1978
Brookline, Massachusetts
"Hi, August!"
June heard the high pitched, but recognizable voice of Conan, calling her name. She was sitting on his living room, waiting to walk to school with him, like they did every day. Luke and Neal usually went to school earlier, a bunch of redheads walking side by side could be dangerous, and it didn't sound like the best idea. She started to laugh out loud, when Conan emerged with his backpack, skipping happily. He had a red bow on either side of his bright orange hair that was long enough to tie.
"I'm Pee Pee Longstocking!" he said, in a girly voice. "It's very nice to meet you!"
She didn't know what to do but laugh; it was one of the silliest, funniest things she had ever seen. But Conan would outdo Conan after a while. He was extremely unpredictable, and when she least expected, he would do something hilarious. He blinked repeatedly; trying a cute little smile like a girl would, until Kate came running from her room, behind him.
"Conan! Stop it!" he started to laugh and Kate became even more furious. "Mom, he took my bows again!"
Mrs. O'Brien came from the kitchen, where she tried to eat her breakfast in peace, to see what was going on. She looked at Conan, seriously, and his smile disappeared. He quickly took off the bows and gave them to his sister. His mom looked at him for a few seconds more and he knew what was coming. June was still sitting on the couch, looking at the family.
"We had this conversation before, hadn't we?" she said, her tone was so calm but also so serious, it was a bit disturbing.
"Sorry, mom." Conan said, and looked at June. Mrs. O'Brien noticed she was there.
"Good morning, June." She said. "Please take my son to school and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."
"Yes, ma'am." June nodded.
Both exited the house in silence but started to laugh a few steps ahead. His hair was still a bit messy and he tried to put it in place, it wasn't so difficult. She helped him, it was a windy day and it didn't change much. Both laughed and decided that trying to fix it would just make it worse. He didn't seem to mind and went with it. He was wearing a green sweater, it was a cold morning.
"Your hair grows way too fast." She said, while trying to fix her own long, brown hair.
"Every great man in this world has a mullet haircut. David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger. I have to have one." He raised his eyebrow. "I'm gonna be a rockstar someday."
"Well, you already drum, so it's easier for you." She smiled. "Just invite me to your big mansion in Hollywood when you make it."
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a couple of bigger, menacing teenagers. Conan and June stopped smiling, to face the boys in front of them.
"O'Brien, you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend!" the taller one said.
"Leave her alone, Mark." Conan said, in threatening way, which ended up sounding scared. "She's not for you anyway."
June looked at Conan and that same feeling hit her. He shouldn't have said that. And again, as it happened the first time they met, she witnessed a punch was thrown at his face, and a couple more, as he tried to protect himself with his hands, with little to no success. The road was still deserted, no one there to help or hear the commotion.
"Mark, stop it!" she screamed and jumped on the bully. Mark didn't seem fazed by June's intervention, and simply pushed her to the ground. She fell on her bottom, and tried again, but was held by Mark's friend.
"Mark, Scott, why are you doing this to us?"
Conan could hear June's screams and the feel pain coming from the punches on his face and stomach, and even so, didn't regret of saying what he said. He fell on his knees, as Mark violently assaulted him. But he wouldn't apologize. He felt the familiar taste of warm blood inside his mouth, closed his eyes and wondered how many times this would happen, until finally, the punches stopped. Conan opened his eyes to see June standing in front of Mark, a scary sight of her small body facing his tall, wide figure.
"Don't touch him!" she screamed at him, in fury and in a lapse of judgment.
He heard as Mark's fist hit June's face and saw her falling, her long hair flying as she fell to the ground. She let out a moan of pain as Mark struck her mouth and nose. The scene seemed to happen in slow motion. Conan stared at her, frozen as she hit her face on the floor violently. The sound of her head smacking against the concrete was horrifying to hear.
Conan looked back at both boys, who laughed in spite of what just had happened and turned their backs to resume their lives away from the scene. He wanted to scream at them, punch them, hurt them as they did to her, but all he could do was tremble. He looked down at his hands, he was shaking. His fingers could never throw a punch. He wasn't raised like this.
He tried, slowly, to stand up. His legs were shaking as well. It wasn't the first time this happened, but now June was there. He came with her. He knew there was a chance that Mark and Scott would appear, but he wanted to walk her to school anyway. He was positive that maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't come today. But they did. He looked back at her and she was still there, lying on the floor. He stumbled to her, his pathetic arms couldn't even carry her home at that moment. He flipped her around slowly and carefully. She had passed out with the impact.
Her right temple was bleeding, and so the left corner of her mouth. Why would anyone do this? Why with her? She didn't deserve it. He looked at her, concern and shock in his blue eyes. He knew he should ask for help, but he couldn't scream. He muttered 'help' a few times until he heard familiar voices nearby. It was Neal and Luke, heading back home after noticing Conan wasn't at school. They kneeled next to him and he was still staring at her. They asked questions about who did it and why they did it. Conan only managed to mutter one last thing:
"I'm so sorry, June."
