You Must Remember This

Chapter 19: Humble Folks Without Temptation

John packed lightly, as always; everything he brought had to have a purpose, or else he would look in his suitcase when he returned home and feel wasteful. Still, everything he deemed valuable enough to bring added up to one bulging rolling suitcase, which he spun around in circles on his driveway like a top. Every crack in the pavement seemed a new plaything, a mountain ridge emerging from a plain or a ravine that coursed to the core of the Earth. Mr. Langley arrived driving the same van as last time, and Tom rode shotgun as usual.

"Are you excited, John?" Mr. Langley asked while checking the map to figure out where Juliet lived.

"I'm as excited as always, Steve," John responded perkily, and the two laughed as if this weren't the first time they'd seen each other in months. Tom rolled his eyes and took out his phone to text Regina. Juliet was next to enter, and her parents waved goodbye while she tried her hardest to maneuver to John's right smoothly, quickly giving up and sliding across his lap; she chuckled and smiled at John, who smiled despite not thinking it humorous.

"Lovely name," Mr. Langley remarked when Juliet introduced herself. Beth was next on the list, so they drove through the lilac trees to her door; a few flowers fell onto the car's windshield. Beth was delighted to see Juliet's face pressed against the glass, John's looming faintly next to hers, and nimbly moved to John's left. Juliet was extremely curious to learn what she had gotten herself into, and due to John's proximity saw him as the most reliable witness.

"So you're in the woods, right? Do you know that scene in Snow White where all the birds and rabbits come out of the bushes to help her do the dishes? I've always wanted to live in a tranquil little cabin like that, away from all the distractions of life. I hope that's what the house is like," Juliet bubbled, and John nodded his head in understanding.

"You just want to live like a princess, the nature's not part of it at all," Beth joked, and John glared at her while Juliet laughed it off—how dare she ruin her fantasy? John explained carefully to Juliet how while there were wild quail, deer, and raccoons, they were to be admired from a distance and not abducted as household pets.

"I'm just kidding, John, although it would be nice, raccoons are kind of adorable," Juliet reassured him, and just as Regina entered the car, John decided he had had enough socialization time and took out his book. Frank had made a summer reading list for the club while working with his teachers to get around the minor technicality that summer homework was prohibited; Frank added his favorite books and let others on the list without much argument. John, in a way, was admirably precocious in starting Catch-22 in the car; the others who cared (Tom's half-hearted participation had its limits, even though Regina expressed her desire to go with the majority and play along) were waiting to see Tom's promised mythical bookshelf.

"It isn't mine, really, it's more of a family collection. I never look at any myself," Tom claimed, which he rapidly amended to "rarely, sometimes, on occasion" when Regina looked at him shiftily. So far, all these descriptions were persuading Juliet that she was traveling to a fairytale castle. This was going to be the best trip ever, and she was about to share this insight with John when she saw him already enthralled in his book, eyes glazed over. She discreetly snuck a peek over his shoulder, seeing Beth was doing the same. Lots of violence, this must be a rousing read.

Juliet's preconception was not entirely disrupted when as they approached their destination, the air gradually became more misty, which made them shiver as they exited the van and hauled their suitcases up the path to the front porch.

"Looks like it might rain, I hope you brought umbrellas," Mr. Langley remarked after taking a heady whiff of the air. "There should be some firewood in the garage if you want to use the fireplace."