?” she asked.
“I guess. I know I wasn’t sure the other day when we talked, but after hearing Tommy, it’s kind of stupid for me to go off and play with those guys instead of with him and Lara.”
“Lara’s not interested in reviving the band, I take it?”
“Well, I think she’s kind of over Pete now, the worst of it anyway. But if she was thinking about trying to play with him again, Tommy blasted that out of the water. They’re already working on her new song together.”
“Nice. What about Muireann though? I thought she played something too?”
“She does. Fiddle, and sings. And she’s good at both, at least I think so. But she’s been kind of funny about it.”
“Why?”
“Says she doesn’t fit in. She’s really into her music from back home, I guess.”
“Ah. Yeah, keeping the traditions,” Heather remarked knowingly. “Strong roots.”
“Hmm, that’s kind of what she said. How did you know?”
“My parents are into the same thing. You must’ve heard the Irish music playing here when you’ve come over.”
“Hmm, not really. I guess I didn’t pay attention. Not that I’d recognize it, anyway.”
“My parents used to play more when they were younger.”
“Oh yeah. Didn’t you say once that they wanted a family band?”
Heather laughed. “Yeah, they did. They haven’t in a while, though.”
“What do your parents play?”
“My dad plays guitar and sings. My mom, the concertina.”
“What’s that?”
“A little accordion.”
“Right on. They should bring their instruments with them when you visit. Maybe they can play with Muireann at least!”
“I’ll tell them. And maybe I’ll bring my flute!”
“I thought you haven’t touched it in a few years.”
“Sad but true. So yeah, maybe I won’t torture anyone and just leave it in the case.”
I laughed. “All right. Though I kind of wouldn’t mind hearing you play some time. Anyway, we’ll see about Muireann. I feel like she’s a bit unsure about everything here. She kind of seems like Tommy’s protector in a way.”
“Well, that’s kind of obvious.”
“It’s not even the blindness thing. She’s always helping him, even when he doesn’t want to be helped, you know?”
Heather sniggered. “His mom away from home?”
“Kind of. I guess their mom is pretty protective too, from everything I’ve heard.”
“Well, maybe being around your family will help.”
“Maybe ... What do you mean, though?”
“Just being in a less uptight situation.”
“Could be. So yeah, for now Tommy seems to make things happen, and Muireann just likes to watch.”
“The world needs all kinds,” Heather quipped.
“I know ... So, when you come up, we might have a new photography partner.”
“Tommy?”
I guffawed. “Funny.”
“What?”
“Come on, Heather.”
“Hey, that’s unfair.”
“Okay, okay, you’re right. I guess anything is possible. But no, it’s Muireann.”
“You shouldn’t cut Tommy out of stuff just because.”
“Hey, we’re not cutting him out! But there’s some things he probably can’t do. Or at least might not want to.”
“Are you going to go skiing?”
“How would we do that?”
“I know I saw a blind person with skiing with a guide once.”
“Hmm. I don’t know.”
“Yeah, it’s really too bad you don’t know anyone that could tell you. Like, if you only knew a ski instructor...”
“Oh, shut up! Fine, I’ll ask my mom about it.”
“I’m sure he could at least glide around on the bunny hill. You said he’s mostly missing the middle part of his vision.”
“Yeah, and that’s the part that tells you to avoid the tree heading your way!”
Heather groaned. “Which is why he would have to ski with help. Anyway, I don’t think you should dismiss doing anything just because of his vision.”
“No, I know,” I sighed. “I’m still getting used to what it all means. He did say not to change things just to accommodate him.”
“Then you should take his advice. Hmm...”
“What?”
“Oh, nothing. Just had an idea.”
“Okay. I’ll just wait for you to tell me in February or something.”
Heather laughed richly. “You know I’m not even going to tell you.”
“That’s right! My bad. I’ll just end up finding whatever it is inside a shoebox when I’m, like, sixty-four.”
The laughing continued. “Probably!”
“Speaking of random things in shoeboxes, what’s up with the picture you left us in the Trilogy box?”
“Oh, that ... It was just a ... a love memento,” she said.
“Huh?”
“A memory. You know, if nothing ever happens, at least it’s written down somewhere. That’s all.”
I frowned, and then opened my desk drawer. “Are we talking about the same picture?”
“Oh ... Too subtle, I guess.”
“Subtle?”
“You didn’t look at the photo closely enough.”
“Okay ... Wait, did you just outright tell me I missed something?” I exclaimed.
“Maybe?”
“Losing your touch!” I cried.
“Not really. You seemed to be complaining about it way too much, so I put you out of your misery.”
“Hmm. I don’t believe you.”
Heather giggled. “Wow, that’s bad. You don’t believe me when I actually do tell you something straight.”
“The girl who cried wolf.”
“Not this time.”
“Prove it,” I challenged, as I pulled the photo out of the envelope I’d dug out.
“Prove what?”
“That you’re actually telling me something legit. What am I supposed to see in the picture?”
“I made my own photo for your Initials project.”
“You already did that, for the hunt. The eye ones.”
“Nope. That was Reflections. This is Initials. Look, and you’ll see.”
“Okay. I’m looking at it now.”
Heather was silent, so I scanned the odd photo. With my old project on the brain, I saw it right away. Painted within the mess of graffiti on the wall were three sets of initials surrounding a plus sign. Each was paired with a Chinese character, and the entire collection was encircled.
“Hmm ... I found it,” I murmured.
“Told you.”
“Okay, fine. And what is this place? It’s a bit weird, honestly.”
“It’s my basement dungeon,” Heather said ominously.
I snorted. “Okay, I guess the straight-shooting lasted twenty seconds.”
“Oops, sorry!”
“Like you really have graffiti in your basement ... I figured it was a train station, or subway, and that maybe we were going to take a trip when we came to visit?”
“Nope, definitely not.”
“All right, another thing I’ll find out about when I’m old, then.”
“It’s a bowling alley,” she joked.
“Funny!” I chimed.
“I’m serious.”
“I’ll believe basement dungeon before I believe that.”
“It’s an old abandoned bowling alley near here, on what used to be a military installation.”
“You’re serious?”
“I said I was!” she cried.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t ever mean anything,” I dismissed.
“I can’t win!” she wailed.
“Um, no, I think it’s the other way around!”
Once we stopped laughing, I examined the picture again. Sure, it could be part of a long corridor, but it could be anything, really, given the structure’s state of disrepair.
“All right, so what’s it mean,” I asked. “You know, since you’re being all serious and stuff.”
“I already said, Matt. It’s just a photo of our initials. That’s all! It was a cool photo. I thought so, anyway. I just threw it in there for the heck of it. I had to leave you something in place of the Trilogy pictures!”
“It is a cool shot,” I said, relenting a bit. “But it must be something else too, right? Another hunt?”
“No! It’s just what it is!” she wailed.
I considered the photo for a bit. Finally, I sniffed. “I still don’t believe you!”
Heather moaned. “Fine, you’re right. Caught. It’s the start of the biggest treasure hunt you’ve ever seen. Ready? Three, two, one...”
I laughed for a good while. “Okay, so why put our initials in some destroyed old ruin? I mean, it’s a bit creepy, almost.”
“Well ... I’m not sure. It’s not a place many people go. It’s not open for public access, really.”
“Oh, that sounds real safe,” I said dramatically.
“I went with Bill once, just to check it out. There’s this crazy giant radar dish and a bunch of other weird stuff around the place.”
“Jeez, Heather ... Is it legal to be there?”
“I don’t know. It’s been closed for a long time, and the park service owns it now. At least that’s what Bill said.”
“I’m glad at least he was with you.”
“Nah, that was a while ago that he took me. I know the place enough to go on my own.”
I shivered. “Seriously?”
“Always.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“I’ve only gone a few times. There’s some really cool photos to be had there. But it definitely has a weird feeling, so you kind of have to be in the right mood to visit.”
“All right, well ... Maybe don’t go back anymore? I’d sure feel better if you didn’t. Who knows who might be hanging out there?”
Heather sniffed. “No one. The place is always deserted.”
“Until it isn’t. Just be careful, all right?”
“I always am, Matt,” she said.
I felt a tingle run through me. Her tone, for once, let me know that she wasn’t joking.
“All right,” I said slowly. “I believe you.”
“You sound serious about that.”
“I am,” I said.
Heather laughed quietly. “If you insist.”
I huffed. “I’m suddenly feeling this overwhelming urge to steal my mom’s car and drive down there to see you. I miss you like crazy.”
“Do it!” she joked. Although, she did still sound a bit serious.
“Don’t encourage me.”
“Oops, you’re right. I’m the one who does all the illegal stuff!”
I groaned as she laughed happily. “All right, I need to call it a night, because I’m about to suggest doing something bad.”
“Which is?”
“Pause the world and talk to each other until the sun comes up.”
“Just ... talk?”
“Well, you know...”
“I’m in. I’m even nude already,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Oh god.”
“Who goes first?”
“What about school?” I moaned, as if Heather gave a fuck about that. “It’s already way later than it should be.”
She didn’t give a single fuck, of course. “I’ll just stay home.”
“Whatever.”
“I will.”
“Well, lucky you, then. I still have to go in. It’s the twins’ second day. It’s too early to start bailing.”
“Hmm, that sucks for you then. But you’re the one who called me so late.”
“Well, it’s, uh ... Hey, it’s Muireann’s fault!” I cried.
“Really...”
“Yeah, she started telling us a story last night. I guess she reads to Tommy a lot, you know, for school. But she also tells really cool stories, and she told us some more tonight.”
“That actually sounds pretty cool!”
“It is. And no one wanted her to stop, so it got late. Blame her!”
“But it’s your choice now. You’re the one who has to go to school tomorrow.”
“Ugh. I’m not going to be able to stay awake in class!”
“True. But luckily, everything has a bright side, Matt. Everything!”
“And what exactly is the bright side to falling asleep in History?”
“When your head hits the desk and you take a nap, you’ll dream of what we did tonight again! A two-for-one deal!”
“Until I get in trouble with the teacher,” I groaned.
And then, somehow, my clothes were off.
“Fine,” I said. “Just a little longer and then I’m going to sleep.”
“The remote’s in your hand, Matt.”
“You’re going to kill me.”
“Eventually,” she agreed, giggling. “But I think you’ll survive for now.”
Who’s a pushover?
Lara and I both scared each other the next morning. I opened the door to my room and there she was, seemingly just about to enter.
“Whoa,” she blurted out as she looked me over.
“What?”
“Are you okay?”
I made my way into the living room, stretching. “Yeah, I had trouble sleeping, that’s all. Still waking up.”
“Hmm,” she sang. “Like, ‘bed was uncomfortable’ kind of trouble sleeping, or the other kind?”
“What other kind?” I asked, stifling a yawn.
“The ‘Lara, if you see the phone bill in the mail, can you trash it?’ kind.”
I stared at her as she smiled sweetly at me.
“Don’t worry,” she added. “I wasn’t listening in. It was just a guess.”
“A guess...” I said evenly.
“Well, you know what they say about guesses. So no, not exactly a guess!”
I rolled my eyes, even though it hurt to do so. “Good morning to you too, sis.”
“A lovely day, bro, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, lovely as fuck. All I know is I’m definitely going to be needing my sunglasses today.”
She laughed heartily. “Didn’t that work out nicely for you! Sounds like you owe Tommy for that.”
“Yeah, I guess I do. And if he hurries up and gets Dr. Kendall to install those recliners in study hall, I’ll owe him triple.”
Lara patted my shoulder. “You better eat and shower. Alice will be here soon.”
I glanced at the clock and groaned. “Shit, I thought I only snoozed the alarm three times. Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“Why do you think I was just about to barge in to your room?”
“Oh, right...”
Later that morning, I was a bit disappointed in Heather, for once. When I fell asleep in first period, I didn’t dream of the previous evening. Nope, I never had the chance, because I almost fell out of my chair and made a huge commotion in trying to keep myself from going to the floor. This was to the amusement of most of the classroom, including Lara and the twins...
And my teacher, luckily. She raised a brow at me. “Are you okay, Matt?”
“Yeah. Sorry about that.”
“Darkness makes people sleepy,” she said.
“Huh?”
“The shades, Matt? Maybe some light will help you to stay awake.”
“Oh, right,” I said, quickly taking them off. “Sorry.”
Tommy leaned over and whispered, “Don’t worry lad, it gets easier with time!”
I sniffed at his joke, shaking my head in amusement even as my face still burned.
The day was a torment. Oddly enough, reliving the previous night was what kept me awake, in the end. At lunch, the long cafeteria tables made for inviting beds. Unfortunately my schoolmates had the gall to use them for their meals, so that nap didn’t pan out. The first real respite came the following period when Tommy and I went to study hall while Lara took Muireann to typing class.
“Where do you sit?” he asked me.
“Wherever you want.”
Tommy slowly made his way to an area in the middle of the room and I gratefully slumped into a chair.
“Do you want to do any work?” I asked him.
“Not especially,” he replied. “I’m too tired from lunch break, lad.”
I guffawed. “Good, because I sure as hell don’t want to work either.”
“Aye, Lara mentioned you were on an important call last night.”
“Oh, did she?” I drawled, even as my face prickled once more.
“Take a nap, lad.”
“Nah, I’ll survive.”
Still, I put my head down on the desk to squeeze a little relaxation in. Without the fear of falling over or getting called out by a teacher, I drifted off. But it lasted only a couple of minutes.
“Hi! You’re Tommy, right?” came the bubbly interruption.
I spun out of half-sleep, the familiar voice awakening more than just the present moment within me. For a second I felt drunk, or stoned. I couldn’t remember, but either way my stomach twisted into a tiny knot.
“Aye, that’s my name. And you are?”
“I’m Carmen ... Uh, Matt? Are you okay?”
I sighed and raised my head. “Say what?” I rasped, blinking at her.
She giggled as I let my head fall to the desk again.
“Late night at the pub,” Tommy whispered, thumbing me. “Drank me under the table, he did!”
“It’s true,” I said, looking up again. “Tommy brought a little too much of the Irish way with him.”
“Or not enough, lad. You came out the worse for it!”
“Well, like you said, it gets easier with time, right?” I echoed.
Tommy laughed. “Aye, it does!”
“Now if you don’t mind, keep it down,” I said, before slipping my head back to my arm pillow.
Unfortunately Carmen didn’t take the hint, but she did take one of the chairs in front of our desks. And of course Tommy entertained his latest audience with all the charm and humor that he didn’t even have to muster. It was just there. Carmen swooned at his accent, his smile, and his use of sunglasses in a room without enough windows to justify it. She aw’ed at his description of his vision and ooh’ed at his ability to do something involving his pencil that I didn’t have the energy to open my eyes and watch. Even the low-energy and submissive room monitor was lax about warning them about the noise levels.
Then I fell asleep...
When I came to, the room monitor was gone. In fact, everyone had left besides Tommy, Carmen, and me.
“Uh, what’s going on?” I asked groggily, looking around.
“You looked like you needed the sleep,” Tommy said simply.
“What? Did the bell ring? What time is it?”
“It rang a while ago. And it’s half one.”
“Say what?” I looked at the clock.
One-thirty?
“Shit, are you serious? We have class!” I exclaimed, rising.
“I think the sleep was better for you than whatever we were going to do in English,” Tommy said calmly, as Carmen looked on in amusement.
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Given the unknown amount of potential baggage, Sarah decided to pick up the twins by herself. At best, one more person could have gone with her, but if it turned out that Muireann and Tommy were major packers then it would’ve been a tight fit and an uncomfortable ride. We knew from their letter that they’d likely be bringing some instruments with them. “Better safe than sorry. Besides, this will be my first and last chance to talk to them, I’m sure,” Sarah joked. “Don’t worry, we’ll let you...
I’d set an alarm for five, deciding that the lack of sleep would be better than leaving the twins stranded by themselves. However, when I slapped the sound off and staggered out into the living room, all was quiet. Figuring they’d be up soon, I grabbed my Walkman and stretched out on the couch to relax while I waited. As it turned out, I fell asleep and Lara ended up waking me up. I started, surprised to see her shaking me. “What time is it?” I asked, pulling the tangled headphones from my...
Figuring that the ‘warmest’ part of the day was passing, Lara suggested that if we still wanted to swim, now was the time. Tommy had not forgotten the offer and eagerly agreed, not put off by the frigid air temperature. We put away our guitars and returned to the house to don bathing suits. It was admittedly a bit odd, since Lara and I never did so; pulling jeans over the trunks felt completely alien. Lara had a giant stack of towels in her arms when we met up in the living room. Muireann...
The morning Alana dropped me off, my reunion with Lara was delicious. We shared a long and happy hug. I’d made every effort while with Alana to do exactly one thing: be with my dear friend. But on returning, I let all that stored-up love for Lara emerge again, and I didn’t want to let go of her. Of course, we eventually had to peel apart. She was due at the shelter soon, so after greeting my moms and Frej, we resumed our morning walks that she’d kept up in my absence. As usual, we didn’t...
We entered August, the last full month of summer, of vacation, and of divine mountain warmth. I spent all my time at Clara’s; Lara increased her hours at the shelter since Chuck hired her more formally and started paying her for her computer work. Our tent became lived-in and undeniably welcoming the more we used it and adjusted our setup. With Frej’s help, we’d flown an oversized tarp above the area that gave us some dry space around the shelter in times of rain. It remained a heavenly...
Are you sure about this... ? Back down by the house, I found Frej in the garage. He was peering closely at a tangle of wires. “These new electronics...” he grumbled. “They are all so small and impossible to fix... ! Or maybe I need glasses.” I laughed as best I could with the tremors that seemed to be creeping into me from all sides. I haven’t been sure of anything lately... “Need a break?” I asked. He tossed the thing onto the worktable and grinned at me. “Yes, that is enough for...
We followed Heather down the pathway to the rocky intertidal expanse and picked our way toward the rowboat that sat patiently in the shallows. Between us, we silently pushed the craft into deeper waters, until it floated freely with enough clearance for the extra weight it would now carry. Heather held it steady as first Lara and then I got in. She joined us with a nimble leap. I studied the rowboat as I sat in the stern with Lara. Though clearly aged, it was sturdy and well-maintained. A...
Not even twenty-five hours into our new life, it became clear that our bodies were entirely unprepared for the relentless existence of sea-harvesting with Heather. When we awoke after that first night’s sleep, early morning’s glow was faint. What’s the rush? It was Heather who had roused us, and despite various attempts to roll over and slumber away the deep soreness that pervaded every cubic inch of my limbs, she would not allow it. I finally yawned, struggled to sit up, and gave her a look...
“Welcome to darkroom class,” I announced as Muireann followed me into the darkroom the following evening. She eyed me. “Are you going to lie on the bed again?” I grinned broadly. “I think I might, and let you do the work. Hands-on is the best way to learn, right?” “You’re going to give Tommy a run for the title of laziest boy.” “Am I winning yet?” Muireann just smirked and started blacking out the windows. “I have to admit something,” she said. “What’s that?” “I didn’t realize the...
When Melissa and I returned to the house after dropping off the order for the necklace, nothing much had changed. In the cabin I found Lara and Tommy at the table, intently studying a sheet of paper. They didn’t even glance at me as I closed the door. I could hear Muireann’s muffled fiddle playing from the darkroom, the sound of a slow Irish melody permeating the warmed air inside. “How’s it going?” I announced, taking off my coat. After scribbling something down, Lara turned to me, smiling...
I felt an arm grip my winter coat. “Matt ... I don’t know that we can do this!” “Of course you can. It’s not that hard.” “No, I’m worried about Tommy!” she whispered. “What if he falls? Or runs into someone?” I gave her gloved hand a pat. “He’ll be okay. It’s pretty soft, you know. Watch...” I let myself fall sideways like a cut tree, landing on my hip and shoulder. Muireann gave a little cry of surprise, but I just laughed it off. In another moment I was standing again. “You want to...
“We need to decide what song we’re going to audition with,” I announced, as the five of us settled into the cabin for some rehearsal. Colin looked at me. “Let’s vote then. What are the choices? We have a lot of songs that we know now. Some more than others.” “I’m thinking we should do an original,” I offered. “We have Four Days, Shell Game, Absinthe... And Please Don’t Stop, but since we played that one at the show last year, probably not a good idea.” “Don’t forget Gunkstomp!” Lara...
“What have we here?” Jane asked, coming to a stop in front of our half-dozen pictures. “Twins,” Muireann said. “Aha.” She examined our spread. “Did you do the project together?” “Aye, we tried something different.” I could hear the hope in Muireann’s voice, that this would be okay by our teacher. Jane pursed her lips. “Interesting approach.” “I know there’s only six photos, but we both did take six shots,” I explained. “There’s two exposures on each!” Jane gave me a small smile. “Yes,...
“Damn, I’ve missed you,” I whispered. She giggled. “Wow, I didn’t realize how much!” “Hey now! Hands above the waist!” Heather cuddled up closer to me on the couch as the hubbub carried on in the rest of the great room. After all the greetings and chats following our guests’ arrival, dinner was soon going to be ready. With Frej volunteering to help with what remained of meal preparations, we’d been told to go hang out. Not being one to deny my parents’ wishes, I didn’t think twice to drag...
I tried delaying our hike for a day. I really did. Although Heather’s ankle was sore after she removed the ski boots in the lodge, by the time we got home it was already feeling a little better. She could certainly get around, since it mostly hurt only when putting sideward pressure on it. Skiing was probably out for a few days, at least, but a walk through the woods was not worth postponing. Or so she said. I was of two minds. Twenty-four hours of extra rest would allow more time for her to...
The music store wasn’t too far from the jeweler’s shop, so Heather and I walked there. “I mean, I get it, now,” I said, still caught up in the surprising meaning of the Chinese symbol she now wore around her neck. “Oh, I think you got it a long time ago,” Heather said. “It’s just a word, Matt. It has no meaning on its own.” “I know, I know. It’s just ... most people would find it kind of...” “Weird,” she supplied. “You said it, not me,” I laughed. “It is what it is.” “Yeah ... Anyway,...
Three girls, three cameras... And me, tagging along, superfluous but certainly enjoying myself. I offered to be their model a few times, but they seemed to prefer photographing each other. And there was the teasing, of course. Endless. “Nice, Muireann!” Heather chirped. “You’ve learned a lot about photography, I can tell.” “She has a good eye,” Shannon agreed. “Matt has been teaching me.” “Which makes it all the more surprising!” Funny... But even there, I was given three cute grins,...
Admittedly, I was slightly apprehensive as we pulled into our clearing that evening after our day of skiing. Heather, alone with Tommy all day... The snow was falling heavily again through the headlight beams. Both Frej’s and the Martins’ cars were parked in the same positions they had been that morning, and they remained covered in several inches of snow. Oddly, there were no lights on in the main house. Maybe Muireann was rubbing off on me, because for a few seconds I had a panicked vision...
Mairead and Aongus left after lunch the next day, forced to end their vacation earlier than Frej and Heather due to the demands of the business they owned. I was indeed grateful for the Danishman’s generosity in allowing Heather to remain for another three days. The Martins’ departure left a rather obvious hole in our daily schedule. After dinner was cleared and we sat around the table, it suddenly seemed remarkably silent. The positive feedback loop between Tommy and Aongus had been...
I was grateful for the band. Heather’s departures were never a good thing for me, inevitably the start of a long slide down into wistful distance, but the fact that I could go from our final embrace to playing my guitar within fifteen minutes was at the very least a welcomed distraction. “So we need to start thinking about a set for the battle,” I said, once we’d played a few numbers to warm up and clear the farewell feelings as best we could. “We have six originals, so we’ll need another...
The week passed slowly and somewhat agonizingly, since Gwen couldn’t rehearse again until the following weekend, and the homework was being laid on thick. I was anxious to make as much progress as we could on the set, which we still hadn’t quite settled on. Certainly as the battle approached, I was imagining more and more how it might turn out, even though I knew that daydreaming about the glories of winning was a dangerous game. Things could turn out so many different ways, surely, but in...
If I hadn’t been sure that Tommy had Dr. Kendall in his back pocket, that was put to rest in study hall the following Tuesday. Carmen, Tommy, and I were walking along the outside of the school building, on our way to the fields as was our habit now, when the principal rounded the far corner and came toward us. “Uh oh,” Carmen said. “Caught.” “Principal alert,” I whispered, for Tommy’s benefit. The three of us laughed quietly, all of us wearing shades as was our other habit these days. “We...
Carmen was disappointed but seemed understanding when I called her to let her know that we didn’t have room for her after all. It was a bit strange to talk to her on the phone, something that I didn’t think I’d ever done before. Odd, considering we were together for a while. Then again, this fact was testament to how messed up that time had been for me. Saturday evening arrived, and it was not without some anxiety that we packed the gear into Colin and Shannon’s vehicles. While my moms...
“Hello?” “Oh hi, Mrs. Martin. How are you?” “Matt ... It’s me,” Heather said. I jerked in my chair. “What... ? No way! You said ‘Hello’!” “I guess I did.” This must be part of a joke... “Okay ... Where have you been? We were supposed to talk on Wednesday, remember?” “What day is it today?” Heather asked. I was quiet for a second. “It’s Friday? Seriously, is everything all right? You answered weird ... Well, you answered normally, which is weird for you. And you really don’t know what...
I was surprisingly alert when Tommy and I slipped into Frej’s car at a quarter of six, just as the light was starting to make itself known in the east. I let Tommy have the front so I could squeeze against Heather in the back. “Good morning, my love,” she whispered, and immediately I wondered if I was overdressed for the warmth she caused in me. Maybe forgetting all my clothes at home would be okay after all. Damn kissing ban, though... “Is your man coming with us today?” Tommy asked...
Lara responded so sweetly when I asked if she could entertain the twins, that I took her into a surprisingly hard hug. We were alone in my room, so I made no effort to hold back. “Easy there, bro,” she warned, even as she returned the tight embrace. “I’m so sorry about the underwater thing,” I breathed. “I still feel terrible about it.” “No sweat. I know you didn’t do it on purpose, because you hate doing laundry. And now you’re stuck doing it every day!” I laughed. “True. But it’s the...
It was strange to wake up. I was still on the couch, but Heather was gone, and I was horizontal and covered by a blanket. I could hear my moms and aunt chatting in the living room, since I was occupying their usual morning hangout spot. Then again, the sun was bright and the shadows on the porch floor were well past parallel to the wood beams, suggesting that my first meal of the day would be called ‘late lunch’ and certainly not ‘breakfast’. So, I really took their usual afternoon spot......
I think I’m half-Danish... It took me a moment, I’ll admit. It was perhaps like seeing someone on a distant hill make an odd movement, and only realizing a long second later that it was the head-on motion of an archer having released an arrow to fly forth from her bow. It took me a moment, yes, but then that five-word missile arrived, slamming into my heart with surgical precision. The world seemed to spin. I only knew one Danish person, and I knew him quite well. I struggled to hold her...
“Do you wish this never happened?” she asked quietly. I turned to look at Heather, her face illuminated by the fading twilight. Until now, Heather had not spoken in the half-hour or so since I’d silently confirmed her connection to Frej. I didn’t mind the quiet, because I had much to think about myself. The pier was strangely deserted, and we’d migrated to the gazebo to sit. “Why do you say that?” I asked. “Because it really puts a new light on everything.” “It does, it does,” I agreed....
I was just about to make a call when Lara poked her head into my room. “Back to the telephone life, huh?” she said, giving me a sympathetic look. “Yep. Hard times again.” “You could’ve been born a hundred years ago,” she observed, “and then you wouldn’t even have had the phone.” “If I’d been born a hundred years ago, I would’ve missed out on her completely. And on you too, sis ... But I’m glad for the phone either way.” Lara nodded thoughtfully. “True. Come up to the cabin when you’re...
On Monday, I was very relieved to get summoned to the principal’s office. Despite the amused looks I got from my classmates, I was feeling pretty high. Dr. Kendall had been silent since our meeting the previous week, a bit worrisome since the time before May wasn’t exactly abundant. But I trusted in his promise, and now it seemed we’d be shifting into gear. When I stepped into his office, another man was already sitting in one of the chairs. He looked vaguely familiar. I took the initiative...
“Sorry I stole your bed,” Lara said, giving me a sheepish grin as she wandered out of my room the next morning. I shrugged. “The couch is comfortable enough.” “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. We were working on lyrics, you know, and ... Yeah. Where is everyone?” “Colin’s not here yet, and Gwen came by a while ago but just grabbed Muireann and took off. And you and Tommy have been sleeping like logs.” “Where did Gwen take her?” “Beats me. She said they’d be back in a few...
“Hello?” Uh oh ... That’s not good... “I don’t like the sound of that,” I said. “The last time you answered ‘Hello’ was—” “Good evening, Matt,” Mairead interrupted. “Oh, hi, Mrs. Martin!” “Heather is not here,” she added, her voice quite amused. I would’ve laughed, except that I suddenly realized how close I’d just been to revealing Heather’s secret. Holy shit... ! Way too close. “I’m sorry about that just now,” I explained, my skin prickling. “Sometimes Heather, well ... She’ll...
The scene at Smith Park, when we pulled in around noon, was rather astonishing. The light scaffolds loomed over the stage, and for a long moment I stood by the car door in complete shock. We’re going to be playing on that... ! “Are you coming, lad?” Tommy asked, having already seized his guitar and equipment bag from the trunk. I snapped out of it and went to grab my own things. “Yeah. It’s just that ... it looks pretty damn neat, man.” He grinned. “I’m sure it does. Now let’s go set...
The post-concert went by in a rush. People came and went, to greet us, share their joy and emotions. The twins and Lara in particular were mobbed, which was fine with me. I’ve had just about as much excitement as I can take... After hugging the people closest to me, I slipped back up to the stage again, grateful for the banality of winding cables, collapsing mic stands, and the opportunity to help the sound and lighting crews get their work done just a little faster. They’d been amazing...
Away... From us... To say these words affected me would be a vast understatement. The massive upwelling that I’d seen a moment earlier in Heather’s eyes, that flood which would destroy everything around ... It suddenly burst out of the sea. Nothing prepared me for its impact. My throat constricted and suffocation beckoned, caressing me gently into blackening edges. “Why?” I tried to ask, but the sound was grotesque, a pitiful gurgle at best. “Shh, shhhh,” she consoled through tears,...
On the day that our connection was severed, I was roused by a warm hand caressing my face, the fingers leaving behind energetic currents. “Good morning, my love...” I opened my eyes all at once. The sun was just barely tinting the sky, and I was disoriented, wondering why the couch felt odd. It took me a moment to realize that I was down in the main house. Memories abruptly returned in a panicked rush. The night before, after partying for a while, the three of us had taken to Lara’s old bed...
The long work of pulling the concert together had fully caught up and crashed into me. That wasn’t the source of my problems, though, or I would’ve simply slept hard for a few days and been done with it. If I’d wanted to take a ‘sick’ day or two to stay home from school, no one would have batted an eyelid, for any of us. I wouldn’t have even had to fake a fever, holding the thermometer against a hot light bulb. I could just cash in on good karma. Instead, on Wednesday I’d found myself...
“So, how much of this will you tell Tommy?” It was the first thing Muireann had said in some time, having grown progressively more reticent as I revealed my secrets to her, one by one. There were many, so it had taken a long while. But they were out, now... All of them. “Tommy...” I murmured. “Yeah, I’m not sure.” “He’s very fond of Lara.” I sniffed. “I know that. You think he’ll be weirded out?” “I can’t say for sure. And what about her?” I frowned. “Lara? She knows all of this...
I was waiting for Muireann to emerge from the restroom before we headed to photography class, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I figured she was playing the other-shoulder trick to get me to look the wrong way, but I was surprised to find Bruno there after all. “Oh, hey man ... What’s up?” I greeted. “We need to talk,” he said quietly, glancing anxiously down the hall. “Hm. Let me guess ... Pete?” “Yeah. Are you heading to class? I can walk with you.” “I am, but ... I need to wait for...
That evening, I was once again drained. Despite the temporary refueling that Muireann had gifted me in the pool after the terror of Pete’s episode, the subsequent rehearsal of Other Side had eventually sapped me. I could also tell that Muireann was almost as wiped as I was. The song was intense. It was a great relief when we both settled down into our beds in the main room of the cabin, her on the cot and me on the couch. “The downside of sleeping out here is that you can’t go to bed until...
Pete didn’t attend school the rest of the week. The two times I called over to his house, I hung up as soon as I heard his dad answer. Even Bruno said that he hadn’t been able to talk to him since the day he canned Skinner. I was feeling unsettled again, but I held on to the hope that whatever was in motion was happening out of sight. It was all I could do, besides barging over there again and trying to force another chat. In the meantime, I made sure that all my other irons were still in...
The talent show was in full swing. Ready or not, the acts were cycling on and off the stage with inevitable tempo. This time around, Green Space had opened the show, and The Nameless would soon close it. “I hope Pete keeps it together,” I said to Lara, as we stood in the wing watching a kid play a rather impressive classical piece on the piano. “He will. Muireann seems to have a calming influence on him.” “Yeah, I noticed. She’s been so helpful in dealing with Pete these last few weeks, I...
It was early evening on Sunday and the final music marathon was coming to an end, our last opportunity for rehearsing as a full band before Jonah’s concert the following weekend. Gwen was particularly intent about everything, calling out any and all problems she heard, and by now we didn’t question her judgment or ear. The only unknown was if we had the skill to do whatever she asked of us. Usually we did, even if it meant practicing it thirty times. Or more, in my case... But now it was...
We arrived at Jonah’s in the early afternoon as arranged. He emerged from the side door of the Castle, grinning broadly. “What’s up, motherfuckers!” “Fella’s in a better mood than usual,” Tommy quipped. “Aye, probably this is his highest form of greeting,” Muireann added. We exchanged fist bumps, handshakes, and shit-eating grins. “This event is going to be the jewel in the Castle’s crown, I’m fucking telling you!” he gushed. “You’ve been busy,” Lara said, looking around at the yard...