Hue (Major trigger warning for semi-graphic description of suicide and self-harm)
After the game, I noticed that June had been gone for a while. I knew he promised to meet with Cas after school, but I wasn't sure where. The art club room was the most obvious place, so I went there first.
"June? You up here?" I walked in and saw Cas sitting with her back against the shelf.
"Cas? Where's June? I thought you were going to talk."
"We already did. Come, sit down."
"Where did he go? Home? Did he say?"
"Listen, keep an eye on him. He's smart, but I'm scared he isn't in his right mind."
"What? Why?"
"He really thinks his mom didn't do it. I mean, everything points to her at this point. How can he still deny it?"
"Cas, it's his mother. Would you readily accept that the person who raised you was the reason for her brother's death? It all seems set in stone, but he needs time." I replied.
"But I don't think time will do anything. He said he would prove it even if it killed him. I heard the seriousness in his voice, Hue. Nothing will change here. He needs help. I think you should get going. He was upset when he left."
"How can you say that about someone who you just met? Are you able to mentally access him from one conversation? I admit I don't know much about him and I worry sometimes but that's not something we can just say. June is perfectly fine any other time I speak with him. He just doesn't want his world to fall apart. He's just trying to keep everything together." Maybe June's thought process didn't seem sane, but who were we to tell him he was crazy?
"Listen, I want to see the room." I needed to understand what he saw.
"I can't let you do that. I'm already in trouble here. I can't afford it, Hue."
"Please. I need to know. I need to understand it. You're curious too, and you know it." Cas sat silently.
"You think you can fit in there? You're so tall it will be hard." She finally said.
"If I can't, I will reach what I can with my arms."
"You have five minutes. If you get me caught, I will end you."
"Deal"
We moved the boxes again ever so slightly so I could get through. The hole looked a lot bigger up close.
As expected, it was harder to get in, but I managed. Cas climbed in after me.
"You're coming too? I thought you were scared of getting in trouble."
"I can't let you be in here by yourself," she grumbled. "Five minutes starts now." We both turned on our flashlights and were welcomed by large canvas paintings.
"Huh. I guess he wasn't lying," Cas said.
"Why would he be lying?"
"No reason."
I hated that she painted a picture of June in her mind that he was unstable.
"Oh, my god. Is that what he saw?" Cas was in disbelief, and so was I when I looked to where she pointed. They truly were disturbing. I now understood what he met when he said he could feel his sadness.
"Yeah, at least that's what he described." I picked up the two paintings, flipped them over, and set them aside.
"He mentioned that this was the box they came from." Cas came over, looking in. There was one more painting.
It was a dark room with a single light.
In the middle was a boy about our age.
Dead
He was covered in blood, his arms cut by a knife laid on the floor under him. Everything that June mentioned was there, except this time, the stool was lying on its side, the noose taut. The blood pooled at his feet.
It was silent.
"I think the five minutes is up."
"No. No, I need to see more." I frantically shined my flashlight around the large canvases. The largest one was a picture of a girl, which I recognized from the photo in the diary.
"April Sekin."
"Is that her? Did he draw this?"
"She really was beautiful." A voice came from behind, scaring us so much we knocked a few canvases down when we turned.
"June. Why are you back here?"
"I should be asking you guys that." He laughed and turned to Cas. "What was it about getting scolded again? Will you not get yelled at if it's Hue whos with you? Am I that much of a freak to you?"
"June, what are you saying? You left before I could say anything-" June cut her off.
"Save it, Cas." June looked down at the fallen canvases.
"Just some more forest paintings. Are you guys satisfied now? Did you find what you were looking for?" We both stood, silent. June turned, looking at the box. His eyes froze for a second.
"I see. You did find what you were looking for. Happy? Are you going to condemn my mom as a murderer now?" The guilt I felt was nothing I had ever felt before.
"June-"
"You had no right."
"June, we needed to understand-"
"I said you had no right."
He turned again, walking towards the hole, so I grabbed his arm. Whipping around, June punched me. I deserved it.
"Oh, my god. Hue, are you alright?"
"Cas, why are you asking if I'm alright-" I looked up, but June was already gone.
"Damn it, June." Grabbing my phone, I left the room as fast as I could, but I knew there was no chance of me catching him. I dialed his number over and over, but he never picked up. At some point, it stopped ringing and went straight to voicemail.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it. What am I supposed to do?"
"Maybe he went home. Come on." Cas grabbed my hand and ran as fast as possible towards my house. When we got there, I burst through the door.
"Mom. Did June come in?"
"Yes, he came in a little bit ago. What happened to your face? Is someone chasing you?" I fell to the ground in relief as Cas caught her breath.
"Hello, uh-"
"Leann"
"Hello, Leann. Hue got a basketball to the face, so I walked him home." Cas lied quickly.
"Well, it doesn't seem like you really walked much."
"We were playing around with June. That's why we asked if he had come in. Neither of us could catch him." Mom looked skeptical but closed the door and helped me up.
"How is it that someone always gets hurt, either you or June?"
"Uhm, I should be getting home now cause it's late, so see you tomorrow!" Cas rushed out the door before either of us could say anything.
Mom was, again, puzzled and tried to ask before I blurted in:
"She's an art student. She's a little odd."
"Okay?"
I rushed upstairs to June's room but it was locked.
"June? Open the door."
All I heard from inside was the soft humming of a lullaby.