"so, how'd she take it?" wally asked juniper as they stood on the middle of the basketball court, inside the gym.
"actually pretty well. she was amazed at the fact the i cried when i saw kacey crying." juniper laughed and wally dribbled a basketball a couple of times.
"yeah, i was too, but it showed how caring you are." he passed the ball to her.
she caught it and awkwardly dribbled it.
"i showed her my 'room' and all the things i've stolen." juniper held the ball as wally moved under the hoop.
"shoot!" he smiled.
she threw the ball and it bounced off the rim.
he ran to catch it. "it's ok, try again." he threw the ball back at her.
"how'd she react to that?" he asked.
"she loved it. she was just looking at everything. i told to come to our other group today as well." she caught the ball and bounced it a couple of times before throwing it back at the hoop.
it bounced off again.
"that's good. you think she'll show?" wally caught the basketball again and tossed it back to her.
"i'm not sure. i hope." june shrugged.
"alright, junebug, what's wrong?" wally asked, walking closing to her, hands on his hips.
"i don't know... just telling her that story kind of made me relive it." she frowned.
"hey..." he sighed, walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her.
she let go of the ball, letting it fall out of her hands as she hugged him back.
"i know. it sucks. i'm sorry." he murmured, resting his chin on her head.
"thank you." she whispered.
"now," he took a step back and placed his hand on her shoulders.
"shoot that ball. third times the charm." he winked, clicking his tongue as he backed up and grabbed the ball.
"alright." she laughed, holding up her hands.
he tossed her the ball and she threw it.
the two of them watched as it went through the hoop.
her mouth fell open as wally jumped up and down.
"WOOO! let's go, june!" he cheered.
wally ran over to her and picked her up by her waist. he spun her around as she laughed loudly.
june placed her hands on his shoulders as she tipped her head back.
he placed her down and clapped.
"see, you're good! next time, we will throw a baseball back and forth." he smiled.
"deal. now, let's go set up the chairs for group." she lightly smacked wally's arm as she walked off.
his smile widened as he followed her.
__________________
juniper listened to mr. martin as he told them his story of nirvana.
juniper was sitting in between maddie and wally.
the circle of chairs was directly over a dim light in the gym.
the windows were colored with a dark orange hue from the outside lights.
the sun had set a while ago.
mr. martin had them do another meeting that night because the first one was interrupted by maddie's search party and her mom coming in.
"that was my idea of nirvana." mr. martin smiled.
wally held out the box of donuts he had in his hand to rhonda.
she looked up from her nails and at the box, making a face.
"what's that about?"
wally looked back at the donuts and shrugged.
"is there a problem?" mr martin asked.
juniper covered her mouth to hold in her laugh.
"he always leaves me with the worst one."
"what do you mean? it's lemon glazed." wally pointed to the only donut left in the box.
"nobody wants a lemon donut." rhonda scoffed.
"yes, they do. some people actually like lemon donuts. junebug likes lemon donuts." wally gestured to the girl on his left.
"i do." juniper smiled before clamping her lips together so she wouldn't laugh.
"g-guys the subject is nirvana." mr. martin reminded them.
"no the subject is entitlement." rhonda objected.
"oh, ok, i'm entitled because i like anything filled with jelly. yeah, that makes sense." he said, sarcastically.
"you take the last jelly, i will rip off your arm and beat you with the wet end." she sneered.
"ronnie..." juniper smiled, trying her best not laugh.
wally sighed and slumped down before sitting back up.
"rhonda, i'm the one that boosted these from the faculty lounge in the first place." he explained.
"guys-"
"just be grateful, ok?"
"guys, we're talking nirvana."
"technically, there is no wet end. we don't bleed out." charley told rhonda.
"how hard would it be to actually rip off his arm?" juniper asked.
"you know what? can i be excused, please?" wally scoffed.
"no, walls, sit down." juniper shook her head.
"i would like to eat my donut in peace."
"you wanna trade seats?"
"and he's gets excused for that. more entitlement." rhonda lifts her hand and lets it fall.
"no, it's not entitlement, rhonda, ok? it's about- it's about digestion." wally waved the donut around as rhonda threw the box at her feet.
"her talking has nothing to do with your digestion." juniper snickered.
"had anybody here ever been seen by a living person?" maddie asked, suddenly.
everyone started at her as charley cleared his throat.
"that doesn't happen, hon." rhonda said, flatly.
"has this happened to you?" juniper asked leaning forward.
"had anyone here ever talked to a living person?"
"oh, you know what? is- uh- is this a blueberry or a raisin." charley began pointing at his donut and holding it up.
juniper tilted her head to the side and furrowed her eyebrows.
"dude, how many things could you possibly be allergic to? you know you can't dead twice, right?" wally asked, his mouth full of the donut he was eating.
charley made a face. "too soon."
"ok, i think- i think perhaps you're asking the wrong question, maddie." mr. martin looked at her.
"let's rephrase it. how do we say goodbye to the living?" he asked.
juniper wrapped her arms around her stomach and looked down.
"that wasn't my question." maddie shook her head.
"how do we close the proverbial book? well, i'll tell you how. before we wrap up today, im giving you an assignment."
"you mean like homework?" maddie asked.
"it sounds like you're struggling. write your obituary." mr. martin advised.
"uh, no."
"everybody here has written one." he looked around at the students.
"i've gotten out of writing papers because of cramps. i'm pretty sure death counts as a good excuse."
"this isn't busywork, maddie."
juniper thought it was strange the way mr. martin was acting right now.
she was pulled out of her thought by wally loudly slurping his donut.
everyone looked at him.
juniper ran a hand down her face before maddie continued.
"so no one here has ever talked with someone's who's not dead?"
everyone stayed silent and looked at her.
soon the meeting was over and juniper took off to her 'room' for some alone time.
lilys words
IM BACK? (i honestly have no idea)
i'm trying lol
and for those of you who are reading invisible string, i'm working on a new chapter!
i'm not sure when it will be out but hopefully soon :)
please vote and comment
bye bye <3