Chapter 12 - Late autumn of 2019

”Man. Juniper is smarter than me, I think,” Marco said, half proud, half regretful.  

”What makes you say that?” Lexi snorted. 

“She told me that she joined spelling club. Like, for the spelling bee. And the worst part is that the words they’re learning to spell aren't even that crazy. It’s words that one would use in their day-to-day.”

”Like what?”

”I don’t know, stuff like “necissarily”. I should be able to spell that.”

”N-e-s-s, uhh, i-c-a-r-e, l-y? Necessarily?"

”I couldn’t tell you unless I wrote it down, but that sounds incorrect.”

”I know, I was gonna say that it doesn’t sound quite right.”

“She showed me the list and it’s all stuff like that. Interstellar. Fibonacci. Dissonance. And those are the easy ones!”

”Smart seventh grader. Is that where she is right now? Spelling club?” Lexi asked as she sat down on the floor of Marco’s kitchen. 

“Yeah, and she said she might hang around with friends afterwards. As long as she’s back before eight, I don’t really care where she’s at.”

”You have a surprisingly loose grip on your own kid.”

”What do you mean?”

”Maybe “grip” isn’t the word I’m looking for,” Lexi said with airquotes. “I just mean that you kind of let her do whatever without question.”

”I want her to feel unrestricted.”

”Okay, but what if she’s doing something bad?”

“She’s only twelve. How much trouble could one kind get into?”

”Right, but what about when she gets older, and this is still the standard? How much trouble could a seventeen year old get into?”

”Ok, I see where you’re coming from.”

”What if she was doing bad stuff now though?”

”She better not be,” Marco said warningly.

”What would you do if she was?”

”Pfh, I dunno. Tell her that I wish she made better choices.”

”So no consequences?"

Marco slumped next to his partner. “Parenting is weird. I’m not sure how to balance being her friend and her dad.”

“I don’t know either, and I don’t think it’s my place to be that kind of adult in Juniper’s life.”

”I know, and I’m sorry for getting you involved in this.”

”No, that’s not what I’m saying. I love that kid. I’m just saying that I can’t have that kind of dynamic with her. It’s not my place.”

“Right.” Marco let his head fall on Lexi’s shoulder. “I think I should ask her where she’s going more often. Just for a start.”

”Good idea.”

The ghosts were absent. It was becoming more and more rare for Marco to find but a second when the ghosts weren’t present in the background. It drove him mad sometimes. Marco cherished his fleeting moments of solitude, because at any time, Clive or Hudson or Lucien could appear. He had to be careful what he was saying, or one of them could be offended, and decide to take action. 

“Hey Lexi?”

”Mhm?”

”Are you worried about that virus?”

”The bats one? What is it, the “corona”. I mean, maybe a little. I’m trying not to think about it.”

”I need to be assured that nothing terrible is gonna happen, cause that’s what I keep saying to Junie, and I may never hear the end of it if I'm wrong.” Marco stretched his legs out in front of him, and rolled his ankles around. “Say, we haven’t really hung out like this in a while. How you doing?”

Lexi tipped her head over her knees. ”I’m trying not to think about it.”

”Well… you can’t not think about everything forever.”

“Thinking is so annoying. Just let me be a good malinformed citizen.”

”Alexandra,” Marco joked warningly. “You’re letting big money win. That’s how the corporations want you to feel.”

”I’ll maybe do some thinking tomorrow.”

”You know, in North Macedonia, people often say “I’ll do it tomorrow morning,” when they’ll actually never do it.”

”Where’d you learn that?”

”My parents served in Peace Corps there. Back in, what, the eighties? Before I was born. Though I guess me being born doesn’t really matter since they aren’t my birth parents. You know what I mean.”

”I do. What’s it like?”

”Being adopted?”

”Yeah.”

Marco shrugged. “If I’m being honest, I don’t really care. They raised me basically from birth, they just didn’t give birth to me. As far as I’m concerned, they are my dad and mom.”

”Do you know your birth parents?”

”Yeah, they’re distantly related to my actual parents. I think it’s a second cousin situation. I haven't seen ‘em in years, but I’ve been assured that they’re good people. They just couldn’t financially deal with having a kid, I guess. I was born really really early, so to keep me alive, a lot of medical stuff had to be done, which was more than they could afford, but good ol’ Rick and Sandra could, and were looking for a child anyway.”

”That’s crazy. Well, I’m very thankful that you’re here now.” Lexi placed a kiss over the mole on Marco’s cheek. Clive walked in, before he even noticed that somebody was there. 

“Ew, gross,” he shouted with hands cupped around his mouth. 

Lucien followed him, like the two peas in a pod that they often were. 

“Oh, good evening, Marco,” He greeted while passing through. “I see your mistress has come to visit.”

”As I was saying, it always surprises me how small the human brain is, in comparison to our body size. Like, it’s only as big as your two fists put together. Are you kidding me? That’s so little.” 

Hudson appeared abruptly. “What is?”

”The human brain,” Lucien said.

”Especially yours,” Clive added. 

Juniper spun her pencil over her fingers. Spelling club had ended about fifteen minutes ago, and the two girls were still waiting on the school’s front steps for Nancy’s sister to come and pick them up. 

“How you feeling about this week’s word haul?” Nancy asked as she did a once-over of her papers. 

“Not bad. I can recognize almost all the prefixes and suffixes.”

”Yeah, not too hard.”

Juniper leaned back to lay on the cold concrete steps. Nancy twisted her black curtain bangs around her finger. “I feel like I have nothing interesting to tell you. I already told you everything. You’re all caught up.”

”I can kinda relate. Though, I did encounter my dad’s girlfriend for the first time the other day.”

”Was it good? Is she awesome?”

”So very awesome. She has way more tattoos than you’re probably picturing. I’m talking all up her arms, all down her legs. We just hung out, and I showed her my drawings. Honestly, it’s nice to finally meet the lady my dad has been fanboying for.”

”For-and-nor-but-or-yet, baby.”

”Exactly. Also, my dad quit smoking again.”

”Again?”

”I guilted him out of it.”

”I thought he already quit.”

”Yeah, and then he started again. But I said “not today, o father o mine.” And now he’s good. Again.”

”How long ago was this?”

”Like, three days.”

”Good for him.”

Nancy’s sister pulled into the parking lot, fashionably late, as could be expected from her. Even from a distance, the girls could feel the bass of her radio buzzing. 

“Get in losers, we’re going shopping,” said Rhoda with an arm draped out the rolled-down window. 

“I don’t mean to be that guy, but I need to go home soon, so I really can’t accompany you on any sort of adventures right now,” Juniper said.

”It’s just something you say. It’s a saying.”

Rhoda turned the volume of her music off when the pair hopped in. The radio had an odd, grainy quality that made it almost impossible to understand, so music was pretty frivolous anyhow. The car was old and a little junky. There were cans of energy drinks piled around, and usually some important-looking papers crumpled up on the floor. Rhoda always warned Juniper and Nancy of how stressful college was, and how they should spend their money elsewhere, for it simply wasn’t worth it. 

“So, are you kids learning stuff in school?”

”I guess,” said Nancy as she watched houses and farmland pass her window by. 

“That’s good. Gotta get that education. Neat stuff. How are you, Juniper?”

”Oh I’m just fine.” Crickets might as well have sounded right there in the car. “How are you?”

Rhoda shrugged. 

“Is your business going well?”

”If anyone you know is ever like ”man, I need a haircut,” send ‘em right to me, ok? I ain’t pricey, I do a good job. Hear me? If you get me a customer, I’ll pay ya part of the prophet.”

Juniper pinched her lips tight. “I’m not sure I can accept that.”

”Sure you can, kiddo. It’s not illegal.”

”Okay…” Juniper trailed off as she gazed at cars whizzing by in the opposite direction. 

Rhoda was pretty. She sported acid wash jeans with a rise high enough to cover her belly button. Her collar had clearly been modified to stoop low enough to give room to her “R” pendant and pearls. Sloppy mascara hid behind thick framed glasses. Much like her sister, she had tall cheekbones, and dark round eyes. Unlike her sister, Rhoda’s eyes were tired and sunken under makeup that was wearing off, so late in the day now. 

“Where are you taking us?” Asked Nancy.

”We’re bringing Junie home first, bozo. It’s the polite thing to do.”

”Yeah, so why are we going south?”

”Because that’s where she lives? Hello?”

“Not anymore. She’s staying at her dad’s place now.”

”Oh, seriously?” Rhoda asked. The sisters bickered on as if Juniper wasn’t there. Eventually, after a couple wrong turns and a lot of uncomfortable yelling, Junie was brought to her father’s doorstep. She almost hadn’t noticed that it was half past eight. 

“Where’ve you been?” Marco quizzed.

”Sorry. Rhoda was really late, and then she went in the wrong direction.”

“Who’s that?”

”Nancy’s older sister.”

”Okay. Well, was spelling club fun?”

”It was alright,” Juniper said as she laid her things on the hook by the door and kicked off her shoes. 

“How old is Rhoda?”

”I dunno. College student.”

”What’s she studying?”

”She’s getting her teaching license, but she cuts hair as a job.”

”Is that who keeps cutting yours?”

”Yeah. And she could do yours too, if you wanted.”

”Huh.” Marco sifted through his hair, which was getting a little too long again. “I’ll think about it. Do you have homework?”

”No, I did it all while waiting for Rhoda.”

”Ah, good. They fed you dinner, right?”

”Yeah, we had weird chicken and garlic bread. It was actually pretty good.”

”I’m going to bed then. Don’t stay up too late.”

”I know dad,” Juniper said. “I wont.”

It seemed that her father spent more and more time sleeping, as of lately. He would sometimes skip meals to take a nap. Whether he was simply that tired, or he just didn’t enjoy his time awake, Junie couldn’t tell.

Marco stared at the wall from his bed, same as he did most nights. His slumbersome state was the only place ghosts couldn’t reach him. It was safe and familiar. The world couldn’t bother him when he was asleep. Right while he was falling asleep, his phone rung. 

“Hello? Oh, hi,” said his brother, as if he wasn’t the one who called.

”What’s up Damien?”

”I was wondering if you knew how to patch a hole with drywall.”

”No? Why on earth would I know how to do that?”

”I dunno. You’re a smart guy. Also, I dyed my hair again. It was a dare.”

”I see. What color?”

”Green.”

”Should I inquire what shade of green it is?”

”So, can you picture a tennis ball?”

”Brother in Christ.”

”Yeah, so it’s a little more yellow than that, but that is the vibe.”

”That’s a choice to make.”

”Again, it was a dare. Anyway, do you know how to use drywall?”

”No, dude. I already said that. Why do you need it anyway?”

”I just moved into this apartment and there are a few weird holes in the wall.”

”Just tell your landlord to fix it.”

”Yeah, I already called three times. I don’t think he cares.”

”How long ago did you call?”

”About fifteen minutes.”

”So, he just hasn’t gotten around to you yet? That’s what you’re saying?”

”Sure, but he’s taking a long time.”

”I don’t like siding with landlords, but really, truly, he is not.”

”Ok, whatever. Are you doing anything this weekend?”

”I think I have jury duty. Other than that, no.”

”Do you wanna chill?”

”You live in New York. That’s like, eight states away from me.”

”Oh yeahh. I forget.”

“Great. So is there anything else I should know, or can I sleep now?”

”Oh drat man, I have to remind myself that you’re in another timezone. It’s only like, nine something right now.” 

“Well, I mean, It’s eight forty-five here, but I was about to get some rest.”

There was laughter from the other end of the line. “You’re going to bed at eight forty-five?” Damien wheezed. 

“Hush. What time do you hit the hay, might I inquire?”

”Usually around two AM. Like a cool person.”

”I’m alright with being uncool.”

“Gosh, you’re so boring. Has anybody ever told you that?”

”You certainly have.”

”Anyway, goodnight I guess. See you whenever.”

”Yeah man. See you round, Damien.”

Reviews

[RomaJ]

My key takeaway from this chapter: Marco’s past shapes his present behavior -- he gravitates toward those who need care, whether living or dead.