Goodluck Pennies

Barren. That’s all I think about was how barren it was. I would have thought that in the time that has passed they would have put something here, but nothing. All they have managed to do is bicker about what should go there. I don’t think anything they put there will ever really matter to me, it won’t change anything, it will always remain a reminder of the anger I felt, the devastation, and the hopelessness. I feel a warm hand squeeze mine and realize that it is time to go. I place the penny on the ground and turn around and walk away.

-9 years prior-

Out of the corner of his eye he watched as the gray metal door hit the frame and let out the tinny clang announcing that it had closed. He held his breath and watched as the willowy figure made her way across the hall toward him. He began to countdown in his head her imminent arrival. ‘5..4..3..2..’ “Hi Guy!”

‘Guy cringed inwardly as the rainbow’s and bubble gum voice hit his ear drum. “Oh hi Whitney.” He mumbled under his breath and looked straight ahead at his locker, deciding whether he should make up and excuse to try and escape or stand there and listen to her mindless dribble.

“So I missed you last night! I thought you were going to be at Sammy’s last night, but I didn’t see you. Where were you?” Whitney asked as she smacked her gum in Guy’s ear.

Guy thought back to what he was doing the night prior, he was at home watching his younger brother while his mom and dad attended a gala at the MET. “Yeah I was uh busy.” He replied as he grabbed a book out of his locker and shut it.

“Oh that’s like so bad. It was a really good party and like I would have had more fun if you were like there.” Whitney whined.

Guy was trying to remember why he hadn’t just closed his locker on his head while he had the chance. “Yeah, too bad.” He half-heartedly said.

“Yeah, well you’ll just have to come to the next party. Well anyway I need to go to Mr. Gunther’s class or else I’ll get like another tardy slip or something.”

“Well you better go then.”

“Okay, bye Guy.” Whitney said as she waved her fingers at him and bashed her eyes in an attempt to look ‘sexy’

“What are we going to do with you? I leave you alone for 5 seconds and hyenas move in?”

Guy looked down and saw Katie standing next to him with her hand on her hip and her I don’t give a shit attitude. He cracked a smile for the first time and that day. “ Katie, your timing is terrible, I swear you and I need to start dating just so that Whitney and her apes can leave me alone.”

“Aww well if you insist I guess I can be your girlfriend. Now carry my shit and tell me about your day.” The feisty little brunette demanded.

Guy saluted her in a drill sergeant manor and said, “Yes ma’am” as he took her black backpack and slung on his back in an effortless manor. “So besides Whitney bombarding me with her stupidity I had a fairly decent day, ran cross country this morning. I watched my little brother last night while my parents went to the Mayors election party at the Met last night.”

“Well you live quite the exciting life! We live in one of the most sought after cities in the world and that is all you did.”

“Geez! Sorry little miss, I can’t just leave my little brother home alone, and it was only a Sunday night! I suppose I need to hang out with you, Amanda, and Hailey more. Oh wait, then everyone will think I’m gay.”

“No one will think you gay, if Whitney still chases you.” Katie said as she gave Guy a wink. “Besides we go to a performing arts school, half the men here are gay!”

“Mhhm. So shall I meet you guys tonight at the same spot?” Guy asked.

“Hmm I think so, i’ll send you a text if we decided to change it up. Bye boyfriend.”

“I think we should break up!” Guy called after Katie.

“In your dreams!” Katie yelled back.

Guy grinned and turned around and took off in the opposite direction heading home.

-^V*V^-

There was a note on the counter when Guy got home telling him to pick up his little brother from school. Guy sighed and tossed his backpack onto the marble counter top, if his mother were home she would have yelled at him and chastised him from being lazy and not walking down the hall and putting his bag in his room. But she wasn’t here and he was thirsty. Guy meandered over to the fridge and found a can of coke. Propping himself up on the counter Guy drank the coke slowly savoring the crisp taste. Guy glanced around the apartment; it was a mix of modern concrete and southern charm. His mother was from the deep south of Louisiana while his dad was from the city.

Somewhere along the way the two of them had met and now here they were. His mother was a real-estate agent here in the city, she often dealt with celebrity clients and so she catered to their every need and met with them when it was ideal to them. His dad was the CEO of a major marketing firm and worked heavily with big companies.

Due to both of his parents career’s they lived in an expensive apartment that over looked the city and harbor. His mother would have preferred an apartment that overlooked central park, but his father worked in the financial district and so they chose to live closer to his work.

Guy glanced up at the clock on the microwave and realized that he was going to be late picking up his brother. “Shit!” Guy chugged the rest of the coke and then crushed the can and tossed it into the garbage can. Grabbing his keys he left the apartment and hopped in the elevator.

-^V*V^-

“Your late!” A little boy about 8 said as Guy approached.

“I’m sorry Charlie! I really am. I was daydreaming.” Guy said as he waved to one of Charlie’s teachers and they walked off.

“Well Guy your not as late as mom or dad would be, so I guess I can forgive, but just this once.” Charlie said with a wicked grin.

“Thanks little man, so how was school? Any cute girls?”

“Well today during art I sat next to Autumn, and I asked her if she wanted to be my girlfriend.”

“Oh really? What did she say?”

“She said only if I would hold her hand and open doors for her.”

Guy looked down at his little brother and laughed. “Well done little man! Did you kiss her?”

“Yeah, I had to sneak it in at recess. She tastes like cherry. I think it was her chap-stick. Oh I gave her my penny that you gave me, I hope that’s okay.”

“Charlie, I will just have to give you another lucky penny then, I mean that one seems to have already brought you good luck with Autumn it seems.”

Charlie smiled and hugged his older brother.

“Alright! So are you excited about your field trip tomorrow?” Guy questioned?

“Mmm I guess. I’ve been there a load of times before you know with dad, but this time I get to go with Autumn!” Charlie said excitedly

Guy grinned and high fived his little brother.

“So mom and dad are working late do you want to come to the park with me and my friends tonight? We can grab a hot dog on the way.” Guy asked.

“Yeah! That sounds so cool!”

“Alright little man! Sounds good!”

-^V*V^-

“I’m impressed with how long he lasted.” Hailey said in her soft melodic tone

Guy looked down at his brother as he carried him in his arms home. “Yeah, me too. He loves coming with me. You guys are great to deal with him.” Guy whispered back.

Hailey smiled. “If we didn’t we wouldn’t ever see you outside of the florescent lights of our school.”

“Well I’m just glad he’s a good sport about it. In a couple of years he won’t be.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, your such a good brother to him. Honestly Guy, your going to be an amazing father.”

“Thanks, Hailey. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you next year when you go off to school in California and I stay here. I’ll be so lost.”

“Guy, stop being so overdramatic. I swear you’re like a girl sometimes. Now kiss me goodnight cause this is where I leave you.”

Guy bent down and gently placed a soft kiss on Hailey’s lips.

“We need to come out about our relationship, I can’t take anymore of Whitney.”

“I good time we will, but we can’t come out after our siblings just got together, what will the people think?”

“Alright miss, but I give these two a week and then were out. I’m going to yell it on the rooftops if I have to.”

“Oh Mr. Berryman you are so incorrigible, but that’s why I love you. Now goodnight.”
-^V*V^-

“So here is your lunch, I made it this morning so it’s only got the good stuff in it. Now I hope you have a good time on your field trip, it looks like it’s going to be a really nice day.” Guy said to Charlie as he was dropping him off for school.

“Thanks Guy! You’re the best.” Charlie said as he gave his brother a quick hug.

“I’ll pick you up after school again, I’ll try not to be late again.”

“Okay! Oh wait Guy! I need a new luck penny!” Charlie called out as Guy began to leave.

Guy paused and quickly thought, “I need to make one lucky for you, so today when I pick you I’ll have one for you then. Sound good?”

“Can I have your lucky penny?”

Guy reached in his pocket and felt the tiny round object and thought back to why it was lucky to him. He had just picked it up off the ground when he met Hailey. He didn’t want to give this penny away. “Charlie this one is special to me, I promise thought that when I pick you up today I will have a penny waiting for you, okay?” Guy called back to Charlie.

“Okay. Thanks Guy! I’ll see you later!” Charlie ran off into the school leaving Guy to walk off to his.

-^V*V^-

It’s been 9 years. 9 years since everything changed. 9 years since mom has smiled. 9 years since dad has really looked at me. 9 years since I have felt his warm body beating against mine. That was the last time I saw him. I regret everyday not giving him my penny. It might have been that penny that saved his life. I’m told that he saved his friends that day. His ‘girlfriend’ told me that he saw it happening and pushed them out of the way. I believe her that is the kind of thing Charlie would do. He was a selfless little boy, who didn’t deserve to die that day, he had so much left here on earth, but as my wife Hailey reminds me everyday the Lord need him more than we did. So Charlie every year on September 11th I place a good luck penny at the towers, and I hope that somehow you get that.