Reunion: Part 1
Mondays are the worst, aren't they? I mean, does anything ever seem to go right on a Monday? Inevitably, despite your best efforts, you always get to school on Monday and realize that you forgot to do something over the weekend. So you spend your whole day freaking out, scrambling to get it done. On top of all that, throw on the fact that you probably got barely any sleep the night before, and it all comes together to make a very bad day.
Still, for all their shortcomings, I never said Mondays couldn't be interesting - as unlikely as it may be.
I yawn deeply as I grab my things from my locker. At the end of my yawn, I cough repeatedly. There was a three-alarm fire last night. I was up until midnight or so helping people get out of the burning building. I think I got everybody I could, but at some point, I just let the firefighters handle the rest. I knew I had a whole day of school awaiting me. So here I am. In all honesty? I'd rather be in the middle of the fire.
"No. Freaking. Way," Jim announces in shock. He's leaning casually against the locker next to mine. I glance over at him, and his eyes are as wide as I've ever seen them. His mouth is slightly ajar, and he's gripping the straps of his backpack so tight that his knuckles are turning white. "Dude!" he manages to croak.
I turn, and the sight that greets me is quite a surprise. More than that, even.
"Well, is anyone going to say anything?" Abby Smith asks, turning red but still smiling. Now, I'm not sure you guys will grasp the astronomical impact of this event. Abby moved away six years ago. In many ways, her leaving is what eventually drove our group of friends apart. She was more important to all of us than any of us realized at the time. As far as I know, none of us have seen her in person in the last six years.
Until now.
"Abby?" I manage to say, but even those two syllables are a struggle. I don't know what to think. I mean, obviously I'm ecstatic, but I wasn't exactly prepared for this. Abby was my best friend. We were closer than I was with Jim. That close. Sure, we were kids, but it still meant something. Now, here she is. "I don't believe it," I croak, allowing myself to simply say what I'm thinking.
Abby giggles. Funny how, even after all this time, I still recognize that laugh of hers. "It's good to see you, too, Sean," she jokes. "I wasn't sure you guys would even recog--"
Before she can finish, I've thrown my arms around her. She laughs and returns the embrace with equal vigor. I turn my head and look at her neck. She's still wearing the same necklace that I bought her for her tenth birthday. I don't believe it. It's such a corny, chintzy little thing. I figured she would have thrown it away by now. Or, at the very least, I expected it to break or something.
"What are you doing back here?" I inquire excitedly. We pull back from our hug, but we don't break contact entirely. My fingers remain interlaced with hers as we face each other. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"
"And pass up this kind of reception? Are you kidding?" Abby laughs. Her hazel eyes look into mine, glimmering with life and happiness. Everyone was always amazed that we both had striking green eyes. We aren't even related or anything. It's just one of those quirky twists of fate. Abby looks over my shoulder and lights up, "Jimmy!" I smile. She had pet names for all of us. No one calls him 'Jimmy.' "Still strong and silent, I see?"
Abby moves past me to hug Jim. As she does so, our fingers pull apart. I let mine hang in space for a moment, yearning for more warm contact. I'm not even consciously thinking about it. It just sort of happens.
"Strong? Sure. But silent? Please," Jim scoffs. He lifts Abby and spins her as they hug. Her long locks of hair float in the wind gracefully. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, missy. You have no idea what everyone's been like since you left."
Abby sighs softly. "Sean's told me," she explains disappointedly. "From what I hear, it sounds like my Mary has forgotten who she used to be." Abby frowns.
"You could say that," Jim admits. The resentment in his voice is still clear. I wonder what Abby's going to think when she sees Jim and Marilyn interact. I mean, the dislike there is so potent, it's saddening - when you think about how we all used to be together. Don't get me wrong. Marilyn wasn't a saint, but...
"What am I missing?" Brooke appears beside me. I throw my arm over her shoulder, and she rests her head on my shoulder. That's right. I hadn't thought about Brooke. She's probably the only person I know who won't be totally shocked by Abby's return.
I explain, "Oh, Brooke, this is Abby." Abby waves. "She's an old friend from way before high school." Man, is that the abridged version. I'll explain everything in more detail to Brooke later, 'cause there's a lot to say on this particular subject. "She, Jim, and I go way, way back."
"You have no idea," Abby laughs, running a hand through her hair.
"Oh," Brooke replies, still somewhat uncertain. I can see why she might feel a little awkward. I don't blame her. "Well, it's nice to meet you, then. I'm Brooke. I'm Sean's girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" Abby repeats while looking at me. She seems a bit taken aback. "Wow. That's cool."
Both Brooke and Abby continue smiling, but you can tell there's more beneath the surface. Now, if you can figure out where this is going, congratulations to you. I only wish I had earlier. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
