all our stars, bench trio

chapter twenty-two

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

july 18, 2011

content warning: discussions of cancer (sarcoma)

"Mum, can you help me with this, please?" I tug at a box in the car trunk.

"Yeah, honey, just give me a minute." Mum pushes open both front doors, then rushes back to where I am to shift the weight into her hands. Her pale-brown waves are sticking to her forehead from sweat.

"Here, I'm stronger, I can take it," she says.

I still hold my hands at the bottom of the box, though I'm not taking any weight.

"What's this box for?" she asks, grunting.

"Kitchen stuff."

"Okay, baby. Make sure I don't run into any walls."

I make sure she doesn't run into walls, as she tells me to.

Mum leaves to go get more boxes from the car. I open up the box using a pair of scissors from the counter. It's a stack of plates and silverware.

I put them away, feeling a sense of duty. I accept another box with the coffeepot in it and put it together the best I can.

Hearing Mum's struggles from outside, I rush out to help her.

I find someone else underneath the box too. A little boy, probably an inch shorter than me, with red hair and round, thick-rimmed eyeglasses, a little crooked from the effort.

He sees me in the doorway, and stares a little bit before the box slides loose in his grip. He yelps in surprise, jumping to catch it before it hits the ground. I go out and take another side to help distribute the weight. We all take the box in and place it on the ground as gingerly as possible.

"June, all your stuff is in your room, already."

"Oh, really? Can I go put all of it?" I'm already halfway there.

She laughs. "Of course, you can."

"Can I go too?" The boy brushes a frizzy chunk of hair out of his eyes.
"Of course, honey. Have fun." I sprint towards my bedroom, the boy following close behind at a slower pace. My room is painted a denim blue on all 4 walls.

"Cool room," he says. I whip my head around to face him. I've somehow already forgotten he was here.
"Thanks, but nothing's up yet."

He shrugs. "Still cool. Good color." I nod, unsure how to respond.

I dig out my duvet and sheets from one of the boxes. I never learned how to tuck in my sheets properly, so I just toss them on.

"I can help you with that," the boy suggests. "My older sister taught me how to do the hospital-corners thing." Without me even opening my mouth to say yes, the boy rushes up to fox my mistake. He does it in a matter of seconds.

"Jeez, how'd you do it so fast?"

He shrugs. "Just practice, I guess." He makes his j sounds like sh. I contemplate mentioning it, but I decide against it.

I throw on my duvet. "Wait," I say, "there's not a better way to do this, too, right?"

He shakes his head. "Nope, you're good."

The bedspread is mostly the same color as my walls, with a yellow star pattern.

"You must really like stars."