In the month of May-
One morning, Therese knew Peter had a rough night. He barely looked up when she walked in, but when he realized it was her Peter smiled wide and his eyes opened. Therese had pulled her hair back, as style she noticed the other girls favored. “Be careful, it is still hot, my mom drove me.” Therese told him, handing him a cup. The other guys glanced at her, wishing they had seen what Peter saw. Therese also took a cup to Mr. Shank handing him a cup and taking the money he offered. Mr. Shank drank his coffee and smiled.
Once again, a problem no one else had bothered to solve, was encountered, and Therese was called to the front to explain her answer. Therese arose on her own. She held her head high and confident, and took a step forward. She tried to ignore the class. She took a step forward, she paused. A girl in the class giggled at her indecisiveness. Therese grew nervous quickly and felt her heart racing. Her head became loud.
A piece of paper folded like a triangle flew through the air and hit her in the neck, and Therese jumped, then she fell to the side. The class grew loud. the noise hurt her ears. Therese felt like someone set her on fire, her head hit something, she could hear terrible things being said about her, and how much everyone hated her because she was slow. She spun. The faces of the class were blank, she could not understand them. She panicked, grabbed her head, blacked out momentarily and awoke crying and her pants felt wet.
Therese looked at Peter, he was already out of his chair. She looked at Mr. Shank, he was running, she was not sure if he was scared, or angry, she did not understand. Therese tried standing and fell crashing to the floor. She pulled her knees in tight, and cried, the room spun. She heard a voice shouting, she thought it was her voice. Therese’s heart started racing, her head hurt, the world was spinning as her eyes closed. She shook uncontrollably but could not perceive any of it.
As she came too, the world was still confusing. Therese knew what paramedics looked like, she had been there before. She felt her body rise and fall as the stretcher snapped up and popped. She felt the needle in her arm, then heard the paramedic say she would feel a pinch, but time was distorted. The green elastic strap of the oxygen mask pinched her hair and hurt. Confused, she pulled against the straps, they would not give, this angered her. She saw a needle move through the air, she shouted for her teacher and then fell asleep again.
Therese awoke in the ambulance. She cried out for Peter, but he was not there. Confused she pulled against the straps. She did not recognize the ambulance crew, this scared her. She screamed loudly. Therese feared she might being taken prisoner. “Talk to her.” said the paramedic.
“Therese, it’s Ed, Ed Mr. Shank, hey, I am here, you are safe.” she heard the voice she knew and loved.
Therese turned her head, and saw her teacher. “They let you ride in the ambulance?” She asked, surprised.
“The paramedics yes, The school might fire me.” said Mr. Shank.
“You kept calling for him. We figured it would be okay?” asked the paramedic.
Therese reached for her teachers hand and squeezed it. “Thank you.” she said, falling asleep again. Therese awoke several times over the next few minutes. And was comforted and calmed each time by her teacher talking to her and squeezing his hand. “You are really here, right?” Therese asked.
“Yes, I am really here.” Her teacher felt sad, he felt guilty, he wished he didn’t call upon the girl to answer the question. “I’m sorry I called on you.” said Mr. Shank, tears streaming out his eyes.
The young girl looked back up at him, her face flat, as normal. “I am glad you treat me like everyone else.” said Therese, again passing out.
Therese awoke on a hospital bed. She moved her arms, she was glad she could move them and was not in restraints. Therese hated hospitalizations. She never wanted to hurt anyone, the worse she could remember that she had done was break some dishes at home, and that had scared her parents. She also punched a window because there was a hideous monster yelling at her. The glass cut her wrists, but she wasn’t trying to kill herself.
Therese felt groggy, she knew she had been medicated. Therese looked to one side and saw her mother. “Hi, Mom.” Therese said. Therese turned to the other side and saw Peter. “Hi Peter.” she said. Therese turned her head further and saw Erin. “I kissed Peter with my eyes closed, and I liked it.” Therese said, falling asleep again. Therese again awoke and it was just her parents there. “Hi Mom, hi Dad.” she said, “what happened?”
“You are safe. The scan was normal, the hospital doctor just thinks you aren’t tolerating the medications and wants to change them.” said her dad.
“No, don’t hospitalize me.” begged Therese. “They strap me down, and they inject me with drugs. They call it treatment!" cried Therese in protest, she had done everything asked of her, and had made herself take every step forward. Therese was determined not to yield an inch.
“We’re not going to let them, you can come home, but you need to rest, no more working.” her mom said. Therese didn’t even look at her mother for that statement. The teenage years had distanced Mary and her daughter as time passed, but the thought of not working for Erin was intolerable.
“What the hell do doctors know?” said an old man said behind them. Buck walked in with his cane. “Relax, we’re friends. Sorry, I am late, I had to wait hours for that lady to open the store, and then take the bus here after she told me why she was late. I even forgot to get my coffee.” said Buck as he reached over and grabbed the call light, pressed the call button, and said “I’m old and I need a chair!” when they answered.
“You guys are friends?” Therese’s mother asked Buck. She knew the man, he had helped them greatly in the past, and both her parents liked him.
“I hope so, I barely know her, but no one else likes me, so I figured I better check on her, trust me lady, I know this hospital.” said Buck and he sat down when a chair was brought in for him, the staff did know him, and wanted to appease him quickly.
“Hi Buck, I missed you.” said Therese. She smiled at her ornery but lovable older friend. Her lips barely shifted, but Buck knew Therese and he knew her grin.
“See, no one else in this town would say that. How are they treating you, honey?” said Buck.
“They want to adjust my medications. I am scared.” said Therese. Therese hated admitting her feelings, but she trusted Buck with her feelings.
“They do that, every time I come here, they want to adjust my meds.” said Buck.
“What do you do?” asked Therese.
“I take them. New heart meds, new kidney meds, new this, new that, I take them. If plumbers never changed, we’d all still be sitting in an outhouse, but one day someone said hey let’s put a pipe in the house, and you know what, it worked.” said Buck.
“My parents don’t want me to work.” Therese said, still looking up at Buck for help. She loved her friendship with Buck as much as he did.
“Well, just take my cane and stab me with it, won’t you.” said Buck looking at them. There was anger and fear in his eyes. Buck didn’t want to lose his Therese.
“We don’t understand?” said Therese’s dad, confused by Buck’s insistence she returned to work.
“Saturday morning is the favorite day of the week, and I’m retired, they are all Saturdays. She don’t have to work hard, but she likes being useful. I miss being useful. Take care kid, I hope to see you soon. I have heard enough of this shit.” said Buck before he smiled at Therese and walked away.
“Goodbye Buck.” said Therese, falling asleep again.
Her parents watched Buck walked away, both surprised and not surprised that Therese had found him and became friends. Mary, Therese’s mother, had wanted to keep her safe from the galaxy, but fate seemed determined to challenge that goal with Therese first becoming friends with Erin, and now Buck, a man who had done so much so long ago. Mary smiled sadly, soon Kara would be back and she’d never stop worrying again.
Therese awoke later, still in a daze. She barely opened her eyes, but enough to see Erin talking with her parents. Erin looked tired, and her parents looked tired. Therese’s knee hurt, she worried she twisted it. She hoped her knee was better before she went back to work.
“I have to ask, why have you been so nice to our daughter? You have gone out of your way, she loves the job, but we can’t expect this?” Her father asked. They had always been grateful and avoided the question, but sitting in the hospital and tired, his curiosity slipped past his reserved nature.
“She reminds me of my little sister.” said Erin. They paused at that reason sadly, they had met Erin a long time ago and missed her father greatly.
“Just because of that?” asked her mother, still grateful.
“When she came in my shop, I saw the same struggles in her eyes. I saw the courage in each step. Her smile, her smile, was the same. My sister had the same struggles. I came home from the store one night, and she had cut her wrists and was laying on the floor bleeding. I called 911, I couldn’t stop the bleeding, it was too late for everyone. They brought her here, at this hospital, and we lost her here. It broke my parents. Mom went first, and Dad had a heart attack a year later. I guess, when she came in, maybe him leaving me my store, and Therese standing there, it all made sense, like God wanted me to keep that from happening again. I didn’t feel sorry for her, I just love talking to her and she has become a good friend too. And she is a great employee.” said Erin, proud of Therese.
“I guess, I never thought of the effect she has on other people.” her dad said. Her mom nodded. They shared a small part of a big world Therese made for herself. They also understood that Therese was replacing Erin’s lost sister in her life.
“She has a great effect on everyone around of her. Therese makes us all stronger. All of us in our little coffee shop convenience store family got a little piece of our lives back when she came in that door, and we don’t want to lose it again.” said Erin as tears left her eyes. Her, Vivo and Ben had been like a family, the only family any of them knew, but with Therese in their lives, they had become a family.
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“She can go back to work, but she needs to take it easy, if that is okay?” said her mother, making the decision for both of them. Her husband held her and nodded in agreement.
“Alright, alright, I will help out, but you know I’m going to be eating more muffins the more I am over there.” said Ben, from the corner, sitting, slumped down in a chair. Therese shifted her gaze at him. “I see you smiling over there.” said Ben to her. Therese’s face was mostly flat, but Ben knew she was grinning. Therese pulled enough strength together to wave at Ben, and he waived back.
Therese’s own doctor came in late, he had worked his job, had dinner, then came by the hospital. He had known Therese for most of her life, and witnessed her grow up. He had suffered her hospitalizations, as much as she had, and welcomed her stabilization with open arms. “Good news,” he said, “Everything came back negative. My guess is things just became a little overwhelming, maybe a little anxiety attack too?” he asked Therese. Therese nodded yes.
“And you twisted your knee and foot, so you wouldn’t run?” He asked. Therese nodded yes.
Her doctor knew this was her coping mechanism they had developed to help her not run when she was scared. “Well, you have gotten so brave on me, you forgot to untwist your knee before you took that next step. You have a bruised head, a bruised elbow, a sore knee, and a lot of people who love you. You don’t need me to cure any of that, you can go home in the morning if nothing else happens.” her doctor said, walking out quickly as doctors like to. “Oh, and you should probably lay off the coffee.” said her doctor.
Therese growled playfully at him. “What the hell do I know.” said her doctor kindly as he walked out.
“I really like my job.” Therese told Erin. That was an understatement.
“I promise, I like having you there.” Erin reassured her. This was an even bigger understatement than Therese’s previous statement.
“I promise I’m stealing muffins.” Ben added from the back of the room.
The next day was Friday. Erin was sunk at work, even Ben could not cheer her up. Vivo tried and failed. Peter was gloomy at work. Erin felt sad, she looked forward to Therese coming in, and she had been unable to. “Close the store.” Ben told her. “You aren’t doing yourself any favors being miserable.” Vivo agreed. Erin turned off the lights, and left, she didn’t even stop to mop the floor, she would do that in the morning. Erin drove to Therese’s house without thinking, she walked up and rang the doorbell.
“Hi, I wanted to see how Therese is doing.” said Erin when Therese’s mother answered the door.
“She’s in her room, down the hall, you’ll know which is hers.” said Mary, opening the door and inviting Erin. The walk down the hall was nice, Erin stopped and looked at all the pictures of Therese on the walls, from baby to present. She noticed how the smiles dimmed as she grew older, but she also noticed the determination in her eyes that grew. Erin approached a door with a giant unicorn sticker on it, surrounded by bunny stickers with marker scribbles on the bottom that must have been when Therese was little. Erin knocked on the door.
“It’s me, Erin.” she announced. There was a long pause.
“Come in.” said Therese.
Therese looked devastated. Her face was sunken, her eyes reddened from tears. She held a stuffed rabbit plush animal tightly in her arms as she sat on her bed. Erin looked around the room, Good Rabbit!, she thought. The girl likes her bunnies. Therese stood up and hugged Erin tightly. Erin hugged her back.
“You are embarrassed to leave the house aren’t you?” asked Erin.
“Yes.” Therese told her. Everyone at school had seen her leave in the ambulance, and everyone in class had seen her fall.
“I shit my pants in the cafeteria my senior year.” said Erin matter of fact. Therese looked up in sudden disbelief at what she heard. “True story, my mom sent me to school even though I told her my stomach hurt. Right in the middle of lunch, I was walking in the cafeteria. I crapped my pants, everywhere. The kids called me Erin McShit after that.”
“What did you do?” asked Therese.
“I went to the nurse's office and borrowed some donated clothes. It hurt for a long time, now I laugh about it, but it hurt a lot for a long time, and worse, the donated clothes looked like an eighty-year-old woman donated them, they were the worst mom pants ever.” said Erin.
“I like the clothes we buy.” said Therese, squeezing Erin.
“Do you have a DVD player?” asked Erin.
“Yes, it is connected to my TV.” said Therese pointing at her TV, and not looking up.
“I happen to know a guy who just got a bootleg copy of the original Space-Girl Michelle series, on DVD.” said Erin.
“The Dutch version with subtitles?” asked Therese as she looked up. Her eyes were suddenly brightly open with excitement.
“Yes, and I am sure it is terrible.” said Erin, reaching for her phone and calling Vivo, who was very excited to come over. Therese was excited, maybe the worst week of her life was not so bad. Space-Girl Michelle’s original movie on earth, a mini-series, was so terrible, it was rumored the director had ordered the films burned with him in the middle of them. It was further rumored, though, that one cut escaped, and a guy was selling them on the internet out of Amsterdam, with the movie so bad the government attempted to shut down every sale to save national embarrassment.
“Honey, the Sci-Fi channel is here.” Erin’s dad announced, in a friendly way, as he invited Vivo in. He had enjoyed hearing about him from Therese, and was glad to invite him in his home, even if it was under terrible circumstances. Therese came running, limping, but running out of her room for the first time to do anything except use the bathroom, and grabbed Vivo and hugged him.
“Do you really have the movie?” asked Therese. Vivo held up the DVD.
“The original cut? We are watching this in the living room, on the big TV.” Therese’s dad said, looking at the DVD case. Everyone sat on the couches in the living room, excited as the movie started. Five minutes later, Erin and Therese’s mom excused themselves to escape the agony of the film. Therese, her father, and Vivo did not talk, or look away from the film for the next hour.
“See, I knew she always got her power ring from the Gopher King.” said Vivo, excited he had figured that out years before.
“I always wondered.” Therese’s dad added.
“That was amazing.” agreed Therese, her mind still processing what she had witnessed. The series had a whole new meaning if this movie was to ever be accepted as canon.
Glad the movie was over, Erin and Therese’s mom came back into the room. “I talked it over with your mom, you can come in tomorrow, work as you can, and you can make up Friday by helping me with inventory on Sunday.” said Erin as Vivo’s eyebrow bent, Erin never did inventory, she just kind of ordered things. Erin shot him a shut-up stare.
“Thank you.” said Therese, hugging her mom and then Erin.
“Don’t forget to wear something nice Sunday, we are going to make employee badges.” Erin told her. Therese was surprised but happy, they had never had employee badges before.
Therese was glad to be back at work. Buck arrived early as always, he came in carrying a bouquet of flowers, hobbled past the ladies, dumped the change in the bottom of the tip jar out, filled it with water, and placed the flowers in it. He carefully rearranged them, saying nothing, and walked back to the front of the counter to wait for his coffee.
“I have other jars, you know.” said Erin.
“I don’t tip, you complain, maybe this is the one piece of glass you ladies won’t break.” replied Buck.
“They are lovely, thank you.” said Therese walking forward, looking at the flowers and then smelling them. Her cheeks rose a little as Therese had a small smile on both sides of her face.
“See, she’s the one person in this town who appreciates me.” said Buck.
“Go walk this guy home before I start liking him.” said Erin.
“Are you sure you can make the walk?” Buck asked Therese.
“It will help my knee feel better.” she replied. It was a straight walk and not far, she knew she would be fine. Therese liked her walks with Buck, he walked slow, so she could be careful, and he told her the history of all the buildings on the street, even if he forgot he had told her the history the week before. They arrived in a short time to Buck’s house.
“Thank you, I am glad you are better.” said Buck. He had worried terribly about Therese.
“You are welcome. I am glad you are okay too.” said Therese, and walking as quickly as she felt she safely could back to the store. Therese’s knee ached, but the walk did help loosen it. She stopped when she came to the door, and carefully opened it, smiling at the bunny. Therese walked in and told Erin she was back, Erin waved hello and went back to putting the chairs down on the floor since she had to mop the floors this morning, she was behind.
Ben walked in, and announced “Muffin run.” as he started walking to the muffin case. Ben hoped there were cranberry muffins today, they would go good with the coffee he intended to poach.
The next customer walked in, it was one of the three girls who had picked on Therese. Erin spun and grabbed Ben’s arm, bracing him before he reacted. She shifted her whole-body weight into Ben’s arm and still slid back on the floor. “Wait.” she told him. Erin slid back as Ben leaned forward.
Therese squared herself at the girl and asked her “What do you want?” Therese was nice, but she had been pushed past the limits of kindness and into terrible pain.
“I wanted to say I’m sorry for what we did, what I did. I’m sorry I was mean, I’m sorry I ignored you, I am sorry I was a piece of shit human being. I told Megan we were wrong and needed to apologize. She refused, and then I decked her.” The girl choked on her words, and then pulled off her sunglasses, “So she punched me and gave me this black eye.” The girl explained, with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry she hit you.” Therese told her, relaxing.
“Oh. I broke her fucking nose before I was done. I wanted you to know that. If you are worried about coming back to school, I’ll be there with my black eye and her, her broken nose. I’m sorry.” said the girl. She turned and started walking out.
“Kara, wait.” Therese told her in her soft monotone voice. Then Therese went behind the counter and made her favorite drink, the one Erin first made for her. Therese still liked the smell of it and savored the aroma. She put a lid on it, and walked over and gave it to her.
“What you do hurts me because we are friends.” said Therese, handing Kara the cup. Kara teared up at Therese’s choice of “are” instead of “were”.
“If you don’t like it, it is free.” Therese told her as she handed Kara the drink. Therese remembered being friends with Kara when they were little. They were beyond best friends, but they changed in different ways and as the years passed, they had changed apart. “Try it, but be careful it’s hot.” Therese prompted her.
Kara sipped the drink, it was amazing. “How much do I owe you?” asked Kara.
Therese pointed at Kara’s eye, and looked over at Erin, who nodded back. “Call it even, on everything?” asked Therese.
“Yes, please.” said Kara, fighting her tears and running out of the shop as fast as she could without spilling her hot drink on her.
“I hate it when people give me hope for humanity, it makes me hungry.” said Ben, as he leaned in the case and grabbed a muffin, and poured himself a cup of coffee. Erin gave Therese a big side hug to show her she was proud of her.
“It’s going to be a busy day.” said Therese, and she was right. Erin kept her word and mandated numerous breaks to Therese who only reluctantly agreed. Therese wanted to help, but she accepted terms. Her favorite way to take a break was to go next door and play with Ana in the office. Therese had grown comfortable to the child, and enjoyed helping with her. “I don’t know how good I am at this.” she told the little girl. Ana loved every second with her.
“This store is getting to be a lot of work.” said Vivo as he walked into the office, seeing Therese play with Ana, and Ben drinking coffee and eating muffins while he played on the computer. Vivo sat in a chair in front of the TV he played his video games on.
“Sure is. What do you think we will do when Peter realizes he can do better?” asked Ben has he continued to web surf and not look up.
“Offer him tuition assistance, I guess.” said Vivo as he turned on his video games and started playing.
“Or paternity leave.” said Therese, rubbing her belly. Ben spit out coffee, and Vivo fell back in the chair he was leaning in and landed on the floor. “Boys, they are so silly to tease.” Therese told Ana, who laughed. Therese picked up Ana, walked over to Vivo who was still laying on his back laughing, and handed him Ana. “I am going back to work.” She told Vivo and headed out.
“Tell your boyfriend he had better stay out there and help the customers.” shouted Ben, taking a paper towel and wiping the spit coffee off his monitor. “Is it just me, or is she getting vicious?” Ben asked Vivo, who just looked up, and sighed.
Eventually, Therese and Peter finally found some time alone, in the back supply room. “You haven’t kissed me since I fell.” Therese told him. “Do you still like me?” asked Therese. Peter leaned forward and kissed her. Therese jumped back, and laughed “Still awesome.” she giggled.
Ben had walked up behind Peter, having just entered the stockroom to grab soda cups. “I know where all the holes in the desert are.” Ben whispered to Peter and walked out.
“Sorry.” said Therese fearing she had led Peter into trouble.
“I’m not.” said Peter, whistling and going back to work. Therese went the other way to go back to helping Erin.
Therese was sad when the night ended, she was so glad to be back at work, but she was excited to see what inventory would be like and to make her employee badge. Therese’s parents had badges for their jobs, and she hoped it would make her look official. Everyone said goodnight as they always had done, and Therese began her careful and deliberate drive home, exercising caution as a good driver. The rabbits ran into the bushes, glad she was home.