Every time I think back to Maggie telling me to leave the investigation alone, I get more mad. Everyone is painting me in the wrong for wanting answers. I would think Maggie would want to find her as much as I do, but it's like she wants to forget about that night.
My head starts pounding. What am I supposed to do now? I'm interrupted by my mom's knock.
"Yeah?", I ask, sitting up on my bed and walking toward the door.
Once opened my mom responds, "I just got home from work and forgot the bread. I'm too tired to go back uptown, would you be a dear and go pick some up?"
"Well alright mama."
She rubs my back, "I don't deserve you."
I head out to my truck, and for a moment I see June in the passenger seat. I blink and she's gone. Memories from sophomore year flood my mind. Did she even know I loved her?
I pull up to the grocery store and put my truck in park. I've barely been out since I got home. It's been lonely, except for Debbie. Thinking about Debbie makes me regret lashing out at her. At the moment I could only think about June. I guess I should try and see her side of things. She sees me as looking for a girl who has been missing for two years, and when she speaks about her concern, I go off on her. I make a mental note to apologize to her sometime.
When inside the store I immediately head for the bread aisle, it doesn't take long to find it considering I've lived here my whole life. I'm so used to running in and getting little things for my mom that it's robotic, but I hear a voice that breaks me from this routine.
"Hey man! " Isaac says, walking over to me.
"Isssc? How have you been?" I haven't talked to him since the first month of college.
"Same ole, same ole. Just came here to pick up some diapers.", Isaac says, holding up a pack of pampers.
"You have a kid?", I can't help the surprise in my voice. How can we stop talking for nine months and so much change?
Isaac only laughs, "Yeah man, Bailey will be having him any day now."
I scratch the back of my head, "Why didn't you call?"
Isaac's eyebrows scrunch in confusion, "I did. Multiple times. You never picked up."
"What? I didn't get any calls from you.", I say, mirroring his confusion.
"I swear I tried to contact you. I just thought you moved on or something."
"No, I wouldn't do that.", I say.
"Ok, well I'd better go", Isaac looks down at his watch, "June's memorial planning starts in twenty minutes.
The words rush out before I can stop myself, "memorial planning?"
Issac looks up at me with pity, why does everyone do that? "Yeah, you should come. I'll text you the address."
I don't have time to respond before Isaac is gone. Why didn't I know about a memorial for June? I head to checkout. Once I grab the bag, my phone beeps. It's Isaac texting the address to their little meeting. I try not to be salty about this whole situation, but just can't. Why would Isaac, a person who June barely knew, be more involved in her memorial than me?
I notice I slam my truck door a little too hard. I'm getting worked up for nothing. This could all be a good thing. I mean everyone June was close to should be at the meeting, right? This could give me an opportunity to question more people about June's actions the last few days before she disappeared. I need to start looking at the bigger picture. Who wanted to hurt June?
I put in the address Isaac gave me and pull up to a small building in the middle of town. I guess it's just one of those buildings people can rent out for parties and stuff. I don't give it much thought, and head for the entrance.
Once inside I'm hit with the smell of cinnamon, it's like one of those cheap bathroom sprays. Just as I think that Debbie comes out from behind a corner, laughing with Isaac. Debbie's here?
"Debbie? What are you doing here?"I ask, walking closer to them.
Debbie looks down, "I wanted to help with June's memorial." She must have sensed my confusion because she goes on to explain further, "I know I wasn't her best friend, but I did know her. And she was someone who I think deserves to be remembered."
Since when had Debbie cared for June? It's really weird seeing her here, but her excuse does check out. June was someone who deserved to be remembered. I decide to think further into Debbie being here later, for now I should really apologize for my outburst earlier today, "Yeah she definitely was. It's nice of you to show up. Also I'm sorry about earlier, I wasn't in the best mental space."
Debbie does a "forget about it" hand gesture, "water under the bridge, besides we have work to do."
I smile, "Yeah, has the meeting started?"
Isaac tells me they are fixing to start and I follow him to a bigger room. I recognize almost everyone there. In one corner are June's friends from highschool, Maggie, Jalen, Victoria, and Connor. In the other a girl I've never seen before is pouring herself a drink. I make my way over in order to find out who it is.
Once at the table the girl with pale skin and even paler hair looks up at me and smiles. I smile back, "hey, I haven't seen you around before."
She grips her cup with both hands, "My name's Penny, and you?"
"Henry."
Penny must recognize the name, her eyes immediately light up, "Henry? June talked so much about you."
I smile at this, but it doesn't reach my lips, "really? How do you know June?"
"Oh, me and June were best friends back in Georgia. She just loved you!" Penny leans in close and talks low enough no one can hear, "I was rooting for you two."
Penny's confession stunned me, so I was grateful when Isaac announced the meeting would be starting. I quickly went to the middle of the room and took a seat beside Debbie.
Isaac was the first to speak, "So this meeting is to set a date and plan some kind of memorial for June."
Everyone nods, except Victoria. She's playing with her hands. Why is she so nervous? I decide to talk to her after this meeting.
"Any ideas?" Isaac's question breaks me out of my thoughts. Should I say something? I haven't even thought about ideas. Maybe have a candle lighting? No, that's too cult-ish.
Maggie speaks up first, "We should have a lantern release."
Connor puts his hands over Maggie's shoulders, "that's a good idea, babe."
Jalen chimes in, "lanterns would be such a hassle, why not balloons?" Maggie glares at Jalen, and he only shrugs his shoulders.
"Does anyone else have any objects that float in the air to add?" Isaac asks, clearly being sarcastic.
"Bubbles?", I add. Penny laughs, but everyone else looks over, annoyed.
"We need to get this set in motion guys, the date June went missing is almost here." Isaac says, looking around at everyone.
"Maybe we could do some kind of video?" Penny says.
"That could work. Maybe have pictures people submit." Debbie says,smiling over at Penny.
Maggie nods her head in agreement, "that would be cool, and have candle lighting?"
It takes everything in me not to bust out laughing. Debbie notices and asks, with amusement clear in her eyes, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing." I've finally gotten myself under control, but Debbie just looks over at me with an amused confusion.
The rest of the meeting went by quickly. We established that three days from now would be the date. We also are going through with the candle lighting and video plan. I still think it's cult-ish, but I decided to keep my comments to myself. Throughout the whole thing Victoria would tense anytime June's name was mentioned. So when the meeting ends, and Victoria bolts ,I follow her.
"Hey." I can tell she wasn't expecting me.
"Hey, did you want something?" she asks, looking around.
"No, I just wanted to ask how you've been."
"Oh. Nothing much has changed", Victoria answers, with a nervous laugh.
"Really? I thought you were going to that college in Florida."
"I decided to take online classes." Victoria says, taking out a vape. She inhales and blows it in the opposite direction, "look I should really be going."
"Wait! Look, the real reason I came out here was to ask you something.", Victoria tenses, "Did you think June was acting weird the last few months before her disappearance?"
"Henry, I'm not in the mood for whatever game you're playing. I'm leaving.", Victoria says and starts walking down the sidewalk.
Victoria's response to my question puts her at number one on my suspect list. What does she have to hide? I stay outside, and eventually Maggie walks out, "Hey Maggie."
She looks over at me and sighs, "Henry, I'm not aiding this wild goose chase of yours."
Ouch. Maggie is calling me looking into what happened to her "best friend" , a wild goose chase. "You don't think anything was off with June when she went missing?" I ask a little too harshly.
I can see Maggie hesitate before answering, "No, now leave me alone!"
Connor comes out of the building a few seconds after, "Maggie? Are you alright?"
"Yeah, let's just go." Maggie answers, walking towards Connors car.
Connor looks at me briefly before following. I head to my truck after seeing Connor pull away. I know Maggie knows something. I just need to figure out how to get her to tell me what that something is. Victoria was acting shady too. Is the guilty conscience eating away at her?
When I get home I head straight for my room and write down everyone who has been acting suspicious.
Victoria: She was fidgety during the meeting and stormed off when I asked about June acting weird those last few months.
Maggie: She doesn't want me looking into June. Does she have something to hide?
Debbie: She was at June's memorial planning, and she didn't mention it to me before.
Penny: Why am I just now hearing about Penny. Were her and June really that close?
Once I've written down everyone I lay down. I need some kind of evidence to get Maggie to talk. I wasn't above blackmailing someone, but just how would I get the blackmail?