Juniper Blue (NaNoWriMo2023; manxman)

Chapter 17

Juniper

Christmas, my birthday, and New Year's came and went and, as far as I knew, Halina kept her mouth shut. I kept my mouth shut, too, telling no one. Violet didn't even know, or maybe she did and just didn't say anything. Either way, I appreciated Halina's silence.

People weren't stupid, though. Living in a small community had its disadvantages. I never came out and announced I was gay, yet my coworkers concluded I was gay or at least concluded I was part of the LGBTQ+ community. Principal Harris thought it made sense to have someone from 'my community' be part of the district's Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Committee. I thought it was a good idea, so I didn't refuse. Gabriel said I must have given off 'gay vibes.' 

If Gabriel has his way, he said he'd hibernate all winter, waking up in mid April. I thought that was no way to live and was determined to get him to appreciate every month. He reluctantly agreed to go ice fishing. Once again, I needed to borrow equipment from my dad and once again my dad wondered why he wasn't going with me. "I'll go with you next weekend," I said. I intended to make the most of Gabriel's days off during February school vacation.

"You're going camping, too?" he asked, watching me load my Jeep with all the necessary winter camping equipment. "You always liked camping in winter. You were always an unusual boy. Are you going with Dr. Gabriel?"

"Yes, I'm going with Gabriel," I said. I couldn't stand it when he called Gabriel Dr. Gabriel. It rubbed me the wrong way.

"You spend a lot of time with him, don't you?"

"Don't worry. I'll spend lots of time with you and Mémère when I come back."

I was supposed to pick up Gabriel thirty minutes ago. He worked until three in the morning and still hadn't packed one item, so he decided to stay home instead of sleeping in my cabin. However, I bet he didn't get any sleep. I was usually punctual and predictable, so I expected to find a dozen text messages from Gabriel even though he knew cell phone service was spotty. He'd only send me texts after trying my landline, and since I was outside loading my car, I wasn't available to answer my landline.

"Dad, I'm late," I said. "I can't talk right now."

"Make sure you dress in layers and don't sleep naked. You're gonna get hypothermia."

"I know how to handle the cold. I gotta go. I'll talk to you when I get back."

I sped off and called Gabriel on the road to let him know I was on my way. He sounded half asleep. When I got to his apartment, he was only half-packed. I let him sleep while I finished packing for him. "You're on your way to an early death," I told him. "You should take a job at Millinocket Hospital. I bet you wouldn't work so much."

"Millinocket Hospital isn't a trauma center," he said, yawning. "I don't mind helping out there once in awhile, but I don't know if I could do it full time."

"You're an adrenaline junkie, that's why. Come one. Wakey-wakey. It's time to go."

He slept almost the entire two hours to Aroostook State Park where we planned on camping. The nearby Allagash River was a great spot for ice fishing. He continued to sleep in the Jeep as I set up camp, which made me think he hadn't slept at all last night and maybe the night before. As I prepared the campfire, Gabriel stumbled out of the Jeep. After waking from a deep sleep, he squinted, blinded by the blanket of snow surrounding us. He sat on the log beside me and accepted a mug of hot chocolate.

"It's pretty here," Gabriel said. "But cold."

"Don't be a baby."

He shoved my arm playfully. "I've been thinking," Gabriel said.