September chill
He loved the crisp, chill morning air of september. The beginning of the month always held the best of promises to him: Going back home to Tacoma, away from the island. He longed to lose himself in a crowd again, where there was other people like him, where he didn't stand out as the freak, the outcast. Back to his friends, back to his life. Back to himself, but there was still another week to survive here. But september always smelled so good, giving off the vague whiff of the upcoming death of summer.
There wasn't anything attractive about the island to him – he hated it. Boring, quiet – quaint – far from anything he cared about. On the island, he could only talk to Henry, Abby and Trish – the rest of the people here shunned him, feared him and hated him. All because of his clothes, his interest in everything goth and him not being able to fake a sunny disposition like Henry.
Standing on the porch of their small, rented summer house, he took a deep breath, catching the faint smell of the sea at high tide. This time, they'd stayed longer than usual. As always, the reason was money. Both his father and Henry had gotten a job offer the Dunn's simply couldn't refuse: Double pay to restore an old schooner. He knew both of them would probably have done it for free in their spare time – they were just that crazy about boats.
These days, his mother wasn't around anymore to rein in their obsession with boats. And neither Henry nor their dad thought JD to be the voice of reason. No one in their right mind would let himself loose on a boat, that was a fact. His father and brother thought this job was amazing – cackling about types of paint, correct scraping methods, qualities of rope and whatever. To him, their job was just an annoying delay in getting back to Tacoma.
Damn, he missed his life, the possibility of going off alone by himself without getting in a fight with insane fishermen like Shane Pierce. And he missed his mother. As for the extended stay, he sported several big, purplish bruises on his upper body, courtesy of said Shane Pierce.
Feeling more grumpy than usual, he didn't turn around hearing steps behind him.
«You awake already, JD?» his brother said. As usual, Henry looked annoyingly happy. Though, when JD took a closer look, he saw that Henry was almost bursting with excitement. Of course, it was Saturday. Hard to keep track of the week when he didn't work himself. All jobs on the island included boats or restaurants. JD just didn't fit into either category. No one had ever hired him for a job.
«So, Saturday?» he said to Henry. «Going over to Abby's, or what?»
«Yeah!» Henry said, looking even more pleased.
«Breakfast? Hanging out for the rest of the day too?»
«Complete with drinking on the beach tonight!» Henry beamed.
JD wondered: Did Henry even realize how easy it was forJD to read him? He just couldn't understand why Henry even bothered to fake his life like that: Being so in love with Abby, and still keeping it up with Trish. He'd never do anything like that himself, but then again, he didn't really care what people thought. Henry did, though, enough to live a lie, for some obscure reason JD didn't even begin to comprehend.
He knew it would spoil Henry's mood, and he felt patethic and spiteful for trying to pull his brother down with him. «And you're grinning like a madman because there's no Trish and no Jimmy, right? As in mainland and two months out at sea?»
Henry shot him a dirty look, face closing up to his usual, friendly mask.
«I like Abby, she's my friend», he answered curtly. «What's wrong with being happy to see her?»
JD lifted his eyebrows, saying sarcastically: «Nothing wrong, but like? That's not the word I'd use to describe how you think of Abby. Seems more like obsession to me.»
Henry took a menacing step towards JD, face furious: «You shut up, JD! I've told you before – I won't tolerate you talking about me and Abby like that!»
«Afraid I'll blow your cover in front of Abby, or what?» he said with a certain glee. «You're a damned coward and a liar, Henry, since all this with Trish is just to keep your summer job and worming your way into high society's good graces...»
He blinked, he was laying on this back, with an odd ringing sound in his ears? A metallic taste trickled it's way down into his mouth, and he saw Henry's face in front of him.
«I'm sorry, JD, I'm sorry, I just lost it, you know how I get sometimes, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, really I didn't, are you alright?»
Henry was babbling, looking shocked.
JD tried to lift his head, but winced. Damn, he should know better by now not to taunt Henry with Abby! This wasn't the first time...
«Let me help you up.» Henry took hold of him, hoisting him ut into a sitting position, and JD pushed him away angrily.
«Leave me alone! Don't you think you've done enough?» he said, spitting blood out of his mouth.
«I can't see why you try to hide it, it's damned obvious too me – and knocking me down just proves I'm right! Get the hell out of here, you fucking liar! You know, pretending like that won't get you anywhere near what you want from her!»
Henry sighed, looking away, a guilty expression on his face. «You're right», he said sadly. «I'm sorry, JD. This may not help me. But I'll still get to see her. I'm sorry - I didn't plan to hit you like that.»
And like that he rose, going in the direction of the Mills house – his happiness visibly picking up again as he was on his way to his secret crush. Metres away from JD, Henry was smiling once more, that feverish light again in his eyes.
JD stared after him, wondering not for the first time if Henry was entirely sane. Being so angry all of a sudden as to knock out his own brother, and in seconds back to happy. Having a girlfriend, while secretly pining for another girl. No, he thought, Henry was nothing close to normal. Still, he was his brother, and for that reason JD would never tell. The september chill seeped into hos body while he sat there, hunched over, feeling dizzy after the knockout.
Author's note: I' m really curious about Henry and JD's relationship. You just don't tell on your siblings, or what? I think JD might have known something – but of course not the Wakefield/killing part.