A N G E L (Roger Daltrey)

Thirteen

Janice's POV

You almost want it to rain when there's a funeral. It seems unfair for the sky to be blue when you're feeling so gray.

There weren't very many people in attendance. It was only me, Nancy and her family, and a handful of my family members. Most of my mom's friends were too coked up or drunk or both to come, but a couple did. They smelled like liquor and it made me angry. Liquor is what took my mother away.

Maybe she wasn't the best mom, but she was my mom, and that's grounds to be upset, I think.

The service was short, and afterwards we went to a church I had been to once as a kid for the reception. There were cold ham sandwiches and cheese cubes to pick at and a pitcher of sweet tea.

I was staring into space and nibbling at a cheese cube with my front two teeth like a bunny when Nancy poked my arm and asked if I wanted to go outside.

We grabbed each other's hands and ran out the doors of the church, kicking our sandals into the grass as soon as we got outside.

We padded through the grass hand in hand, and my itchy dark purple dress tickled behind my knees.

"You stoked for tomorrow?" Nance asked me once we stopped walking. We were in the middle of the field beside the church.

"So beyond. Are you gonna come to my house with me and help me pack?" I scrunched my toes in the grass, dust from the dry ground working its way between them.

"Of course. Got any outfits planned?" Nancy let go of my hand and shook out her shiny blonde hair.

"Uh, I'm for sure bringing the one I wore to the concert. I think I'll bring the yellow shorts with the button, but I don't know what top with that. Other than that, no idea." I shrugged.

"Ooh, you could bring that, like, two piece with the funky pattern on it. The shirt and skirt set?" She suggested.

"Oh, I forgot about that set. Yeah, I'll for sure bring that. Ah! And the corduroy overall dress."

We gabbed about clothes until Edith shouted that we were leaving.

Back at my house, it was quiet. I turned the key and opened the door to let Nance and I in and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding when everything looked the same as it did when I left it.

I don't know why I thought it would be any different.

We went up to my room and flopped down on my bed.

"Oh, I have something for you! For the trip." Nancy sat up and grabbed her purse, rifling around in it and then pulling out some fabric. "Here. For you."

I held out the delicate white bra. The cups were made of sheer netting, and there was a brown and orange butterfly embroidered over where each nipple would be.

The white satin shorts followed, with matching butterflies embroidered on the hemline in little clusters of two or three.

"Oh, wow." I breathed.

"I made them myself," my best friend blushed.

"Wow," I repeated, "it's beautiful. Really. When did you do this?"

"While you were asleep. It's the fastest I've ever made something, like, ever. And I had to use mom's sewing machine without her seeing what I was making."

We laughed, and I clutched the lingerie in my hand.

"One more thing!" She dug around in her purse again and then flung something at me like a slingshot.

"Jinkies!" I jumped. "Oh, god, what is this?" I held up the skimpy item. I had definitely seen thong underwear before and worn it my fair share of times, but this scrap of iridescent lace looked like something directly out of a porno.

"That would be a g-string. I didn't make that, I got it from the place next to the used bookstore."

I blushed and hugged her around the neck.

"Thank you, Nance. I love it. Even if the underwear looks like a shoelace." I laid the pieces out and admired them.

"Roger's going to love it, too. Tell him I said 'you're welcome.'" She slugged me playfully in the shoulder.

"Shut up!" I slugged her back, and we laughed like hyenas, play wrestling on my bed.

Nancy fell off and landed in the floor with a yell.

"Oh shit, are you good?" I asked.

"Yeah. Hey what's this in your trash? Looks like you skinned a muppet." She poked at the fuzz in my trash can.

"Oh! That's, uh, hang on," now it was my turn to grab my purse, "I made these for Ringo the morning my mom died. I guess I forgot to give them to you."

I handed her the puffballs.

"How cute!" She exclaimed, climbing back onto the bed. "He's gonna love them. He'll probably, like, destroy them, but he'll love them!"

"It's no big deal if he tears them up, I can make more really fast. They're easy." I waved my hand dismissively.

"Cool beans! Alright, back to packing."

We crammed all of my best threads into my avocado green suitcase, including my favorite shoes. There was not a single day where I wouldn't look my best. Even my pajamas were beautiful and sexy, as I had packed some of my mother's satin nightgowns. She certainly wouldn't be needing them, so I figured it was alright.

"Are you ready to go back to my house?" Nancy asked once we had finished. "Anything else you need from here?"

"I'm ready to go." I grabbed my suitcase and lugged it down the stairs, half carrying it and half dragging it.

She helped me load it into the funny little front trunk of her beetle and we went back to her house.

I couldn't sleep that night, opting instead for tossing and turning so much that Nancy kicked me out into the floor, throwing a pillow down there with me.

"Do you want me to be able to drive you to the airport in the morning?" she had hissed.

"Sorry." I whispered back. I rolled across the floor like a disgruntled sausage and pulled down the quilt that hung over the back of her desk chair, rolling up in it and back to the pillow.

Eventually, wrapped in the quilt like an infant, I fell asleep.