Their Last Summer

Closer (2020)

June and I have become best friends, we do almost everything together. These past few weeks have been amazing, everyday after school we've been going to the lake or to the park.

Today after school we planned on going to the lake. June has been wanting to go fishing for the longest time but hasn't had a fishing rod.

Me and June meet in the student parking lot after the bell rings, "Well Hello there Mrs.Layton!" I say to June, unlocking my truck.

"Hey Henry, I got bad news.." June says quietly, breaking her stare from the ground and looking up at me. I was worried, everytime June was upset I always thought of her mom.

"What's the matter June? Is everything okay?" I say, opening the passenger door for June.

"My aunt texted me that I need to come home, she said my mom has been missing me." June explains, climbing into the truck. I stay there holding the door, waiting for her to get to the bad news part.

"So I'm not going to be able to hang out after school this week..." June says, waiting for me to respond and searching my face. Did she really expect me to be upset at her for spending time with her sick mom?

"June I understand, maybe I can come over and meet them. We could play board games or do puzzles or something." I suggest I close June's door and go around the truck. I open the driver side door and climb in, I look over at June and I see she's looking out her window.

"Look June, I can just drop you off if you want. I don't have to come in, I didn't mean to overstep." I say cranking my truck and pulling out the parking lot.

"No! I want you to meet them, it's just no one has really seen my mom sick, not even my friends back home." June explained, finally looking away from the window but still avoiding looking my way.

"I don't want you to... I don't know." June searches for the right words, and puts her hands over her face in frustration.

"June whatever you're worried about, Don't! I promise everything will be fine." I reassure her.

June slowly puts her hands down and looks over at me, "Thank's Henry! Sorry, I'm just scared once you meet my mom you're going to act all weird and start babying me." June says, looking my way.

"Like I said June, there is no reason you need to be worrying. Especially about me babying you, I already do that." I say jokingly, messing up her hair.

"No you don't! If anything I always have to baby you Dawton!" June says, pushing my hand away.

"And now that I can be honest, I really didn't want you coming because I didn't wanna have to beat you in all those board games you're talking about." June says. We both start laughing and I look over and June sticks her tongue out at me.

I pull into Junes driveway and put my truck in park, I look over expecting June to have a regretful look on her face. I expected her just to reschedule the whole thing, instead June jumped out the truck with a big smile on her face. June ran around the truck before I even unbuckled my seat belt, "Can you come on old man Henry!" June said, opening up my door.

When we reached the front door, June turned to me and gave me a look and I shook my head reassuring her again. June opened the door and called out, "Aunt Em! Mom! I'm home!"

Two ladies made their way down the stairs, one was dressed in casual business wear and the other was dressed in sweats and her hair was wrapped up. June's aunt was assisting June's mom down the stairs, carefully going down each step. "Hey June, how was your day sweetie?" June's aunt asks while focusing on reaching the bottom of the stairway.

"Hey Aunt Em, it was alright. As good as it can be, I guess." June says

"Hey baby, I've missed you all day." June's mom says while breathing heavily, you could tell that the stairs were taking a toll on her.

They finally reach the bottom of the stairs, "I've missed you too mama!" June says, wrapping her mom up in a hug. I just stood there smiling, June is always a happy person but her mom brings out another side of June.

"Mom, Aunt Em, this is Henry." June says stepping to the side of her mom, "Henry, this is my mom Amanda and My aunt Emma." I reached out my hand to greet the both of them, "Nice to meet you Ms.Amanda!" I say, gently shaking her hand, "You too Ms.Emma!" shaking her hand.

"Ahh yes! You're the boy who has had our June keeping the roads hot." Ms.Emma said laughing.

"Oh umm, sorry ma'am! I didn't.....I thought..." I stumble nervously on my words.

June and Ms.Amanda start laughing, "Relax sweetie, I'm just kidding around" Ms.Emma said laughing again.

I joined in on all the laughing, "Oh sorry ma'am, you had me scared for a second!"

"Henry thought it would be fun if we played some games or something." June said walking into the living room. Everyone followed behind her. June and her mom sat on one couch and I sat with her aunt.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Ms.Amanda says with a big smile on her face.

Three hours have passed and we were finishing up the last game, "Henry, would you like to stay for dinner?" Ms.Emma asks, getting up from her seat.

"No I better get home, my mom is probably waiting for me. We normally eat dinner together." I say, standing up and stretching.

"Well it was lovely meeting you Henry! I hope we can do this again!" Ms.Amanda says, sitting up straight pulling her blanket closer.

June stands up and walks towards me, "Come on Henry, I'll walk you out."

I get up and tell everyone bye, We all agree that we need to do this again.

"Thanks Henry, we haven't had this much fun and laughed this much in a while." June says walking me to my truck.

"Don't thank me June, I had fun today. I gotta go but I'll see you tomorrow!" I give June a hug and leave.

I get home and to no surprise my dad isn't home. "Hey mom, sorry I'm late." I say feeling kind of bad. My mom comes out of the kitchen and smiles at me, "It's okay sweetie, just come have dinner with me." I put my bag down and head to the kitchen table, excited to tell my mom about my day. She loves hearing all about "her little henry and his girlfriend". I don't mind though, I could talk about June all day.