Stars & Stripes
The Fourth of July—at the Nichols-Parker House
11:00 AM
Josh was angry at Helen. She was making him work on the Fourth of July. Not that his
summer was any good. But at least he could help his dad fire up the grill and cook for
their family and friends in a small backyard barbeque. Did the world really care
that A Walk to Forget Part Deux and Even More Vague and Nebulous were opening
today? They'd be on DVD a few months from now.
Josh had his sling removed two days ago but he still felt terrible. There was only one
postcard from Mindy and it wasn't very telling. From the bland floral design to the I'll
see you soon, Josh. He was looking out the kitchen window. It was nice seeing
Drake happy with Torey. Of course they couldn't be all touchy, feely, explorey all
Drake wants to do is make out with Torey with Audrey and Walter in plain view but
they were still able to hold hands as they sat under the lemon tree as if they were on
their own private planet.
Drake needed love and god only knows what would have happened to him if he and
Torey never made it back together. Josh would do his crying in the bathtub and
thought before Mindy that there were only three girls who thought he was cute. Susan
aka Pusan who was dating Drake but had a crush on him, Kathy whose pictures he
painted, and Kelly's (one of Drake's ex-girlfriends-daughter of Mrs. Hafer) teen model,
video game playing, and magic loving friend, Jackie who only seemed to "love" him
when he was wearing his now long gone "Lucky Shirt" from Grammy. He hated getting
older; life seemed to be more complicated for the Joshie.
"Hey, how come you are in here by yourself?" Drake came in
"You have lip gloss on your cheek." Josh lightly poked his right cheek.
"Mom and Dad don't need to see that," he wiped it off with a wet paper towel. "You
can hang with me and Torey." Drake got two bottles of soda out of the refrigerator.
"I'd only be in the way. Plus Helen is making me work today. At least your boss gave
you the day off."
"Well come outside for a little bit."
"Nah. I have to leave in twenty minutes anyway. I'm just going to watch TV."
Josh was used to the scheme of things. He was alone and Drake got the girl. Don't
get him wrong, Josh was very happy for Drake and Torey and he would bring them
together all over again. He was alone for most of his life. He wasn't the popular guy.
So if Mindy never saw him again it was no big whoop right? All her postcard said was
that she'd see him soon. How vague and nebulous can a person be?
"Okay, Josh. You only have to work four hours today and the party will still be going on.
I'll play my guitar and you can let Megan smack the mosquitoes off your back."
"Maybe. See you later, Drake." Josh left the kitchen to go into watch TV in the living
room before having to drag his butt to the Premiere.
"See you, Josh."
But he was already gone. Drake wondered when and if Mindy would be coming back
and what would happen to his brother then?
4 PMDrake put his guitar case on Josh's bed and took out his acoustic guitar and then he
felt two hands wrap around him. He let the guitar gently fall on the soft mattress and
turned himself around. He put his hands on her shoulders.
"Torey, my mother will kill you if she catches you up here." She had her pink knee
length walking shorts over her purple one piece bathing suit.
"I don't care."
They shared a kiss. Drake was startled when he heard movement in the room.
"Oh, it's you Josh!"
"I'll see you outside. I promised Megan I'd polish her nails for her. Hi, Josh."
"Hi, Torey."
He couldn't say what he wanted to say because Josh was right there.
"Okay. I'll be out soon."
"I'm sorry that I interrupted your bedroom kissing."
Josh threw his vest on the floor because there was a guitar on his bed.
"It's kind of good that you did. You know mom wouldn't like catching Torey up here. I
think I'd be grounded for life. Or at least until next year when I turn eighteen."
"Yeah, you're glad that I stopped you and Torey from making out in your room. Yeah
right. Come on, Drake. I mean are you still a—you know?"
"The word is virgin, Josh. Now normally guys don't like to admit this but because you
are my brother and the past few months have been hectic for the both of us, I'll tell you
'yes'."
"Even when you dated all those groupies?"
"They were all teases, Josh. Well with the exception of Michelle, Belleview's resident
brainiac and Kelly, but with her inappropriate laughter and not to mention being
related to Mrs. Hafer—I didn't feel anything for them. Other than they were hot girls to
be around. If it makes you feel better for me to say I'm a virgin, I have no problem
saying it to you. Spidey Parker used to be one too."
"Spidey Parker? Is that your dad, Peter?"
"Think about it for a few seconds." Drake took his guitar off Josh's bed.
"Oh. I get it. Cool. So are you and Torey going to…"
"Not tonight. Eventually. Someday. She wants to take it slow and quite frankly, so do I.
I'm glad that the other phony popular kids at school think I'm a loser now because I
looked deeper inside. And senior year is going to be the best ever!"
"Uh…"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I was bragging. You'll have a good senior year,
too, bro. With or without Mindy. I know it's easier said than done. Now that you're
home come outside."
"Okay. Thanks, Drake, yet again."
"For what?"
"Making me forget that I'm a freak."
"Josh, you are not a freak. If you think that about yourself, maybe Mindy Crenshaw is
not the girl for you. It has nothing to do with my feelings regarding her. I'm just saying."
"I am kind of starving now. Did Dad eat all of the hamburgers?"
"Yeah that," Drake put one arm around Josh, "Don't think you are going to cure your
broken heart by eating. I noticed your extra nibbling for the past month. You aren't
going to gain back all that weight you lost. I forbid it."
"You do, do you?"
"Hey guys." Walter was in the doorway. "I'd like to speak to Drake for a moment."
If he was going to give him 'The Talk', he was about four years too late.
"Sure."
"Mom didn't make you come up here to talk about me and Torey?"
"No, son. I spilled ketchup on my shirt and I had to change."
Drake felt bad that he didn't realize that Walter even changed shirts.
"Oh, so what's up?"
"Your mother and me are very glad that you and Josh finally patched up your
differences."
"Josh is a good bloke as the British say. I was just being rude."
"I couldn't help but overhear some of your conversation. It means a lot to me that you
care about Josh. He hasn't had many guy friends infact none that were lifelong."
"Well neither do I." They guys in the band didn't count.
"Yeah, but you always had girls around you. Josh never did. You've been wonderful
this past month, Drake. It does my heart good that you and Josh really do love each
other. I better get back to the grill before your mother has me sleeping on the sofa
tonight."
Walter was trying. Drake wanted to hug him and do that real bonding thing, but he
couldn't. He didn't know what was stopping him.
"You're welcome, Dad. I'll be outside in a minute."
"Okay."
Drake went to his dresser and opened up the bottom drawer. It was the last photo of
him and his father. It was taken a week before he died. They were having ice cream
at Foster's Freeze. It was taken on a disposable camera. The lady who worked there
said she would take their picture because she wanted to enter them in a father and
son picture contest but when she saw his obituary in the newspaper she found out
their address from the phone book and mailed the picture to Audrey who gave it to
Drake where he had it shoved in his bottom drawer with his old socks, bumper sticker
collection, and some of Spidey's old 45" records.
Spidey and Walter probably would be good pool playing buddies. Drake just needed
more time and he hoped that Walter really understood that. He put the picture on top
of the dresser for now. They'd have won that contest easily.
He grabbed his guitar and headed back to the party.
7:30 PM
"Drake, are you all right?" Torey played with his hair as they sat at the picnic table.
"Yes," he whispered in her ear "Dad stuff."
She stroked his back with her hand and he felt a little bit better.
That's why the time with her would be amazing.
"Megan, do you have to keep hitting my back?" Josh said as he drank a soda.
"I'm keeping the bugs off."
The adults were at their own picnic table. It was a small party just a few friends from
KDJY and mom's office. Drake silently wondered if any of them knew or were related
to anyone who worked for a record label?
"Okay, who wants to hear a song?"
"I do, Drake."
He kissed Torey on the cheek. He appreciated a genuine comment and not someone
flattering him just because they wanted something, which was one thing he wasn't
looking forward to if he ever became famous.
He took a harmonica out of his shirt pocket and slid it across the table to Josh.
"What's this for?"
"An acoustic version of Soul Man."
"All right," Josh knew what Drake was trying to do and he did love him for it, "Let's do
it."
Drake patted Josh on the back, "That's the spirit, man."
Drake softly brushed his leg against Torey's as he walked by as he played some
random warm up notes on his guitar.
Yes, she was worth it a million times over. But Drake was unsure if Mindy Crenshaw
would be worth it to Josh for the long haul?
It wasn't because she tried to take her life. Drake certainly didn't wish for her to die
and he wouldn't be happy if she were successful. It was because he didn't know if she
could give Josh a real happiness that comes from two souls connecting.
His brother deserved as much.
