Jack's Last Summer

Part 4

Garland kissed her mother’s cheek lightly.

“I hope it all goes okay, love. Remember we can pick you up if it all gets too much.” Her father hugged her tightly.

“It’s only up the coast for a month or so. You can visit if you want. I’ll keep in contact,” Garland promised. “It’ll be good practice for living on campus,” She smiled sadly. “Remember to feed Olive and Baxter.” The guinea pigs squeaked at the mention of their names. Or perhaps, more importantly, at the mention of food.

“They’ll be fine,” Mrs Hayes sniffed. It suddenly struck her that she didn’t quite know what to say about Jack. What do you say when your daughter is leaving to watch one of her best friends die? “I hope Jack… Well. You know.” She shrugged, at a loss for words.

“I know.” Garland wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded in understanding. She had felt the exact same way for the past fortnight.

She wrapped her slim fingers around the handle of her suitcase and turned out the door, giving her parents one last wave as she stepped into the 6AM morning light. With her other hand she picked up her impatient puppy’s lead from where it was hooked over a fig branch outside. Her Prius flashed cheerily and unlocked with a little click. Garland piled her small suitcase in the boot and the dog into the back, clipping his harness into the seatbelt. She climbed into the driver’s seat. The driveway from the front of her house was long, snaking through an area of bush that as a childGarland had believed to be magical. Without letting herself think too much she drove down the road, down to Seth’s house. Her cheeks were wet.

Seth was waiting outside his house, suitcase in hand. Cathy stood in the doorway grimly holding their fat grey cat Monster. Garland waved to her and waited for Seth to get into the car.

“She made you a scarf.” He said as he slid into the passenger seat, handing Garland a green bundle. She looked up and smiled through the window at the older woman, raising a hand in acknowledgement. Cathy’s mouth twitched and she nodded solemnly.

Garland sighed and pulled away from the kerb.

The pair sat in a silence that was made even more obvious by the silent hybrid Prius. Even Garland’s puppy Ghost sat quietly, looking around with his wide blue eyes. He was a little white husky pup, named in honour of Jon Snow’s direwolf from Game of Thrones. Seth leaned forwards and switched on the radio. Chop Suey! by System Of A Down was playing on Triple J. Garland mouthed the words, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel along with the drumbeat. She began to sing out loud in the last few verses, just to break the tension.

Too late it occurred to her that these verses might not be the most appropriate to sing to.

Father, father, father, father
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit
Father, into your hands
Why have you forsaken me?
In your eyes forsaken me
In your thoughts forsaken me
In your heart forsaken me, oh

Trust in my self-righteous suicide
I cry when angels deserve to die
In my self-righteous suicide
I cry when angels deserve to die

 

 “What do you think this is all about?” Garland asked Seth quietly once the song was over.

“What do I think what’s all about?” He asked vaguely, having drifted off into his head.

“You’ve been Jack’s best mate since kindy. You know him better than anyone. Why would he do this?”

“I don’t know. I think it’s a pretty good idea, though. Dying surrounded by your best friends. The whole cliché, John Green type cancer death.” Seth shrugged. Garland furrowed her brow at his insensitivity before realising that was probably how he coped. Men seemed to do that a lot. Exhibit A being Jack’s Chernobyl Holiday text.