One More Time

02

The only time I've ever heard June Thomas speak was when she was saying the words "one more time". Other than that I've never heard her say more. Even whenever she'd say "one more time" the majority of times it was murmured under her breath.

Even in class her voice never comes out to play. I've seen the teachers ask her to stay back in class for a minute or two so they could talk to her. They'd tell her that she needs to speak up. That she can't stay quiet like this in class. I'd assume June's been dealing with teachers telling her to talk more since she was in grade school. I'd hear her hum, showing she understood the teacher's concerns before exiting the classroom to her next class.

She seems like she was the quiet kid in class in grade school. She doesn't have much to say. Does she have any interests besides the piano? I only know very few things about June Thomas but that's because I've observed those things. Anyone could pick those things out about her if they put in the effort. But I only know the surface-level things about her. I know nothing personal.

If I wanted to know things more personal about her then I could just ask her and try to get to know her. But that's just not what I do. It just doesn't feel like the right thing to do. Well... maybe it is but I don't even know where to start or if she'd just ignore me and push me far away.

But June Thomas feels like such an interesting mystery to me. A complex puzzle that takes you years to solve. A true-crime documentary you couldn't stop thinking about. I know that when and if I learn just about everything there is to learn about her I'll feel accomplished. Like that puzzle you finished. Like when you guessed who the bad guy was in that documentary.

"So you're telling me... that you're hyper fixated on June Thomas? The piano girl." I talked over a FaceTime call with my friend, Adam, of three years now. He moved away last year so he knows a majority of the people I talk about.

"Yes, but it's not a hyper fixation. She's just so intriguing." I took a bite of my sandwich. Eating in the bathrooms during lunch wasn't the most fun experience but it was definitely an experience of types.

"But piano girl... really Luka?"

"She's like a mystery to solve and you know I observe random people far too much."

"I was friends with June Thomas in like middle school."

"Wait really?" I almost choked on my food out of the surprise news.

"Maybe not middle school but like kindergarten."

"Well, that doesn't really help." I sighed. "That's like two completely different grades."

"Whatever. But like you're still really eating on the bathroom floors during lunch period?"

"Don't even act like it's weird when this is literally how we met, Adam," I complained, taking a few more bites out of my sandwich, almost finishing it off.

"Yeah, but I sat in the bathrooms for a reason. It wasn't my fault I was getting bullied."

"And it's not my fault I'm lonely."

"Okay fine but still, you need to branch out or something. Go find someone to sit with."

I stared at him with my mouth slightly open in shock. "Are you serious?" I almost laughed at how dumb his statement was. "That would be me asking to get bullied too."

"Sitting in the bathrooms eating the same type of sandwich every day is you asking to get bullied too."

My mood got a little more serious as I thought about the topic. Being bullied. Adam got bullied a lot before moving schools. That was part of the reason his family felt it was best to leave. "Have you been getting bullied at your new school? You haven't really talked about whether or not you have so I don't know." I took the last bite of my sandwich.