Ginger Fox

It took me a while to get Jon to open up again, but after many strawberry milkshakes and a car ride with the music blasting, I finally did. I noticed from the first day I met him that he liked music, so I tried to communicate and find a way into the closed-off world of this young aspiring Captain Nemo through music. Somehow, it’s through melody that I connect with Jon. I pull my phone out of my pants pocket and open the playlist as soon as we get to the mansion and head to my room.
"You found the song you were going to show me?" he asks, curious, and I glance at him, laughing.
"So, our Captain Nemo likes hip-hop?" I toss the bag onto the bed, searching for the song I used to listen to back in college.
"Not all of it, but I like some." He sits down, sweaty, his face flushed, sipping his soda. Now Jon really seems like a happy kid. He had sung so much in the car, all the songs we liked as they played.
I saved one last trick up my sleeve to end his day, not wanting to break the connection I had made with him. Just like my mom and dad did with me when I was a kid, singing with them, carefree, as if it was the most important moment of our lives. Those are the strongest memories I have of them. My dad always used to say that it wasn’t about how much time he could spend with me, but the quality of that time. Sometimes, minutes turn into eternities in our memories.
"Let’s see if it’s really good, I want to see you keep up with this." I find the song on my favorites list and click on Jason Derulo.
Jon’s little feet tap slowly on the floor as he sits at the edge of the bed, getting into the vibe, listening to *Want To Want Me*.
"I’ve heard this one before." He taps his feet faster, laughing as he hums along quietly.
"Let’s see you keep up with the beat, Jon." I take his cap off, moving my body and putting the cap on my head with the brim turned backward.
I make him laugh as my fingers slide inside my shirt, mimicking the desperate beats of a heart.
"Here comes the chorus, Jon!" I shout, laughing at him. My fingers trace over my shoulder, imitating Jason Derulo in the video.
Jon joins in, raising a finger to his head, singing along with the music. I move my body.
"Girl, you’re the one I want to want me. And if you want me, girl, you got me." Jon laughs loudly as I sing the chorus, dancing for him. "Come on, Jon, sing with me!"
I grab his fingers, swaying his body along with mine.
"There’s nothin’ I, no, I wouldn’t do, I wouldn’t do just to get up next to you."
He surprises me, making me completely ecstatic when he starts singing, letting his voice rise above the music from the phone. I release his fingers and bring two to my lips, letting out a whistle worthy of a championship win, making him even more excited.
"THAT’S IT, JON!"
"Girl, you’re the one I want to want me. And if you want me, girl, you got me!" This time, the chorus is sung by both of us, forming the most out-of-tune duet ever heard. Even so, nothing dampens our excitement.
His body moves, getting off the bed, showing me a few steps, just as uncoordinated as mine. Baby opens the door, standing in the doorway with her eyes wide open. Following the beat and afraid Jon might shut down, I walk over to her, dancing, doing my clumsy Jason Derulo choreography. I give her a playful wink, running my hands over my mouth as if wiping away drool.
"You open the door. Wearing nothing but a smile, fell to the floor." She breaks into a big grin, only to pout right after, running her fingers over her body.
"And you whisper in my ear: Baby, I’m yours." Baby quickly joins in, singing along. I bring my hand to my forehead, pretending to faint with emotion.
"Oh, just the thought of you gets me so high, so high." Jon sings along, so carefree, not minding that she’s there, only making him more excited, dancing around us.
The two of us turn to Jon, clapping as we sway our hips, dancing to the beat. I glance over at her, seeing the sparkle in her eyes as she watches him like this, so carefree. Baby turns her face, smiling at me, getting us ready for the last chorus of the song.

"Girl, you're the one I want to want me. And if you want me, girl, you got me!" we all shout, singing together and swaying our bodies to the beat.
As the song ends, Jon is buzzing with energy, his face completely red and even sweatier than before. His blue hair sticks to his forehead, and his eyes are shining. He turns his head towards the door, prompting me to turn with him. Mr. Roy stands there, hands in the pockets of his slacks, silently watching us. My arm extends as I reach for my phone on the dresser, stop the playlist, and drop it on the bed. His eyes move from Jon to Baby, finally settling on me.
"Your grandmother is here, waiting for you, Jon." His voice isn't cold, but it carries a certain unease.
"I came to let you know," Baby says, laughing and breathing heavily. "I came to get Jon and ended up joining in."
"Are you coming, Gim?" Jon asks. I didn’t even know he was going to his grandmother’s today.
"No, Jon. Miss Fox can't accompany you on weekends with your grandmother," Mr. Roy quickly answers, addressing both of us. "She’ll have the weekend off while you're there."
I watch Jon's excitement deflate like a balloon popping at the peak of a birthday party.
"But I can walk you downstairs. How about that? Go take a quick shower, and I’ll help you with your bag."
"Will you be here when I get back?" I can feel the fear in his fast, anxious words.
"Of course, buddy! Where else would I be?" I give him a wink, bringing a bit of his joy back. "Go get cleaned up, hurry."
Jon quickly leaves my room, opening the door that connects the rooms, making me thankful I moved the wardrobe from there this morning.
"There’s no need to pack the bag, Miss Fox. He already has everything he needs there." I try to calm my breathing, still feeling my heart race from playing with Jon, nodding at Mr. Roy.
"How did you manage that?" Baby asks, pulling my attention away from the man who’s staring at me intensely.
"Well, Jon likes music." I take the cap off my hair, laughing, feeling happy to see him doing well. "Music is always good, Baby." My fingers fix my hair as I hear her laugh. And in this moment, it doesn’t feel so strange to have both of them in my room. I want to share Jon’s happiness with them. "He’s an amazing kid, he just needs time... He’s smart. Did you see how he loosened up while he was singing? He... Wow!" I cover my face, muffling a little squeal of happiness.
When I lift my face, between the laughter and joy, squeezing the cap in my fingers, Baby stares at me with her eyes wide, a vivid blue, far from the grayish hue they usually hold. Both her hands cup the sides of my face, holding it between her fingers. Without warning, and without any preparation, she moves quickly, pressing her lips to mine. My fingers, which were suspended in the air, stay frozen, just like my body in shock. I taste the strawberry lip gloss she's wearing, and it makes me sigh. She deepens the kiss slowly, taking full control of the moment. Her tongue glides between my lips, leaving a warm, soft trail. I’m kissing a woman!
You're kissing a woman!, my brain screams wildly, like a siren. This isn’t something you plan; it just happens. Baby knows how to make this feel like the most natural thing in the world, making me disconnect from everything around us. When she finally pulls away, taking the last bit of oxygen from my lungs, leaving me without any coordination to keep myself standing, I remain frozen in place. Her bright smile beams at me as she gently strokes my face. Baby quickly leaves the room, leaving me stunned and unsure of what just happened.

My fingers lift, brushing against my mouth, feeling my swollen lips and the lingering strawberry lip gloss she left on them. I look towards the door, where I'm met with the keen gaze of an unexpected spectator—someone who just witnessed my first kiss with a woman from the front row. There's no reaction from him, no shock or disapproval. Mr. Roy simply continues to stare at me. Then, without a word, he moves, extending his arm to grasp the doorknob, pulling the door closed slowly. He leaves me standing there, just as lost as I was on the first day I arrived here.