The Weaver

by Heather Kindt

  “I love Virginia. My mother and I spent some time at the beach a couple of summers ago. We also went to Williamsburg to see the colonial town. Our family is really into history.”

  “I grew up in Williamsburg. My parents named me after the town.” William’s leg was close to Laney’s. Warmth radiated from his body.

  “You mean near Williamsburg, right? It’s now a historical museum.” She moved her leg a millimeter closer to his.

  “Yeah, right.” He tapped his leg again. “But real close. Did you like it there?” He leaned toward her this time.

  “We didn’t spend much time in the actual town. Our hotel was closer to the coast in Norfolk.”

  William lifted an eyebrow.

  “There were quite a few things that I liked in the colonial town. It was interesting to see how they made wigs for the men, to see the horses trotting down the roads . . . sometimes it felt like I was actually living in the 1800s.”

  “Yeah, I guess that would be interesting.” William had a strange look on his face. Maybe he thought the tourist attraction was boring. The amusement park down the road captured more of the teenage crowd.

  Laney stuck her hands in the pockets of William’s coat. “Are you pre-med like Jason?” She wasn’t sure how she felt about another handsome would-be doctor around.

  “No, my major is sociology. Medicine runs in my family, but I find that I don’t have the stomach for it.” He smiled directly at her for the first time, taking her breath away. Unlike Jason’s boyish smile, William’s reminded her of a movie star. She had to tell herself again that he was way out of her league and if he was her William, he had a girlfriend named Anne.

  “My stomach wouldn’t last long either.” Laney continued the conversation so he wouldn’t catch her staring with her mouth open again.

  William looked out at the fire for a few moments, waves of heat drifting through the air, warming the autumn night. How long she could afford to look at him before he glanced back in her direction?

  “Do you mind me asking about your relationship with Jason?” William kept his eyes set on the fire this time.

  “We’re just friends, but he doesn’t spend a lot time with me.” She turned her eyes to the fire.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” William replied. “I know he thinks about you a lot.

  “He does?” Laney was a little shocked at this statement, thinking that Jason had an out of sight, out of mind policy when it came to her.

  “Most nights he’ll take out a picture of you. He doesn’t know I’m watching.”

  The crowd near the bonfire erupted as the lacrosse players carried in another straw doll. Missy was now on Brian’s shoulders and playing chicken with another couple. Laney was happy for her. Brian provided her with the attention she needed. William caught her looking at her roommate.

  “You’re not jealous of someone like that?” He raised his eyebrows.

  Did he struggle with poor eyesight? “Well, she is beautiful and popular and fun . . . should I mention anything else?” She had every right to be jealous. Missy had Brian and Jennifer had Jason because they had all three things.

  “Shallow?” He had a wide grin on his face.

  A lot of girls like Missy were shallow, but men didn’t seem to mind.

  “She’s not that bad.” People judged Missy too quickly. Her major was elementary education, and Laney could tell Missy loved little children and wanted to spend her life teaching them. She had more depth than most people gave her credit for.

  “I’m looking for a little bit more than beautiful and popular and fun.”

  William’s words made Laney wonder if he was looking for some sort of perfect woman, a ‘ten’ with a master’s degree in rocket science and a six-figure job offer. This also meant that any hopes she had for starting something a little more than friendship with him diminished.

  “So what are you looking for? Because most of the freshman boys I’ve met have those qualities at the top of their lists.” Jason enjoyed their time together, but it didn’t make him drop the witch and pledge his undying love.

  William sighed and took in the stars above them before his eyes gazed directly into hers. “I want a woman who makes my heart pound just by uttering my name. I want someone who knows the inner workings of my soul. I want a connection that goes beyond the constrictions of time and space into a realm that few experience in this lifetime or any other.” William’s eyes never left Laney’s as the words of poetry left his lips.

  Her mind worked overtime trying to interpret the meaning of each line, yet she wanted to appreciate the pure beauty of his words. How could this guy get any more perfect?

  “I guess that’s a little more difficult to find. Did you read that in some book?”

  “Not exactly.” He still held the same intensity. “And what about you? What are you looking for?” He leaned closer to her, his eyes containing a tenderness that made her wonder if he would lift his hand and caress her face. Laney’s face burned.

  “I never really thought about it before. I always thought I would know when I found the right person. Maybe I could steal your line?” It was impossible to tell William that she wanted someone exactly like him. She kept her eyes on his, not wanting to break the invisible tie between them.

  “Anytime.” He laughed and his eyes laughed along, forming lines that were sure to leave enduring wrinkles in the future.

  Looking over at the bonfire, Laney caught Missy waving at her. Disappointed, she knew her time with William was over, because she didn’t want Missy drawing attention to the fact that she was talking to someone much better looking than herself.

  “I’d better go.” Laney didn’t move an inch. “My friends want me back.”

  “That’s too bad.” William reached out and touched her hand. “Don’t let them convince you to be popular and fun.” He stood up, looking toward Missy.

  “Or beautiful.” Laney played along.

  “It’s already too late for that one.” He held her gaze again. Her heart rate increased and she tried not to hyperventilate while he reached his hand down to help her up.

  “Thanks for hanging out.” She slipped out of his coat and handed to him.

  William draped the coat over his arm. “Let’s do it again sometime.”

  Walking back to the popular crowd, Laney left William alone. She glanced over her shoulder to see him still watching her. When she reached Missy, she looked one more time in his direction, but he was gone.

  Chapter 9

  The campus woke early on Saturday morning with students ready for a day of revelries and fun. Blue and white balloons, the school’s colors, decorated every lamppost, and alumni walked here and there, stopping to hug and reminisce about the old days. Laney closed her dorm room curtain and groaned, remembering her promise to Jason. The game started in ten minutes and judging from the girl who stared back at her in the mirror, she definitely appeared as if she had just rolled out of bed.

  Missy’s snore came from somewhere under her covers. Laney turned the doorknob slowly, so as not to disturb her, and slipped out to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, Laney went out the door with her hair gathered up under a Red Sox hat. A substantial crowd had already gathered on the quad.

  The lacrosse ball flew around in the center of the field, but Laney couldn’t find any breaks in the circle of people to maneuver her way to the front. She kept walking down the field. At the far end, away from the dorms, she finally found a small opening to view the game. Madison wore blue jerseys, so she scanned the sea of blue trying to find Jason. This proved difficult, since all the guys wore helmets.

  After several minutes of watching, number twenty-four crossed the field with incredible agility, scooping the ball off the ground. Before the other team even noticed, he ran down the field, cradling the ball in the pocket of his net. The player avoided several body checks and closed in on the goal. When he was a few yards away from Laney, he tossed the ball to another blue jersey with a better angle. With a
flick, the ball zoomed past the goalie and into the net. The crowd erupted.

  The announcer’s voice boomed over the outdoor intercom system. “GOAL! Madison’s Shawn Jennings with the goal and Jason Harrison with the assist.” The crowd cheered louder as the players ran to the sidelines for water and a short timeout called by the other team.

  “Alright, Jason!” Laney yelled along with the crowd, hoping he might notice her among the throngs. He entered into a huddle with his teammates, so she took the time to scan the crowd for Jennifer.

  About halfway down Madison’s line stood William, who clapped along with the crowd, but then turned to look in Laney’s direction, as if he knew exactly where to find her. Smiling, he waved at her to come over. A rush of excitement filled her — this game had just gotten a whole lot better. She moved quickly along the white chalk line, eyes down, ignoring the jeers from other onlookers until she reached William and squeezed between him and a man with a Madison Dad t-shirt.

  “Hi, Laney.” He took her arm and pulled her away from the father and closer to him.

  She had come to the game to support Jason, but standing next to William had its perks. “Hi.” Laney stared at the Madison dad’s shoelaces for a moment and then turned back to William. “Jason’s amazing.”

  “Yeah, he’s pretty good.” William kept his eyes on her. “I’ve never played on a team, but it looks like it would be fun.”

  William’s athletic build made Laney think he’d stand out like Jason if he played for the team. The daylight made it harder to take her eyes off him. His features were more rugged than the adorable look that attracted most girls to Jason. The sun caught the natural highlights in his hair, which brushed slightly below his shoulders. The game started up again, so she forced her eyes away from William back to the field.

  “Woohoo!!! You go, Jimmy!” The man next to Laney shouted and moved his arms around like he was mixing something in a large pot.

  Jimmy shot his father an annoyed look, but then ignored his antics.

  The man looked at Laney. “Who are you here for?” Maybe he hoped she’d jump on the Jimmy bandwagon.

  “Jason Harrison.” Why couldn’t this man turn his attention to someone else? He reminded her of one of the men in Boston who declare the love of God from a soapbox. The only difference was this man was declaring the love of Jimmy.

  “Is he your boyfriend?” He gave her a quick elbow in the ribs.

  Laney lowered the brim of her hat, wanting to vanish.

  “He’d be quite a catch for someone like you.”

  She bit her lip and took a deep breath, too mortified to speak. Humiliation ran through her, but at the same time she wanted to punch this guy in the gut.

  “She’s with me.” William moved Laney to the other side of him, coming eye to eye with the jerk.

  “Hey, no harm done, man. I just meant that Jason’s the best player on the team, and he plans to be a doctor and all that. I just pictured him with some kind of trophy girl.”

  William’s hands were balled into fists. “I suggest you stop talking.”

  The man opened his mouth, but stopped. Something in William’s eyes made Madison Dad back away, his mouth hanging open. Laney’s hands shook, not out of fear, but because no one had ever stood up for her before like that.

  William took Laney’s arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

  She froze. “I told Jason I’d be here.”

  Madison Dad kept shooting them dirty looks, and his cheerleading voice increased in volume, making it obvious that he wanted them to leave.

  “We’re not leaving the game.” William leaned his mouth close to her ear. “I know you don’t go back on your promises.”

  They walked down the field until they found another opening in the thinning crowd. Few green North Shore shirts remained now that Madison led by five. Jason scored three of the six goals it took to win the game and he spotted them right after he scored the fifth one. He smiled, and blew a kiss in Laney’s direction. She smiled back.

  After the game, the team meandered back to the gym, hooting and hollering with the crowd that followed them. Laney sat down on the grass, took off her hat, and let the sun hit her face. William kicked the turf with his foot.

  “Are you going to join me as I worship the sun god?”

  He continued to stand, looking away at the crowd of people. Lying back on the turf, Laney closed her eyes, soaking in the midday sun. The ground was slightly warmer than the night before.

  “You really do like him.”

  William’s statement hit her out of nowhere. Peeking at him, he stood with his hands jammed into his pockets. She closed her eyes and thought about her answer. Jason had been as close as a cousin growing up. They’d also hit it off the first few days they reconnected at Madison. Sure, he had looks and charm and a great sense of humor, but she knew they’d always be friends — as long as Jennifer had no say about it.

  Laney opened her eyes but squeezed them shut again against the invading sunlight. She grabbed her hat to shade her eyes. “Yeah, I do like him. We grew up together in Derry because our moms are best friends. But Jason is more like a brother to me.”

  William’s body relaxed before her eyes. “Jason didn’t tell me you grew up together. I just know how he feels about you.” He finally sat down, but further away than he had been at the bonfire.

  Closing her eyes again, Laney’s thoughts drifted to the motivation behind William’s question about Jason. Did Jason want to know how she felt, or was William interested? As she continued to work through several scenarios, she opened her eyes just as a Frisbee sailed toward her. William lunged in front of her and grabbed it in midair before it could hit her in the face.

  He lay on his side, sprawled across the grass at her feet. “You know, you should really be more aware of your surroundings.” He tossed the Frisbee back to its owner.

  He obviously didn’t realize the effect his presence already had on Laney’s senses. He ran his hands across his pants, brushing away the grass. A chain with a pendant dangled from his shirt, swaying as he moved.

  “What’s that?” Laney pointed to the pendant. She leaned forward. It resembled hers except for the color. It was green, but she couldn’t quite make out the gold inlay because William quickly stuffed it back under his shirt.

  “It’s my good luck charm.” William straightened his hem. “It makes me feel like I have a purpose.” Loud cheering came from the direction of the gym. “Here comes the team.”

  “Good, I want to congratulate Jason on the win.” Laney let William’s lame explanation go for now.

  The team crossed the quad heading for lunch, but Jason left the flock when he saw Laney and William. “Hey, you two! I’m glad you came.”

  “Great game, Jason.” William said, giving him a high-five.

  “Are you ready to play yet? I know the season already started, but I bet I could pull a few strings. They’re talking about making me a captain as a freshman.” The thrill of the win was still written all over Jason’s face.

  “Not this year, but it does look like a lot of fun. Maybe we could toss the ball sometime.”

  “Sure. You could use the extra stick in the room.” William and Jason bonding gave Laney a strange sense of satisfaction, even though she knew their bond would exist without her.

  “You look great.” Jason reached out his arms, pulling Laney into an exaggerated hug. She was embarrassed by his obvious actions in front of William. “It means a lot to me that you were here.”

  “I’m your friend. Friends are there for each other.”

  “From now on, you’ll see a lot more of me. Maybe you’ll even get sick of me. I’ve got to go eat lunch with the boys, but let’s go for a run tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good.” Was it for real? She doubted it.

  “And I’ll see you later, roomie.” Jason slapped William on the shoulder before he turned and ran toward the dining hall, leaving them alone again. William’s gaze followed Jason for an awkward moment.
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  “You’re not jealous of someone like that, are you?” Laney mimicked his words from the night before. She bit her lip to keep from smiling.

  “Only that he’s beautiful and popular and fun.” William smiled. “Okay, maybe not that beautiful.”

  Chapter 10

  After church on Sunday, Laney found a peaceful spot in the library. Jenkins Hall held five stories of books and classrooms. The media lined the walls of a section of the building called the stacks. Tucked here and there within were student cubicles for working. Students seldom ventured downstairs to the lowest section, so Laney found a desk in a corner where she buried herself in her work.

  Calculus took the longest, but she was still able to complete the problems in less than an hour. The last two assignments were a breeze and took her less time to complete.

  Schoolwork finished, Laney removed her writing journal from her backpack.

  William pinned Jonas to the ground. He turned to me. “Go home.”

  That lapse in concentration gave Jonas enough time to muscle William off. Jonas rolled over and then pounced like a fierce lion, his face purple with rage. A scream pierced the night, and I realized that it came from my lips. Jonas grasped a knife in his hand.

  Jonas’ intoxication saved William that night. The blade intended for his heart missed by about ten inches and sliced into his bicep. Jonas reached for the blade in William’s arm to try again, but as it is with most brawls, a crowd had gathered from the tavern as witnesses.

  William moaned as Jonas staggered away. Three men in the crowd carried William back to his house, knowing that he needed his father immediately. I held his hand when Dr. Clarke removed the makeshift bandages wrapped by one of the men and applied a tourniquet. William clenched his teeth and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He placed my hand on the bed and wiped away my tears as his father sewed up the deep gash. William’s anguish was mine, and I could see it in his eyes with every move of the needle.

  Laney heard footsteps on the stairs, so she put down her pen to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. A girl looked through a section of books on the far side of the room. Laney breathed out, but her own tears were hard to ignore. She pulled a tissue out of her bag and continued.