Their Last Summer

Mr. Bush (2023)

Maggie sighs, "You're cute when you do that."

"You're cuter." Jalen responds.

I can't take this. I do a big yawn, pretending to have just woken up. Maggie and Jalen go quiet. Thank God.

"Are we almost there?" I ask.

"Yeah the GPS says it should only be about five minutes." Maggie answers.

I get all the way up now and look out the window. There's barely anyone here. I see one girl, probably about 18. She has June's brown hair and tan skin. Is this how June looked when she lived here? So care free with no worries. June tried to move away and leave her worries, but that didn't end up well.

"It's right up here." Maggie says after driving ten more minutes.

I look over and see a huge prison. It's circled in barbed wire. Maggie parks the car and we get out.

"Ready?" Jalen asks.

"I guess so." I answer, walking up to the doors.

When we all get inside I see a few chairs and a receptionist desk. The girl looks to be early 30's and tired of her life already.

"Yes?" She asks. I walk up to the desk and look at her name badge, Kiara Smith.

"We wanted to see one of your prisoners." I say.

The lady looks at Jalen and Maggie, "only one person at a time."

I look back at them before responding, "that's fine."

"Who is it you're here for?" She asks.

"Edward. Edward Bush." I respond.

"I'll need to see some identification." The lady says, showing no emotion. I take out my wallet and give her my ID. She looks it over and scans it. "It'll be a minute. He has to agree to see you."

I nod and go sit down. Maggie and Jalen take a seat too.

"Do you know what you're going to ask him?" Maggie asks, in a whisper.

"No, I guess I'll be making it up as I go." I admit.

"What should we do?" Jalen asks.

"Just sit here." I instruct.

Just then the lady calls my name, "Henry Dawton, Inmate Bush has agreed to see you." I nod and go through a door the lady is pointing at, "just back there."

I walk through a hall and see seats with windows and phones. I keep walking until I see one with an older man. He has to be in his 40's. He still has brown hair, but it's not in place like that picture of him and June. In fact he looks... like he's barely here. His cheeks are hollow and his eyes are dead. This is creeping me out.

I sit down on the little stool and grab the red phone. I wasn't going to give this guy any formalities, so I jump right to it. "I know what you did."

Edward's eyes look into mine, "plenty of people know what I did."

"I'm not talking about June. I'm talking about your other students." I say, leaning toward the window and lowering my voice. Edward's face finally shows some emotion, he's scared.

"I don't know what your-"

"Save it, Penny told me all about you two."

"Penny? She wouldn't. She was much too smart for that." Edward says. "Who are you anyway?" he asks, and gets closer to the glass.

This guy makes me sick, "don't worry about it! Worry about Penny going to the police." I look around in disgust, "looks like you'll be in here for a while."