WIP Weds 8/19/2020
Here is a snippet from Inner Moonlight, my beatnik werewolf story.
“So he’s an east coaster and a west coaster. He’s irish and he’s mexican. He’s a farm boy and a city boy. Got the best grades in the class and was also on the verge of getting kicked out for fighting,” Joanie said.
“Fightin’? No,” Max said. He rose from the armchair and draped himself across Happy’s lap, with his head landing in Joanie’s lap.
Joanie unscrewed the cap of Max’s flask and then shook it, signaling Max to open his mouth. He obliged and she fountained a thin stream of whiskey into his mouth.
With Max in his lap, Happy was not sure what to do with his hands. Max did him a favor and grabbed Happy’s hands and clung them to his chest.
“Say it ain’t so!” Max said.
Happy shook his head and for the first time Max noticed that he had dimples when he smiled.
“I’m afraid I can’t. It’s true,” Happy said.
Happy had never started a fight. He’d only defended himself when he’d found it impossible to hide what he truly was and people tried to punish him for it. Though his teachers never had any trouble blaming him anyway.
“He was the valedictorian of his high school class, but they didn’t let him give the speech,” Joanie said.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to get up there anyway,” Happy murmured.
“That’s not the point,” Joanie said.
This entire conversation was a record with well worn grooves in their mind, like stage magician’s patter.
“The point-” Joanie held up her finger. She handed the flask back to Max and pulled out her lighter and a pack of cigarettes-”the point is, that they were scared of what he might say. Terrified that he would get up there and tell the truth. Because he sees it.” She lit a cigarette and then jabbed it at Max. “Believe that.”
Max lifted his head off Joanie’s lap and looked at Happy. “Oh, I do.”
After that, they settled into a comfortable silence. Joanie raked her fingers through Max’s hair. Max traced the lines of Happy’s hand, over and over. Happy rested his head on Joanie’s shoulder.
Happy fell asleep first. Max stared at his unschooled face, so beautiful and innocent. Joanie and Max shared a cigarette and talked. The gaps in the conversation grew larger and larger until they were gulfs.
Then, Joanie looked down to ask Max a question and saw he’d dropped off as well.
Joanie took a deep breath and felt something inside her chest let go, a breath she’d been holding her whole life, a grip on her heart finally loosening, like she was truly comfortable for the first time, surrounded by the reassuring weight of the two men.
Joanie watched the shadows change, as first light shone through the windows of Rita’s apartment. She could hear the traffic down below and the bustle of the grocery store on the bottom floor. The city was waking up and she still hadn’t gone to sleep. Soon she’d fall asleep as well, then be awoken an hour later to Rita purposefully making as much noise as humanly possible while cooking breakfast, she’d take her boys to the Cascade for bloody marys to take the edge off, then catch a few more hours of sleep before Lee started hounding her for her next story. All of that laid ahead of her, but for now...for now it was just her. All alone.
