Part Six: My Girl
Magnet took Becky's hand and they began to dance as her grandmother started to play the music. It was some song called My Girl that Magnet had never heard of.
Becky rested her head on Magnet's shoulder, every once in a while he heard her sniffing. Magnet could see Becky's grandmother sitting in the corner, taking tissues and blowing her nose. Her eyes were red and puffy.
"You never told us how he died." whispered Magnet. Becky hesitated.
"It was some sort of brain problem." she sniffed again. "I think it was brain cancer or something."
"He seemed just fine when we met him."
"That's when it started. He kept getting headaches." Suddenly she burst out crying.
"Oh I'm sorry." Magnet said guiltily, patting her on the shoulder. He should have known better. She shook her head.
"It's not that." she said, sniffing again. "He..... he couldn't remember my name....He didn't know where he was either. He was talking about going to war..... he said he had to fight for his country." she sniffed again. "I was scared. I was the only one in the house with him. So I called 911. He kept asking me when that "thing" had been invented. I didn't know he was talking about the telephone. It was as if he was stuck in a different time or something." she continued crying on his shoulder. He kept patting her. "I tried to get him to remember me. He couldn't. I'm not even sure if he remembered me before he died."
There was a small silence except for her crying. "I'm so sorry....." Magnet whispered. "It must have been awful."
Squid, who was sitting by the snack table, eating some of the chips, was watching them closely.
*
Becky traded off with each of the boys, so they eat had a chance to dance with someone. Becky told Magnet she'd dance with him again later, for she still wanted to talk to him. She told each of them the story she had told Magnet, but each time she told it she got braver and didn't cry as much. Squid was dancing with her last.
Squid seemed very awkward as Becky put her arms around his neck. Becky managed to smile a little.
"You look so different without your hat." she said. Her face was still red from her crying. Squid didn't say anything.
"Becky?" he suddenly said, sounding like he had suddenly made a decision.
"What?" she sounded almost worried.
"Remember that day, when we played spin the bottle, and we were in the tent, and you told me you heard me crying at night once?"
"Yeah."
"And I told you I had allergies?"
"Yeah......"
"Well, the truth is, I don't have allergies. I just...... my dad left me when I was very young, then my mother became an alcoholic. She really didn't care about me that much anymore. She kept getting drunk and would act all weird. I remember I began to get scared of her. Then I did something to try to get her to realize how she was making me upset. That ended up getting me sent to Camp Greenlake. Every night I have these dreams about her, or about my father leaving. That's why I was crying....."
Becky was looking at him, listening intently, and she looked like she was going to cry again. "Oh......I'm so sorry that happened to you! I never knew-"
"Of course you didn't." he looked away from her.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.
"Because now you've lost someone you love too. Actually, you've lost three." He looked at his feet. Becky was biting her bottom lip.
"Oh Squid!" she suddenly said, and she hugged him and completely started crying again. Squid patted her on the back, trying not to cry himself.
"Shhhh.... it'll be all right." he said quietly. She slowly stopped crying.
"That's my girl." he said.
*
When Becky came back from dancing with Squid, the dance was over, and people were heading outside with their candles. They all crowed around the open casket, where Becky's grandfather was laying.
There was a line of people who were looking into it. When Becky and the rest of the boys got closer, Becky started to squeeze Magnet's hand nervously.
"Come up with me." she said, staring transfixed at the box.
"I will. Don't worry." he said.
Becky edged closer to the box, very slowly. She shut her eyes tight before she peeked in. He looked so peaceful, almost not even dead. He heard Becky suck in a breath, as she did before she was about to cry. Squid, X-ray, and Zigzag were directly behind them. Becky reached into her pocket.
She took out a paper, and slid it under her dead grandfather's hand. The paper was light blue, with flowers on it.
"What are you doing? He can't read that!" said Zigzag. Squid punched him in the side. "OW!"
Becky took one last glance at her grandfather, then she quickly ran away back into the house. Magnet glanced at the others, then at Squid, then back where Becky ran.
"Should we go to her?" asked Squid.
"I think she needs some alone time." said her grandmother from behind her, who was also crying.
*
When they finally went inside to check on Becky, she was sitting in the family room, with Jason, who was hugging her like an older brother would. Michelle was sitting on Becky's lap. All their faces were tear stained. They were all staring at the black screen on the TV.
At first the boys wondered if they noticed them walk in. Then Michelle suddenly started talking to them, still staring at the TV.
"We never got to say goodbye."
Becky put her arms out. "Come here." she said. Michelle stood her tiny body up and crawled into Becky's arms. The D Tent boys stood their watching them awkwardly.
"Squid." Jason said, and Squid's head turned quickly over to him.
"Huh?" he said.
Jason nodded at him. "You're a brave man."
Squid nodded at him as well, then Becky's eyes and his eyes met for a long second.
Magnet took Becky's hand and they began to dance as her grandmother started to play the music. It was some song called My Girl that Magnet had never heard of.
Becky rested her head on Magnet's shoulder, every once in a while he heard her sniffing. Magnet could see Becky's grandmother sitting in the corner, taking tissues and blowing her nose. Her eyes were red and puffy.
"You never told us how he died." whispered Magnet. Becky hesitated.
"It was some sort of brain problem." she sniffed again. "I think it was brain cancer or something."
"He seemed just fine when we met him."
"That's when it started. He kept getting headaches." Suddenly she burst out crying.
"Oh I'm sorry." Magnet said guiltily, patting her on the shoulder. He should have known better. She shook her head.
"It's not that." she said, sniffing again. "He..... he couldn't remember my name....He didn't know where he was either. He was talking about going to war..... he said he had to fight for his country." she sniffed again. "I was scared. I was the only one in the house with him. So I called 911. He kept asking me when that "thing" had been invented. I didn't know he was talking about the telephone. It was as if he was stuck in a different time or something." she continued crying on his shoulder. He kept patting her. "I tried to get him to remember me. He couldn't. I'm not even sure if he remembered me before he died."
There was a small silence except for her crying. "I'm so sorry....." Magnet whispered. "It must have been awful."
Squid, who was sitting by the snack table, eating some of the chips, was watching them closely.
*
Becky traded off with each of the boys, so they eat had a chance to dance with someone. Becky told Magnet she'd dance with him again later, for she still wanted to talk to him. She told each of them the story she had told Magnet, but each time she told it she got braver and didn't cry as much. Squid was dancing with her last.
Squid seemed very awkward as Becky put her arms around his neck. Becky managed to smile a little.
"You look so different without your hat." she said. Her face was still red from her crying. Squid didn't say anything.
"Becky?" he suddenly said, sounding like he had suddenly made a decision.
"What?" she sounded almost worried.
"Remember that day, when we played spin the bottle, and we were in the tent, and you told me you heard me crying at night once?"
"Yeah."
"And I told you I had allergies?"
"Yeah......"
"Well, the truth is, I don't have allergies. I just...... my dad left me when I was very young, then my mother became an alcoholic. She really didn't care about me that much anymore. She kept getting drunk and would act all weird. I remember I began to get scared of her. Then I did something to try to get her to realize how she was making me upset. That ended up getting me sent to Camp Greenlake. Every night I have these dreams about her, or about my father leaving. That's why I was crying....."
Becky was looking at him, listening intently, and she looked like she was going to cry again. "Oh......I'm so sorry that happened to you! I never knew-"
"Of course you didn't." he looked away from her.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.
"Because now you've lost someone you love too. Actually, you've lost three." He looked at his feet. Becky was biting her bottom lip.
"Oh Squid!" she suddenly said, and she hugged him and completely started crying again. Squid patted her on the back, trying not to cry himself.
"Shhhh.... it'll be all right." he said quietly. She slowly stopped crying.
"That's my girl." he said.
*
When Becky came back from dancing with Squid, the dance was over, and people were heading outside with their candles. They all crowed around the open casket, where Becky's grandfather was laying.
There was a line of people who were looking into it. When Becky and the rest of the boys got closer, Becky started to squeeze Magnet's hand nervously.
"Come up with me." she said, staring transfixed at the box.
"I will. Don't worry." he said.
Becky edged closer to the box, very slowly. She shut her eyes tight before she peeked in. He looked so peaceful, almost not even dead. He heard Becky suck in a breath, as she did before she was about to cry. Squid, X-ray, and Zigzag were directly behind them. Becky reached into her pocket.
She took out a paper, and slid it under her dead grandfather's hand. The paper was light blue, with flowers on it.
"What are you doing? He can't read that!" said Zigzag. Squid punched him in the side. "OW!"
Becky took one last glance at her grandfather, then she quickly ran away back into the house. Magnet glanced at the others, then at Squid, then back where Becky ran.
"Should we go to her?" asked Squid.
"I think she needs some alone time." said her grandmother from behind her, who was also crying.
*
When they finally went inside to check on Becky, she was sitting in the family room, with Jason, who was hugging her like an older brother would. Michelle was sitting on Becky's lap. All their faces were tear stained. They were all staring at the black screen on the TV.
At first the boys wondered if they noticed them walk in. Then Michelle suddenly started talking to them, still staring at the TV.
"We never got to say goodbye."
Becky put her arms out. "Come here." she said. Michelle stood her tiny body up and crawled into Becky's arms. The D Tent boys stood their watching them awkwardly.
"Squid." Jason said, and Squid's head turned quickly over to him.
"Huh?" he said.
Jason nodded at him. "You're a brave man."
Squid nodded at him as well, then Becky's eyes and his eyes met for a long second.