Catherine and Juliet met in the summer of 1981 at a weeklong Sea Camp on Big Pine Key where they were paired for snorkeling.  Juliet wore a modest one piece and Catherine wore a bikini, against the guidelines. They learned breathing techniques from their instructor and then explored a reef.

“He’s cute!”

Catherine remarked about the instructor after flirting with him a bit. As they swam. Catherine kept getting Juliet’s attention, pointing at angel fish or starfish with an excited look on her face. Juliet could see Catherine’s blue eyes through the mask, wide open and excited, eyebrows raised when she spotted a colorful fish, her long blond hair circling her head in the ocean. Catherine always smiled and made eye contact with Juliet, giving her full attention, asking her questions, bringing Juliet out of her shell.

“Do you think he’s cute?”

“He’s too old.” Juliet responded.

At the end of camp. Catherine and Juliet exchanged numbers and Catherine’s mother called Juliet’s father and asked if Juliet could spend time at Catherine’s house. He agreed.

They spent days attempting synchronized swimming at Catherine’s pool and bike riding and taking weekly lessons at the Tropical Park horse stables. On rainy days they sat in Catherine’s bedroom listening to The Rolling Stones or the Beatles and discussing who was the best band.

“Who’s your favorite Beatle?”

Catherine asked on more than one occasion as they stared at a poster of the fabulous four on the back of Catherine’s bedroom door.

“Mine is Paul.” She always insisted.

Juliet rolled her eyes. “I prefer the Rolling Stones but if I must choose, I will pick John Lennon. He has kind eyes and I like his songs.”

“I think Mick Taylor from the early Rolling Stones was the best looking but he’s no longer with the band. Juliet said excitedly. “I wonder what happened to him?” She pondered.

“My favorite Stones song is ‘Wild Horses’, but I prefer the Beatles. Sgt. Pepper’s is my favorite.” Catherine told Juliet for at least the third time.

“My brother is leaving for Yale in August. Catherine said sadly. “I’ll miss him. He always helps me with my homework.”

“He’s going to Yale!?” Juliet asked surprised.

“Oh yes. He’s very smart. He taught himself five languages. Do you think you will go to college?”

“Most definitely. I want to.” Juliet said confidently

“I don’t like school but I’m thinking of trying modeling.” Catherine said with uncertainty. “My mother said she would take me to see an agent when I’m 16.”

“That sounds good.” Juliet looked at Catherine. “You can do anything you want. The world is your oyster. At least that’s what my father tells me. Are looking forward to going to High School next year?” Juliet asked.

“Not really. No.” Catherine said as she got up to turn up the music and danced around the room.

When summer ended, Juliet went back to her life in Coconut Grove attending private school by day and participating in sports after school. Juliet’s father encouraged Catherine to volunteer part time at the Coconut Grove library on the weekends.  Catherine returned to public school in Westchester, barely staying in touch with Juliet during the school year.

The following summer, Catherine sought out Juliet for friendship again. Juliet noticed there was something troubling about Catherine. Being around Catherine once felt like freedom but by the following year, Juliet began to feel cautious and guarded around her. Juliet found out Catherine was failing classes in school and had started smoking cigarettes. Catherine told Juliet she sometimes wandered the cow fields west of her parents’ home looking for wild mushrooms hoping to get high.

“Do you want to go look for mushrooms?” she asked.

“Are they safe to eat?” Juliet replied.

“I don’t know,” said Catherine.” but we may like how they make us feel!”

“No! That’s not a good idea.” Juliet raised her voice.

Catherine liked getting attention from older men and because she was attractive, with piercing blue eyes and long blonde hair and a tall slender body, older men noticed. Sometimes she would risk hitchhiking to get to Dadeland Mall when she wanted to buy something her parents had forbidden. Catherine bragged that older men usually picked her up for rides. She had once told Juliet about shoplifting a cassette of the Cars latest album from the mall record store.

Catherine’s mother, a former Dade County executive secretary, was a disciplinarian and a perfectionist. She found it difficult to accept that her daughter was so wild and independent, often criticizing Catherine, imposing strict rules and expectations.

“Why can’t you be more like Juliet?”

Her mother said sternly. Catherine rebelled more, sometimes running away from home.

“Cath-er-ine!!”

Her mother would yell from her Suburban Truck window while driving all around the neighborhood. Catherine’s father Joe, a retired army sergeant, took a back seat to disciplining Catherine, always wanting to give in to her. That year, Juliet was relieved when Summer was over so she could get a break from Catherine.

Catherine called Juliet during their Junior year to confide that she had been struggling with her mental health.

“I tried to kill myself, “she said softly over the phone.

“Are you ok?” Juliet asked. There was a long pause. Juliet felt the weight of what Catherine was saying.

“Yeah. I’m ok.  Catherine whispered.

“Did something happen?” Juliet asked. “I mean something that would make you do that?” There was a long silence. “Well let me know if you ever want to talk.”

Juliet called Catherine a couple times during the year to check on her, but Catherine barely spoke. The following summer, they reconnected but Juliet noticed Catherine had become more aggressive.  She confided in Juliet that she was spending time at her neighbor Mike’s house and had been drinking and smoking.  Juliet had an uneasy feeling and a pit in the bottom of her stomach as Catherine talked about her relationship with the older neighbor.

Soon, Mike started dating someone his age and distanced himself from Catherine. She did not accept it well and told Juliet she was still showing up at Mike’s house and watching his comings and goings.

The summer before entering their senior year of high school, Catherine got her license to drive, and her parents gave her a restored 1970 White Ford Mustang. She began showing up at Juliet’s house unannounced, wanting to spend more time with her. One day, they spent time in Juliet’s room listening to music when Catherine lit a cigarette.

“You can’t smoke in here!” Juliet said firmly.  Catherine just laughed and began roughhousing, dropping an ember on the bedspread. “Oh my God you dropped something from your cigarette!”

Juliet searched the linens for any remnants but didn’t find anything. Juliet coaxed Catherine to go for a walk. After their walk Catherine drove home. When Juliet arrived back home, she saw the bedspread with a large burn hole in it hanging from the balcony railing. The condo was smokey and the alarm was still chirping. All the sliding glass doors were open Juliet’s father and his girlfriend were furious, berating Juliet.” What are you thinking? You almost caused a fire!” Her father’s girlfriend screamed. “You are grounded for a month!” her father yelled, red faced.

“I told her she couldn’t smoke here. I asked her to put it out. “

Juliet pleaded with a shaken voice. Juliet’s father didn’t take it well and blamed Juliet for the incident. As a result, Juliet stopped spending time with Catherine and told her she couldn’t come over anymore.

Weeks later Juliet’s father asked “Where’s Catherine? Why aren’t you friends with her anymore?”

“She started a fire in my room, got me in trouble and never apologized.”

Her father nodded and stopped pressing the issue. A few months later, Juliet learned that Catherine had started dating Juliet’s father’s business partner, Clive. Clive had a reputation for being an abuser. Clive had been divorced twice and had two children. He was a ruddy faced contractor with blonde hair who liked to spend time at the Flanigan’s bar on the weekends. Eventually, there were stories circulating at the stables that he was hitting Catherine. Juliet decided to confront her father about what she had heard. It took her a week to work up the courage. By the time she confronted him, she was angry.

“I heard your friend hit my friend. What are you going to do about it?”

Juliet’s father looked up from reading. He had learned about the incident weeks before.  “I’m ending all business dealings with him. He is no longer my business partner. Joe and I are handling it.”

Catherine said “good” and retreated to her room. Catherine’s father, Joe, had confronted Clive making it clear that his behavior was unacceptable and they would press charges. Joe also reached out to Larry for support. Juliet’s father Larry also spoke to Clive and told him to stay away from Catherine.

Clive showed up at Juliet’s and Larry’s home before setting off on his 45’ Motor cruiser heading for the Caribbean. Larry opened the door for him but did not invite him in. “Larry! I just came to say goodbye, partner. I’ll be gone for a few years.”

He stood in the doorway ruddy faced and smiling as usual. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

Larry walked him downstairs and out to the front where they had a private conversation in front of the condo towers. Larry came back upstairs and was quiet. They never spoke about Clive again.

Juliet continued to hear about Catherine’s tumultuous relationship over the years. On one occasion she heard from Catherine herself. A post card arrived with Mick Jaggar on the front and just a few words on the back “Thought of you. Catherine.”  Most often, Juliet heard gossip from mutual friends from the stables or Catherine’s father, Joe, called Larry to talk. There was mention of rehab stints, lost jobs and long periods of silence. Catherine and Juliet drifted further apart, their fond summer antics now a faraway memory.

Juliet thought about calling Catherine or writing her a letter telling her she remembered her and cared. Always thinking back to those first summer days, the synchronized swimming or horseback riding, the endless possibilities they hoped for their futures. Juliet remembered Catherine for the chaos but mostly for the friendship, and the early days when they were just girls navigating adolescence.