I wake up the next morning with a message from the old Yearbook group chat. What would they want? Maybe something with the memorial. I read what it says.
Isaac: We should get together today and go over pictures for the memorial. Since we're already experienced in these kinds of things I told the others us three could just work on it. They are gonna look into a location and get supplies for the candles.
Debbie: Sounds good. Where should we meet?
Isaac: Maybe the Diner. Just like old times.
Debbie: Ok. When Henry responds we can set a time.
I quickly respond and Isaac says to meet him there in an hour. I get up and get ready. That diner brings back so many memories. Like the time June ordered me a salad with extra onions and bacon bits. The thought makes me laugh, even now. Things were so simple then. The way June's nose scrunched when they brought out the burger I ordered her. I miss it...her. I run water over my face before my mind sucks me into a nostalgic black hole.
The hour passes slowly, but eventually it's time for me to head out. Just as I'm about to leave my mom calls from the hallway, "Where are you off to?"
"Just planning June's memorial with Isaac and Debbie."
My mom's lips turn down, "be careful honey."
"I will! Love you, bye!", I say while opening the door and heading for my truck.
I can see Debbie and Isaac sitting down at our old booth. They are laughing about something when I walk in, "Henry! Over here!" Debbie yells.
I smile, "Yeah I definitely wouldn't have seen y'all at our old table if you didn't scream my name."
Debbie only smiles and punches my shoulder, "Yeah ok Mr.know it all."
Debbie slides over and I take a seat beside her, "Did y'all order yet?", I ask.
"No, we were waiting for you.", Isaac answers, just as the waitress comes over.
After we order our food Isaac takes his laptop out of his bag, "So, we've got a good amount of pictures. Some are the ones I still have from the yearbook, especially since you loved taking pictures of June, Henry", Issac says, looking at me with sad eyes.
I do my best attempt at a smile, "Yeah. We should be able to use most of them."
"Have we thought of any songs to play over the pictures?" Debbie asks.
Isaac looks over at me, "were there any songs she liked?"
I smile at the memory, "Yeah she liked Taylor Swift. We could play something by her."
"Yeah! How about Back to December?" Debbie suggests.
I couldn't remember how that song went, but I agree. Isaac agrees too. We spend the next 30 minutes picking out pictures for the video. After looking at June's prom picture Debbie announces she has to use the bathroom and I get up so she can get out of the booth.
Isaac waits until the bathroom door closes to say anything, "So you and Debbie?"
"What?", I ask, clearly confused.
"Are you and her not together?" Isaac asks.
"No. I mean we were kinda talking in college, but I put that on pause when I came back and...", I couldn't tell him I was looking into June's case, "realized I wasn't over June."
Isaac just nods, "Oh I thought you two were..y'know."
"No, definitely just friends right now.", I say feeling awkward.
"Does Debbie know that?" Isaac asks. Just as he does Debbie comes back from the bathroom.
Doesn't she know? I thought me refusing to stop looking into what happened to June made that clear. Was I really stringing her along? It really isn't fair to play with her feelings like that. I need to talk to her about it after this meeting.
I focus back on the pictures and a few minutes pass before I hear a familiar voice. I turn to see Connor Westfield, Maggie's "boyfriend", at the counter ordering a cheeseburger. He doesn't notice us at the table, so I turn back around and look through more pictures.
It's been an hour when Isaac finally says, "I think we're finished. I'll show this video to the others and let them make any changes or whatever."
"We should do it." Debbie says, her smile growing huge.
I know exactly what she's talking about, the tradition we started freshman year. Every time we would fully finish the yearbook we would all high five in unison. I would high five Debbie and Isaac at the same time, while they also high fived each other.
"We have to.", Isaac says.
They both look over at me biting back a laugh, "Alright! Alright!"
We all do the clap and bust out laughing, "I missed you guys", Isaac confesses.
"I missed you too Isaac", Debbie says.
"Yeah we should hang out, work out whatever was keeping me from getting your texts.", I say.
Isaac agrees before looking down at his phone, "Bailey needs me home.", he stands up, "See you guys tomorrow?"
Me and Debbie nod, saying our goodbyes to Isaac. Once he's gone Debbie speaks, "I can't believe he's having a kid."
"Me either. Seems like just yesterday we were hitting submit on the senior yearbook."
"Yeah, it's unreal."
We sit in silence for a few seconds. I guess I should clarify how I feel now. I turn so my torso is facing her and Debbie follows suit, "Hey, so I needed to talk to you about something." Debbie nods, "I want to start off by saying you're a really great girl, but I just wanted to ask if you-"
I'm stopped mid sentence by Debbie pressing her lips to mine. I quickly pull away, "What are you doing?"
Debbie looks horrified, "I just thought.... Was this not you asking me to be your girlfriend?"
"No! This was me clarifying that we're taking a break from anything romantic right now!", I say.
"Oh, I'm sorry", Debbie's eyes fill with tears.
"Are you alright? I didn't mean to hurt you."
Debbie turns away and looks down, "I'm fine. Can you just leave please?"
"I'm sorry Debbie", I say, getting up and heading for the exit. I feel bad, but at least she knows now. I should've clarified things sooner though.
I get to my truck still thinking about the hurt in Debbie's eyes, but then I stop. There's something in my seat. What? I pick it up and see a cassette tape. I stand there for a moment looking at it. Could Isaac have put something in here? I don't even have a cassette player. I could ask my mom, she was born back in the day. I get in my truck and head home, eyeing the cassette the whole ride there.
I make it home and ask my mom for a cassette player. She tells me it should be in the basement. I waste no time running down the stairs to look for it. The basement is filled with a bunch of dusty boxes. How do I even start looking for a cassette player? I go to the back of the basement and pull out the first box. It's a bunch of my old toys. I pick up a little Elmo and inspect the rest of the box. This is going to take hours.
I've been looking for an hour and a half when I pull down a box from the top shelf, wiping my forehead when it's finally on the floor. This one was heavier than I would've expected. Why would they not put it on the bottom shelf? I get over me being annoyed quickly when I open the lid, it's full of cassettes. I start digging through and find the cassette player at the very bottom. It's definitely been here for a while. The dust piled on it makes me cough. I take the cassette that was left in my truck out of my pocket and pop it in.
The first few seconds are just heavy breathing. That's really creepy. Why would Isaac leave something like this? Just as the thought comes up I hear a voice that makes my blood run cold. June. Then another voice, Victoria. I stop the cassette and replay it, so I can pay attention to what they said.
"Victoria, can you just drop it!" June says, clearly drunk.
"You want me to just DROP IT?!" Victoria responds, with hatred.
June's crying now, "Please? I was going to handle it soon."
Victoria laughs lightly, "You have until tomorrow. If you don't tell Jalen you're practically in love with that Dawton boy I will."
"I will. Just please keep this between us." June pleads.
Suddenly I can hear Maggie's voice, "June! Vic! Where are you guys?!"
The cassette cuts off. I stand there in silence. June was in love with me? She was going to tell Jalen, and probably break up with him, for me. The emotions come fast and before I know it tears are streaming down my face. I should've told her how I felt before. I just thought she would reject me.
I came back up to my room after silently crying in the basement for ten minutes. I need to get my head back right. Staying in the past would only hurt me and this investigation in the long run.
Once I regain my composure I start thinking about what the cassette tells me about that night. June had gotten into an argument with Victoria. It was about Jalen and me, but I'm sure Victoria was only concerned about the Jalen part. She saw her opportunity to break June and Jalen up and wasn't going to let that slip away. Maybe later that night June changed her mind about telling Jalen. Maybe she then told Victoria she wasn't going to tell Jalen. Could Victoria, not having any evidence that June loved me, take things in her own hands? Could Victoria have murdered June in rage that night?