𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏' ≛ m. kelso ✔

≛ chapter one

JANUARY 1968

Seven-year-old Juniper Clark stared out the window of her father's car as they pulled into the iced driveway of their new home. She sat there, unmoving, as her parents climbed out and grinned at the house.

"Junebug?" her father chuckled, tapping on the window to stir her. Her eyes didn't move from the ice particles that had formed on the glass until he opened the door.

Jim Clark watched his daughter with a small frown. "Is everything okay, Junie?"

Juniper's blue-green eyes flickered to her father's. "Yes, daddy. I'm just cold."

She didn't understand why they had moved from sunny Florida to the little town in Wisconsin called Point Place, much less in the middle of the winter. She had always dreamed of getting out of her hometown, but this wasn't what she had in mind.

"Well, let's come inside. The neighbors want to meet us."

Juniper wrinkled her nose. "Neighbors?"

Jim laughed quietly, picking her up and carrying her to the adjacent home's driveway. "Yes, Junebug. Neighbors."

As Juniper's mother joined her husband and daughter, a tall woman and a tall man emerged from the doorway. June wasn't as fixated on them as she was on the boy who bounded outside, tripped, and fell face-first into the snow.

An older boy gently pushed his father and mother away and ran to help what Juniper assumed was his younger brother. "Mike, get up, you're embarrassing yourself!"

"Casey, he's fine," the woman assured him before stepping toward Juniper's family with a warm smile. "Welcome to the neighborhood. I'm Angelina, this is John, and those two are Casey and Michael."

Juniper's mother beamed at her. "Well, you guys are a nice-looking foursome. I'm Lily, and these two are Jim and Juniper."

Angelina's eyes lit up. "Juniper? What a pretty name!"

Juniper smiled, she wasn't often complimented by anyone other than her family members. "Thank you, ma'am."

Angelina chuckled. "Angie is fine. Say, how old are you?"

"Seven years old, Angie."

"Well, our Michael here is only a year older than you, and I think you'll be in the same grade at school!" She turned to her son, who had already been cleaned up by his brother. "Michael, why don't you take her up to your room and play?"

Jim nodded. "That's a great idea. Go ahead, Junebug."

After a moment of hesitation, Juniper followed the boy wordlessly up to his room, where he gestured for her to take a seat.

The room was neat, with the exception of stacks of comic books lying here and there. She sat herself down in a cozy-looking chair by his closet.

Michael tilted his head at her, his long brown hair flopping to the side with his movements. "Why does your dad call you that?"

Juniper eyed him warily. "Call me what?"

"Junebug."

She shrugged. "It's a nickname."

"Nickname?" the boy frowned. "People always call me by my first name or my last name."

"Well, a nickname is a shortened version of your name."

Michael seemed to ponder the idea for a moment. "Oh. Then I'll call you Buggy, since your name is Junebug and all."

Juniper wrinkled her nose. "My name is Juniper."