Pictures of June

Chapter One

The day my girl leaves me is a Sunday afternoon in September. I'm splayed out on my belly in the living room flipping through my Pop's record collection to find some good tunes to steal away to my room. I notice he's got Elvis Presley's debut album and snag it to add to my pile. 'I Got A Woman' is mine and Kitty's song, so I love it especially. I'm thinking about the butterfly-soft kiss she left me with yesterday and touch my lips like maybe I'll still feel it lingering there. Ma's Chordettes album is in the way of Buddy Holly, and as I go to reach for it the doorbell starts ringing something frantic. I jump up and barrel to the door; Kitty knows Ma and Pop are gone out today, and when we're alone we really do have a gas.

I fling the door open and there's kitty, wearing a polka-dot summer dress since the weather's still so pleasant yet. She's got no lipstick on, which isn't like her at all. She's not smiling, no hint of those ruler-straight teeth.

"Hey, Charlie," she says, her voice flat.

She's making me nervous. "Hey, baby, come on in." I move out of the doorway to let Kitty through, but she shakes her head. Her sandy hair bounces when she does.

"I better not."

The cat, Miles, comes to the door and I nudge him away with a foot. Something feels all wrong here, and there's a lump in my throat growing and threatening to choke me. Kitty looks as close to crying as I am.

"What's wrong?"

"I thought about calling, but I couldn't pick up the phone. I thought it might be better if I came in person."

"You're breaking it off," I joke weakly, and she responds with a stunned blink. I'd meant it in jest, but based on her expression I've hit the nail on the head. She looks like she's going to speak, but suddenly I'm boiling mad. I cut her off before she begins. "After two years--!"

"Not quite two years, I--"

"After two years you're splitting with me. Because the thrill's worn off, right, the thrill of going steady with a boy that's a chick? I don't deserve the royal shaft because you can't handle it anymore, you knew... you knew what you were getting into..." I trail off to heave in, my breath half sob.

Kitty takes her chance to start up talking. "It's just that Daddy's never gonna be okay with us, Charlie. I thought he'd cool it but it's been two years and he's still so mad." She searches my eyes with hers, and damn it, I meet her gaze. She looks fuzzy through my tears. "I don't want to put you through that, not for me. It makes me feel rotten."

The cat tries for the door again so I push him away with a little more force. He makes an injured noise and scampers off.

"Wow," is all I can manage.

Kitty isn't done. "You keep on asking me to marry you, Charlie. We're only seventeen, and besides, we can't even if we wanted to; even if the law said we could we're too young. And I know my daddy, he'll never let you marry me. I can't watch you suffer for me..."

I want to touch her but instead I bite the soft inside of my cheek until I taste the metallic tang of blood. "I'm not suffering for you," I say, "but it seems like you've got your mind made up already."

Kitty sighs like the rattle of a dying breath. "I can't have Daddy hating me every minute, I just really can't. I love you so much, Charlie, but I love him too. I need him to be proud of me."

"So what are you saying?" I demand. She stares at her shoes, shoulders shuddering. "Kitty."

"I'm saying it's best for the both of us if we split. I'm scared, I am, because I do love you so much. But we've had a lousy summer anyways and I know Daddy'll never come around to you."