Magnolia Lake

by Emily Paige Skeen

  “Ha. Right. All the girls.” He rolled his eyes and put one arm around my waist for a quick squeeze. “Later, Cor. Call me sometime soon.”

  “Sure thing! Bye!” I was already running toward the girls’ locker room before the words were out of my mouth. Coach was going to kill me.

  Amazingly, I changed clothes and made it just in time to plop down on the hard floor and get into a stretching position before the coach noticed.

  Valerie must have seen something in my expression. “Looks like somebody’s been up to no good.” She winked as we stretched.

  “I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about.”

  “Oh, come on, Cor! Your face is all flushed,” she whispered, “and you were the last one dressed. I may not have a boyfriend right now, but that doesn’t mean I forgot how to read the signs. You managed to fit in a make-out session and still get here with one minute to spare!”

  Although her accusations made me blush, the corners of my mouth turned up into a mischievous grin. There was no use in trying to lie to her. She had a strange sixth sense about these things.

  “Well, maybe a quick one,” I answered. “But, in my defense, there are only so many unsupervised hours in a day. Jeff and I don’t get much alone time.”

  Lacy overheard us and chimed in. “Oh, you are so lucky! To have such a hot, manly guy. Mike won’t even kiss me on the cheek at school. He’s so worried about what his friends will think. It drives me crazy! I need a little action, ya know. A little adventure.”

  Coach Rivers shot us a stern glance. Not wanting to be on the wrong side of one of Coach’s endless tirades, I focused on the hardwood floor, spread my legs, and continued stretching.

  After two hours of running, dancing, and stunting, my friends and I walked lethargically to our cars. When we reached Lacy’s car, she hurriedly jumped in with only a quick, “See ya later,” before speeding off.

  I looked at Valerie, who shrugged her shoulders. “Wanna ride together tomorrow and go to the mall after practice?” she asked.

  “Yeah, sounds good. I need new jeans. We can look at prom dresses too! Just for fun,” I answered with excitement. “I’ll call Kayla and Lacy tonight. Maybe they’ll wanna meet us.”

  We stood in the parking lot talking about our shopping trip and which stores we wanted to visit. When we finally finished our conversation fifteen minutes later, I decided to put up the top on my car. The sky warned of a downpour.

  Just as I exited the student parking lot, the bottom suddenly fell out of the sky, producing sheets of rain that caused me to immediately let my foot off the gas and turn my windshield wipers up as high as possible. It had been perfectly clear for most of the day. Where’d the sun go in such a short amount of time?

  As I came to one of the streets I’d normally take home, I noticed it was closed due to a wreck. Detour signs were set up a few feet before the crash site, so I turned down an unfamiliar dirt road.

  That’s when I noticed Jeff’s truck parked on the grass to the right of the gravel. My heart started to pound. I knew it was his by the University of Georgia sticker on the back glass. There was no sign of him, but no sign he’d been involved in a crash, either—no other cars, no tree limbs sticking out, nothing. But also no Jeff.

  With my stomach in knots, I jerked the steering wheel and rolled to a stop behind the truck. My imagination ran wild as I pictured Jeff being robbed at gunpoint or something else horrific. I just knew he was in a ditch somewhere, left for dead. I practically flew out of my car and around the front of his truck. There was mumbling coming from the woods several feet away.

  I started to panic, my mind racing. A million thoughts ran through my head. Was he hurt? Who was that talking? What happened? Had someone dragged him from the car?

  I didn’t even notice the wet grass sloshing under my feet and spraying my ankles and calves with mud. It was a good thing I hadn’t changed back into my school clothes. I was still wearing shorts and tennis shoes, much better to run in than the high heels I’d sported earlier.

  The mumbling noises were getting louder. I saw an overgrown dirt road I hadn’t noticed before. An eerily familiar car was parked at the end of that road in the woods. I walked closer to the car and peered inside. Through the fog of the back glass, there was Jeff. And there was Lacy pressed against him, their murmurs echoing through the open windows.

  My Jeff. My friend Lacy.

  I wanted to scream—to yell profanities at them—but my lungs wouldn’t cooperate. I just stood there, mouth hanging open, rain drenching my hair, and gaped at them.

  “What the—” Jeff pushed away from Lacy. He flung the door open and jumped out. “Cora! What are you doing—Oh, crap! It’s not what you think.”

  I realized I was shaking my head. Repeatedly. Just shaking my head from side to side.

  Jeff lunged for me. He grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. “Cora, say somethin’, baby.”

  I felt my eyes narrow and my nostrils flare. “I’m not your baby.” I spat the last word at him and then spun around so fast that the ground swayed beneath my feet. I headed for my car, my demeanor surprisingly calm. Although my insides twisted and turned, I simply walked back toward the road. He tried to catch my hand, but I jerked away. “Don’t you dare touch me. Ever.”

  “Just hold on, Cor,” he begged. “Let me explain.”

  “I don’t wanna hear it, Jeffrey Colton. Stay away from me.” My teeth were clenched, but the words came out clearly. I never stopped walking.

  I made it back to my car after what felt like an eternity. He must have stopped following me. I could hear Lacy’s high-pitched whining. I assumed she was trying to make him pity her, trying to make him believe this wasn’t her fault.

  Heck, she was probably trying to make him believe that it was somehow my fault. Typical Lacy. I’d witnessed her selfish, harsh actions before. But this time, they were against me.

  Her earlier words replayed in my mind. You are so lucky…I need a little action…adventure. I guess she would do anything to get her adventure, even at my expense.

  I didn’t know where to go. I drove, but not toward home. When I could no longer control my bottled-up emotions, I pulled over, slumped against the steering wheel, and began to sob.

  About ten minutes passed before something rapped against my window. I felt my heart stop as I slowly looked up, hoping to see Jeff even though I wanted so badly to hate him. But it wasn’t Jeff. The person peering into my car was Landon. He tapped the window again, so I rolled it down.

  “Cora! What’s wrong?” Worry filled his expression. I could imagine what he must’ve thought by looking at me. I was a mess with wet hair and clothes, mud on my legs, and makeup running down my face.

  He pulled open my door and knelt down so that his face was inches from mine. “Are you hurt? What happened?”

  “Jeff and…Lacy…in the…woods…kissing…I can’t…breathe,” I tried to explain between hysterics. Landon’s expression turned hard in an instant. His head shot up, his eyes scanning the trees and houses beyond us.

  “Where are they? That jerk. I’ll bury him,” he growled.

  My sobs let up enough for me to speak normally. “They’re not here. They were on some dirt road close to the school.”

  He relaxed a little. “Oh. Well, let me take you home.”

  “Thanks, but I’m fine to drive now, I think. I just don’t really wanna go home yet. I’ll have to explain to my parents…” Tears streaked down my cheeks again.

  Landon wiped one away with his fingertip. “Then let me take you to my house. My parents are at a dinner party tonight.”

  Normally I’d argue about inconveniencing him, but I was desperate not to go home. “Okay,” I sniffed. “But…where were you goin’? I don’t wanna interfere…”

  “Cora, you never interfere. I was just headed to the store, but it can wait. Come on, get in my jeep. I’ll bring you back here later for your car.”

  I inhaled a shaky breath and wiped mascara fro
m under my eyes. “Okay.”

  He took my hand and gently pulled me up. He stood still for half a second, then his arms were around me. “I’m so sorry this happened.”

  “It’s not your fault, Landon. But thank you. There’s no tellin’ how long I would’ve sat right here if you hadn’t come by.”

  After a minute, he broke our embrace and helped me into the passenger seat of his jeep. He kissed my forehead and then walked around to the driver’s side. We drove most of the way in silence, his hand on top of mine, which was palm down on the seat. Every once in a while, his thumb made circles on my knuckles.

  “You hungry?” he asked when we pulled into his driveway.

  “Um, sure. I could eat, I guess.”

  “Okay. I’ll make you somethin’.”

  “Landon, you don’t have to do that. Really. We can just order a pizza or somethin’.” I felt terrible. I hated being pitied, and I hated being any trouble—especially to him.

  “No way. You’ve had a rough day. You deserve a home-cooked meal. How ’bout fried chicken and mashed potatoes? It’s the only thing I can really make.” He grinned sheepishly.

  “That sounds perfect.” I smiled in return. We went inside, and he started supper while I watched TV. It felt so natural, so comfortable.

  As I thought about our friendship, I realized something seemed different about him. Maybe he was taller or more muscular. He looked older than I remembered. I noticed he was in gym clothes, too. “Hey, what were you doing on that road anyway, Landon?” I called toward the kitchen.

  He poked his head around the corner to answer my question. “I was leavin’ baseball tryouts. Needed to go pick up a few things, but they had the road blocked because of some wreck.”

  “Yeah, that’s why I went that way, too.” I paused. Baseball? I knew he’d played baseball some when he was younger, but I didn’t know he was still interested in it. “You’re goin’ out for the baseball team?”

  “I’ve played all my life on rec teams, just never for the school. Figured I’d give it a shot this year since it’ll be my last chance to get a scholarship to play college ball.”

  “Oh,” I replied, surprised. “I didn’t know you were that serious about it.”

  He looked at the ground, embarrassed. “That’s probably because I quit when we were together. It took up too much time.” He hesitated, shifting his gaze back to mine. “Time I wanted to spend with you.”

  My eyebrows shot up. He gave up baseball—which he obviously enjoyed if he wanted to play in college—to be with me? I’d never even had a clue.

  Landon went back to cooking and I pretended to pay attention to the television. But my mind was still on this new revelation, so I just stared at the screen, not really seeing what was on it.

  Landon interrupted my thoughts a little while later by announcing that the food was done. Before we ate, I called home to let Mama know my whereabouts. It took all the strength I could muster to stay calm long enough to get through the short conversation. I knew she’d quiz me as soon as I walked through the door, but I was safe for now.

  During dinner, Landon was good enough to steer the conversation away from topics that would bring up reminders of Jeff or Lacy, like cheerleading, prom, even school. Once the table was cleared and the dishes were put away, Landon and I played board games for a while before driving back to my car. When we got there, he cut the engine and came around to open my door, like a true southern gentleman.

  “Thanks for everything, Landon. And sorry I’m such a wreck. I really don’t know what I would’ve done without you today.”

  He helped me out and pulled me into a tight bear hug. “Anytime. You don’t deserve what he did to you. I’ve always known you’re too good for that guy.”

  I nodded slightly, willing myself not to let the waterworks start again. I couldn’t handle any more crying in one day. “Thanks,” was all I could muster. I gave Landon a quick squeeze, then pulled away to get into my car. He held the door and leaned in for a second.

  “Cora, I want you to know somethin’. Don’t over-analyze this, but…” He hesitated, his eyes boring into mine. “Well, I never would’ve hurt you this way. And I wish I’d had the guts to fight a little harder before you got in so deep with him. I just…wanted you to know.”

  I blinked. This was unexpected, and I didn’t have a response for him. I gazed into his kind eyes and saw all the wonderful times we’d had over the years, wondering why we couldn’t make dating work. Maybe there was no spark, no electricity between us. But one thing was certain: there was a bond…a strong bond. Kindred-spirit stuff.

  Again, all I could say was, “Thank you.”

  Later I replayed the past few hours for my mom, who immediately wanted to call Jeff’s mom and “have a talk.” I refused to let her, of course. Then I had to go through all the painful details again when Valerie called.

  “I cannot believe him!” She was outraged. “The nerve…what a creep! And Lacy! Ugh! I should rip her face off and tear it to shreds. How could she do this to you?” Valerie fell quiet for a split second, then sighed. “I’m so sorry, Cor,” she said in a softer voice. “I’m sorry you have to go through this. I can’t even imagine what you must be feelin’.”

  I plopped down on my soft bed. “Tons of things, Val. Pain, confusion, betrayal, anger. It was mostly pain this afternoon. But now I think the anger’s startin’ to kick in. I just wanna hurt him, and burn her skin. Burn it so bad she’d never be pretty again.” A small laugh escaped from my throat, in spite of myself. I knew my words were harsh and ridiculous, and I never would have said them to anybody besides Valerie. It felt good to vent to her. She understood the way my mind worked.

  I didn’t sleep that night. The image of Jeff and Lacy together took center stage in my dreams.

  Chapter Three

  The following day was difficult, to say the least. Because the school semester had just begun, I was able to change a few of my classes in order to avoid Jeff. But there were no alternatives for me to take in place of two that we had together.

  Or lunch.

  Lunch was the worst. As much as I’d begged the admissions counselor, she insisted all the other lunch periods were full. The only bright side was that I wouldn’t be subjected to Jeff and Lacy’s “romance,” since she ate (or pretended to eat, really) at a different time. The issue of table ownership, however, was another story.

  “The nerve!” Valerie exclaimed as we made our way into the cafeteria. “I can’t believe he thinks he can stay at our table!”

  I glanced at the occupants of “our” table. Jeff, Chris, and two other jocks—whose names I couldn’t remember—were on one side. Kayla and Landon saved seats for us on the other. I frowned. “What’s Landon doin’ in here this period?”

  Valerie chuckled and shook her head. “Boy, I love you, Cora, but you can be really oblivious sometimes.”

  “What?”

  “You don’t think he accidentally got switched to this lunch the day after you and Jeff broke up, do you?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Come on, Val. You know it’s not like that with us. We’ve been there, done that. He’s just a friend—and a pretty great one, actually,” I remarked, watching with a sense of gratitude and affection as he glared darts at my now ex-boyfriend.

  “Right…a friend. Just don’t be surprised if he asks you to prom.”

  “Shh!” I whispered as we approached the table. The last thing I needed was for Landon to overhear that conversation. He’d probably laugh at me. Or, worse, pity me.

  Pity: the one thing I’d always avoided like the plague. Hoping to deter that embarrassing sentiment now, I decided to take a proactive approach as we came to our seats. I stopped, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. “Well, I’m surprised to see you sittin’ here, Jeff.”

  “Don’t be like that, baby,” Jeff crooned. “There’s no reason we can’t be friendly with each other.”

  My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, heat flooding my cheeks. “First
of all, call me baby one more time and I’ll tell your little friends here all about the sappy love notes you used to write me. Second, I can think of a pretty big reason we can’t be friendly with each other.”

  He lowered his voice in that manipulative way that always caused me to cave during our arguments. “Cora, you know I care about you. Don’t be mad about what happened yesterday. It didn’t mean nothin’. Besides, my crew’s at this table, too. Can’t we share?”

  It took all the strength I could muster to hold back the tears threatening to fall down my face. Don’t give him the satisfaction. But it was difficult to keep my emotions in check.

  Taking a deep, steadying breath, I put my hands on my hips and planted myself as firmly on the floor as possible. “You cheated on me! Why don’t we just go ahead and tell everybody the truth?” Looking around, I raised my voice a notch and announced, “Hey, y’all, Jeffrey Colton cheated on me—with my friend Lacy Garrett!” I was loud enough for at least the table next to us to hear, but I didn’t care. I was way past my breaking point. The cafeteria fell silent as people took in the scene. “So, no, Jeff, I will not share this table with you. But my friends are here, too.” I gasped in mock horror. “Oh, no…what should we do?” Tilting my head, I tapped my chin with a perfectly manicured fingernail. “Hmmm…I know! Since you’re the cheater, how ’bout you find somewhere else to eat?”

  No one spoke for an eternity, with only the ticking clock to remind us that seconds passed. I stood there, hands on hips, and glared at him. Finally, he gave in.

  “Fine, Cora. Have it your way. I don’t have to put up with this. Guess you’re not over it yet, so I’ll leave. Let’s go, y’all.” He rolled his eyes, grabbed his tray, and abruptly stood.

  He and his friends strolled over to a table full of cute sophomore girls, who giggled and flirted. Jeff playfully put his arm around one of their shoulders, glancing back at me. My stomach twisted into knots.

  “Excuse me a minute,” I whispered to my friends. The floor swayed as I ran to the girls’ restroom. I shoved the door open and locked myself in a stall, tears streaming down my face.