The Space Between Us | L.S

Cruel Summer

JULY

As much as I complained about the winter months, the summers were much worse in my opinion. A lone drop of sweat made its way down my back, leaving a trail of temporary coolness in its wake. I pressed the cool wrapping of the popsicle to the back of my neck; the harsh, late July heat taking my body prisoner.

Jonas and I were lying on a thick woven blanket at the park a block up from our place. The park was packed with city-dwellers attempting to make the most of the dwindling summer days.

I had just finished up my final summer course and was now trying to train myself to read for fun again. However, the thick book that was deemed a bestseller was resting on my bare stomach, probably soaking up the thick layer of sunscreen I had applied. I was half-listening to Jonas venting about his betrayal from his supervisor, who awarded the quarterly promotion to, as he puts it, 'some bloke who wouldn't be anything without his training'. I was trying to sympathize with him; he had been at the company longer but with Jonas' work ethic and the fact that half of the company have slept with him and now is on the outs for him. I could see why this 'bloke' had received the supervisor position.

"I dropped out of uni for this position." He bellowed.

"I mean, technically you dropped out because you were failing two of your courses."

"Not the time to get technical Wen!"

"You're right, I'm sorry. You deserved the position, fuck that other guy and all that."

He let out a huge sigh. "Sorry, I know I keep talking about this." I didn't reply right away because he had been chewing my ear off about this for the past four days.

"It's fine, I get it this must be frustrating."

"It is." And that just started the whole cycle over again. His voice became muffled as I stared up at the blue sky. My focus getting lost in the white, puffy clouds; if only I could weave myself through the blue sky.

"Wendy?"

"Yeah, yeah I know." I spitted out a generic response so he wouldn't know I wasn't listening.

"Wen, no-"

"Go talk to your boss demand your rightful position." I kept going, trying to really sell it to him.

"Wen!" I broke out of the trance, snapping my head towards the now very on edge man.

"What?" I asked, his expression frightening me. I perched my body up on my elbow and moved my sunglasses to get a better look at him. He was looking down at his cell-phone, his mouth agape.

"Joe died. Joe, from Sin's."

Jonas and I stood in the way back, tucked behind grieving third cousins and childhood friends he probably hasn't spoken to in twenty plus years. I pulled my blue dress further down my thighs, the service announcement for his memorial notified the masses to wear blue since it was Joe's favourite colour. The only blue apparel that I owned that would be half-appropriate for the occasion was a dress I last wore to my baby cousin's blessing. It was big in some places and yet still seemed incredibly short in the back. The actual funeral services were hours before and his family members were still walking around with waxy faces and red, puffy eyes.

I tried my best not to scan the crowd as I was fully aware of the fellows who I used to work for would be here. That's all he was to me now, someone who I used to work for.

We stood in the humid July air, silently cheering when a cool breeze whizzed through our feet. Person after person went onto the "platform" they had created, right next to a blown-up photo of him encased in a gold trim frame. It seemed everyone had a memory to share about him. I thought back to the Joe I knew. He was just someone I worked within the end. I tried to think of some very special moment we had that would make it so I was half-worthy of attending this memorial but I really didn't so why did I come? I mean, Jonas talked the entire car ride here about any Joe story he could think of. It started strong with a story about the time Joe was tattooing him and his tattoo gun exploded mid-session; leaving both of them with matching scars from the array of pieces that flew into the air. The next time they saw each other, Joe tattooed over the healed scar. Towards the end of the car ride, he was grasping for straws to think of a story but at least he had something making him worthy of attending.

I thought back to all the times of Joe walking in on me and my ex-boyfriend making out in the backroom or him being there when my ex-boyfriend was essentially telling me not to show up for my shifts because he couldn't bear to see me.

Bush went up on stage and shared a short blip of his friendship with Joe. I had no idea that Joe and Bush had been friends since they were teenagers. They went into the business together and through the years have jumped ship together from shop to shop. I felt the wetness on my cheek before I could even register I was crying. Jonas looked down at me, his large hand snaking down to pulse my hand twice. "You good?" I nodded in response, not trusting my voice.

As the memorial came to a subtle conclusion, the masses started to disperse immediately. Most going to the tent that was forked into the dry grass where refreshments were provided. Jonas and I shared a look and inaudibly decided to both walk towards our parked car.

"Jonas?" We both halted mid-step. The heavy pounding of feet coming towards us could only be one person. "Jonas, man haven't seen you in forever." We both spun around, and I plastered a fake small smile over my lips as I stared up at the burly man. "Oh...and Wendy, how are you kid?" A genuine smile ghosted over his lips and I felt horrible for the fake one I returned to him.

"Bush!" Jonas and him went in for a hug, despite Jonas being roughly 182 centimeters he looked ant-size next to Bush. "I am so sorry for your loss mate." Jonas said clearly, patting him on the back. Unexpectedly, Bush pulled me into a hug next. My body went into overdrive on whether it should tense or give in to the hug, but something was comforting about the large man's body consuming mine.

"My condolences Bush." I whispered as we parted.

"Thanks, kid." Another kind smile danced up to his eyes. "Yeah, it's been hard. Makes you think of all the time you once had together; keep thinking about how we haven't reached out to each other and all that."

"Reach out?" I heard myself inappropriately ask.

"Yeah, we haven't seen in each other since leaving in December. We played phone tag for the first few months but then life just happened."

"Leaving?" Now it was Jonas' time to probe. Bush eyes did a double-take for a moment before his face fell into a puzzled expression.

"Louis' sold his share."

"What?" My eyes were probably bulging out of my head at this point.

"You didn't know?" He looked between both of us. "Louis sold his share, and it was like dominos after that, Joe and I just left after new management came in. Couldn't find a place to work together so we parted way essentially."

Right on cue, like a dark comedy script, Louis' presence entered the scene. "Bush mate," I watched as the hand that was mid-way to pat Bush's back froze, as his eyes took in my existence.

"We should go; it was nice seeing you mate. Don't be a stranger." Jonas said, facing only Bush. He started pulling me up the hill.

"Bye Bush." I mumbled as Jonas' hold on my arm tightened slightly. We trenched up the hill before I dared just a glance. At first, I noticed, Bush's retreating large form making his way back to the crowd before my eyes met with Louis' right away who was almost frozen in the same spot; the only movement he seemed to make was his arm, that had fallen to his side.