Five

Something hit Alex in the head, falling to the sofa and pulling him out of his daydream. He looked down and grabbed a pair of black women’s underwear.

Alex looked up at June, standing around the corner, and leaning out again. She raised one eyebrow.

“You wanna join me?” She asked. Alex flipped his paper over and jumped over the back of the sofa, lifting off his shirt as he half jogged to his wife.

Hell yeah, he wanted to join her.

Written by: Chance Brown

Alex Logan sat at his living room table with a pen in one hand a notebook opened in front of him.

The pen hovered over the college ruled blank slate for what seemed like forever. His hand stroked against the redlined header margin as his titled his final masterpiece; the greatest of all his writings. He wrote,

The 5 Greatest Moments of My Life

It was simple, straight to the point, and conveyed exactly what he wanted it to convey. The number five worked well too, he was too young to have ten, and too old to have three, but five fit just right—kind of like Goldilocks and the youngest bear’s porridge.

Alex stood up quickly, letting the pen drop to the glass coffee table next to the notebook. He took a deep breath and rubbed his face in his hands before throwing his head back and cracking his neck. This entire situation was crazy; it had to be a mistake right?

He jammed his hand into his right jeans’ pocket and retrieved a letter, folded into quarters. He opened it again and reread the contents for the hundredth time that day. His eyes scanned the neatly typed, Times Roman, 12-Sized font letter.

Mr. Logan,

We regret to inform you that test results for a blood test taken on Friday, March 28, 2009 have indicted a positive for the following substances.

Increased melanin

Increased Endorphins

Sephetmine Kendrogenen

Cardinal Valley Medical Community has provided thousands of patients with the help they need, to become the healthy citizens they deserve. For any questions, please call our toll free number 1-(800)-1243-3434. Medical payment plans, and insurance coverage are provided at request, for our financial department please call 1-(800)-1243-4300. Thank you for using Cardinal Valley Medical Center.

Xavier Ho

Sephetmine Kendrogenen had a more practical term: Reese’s Syndrome. One of the most rare and fatal diseases in the Western hemisphere, only 5 cases had been found in the past decade; all of them died within one week of diagnosis.

Alex was going to die. Not the “eventually everyone dies in life” kind of death— more like the “you have one week to live” kind of death. Not a good one. He took one big glance around his condo and smiled. He had everything he’d dreamed of since he was a kid. He had a penthouse suite in his condo building, glass walls, walk in closets, Jacuzzi tub with water jets, and all the trimmings. He had a brilliant job as the head corporate recruiter for Best Buy Industries, and a beautiful wife of just over four years. At 26 he had the life he had dreamed of and it was going to be gone in less than a week.

Alex sighed and sat down again, picking up the pen and taking it to the paper. He began to write.

5. My very first concert.

“Mommy! Mommy! Look, it’s them! It’s really them!” Seven-year-old Alex squeezed his mother’s hand as he jumped up and down in the stands. His mother smiled down at him and nodded, she pointed out toward the stage in the center of the crowded arena they stood inside.

“Can you tell me who each one of them is?”

“Uh huh! That’s Mikey, and Kevin—and that one over there is Stanley!” Alex yelled over the crowd cheering in their ears and the bass of the speakers barking through the arena. The band began to play their hit singles as Alex yelled the lyrics off-key and too loud in his mom’s ears!

“Yah, Yah, Yah, Everybody party! Yeah, yeah yea!” He swayed his head to the beat and his leapt from his seat and he smiled.

In retrospect, the band was lame, some group of guys who fit the boy band stereotype, and actually they were brothers if he remembered right. The more important part of the memory was the time he had spent with his mother. Some people would call him a “Momma’s Boy” (his wife sure did), but he loved his mother. During childhood they went on a series of little field trips, science museums, libraries, Washington D.C., but that was the first time his mother had ever taken him somewhere he wanted to go.

It was actually the day he and his mother’s relationship escalated. He still went to her for everything. The first time he kissed his future wife, he called her at two in the morning telling her that he had found the woman he was going to marry. He asked for her advice on proposing, and she even helped him figure out what he was going to eat for dinner last Wednesday. (He couldn’t decide between chicken and beef; she picked beef.)

But it didn’t matter; he wouldn’t even have to think about them in a few days.

He wouldn’t have to think about anything at all! He wouldn’t have to think about the .7 million dollar condo penthouse he now lived in due to some very lucky investing, and graduating college two years early. He wouldn’t have to think about his beautiful wife, who he had spent such little time with. He wouldn’t have to think about the kids she wanted when he told her to wait… that they had all the time in the world.

Tears fell on the paper, splotching the black ink and warping the shape of it. Alex slapped himself in the cheek and shook his head. He needed to focus, he needed to finish this.

4. Our Wedding Day

Alex brushed off his white suit coat with the back of his hand. It was already clean, he didn’t need to touch it, but doing something with his hands kept them from shaking. He was so frickin’ nervous! He was about to actually get married! To spend forever with the same person, forever!

He ran his palm over his head… he was sweating! This might be a mistake right? Maybe. He looked at the bouquets of flowers surrounding him; he didn’t know what any of them were. He needed something he was familiar with, something he could cling to for dear life.

Music was playing. Already? Was it that close to time already? He looked down at himself one last time; the white suit was the only thing she let him pick, everything else was her decision. She wanted a very traditional wedding.

He stared at his feet as he made his way out to the podium, the dais, the center stage. He didn’t even look at his best man, this was unreal. When he took his place his eyes finally hazarded a glance out into the crowd.

Everyone was there. Parents, teachers, friends, family, even people he didn’t like. They had invited too many people! His heart was beating out of his chest, the only thing keeping him from keeling over and clenching it was the thousands of eyes watching his every move. He was sweating bullets and air was escaping faster than he could breathe it in. He couldn’t do this, he had to call it off; he couldn’t get married!

Dum, Dum, Dee, Dum. Dum, Dum, Dee, Dum. The traditional wedding theme played and there she was.

She was gorgeous.

The long white train trailed behind her in her as she followed the red carpet toward him. He didn’t feel his heart jumping backflips anymore; he didn’t even feel it at all. Her gown was strapless, pure white and in it, she was the most beautiful thing in the world. How could he have ever thought that he wasn’t ready for this?

Alex smiled at June and she smiled back. Two rows of perfectly white, square teeth. He was ready.

Alex looked up at the wall; the centerpiece of their living room was their wedding picture. June looked pure and happy, he had a smile so wide and cheesy his cousin Elroy called him “Macaroni” for a month afterward.

He laughed to himself, took in a deep breath, and bit his bottom lip gently. Alex sighed heavily and thought about how amazing his wedding day had been. Somehow, June got her family and his family coordinated, well-behaved, and on time, a feat that had yet to be repeated by either side for any event; including other weddings.

His feet carried him off the comfortable sofa and toward the window of their condo. The glass extended from the ceiling to the floor and made up two of the four walls in their home. Below he saw the parking structure designated for their building and some traffic headed toward a nearby mall. Coming down Centennial Boulevard and toward him was June’s all black SUV, trademarked with black tinted windows and black tire rims.

Alex smirked again; just thinking about her face brought a smile to his lips. He didn’t know why, when he’d just found out he was dying, did he smile so much in such a short period of time. It was ironic, but maybe this was a serenity that came only when knowledge of death was tangible.

He turned his head and looked back at the table. There was a pen and a pad waiting for him and from the looks of it, his wife would be home soon and he needed to finish before that happened. She had no idea what was going on with him and he sure wasn’t going to tell her. Alex dragged himself back to his seat on the couch and picked up the pen again.

3. The Day I saved someone’s Life

It was late. Not too late, but late enough that everyone should’ve been heading home. He’d never been to New York before, and now he was wandering the streets of Times Square all by his lonesome. He had come with his cousins and their girlfriends, but had gotten separated somewhere between the TRL station and the M&M store.

Now it was dark and starting to get a little chilly, so after a quick text conversation Alex decided that his cousins could just meet him at the hotel because he was sick of wandering around aimlessly.

He turned right and passed a subway entrance, looking straight ahead. He needed a perk-up, something sweet, and something with texture. He needed an ICEE, so he passed two other subway entrances on his way to the corner store illuminated two blocks down the sidewalk.

The hair on his back stood on end when he heard a woman’s voice scream! His heartbeat sped up and he looked around for the source; if anything it was coming from the alley in front of him, but people were walking by, so it couldn’t have been anything too serious.

He walked a little faster, people always said the city was dangerous, but right now was the first time he actually felt afraid. The screaming persisted, and he was moving toward it! Alex walked faster, his convenience store was nearby, and if he hurried, he’d be able to get his frozen treat and get back to his hotel room.

“Please! Please!” The voice yelled from his right side. Alex looked over at a woman on the ground, struggling with her purse, screaming out as a man stood above her; he kicked and stomped her down, yelling expletives as she moaned, cried and screamed.

“Hey, HEY!” Alex yelled and ran at the two. The man looked up from his victim as Alex ran at him. As Alex neared the two, the man stopped hitting the woman and turned toward him, brandishing a short blade.

“Stay back kid.” The glare of the street lights made the sharp blade glisten in the otherwise dark surroundings.

“Try me.” Alex didn’t falter, and sounded much braver than he actually was. He never stopped approaching the man. Then, quickly the man threw the knife at Alex. Alex ducked to the left and let the loosely thrown knife hurl past his head and hit the ground somewhere in the street. As he looked back up the man had taken off down the alleyway.

Alex looked off after him before remembering that he had come to the alley for a reason. The woman was still on the ground, and when he got closer to her he saw the blood had caked over her face like running makeup.

“Are you okay?” He asked, bending over and reaching out his hand. She glared at him,

“Whaddya you think buddy?” Her accent was thick she sounded like a lifelong New Yorker.

“I’m sorry, I just meant did you need an ambulance, do you feel like anything’s broken?” Alex was more scared of the look this lady gave him than the guy before. She had bushy red hair and hoop earrings and enough attitude to fill Yankee stadium.

“Sorry kid, I shouldn’t be getin’ on ya’, you saved my life. Frankie would’ve killed me if you hadn’t come along.”

Alex helped her to her feet, “You knew that guy?”

“You’re not from around here sweetness are ya?”

“Umm….. is it that obvious?”

“You just don’t sound like you’re from the block kid. Yeah I knew ‘im. That’s Frankie, my Ex-hole. That’s an Ex-Boyfriend and an Asshole in one; it’s like a Tuesday Two-fer special at Lorenzo’s on 22nd Street.”

“Do you wanna file a police report or something? He was pretty serious there….” Alex wasn’t sure how to approach the situation, for someone who was just screaming for help this chick seemed pretty cool to handle herself.

“Yeah kid, thanks for helpin’ me too. You know you’re my hero right?”

“Hehe, I wouldn’t say hero, anyone would’ve done the same.”

“Geez, you AREN’T from anywhere near here huh? You didn’t see how many people walked by and just looked at him whoopin’ my ass? Kid, don’t let anyone fool ya’, you’re a special breed, stay that way honey.”

That was an interesting day, but it kept Alex thinking ever since. He loved being that knight in shining armor, and wanted to be that person always, something he lived his life by.

After that they walked to the police department and filed a report. Before they even left the station, some other cops had caught Frankie trying to steal a car and brought him in custody, the assault was just added onto his charges. The woman’s name was Tina Gardner, and she 25 years old at the time as compared to Alex’s 17. They still kept in touch, they were Facebook and Myspace friends, and last he heard, Frankie got his third strike and was in Sing Sing for life.

After all that transpired and they were done at the police station Alex opted to take Tina back to her place. She acted tough, but if she was really so tough she wouldn’t have let him escort her. In return, she ended up buying him his ICEE and gave him a few bucks to catch a cab back to the hotel. It was a great night.

“Hey baby!” June’s voice echoed through the condo as her keys rustled with the doorknob. Alex didn’t think she would’ve gotten in so fast, or maybe he just got caught up thinking about the memories that he didn’t realize how much time had gone by.

“Hey Sugar Honey Iced Tea!” He loved his little nickname for her. She ‘tsked’ and stepped all the way into the condo and shut the door. He continued, “How was your day?”

“Oh, it was amazing! The Studemeier’s went to look at the place on West James again today! They want it so bad, all I have to do is get Greg in financing to lower their payments by about a hundred and I’ll close that one! You know if I get this outta escrow then I’ll definitely become the branch manager when Ed retires next year!” She kicked off her black pumps and entered the living room.

For the first time that afternoon Alex had seen his wife, she was wearing a long pencil skirt and golden, silky blouse. It was completely conservative and tantalizingly sexy at the same time. It still amazed him how she could pull off both looks simultaneously.

“I thought you could be the branch manager back in Kansas where your mom is? Why don’t you take that position Ju-Ju?” Another nickname. She leaned over his back from behind the couch and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, draping her breasts over his shoulder and running her hands down his stomach.

“Because we talked about this babe, you have to stay here for your job, and I don’t need to relocate everything and ruin what you’ve built because I can’t wait a year.” She kissed him on the neck gently and smiled.

Alex ran his hand down her arm and traced her elbow with his fingertips, mumbling “really” under his breath. She let go of her husband and headed toward the bedroom, unclasping her top as she walked.

“I’m going to hop in the shower; I need to cool down babe!” She finished as she turned the corner out of Alex’s view. He looked back and called out to her.

“You should think about that job June. What if I’m not here tomorrow, you can’t put your life on hold for me.” As he finished he heard the water from the shower faucet in the bathroom turn on and hit the empty tub.

June poked her head out from behind the wall. Her arm was crossed around her chest so Alex assumed she was already topless. “Don’t say that! You’re not getting away from me that easily.”

He looked back down at his paper; he knew what number two was right away.

2. Our First Date

Valentine’s Day, the City Plaza Center, and the Maroon Five concert had ended about an hour ago. Alex and June were standing in the middle of the crowded auditorium’s floor as the After-party went into full effect.

The latest dance hit from Britney or 50 was blaring through the stadium and the ground was vibrating from the bass. Alex’s maroon dress shirt was now unbuttoned at the neck and cuffs, and finally untucked from his black dress pants.

The two danced in the middle of the floor as if nobody else was around them. Alex’s eyes focused on June and June’s hips grinded against him in her bright red cocktail dress. Her lips pursed together as if she was kissing someone and her eyes clenched tightly she swayed her head with the beat and followed Alex’s movements on the dance floor.

“I never expected this.” He leaned forward and whispered loudly in her ear. His hands held onto her hips as she leaned her head back and moaned out her response.

“Mmm, Really?”

“Really, we’re opposites.” He replied, the song changed to something softer and faster so the two went with the beat.

“Opposites attract.” She replied smoothly and then turned her head forward again, grinding against him and getting into the music. Alex smirked and continued dancing; he couldn’t believe he was here with June Bugala. In all his years he’d never had such a perfect date, let alone first date.

The day started with him picking her up from her dorm, Yudof Hall, the best dorm on campus. Every room had their own bathroom even. They went out to eat at a place he’d liked called ‘Wasabi’, it was a sushi place that had those special grill tables and the chefs lit the table on fire and performed tricks with the spatulas. Alex caught a piece of shrimp in his mouth, and June caught a carrot in her bra, the pictures would make a great Facebook album.

They sat at a table full of strangers (The restaurant placed groups together until a table was filled in order to save time and materials. If they did a full show with just two guests every half hour, the prices would be EXHORBENT) the best part of the night was the conversation at the table with an old woman and her husband. She remarked that the two looked like childhood sweethearts, much like her and her husband. June told her that this was actually their first date and the woman replied that they had probably known each other for a really long time.

That stopped Alex and June in their tracks. Looking back at it, Alex couldn’t really remember not knowing June, he knew that he didn’t know her, and he knew that he had memories of times before they met, but it’s like she was always in the background; it was hard to explain.

The concert after dinner was amazing, Maroon Five performed some of their old hits (which were better than their new stuff) and the pictures were great! The after party started with a bang when the fireworks on the stage accidentally went off a second time and created a small fire. The pyrotechnic team was still in the corner of the stage trying to fix whatever was going on.

“I used to watch you.” June’s voice broke through Alex’s reverie.

“Hmm?” He asked. Alex leaned into her again, his hands caressing her waist under the pretext of moving closer to hear her better.

“I used to watch you through your window every day, and I mean EVERY day. I kept my curtains open so that I could see you. Since the first day I moved here I’ve had my eyes on you.”

“I know. Why do you think I kept my curtains open all day and all night? I used to stay up at night trying to draw you from your window, d’ya know that?”

“Seriously?” She stopped dancing and turned around to face him. Alex scooped his hand around her back and pulled her closer to him; their faces inches apart and their lips even closer.

“Yeah, I would stay up all night trying to draw you from memory. I even started riding the bus in the mornings just to meet you. I had a ride to school every day before that.”

“You’re not serious Lex?” June replied. Alex smirked at her and that was all the answer he gave her.

BOOM! SHHHHHWWWOOOSSSHH! The fireworks on the stage blew again, this time igniting the curtains. People yelled, others screamed, and Alex’s initial reaction was to pull June closer to him. She grabbed his arms and pulled herself into him too. They both turned their heads to look at the extending flames, but neither loosened their grip.

SHHHH! The sprinklers above came on and began to shower the entire crowd with water. Chaos ensued and women screamed about their hair while men searched for suitcoats and vests scattered around chairs and ledges.

“Come on!” Alex yelled, pulling June down so that he could shield from the water with his body. He laughed as the two ran to the nearest ledge to find cover. People cut in every direction in front of them and panic erupted as the speakers continued blaring their music.

They moved toward a ledge, but a large couple beat them there, so Alex stopped and looked around. The nearest safe spot was underneath the stage. The curtains above the stage had been extinguished, and no one else was over there, so he ran, bringing June along.

The two ran underneath the stage and stopped, breathing heavily and trying to avoid the water trickling between the crevices from the different sections of the stages.

“Some first date huh?” June said, looking around. Alex laughed and looked around the area.

“Yeah, the best I’ve ever had.” It was too much. He chuckled again and looked at her; she was staring at him.

“The best?” She asked. Her eyes were focused directly on his. Alex nodded slowly; he felt trapped, like a deer in headlights. Suddenly his throat and mouth were very dry. This was amazing; it just seemed like it was meant to be.

“Oooh, I love this song.” June said, swaying her head back and forth and closing her eyes. Alex reached down and grabbed her hand.

“Then let’s go dance.” He said, pulling her toward the dance floor and unpredicted showers.

“It’s pouring! We’ll get soaked.” She pulled back.

“We’re already soaked, and a little water never hurt anyone right?” Alex turned his head and smiled, his trademarked manipulative grin. June’s face didn’t show anything, and then suddenly she grinned an exact copy of Alex’s.

“Let’s go.” She ran out into the middle of the room, the sprinklers showering her and Alex chased out after her. He grabbed her hips from behind and the two swayed and danced to the beat as their skin soaked in the indoor rain. June turned in his arms and faced him; continuing to dance.

“Why haven’t we done this before?” She asked, staring into his eyes.

“Because we’re two very stupid smart people.”

All the people on the anterior of the room began to shout at them. Alex didn’t care, he was focused on the most beautiful thing in the world; the girl in front of him.

“Do you hear what they’re chanting?” She asked. Alex shook his head slowly; he wasn’t paying attention. He opened his ears to the crowd; his eyes never leaving June’s eyes.

They were chanting “KISS, KISS, KISS” over and over again. Should he do it? He leaned into and she pushed into him. Their lips touched gently but with all the passion and momentum of a twenty car pileup. The fireworks and pyrotechnics had nothing on their kiss. Alex’s tongue explored her mouth while his lips sat softly on the pillows she called her lips. His eyes were sewn shut from the ecstasy and his hands made their way down her hips. June arms circled his neck and the two kissed.

And kissed.

And kissed. In the middle of the watery concert amidst the claps, cheers, and catcalls.

Something hit Alex in the head, falling to the sofa and pulling him out of his daydream. He looked down and grabbed a pair of black women’s underwear.

Alex looked up at June, standing around the corner, and leaning out again. She raised one eyebrow.

“You wanna join me?” She asked. Alex flipped his paper over and jumped over the back of the sofa, lifting off his shirt as he half jogged to his wife.

Hell yeah, he wanted to join her.

*****

“Babe! What are you doing? Come to bed, it’s late!” June’s voice called out into the living room. Alex sat on the sofa, turned over his piece of paper and began to write as he called back that he’d only be one more minute.

1. The Day that I Met You

“Mommy! Mommy! Hurry up! I’m going to miss the bus!” Alex called down to his mother. She was ironing the jeans that that he had picked out to wear for school that day. Alex had been smart, he wanted to look his best, and everyone always said he looked so handsome in his church clothes, but he knew his mother wouldn’t let him wear his church clothes to school, so he picked a pair of jeans that stopped above his ankles just like his church pants. And then he picked a button up shirt just like his church shirt, only it was more colorful and girls liked colors!

His mother walked into the room, holding a freshly ironed pair of jeans and an orange flannel shirt. “The bus? You never catch the bus, why the sudden change?”

“’Cause I’m getting older mom! I gotta start catching the bus.” He lied.

“Are you sure this doesn’t have anything to do with our new next door neighbor?” His mom smirked; it’s probably where he got his smirk from.

“No! I just need to be more growed up! I gotta hurry mom!” he said, grabbing his jeans and putting them on. His mother stood in the doorway as he got dressed quickly and grabbed his bag, running out of his bedroom.

“Ah, ah, ah, young man, where do your pajamas go when you’re finished?” She called back. Alex ran back into his room, muttering that he was gonna be late. He reached to the floor and folded his pajamas faster than superman on laundry day, setting them on the bed.

“Now before you leave you better give your mother a kiss.” She said, leaning down. Alex looked over his shoulder and outside his window. Nobody was in the room next door so he had to hurry.

Alex gave his mom the quickest of kisses and then leapt down the stairs two at a time. He called out his goodbye as he ran out the front door without shutting it behind him and sprinted to the bus stop.

Nobody was there. Was he late? Did he miss the bus already? He knew he shouldn’t have folded those clothes! He turned back around and saw someone walking down the street toward him. It was her!

It was the girl from the window! The one who he was waiting for! She bounded down the sidewalk with her head held high, walking as If she’d taken this route everyday of her life. She had her hair in two pigtails with purple binders and a purple shirt to match.

“Hi.” He said when she got closer. She smiled at him; two rows of perfect teeth. They were whiter than he thought possible, like one of those toothpaste commercials.

“Hi! I’m June, like the month. What’s your name?”

“I’m Alex. Like uhh….. like Alex.” He said. She giggled; girls liked laughing. Maybe this was going to be a good day.

“Well Alex, what class are you in?” June asked him. Alex was afraid of this; he was in a higher class than most people his age. They called him a geek all the time.

“Uhh, Mrs. Robinson.” He said hesitantly.

“Ohhh, me too! How old are you?” Her face lit up and her eyes shined at nine in the morning.

“I’m 10.” He said.

“Me too! You must be really smart like me huh? We’re just alike!” June grabbed Alex’s hands, “We’re probably gonna be like best friends or something huh? We’ll be together forever!”

Alex sighed and leaned his head back. He stood up and walked into the bedroom. June was already lying in the bed, underneath the covers and in her pajamas. Alex stopped in the doorway and just took her in. Her hair flowed perfectly on the pillow, her skin glistened in the soft light of the nightstand lamp. She was perfection.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“Admiring you.” He replied.

“You’re goofy.” She threw a pillow at him. He chuckled and caught it, kicked off his jeans and then leapt into bed next to her, shaking everything. He reached up and turned off the lamp, surrounding them in darkness.

“Babe?” June asked. Alex moaned in response. “What did the doctor say about your tests, I saw the envelope in the trash.”

Alex hesitated. Should he tell her? Was it fair for him to hurt her like that? If she was going to be sad no matter what, shouldn’t he at least let her have a few more days of happiness?

“It was inconclusive, they just think I have the flu, nothing big.” He said.

“Oh, well I’ll pick you up some over the counter stuff on my way to work in the morning and drop it off for you. I love you.” She kissed him on the cheek.

“I love you too June. “