Laurel Cove

by Sarah Turtle

  She seriously considered the black marker for a few seconds, but she was almost sure that Valerie would pursue some sort of harassment suit against her. Fortunately, Willa always kept something to write with in her purse at all times, because it was almost a daily occurrence for someone to want a book signed or an autograph. She used the pen to outline the letters over the tape and then color them in to create her nickname. There was no way she was going to walk around all night with Willamina written on her chest.

  Silver streamers, tablecloths, balloons, and centerpieces decorated the interior of the gymnasium. If it weren’t for the banner spread across the stage area with their class year printed on it, it would have looked like a celebration of someone’s fiftieth birthday party. Apparently, since nothing ever happened in this town, mostly everyone had shown up right on time to the event. The entire room was swarming with people and Willa was grateful for the dimmed lighting to keep their entrance as low key as possible. She spotted an empty table in the back corner of the room, which she swiftly crossed over to, with her head bowed down, and planted herself into one of the seats.

  Shannon sat down next to Willa but Megan remained standing and leaned in to give instructions to Shannon. “You stay here and defend our girl if she needs it. I’ll go get drinks for us.”

  Shannon smiled, and it made Willa appreciate that Megan was so willing to offer her a role to play in their newly formed group. Willa looked over to her with a guilty expression after she overheard what Megan had told her. “Please don’t let me hold you back from socializing. This room is probably packed with people that you know.”

  “The problem with being the town doctor is that I know all of the most personal aspects of everyone’s lives, and yet because of that, no one wants to associate with me outside of that patient to doctor relationship. While I understand that there is a level of embarrassment that they must feel, I wish that I could convince them that I can separate work from social interactions.”

  “Considering that you must have almost every single person as a patient on this island, that sounds horribly lonely. In case you haven’t noticed, I have a similar problem in the friend department. At least we have each other,” Willa smiled as she caught sight of Megan pushing her way through the crowd on her way back to their table, “and our fearless leader makes us the perfect party of three.”

  “I’ll toast to that.”

  Megan made it back after a harrowing balancing act through a packed room, carrying two armfuls, which included a mixture of bottles and cups. “I wasn’t sure what everyone wanted, so I got a little bit of everything.”

  Willa grinned. “At least we have a professional to mix us up something tasty.”

  Most of the night consisted of the three women enjoying the sort of small talk involved with getting acquainted with one another. They also spent a good amount of time commenting on the attire choices that their former classmates were wearing, as well as how twenty years can really change how people looked.

  Every now and then someone would wander over to their hidden table in the corner and strike up a conversation, but it seemed to increase more so as the alcohol began to hit their systems. Willa found that she could place each of them into one of three categories. First, there were the ones that just completely ignored her presence altogether when they approached the table. They would greet Megan with cheer because she provided the town with beer and food. Shannon would get a professional nod of appreciation for keeping them healthy, and Willa wouldn’t get so much as a glance in her direction, which she didn’t mind at all.

  The second group consisted of the ones that put on a fake sense of excitement over seeing her. They pretended as though they had once shared a deep connection when they were in school and that they were devastated when they lost touch over the years. These people were the ones that pulled a chair up to Willa’s and wanted to discuss every major film and book she worked on and begged for details on what it was like to meet the famous people involved with her projects. This group was annoying but Willa was used to dealing with people like that on a regular basis.

  The last type, which was the most difficult to process, were the ones that outwardly chastised her for committing Brynn to a lifetime in a wheelchair. Brynn’s old teammates were the most protective of her, angry that her athletic career was wasted before it really began. Girls that had crushes on Griffin spat out comments that he shouldn’t have been with someone who cheated on him with his own sister right in front of him. The one that she was currently dealing with, though, was one of Griffin’s friends, who wobbled very unsteadily over to stand above Willa.

  “Griff gave up his entire college scholarship because his sister needed him to take care of her. Now, you have the audacity to come back here and flaunt your rich lifestyle.” The tall skinny man, who Willa recognized as Ryan, reeked of vodka and sweat.

  Willa began to fear that Ryan might start to express physically his anger when he began to sway aggressively from side to side. Megan thankfully recognized the signs too, because when he got a little too close to Willa, she put herself between them. “I think you should back off and find someone else to talk to.”

  “That bitch ruined two good people and she didn’t have to do any time for her crimes.” Ryan took a step closer to Megan, unwilling to back down.

  This time Shannon rose from her seat. “It wouldn’t look very good on the news if you were known as the drunk man who harmed the beloved Willa Barton. Take some time to sober up, and discuss your issues with her when you’re capable of making logical decisions.”

  Ryan wasn’t so bold with Shannon and slunk away slowly into the crowd of people in the center of the room. Ryan must have spread the word around that Willa had people watching out for her, because the number of unwanted visitors at their table trickled down as the night progressed.

  Even though things had quieted down after he left, the adrenaline rush of the encounter agitated Megan and Shannon. Despite their continued reassurances, Willa felt guilty for keeping them from mingling with everyone else, no matter how much they tried to convince her that she wasn’t. “I’m going to the ladies’ room,” she announced.

  Megan instantly stood. “I’ll go with you.”

  “No, please. I’ll be fine. I want to wander around the halls for a bit and maybe step out for some fresh air. It’s important that you both get around and socialize. I’ll be gone in a week, but this town is crucial to both of your livelihoods. We can meet up at the car a little later.”

  Shannon placed Willa’s purse in her hand and paused to make eye contact with her. Willa had become accustomed to Megan’s firm but playful way of taking a role as her bodyguard, prepared to throw down and brawl if necessary. Shannon, on the other hand, seemed to genuinely take her security as a life and death matter. Willa wondered if it was because as a doctor, she must be witness to some of the horrible outcomes of people in similar situations as her. “Please don’t hesitate to text us if you need help.”

  Willa nodded and took a deep breath as she separated from the safety net of her friends. She made her way out into the brightly lit hallway past rows of lockers until she reached the girl’s bathroom. The signs in the gym had instructed the reunion guests to use the restrooms located in the gymnasium shower rooms, to help contain them to only one section of the school during the event, so she hoped that the one in the hallway would be empty. She listened as she pushed the door open slowly, but there were no sounds coming from inside, so she quickly entered before anyone caught her going in.

  After struggling to get the zipper up on the back of her dress for way too long – she almost used her emergency text to Shannon – she finally got hold of the zipper. It had been so much easier to get the dress on at the house where there was plenty of room to maneuver her body, but in the tiny stall, her elbows kept hitting the metal walls.

  Just as she was about to exit the constricting stall, Willa gritted her teeth as the door to the restroom opened. She stood motionless, as m
ore than one set of footsteps entered the room. She figured that they would both enter stalls and then she could get out before they even noticed that she was there, but just the opposite happened.

  Willa watched from the narrow opening in the metal door, as Cassidy, dressed in black jeans and a button up shirt with a bow tie, lifted up a woman that Willa didn’t recognize, and sat her on the counter between two sinks. She watched as Cassidy leaned into the woman, kissed her neck, and nibbled at her ear. The woman moaned in delight as Cassidy pushed her hips between her thighs and pressed their lips together in a deep kiss.

  A flutter of delight shot through Willa’s mind when she learned that Cassidy and Brynn were not, in fact, a couple, as she had believed. She wanted Brynn to be happy but she just couldn’t see her with Cassidy, especially after their altercation with each other this afternoon.

  All Willa had to do was quietly wait out Cassidy’s make out session with her date until she was done. She considered facing her opposition head on by walking out now, but she had waited so long at this point that it would be obvious that she had been watching them the whole time. Cassidy had already accused her of being a stalker once that day. She decided to just take a step back away from the door and wait patiently, but she mistakenly let her purse swing off her shoulder, which in turn set off the motion sensor on the automatic toilet flushing system.

  Willa winced and covered her mouth with her fingers to suppress any sounds of regret that might escape from it. Her mind raced as she fully expected Cassidy to bash down the door and punish her for intruding on their intimate moment, but nothing of the sort happened. Instead, Cassidy hooked her arm around the woman’s waist and swept her down from the counter. With faces red from the embarrassment of being caught making out in a high school bathroom, they retreated swiftly from the room, giggling as they scurried into the hallway.

  It made her a little leery of the situation to see the way that Cassidy was so quick to hide her actions. She hoped for Brynn’s sake that they weren’t actually together, because that meant that Willa had just become a witness to an affair. Everything was just speculation at this point and she doubted that Brynn would listen to anything she had to say anyway.

  She slid open the latch to the door and shook her head at herself for being afraid of such a silly situation. Being located in their old atmosphere for the evening gave off an illusion that things hadn’t changed in twenty years. She had to keep reminding herself that she and everyone else in this town were no longer teenagers. Bullying and a hierarchy of friends to back them up over childish issues shouldn’t solve problems. She would no longer run from the comments thrown at her or hide behind people willing to defend her.

  She only needed to confront two people directly, and in time, she was determined to do just that. With a newfound confidence, Willa strode into the lobby of the school, only to find that it was void of any people. The walls were still painted in the maroon and light blue stripes that they had been twenty years ago and she followed them down the hall until she reached a large glass trophy case. While the names and dates on the various trophies, ribbons, and metals in the case spanned from the nineteen-seventies all the way to current times, the two names that were engraved on most of the awards on the shelves belonged to Brynn and Griffin Reed. No one in the history of Laurel Cove High could compete even close to the level of athletic ability that the Reed twins had.

  As Willa peered in, slightly hunched over to get a better view on a lower shelf, recalling some of the highlights of the wins represented in the case, she just barely picked up on the sound of rubber wheels gliding along the shiny surface of the terrazzo floor. Willa pushed the purse straps that had slid down her bare shoulder back up and clung to the bulky leather bag as if it were a life preserver that could keep her afloat. When she finally built up the nerve enough to turn towards Brynn, she took a long moment to take in the sight of the dearest friend that she ever had.

  Brynn had paused motionless, gripping the wheels of her chair. Willa wondered if it was because she was considering retreating in the opposite direction or if she might be preparing to gain enough momentum to collide directly into her. Either way, she wouldn’t blame her decision, which she believed that she was deserving of.

  Brynn was dressed in a black men’s suit that was precisely tailored to fit the curves of her body perfectly. Her tie was a bright shade of cobalt blue that was an identical match to Willa’s dress. If a stranger were to approach them in the hall, it would appear as though these two women had coordinated to dress together as a couple for the evening.

  Willa’s greatest fear for the past twenty years had been that someday she would eventually have to look Brynn in the eyes. It was something that she imagined doing a countless number of times in her mind, and yet the thought of doing it brought her to the point of breaking down. Now that the reality of the moment faced her, she could feel her heart racing with anticipation. When she lifted her eyes, the overwhelming sadness was there, but the calming sensation that Brynn had always provided her with was also there.

  Brynn’s irises were the deep shade of blue like the night sky that surrounds the moon. As Willa looked into them from down the hallway, she was relieved to see that there didn’t appear to be anger hidden within their depths. In fact, if she was reading Brynn’s expression correctly, it almost seemed as though she was looking forward to seeing her. Willa could feel the tears welling up under her eyelids so she lifted the corners of her mouth up to hide the pain and to attempt to keep the tears from falling down her cheeks.

  The fake wall that Willa was putting up was evident. Brynn raised her eyebrows and looked to Willa with a questioning expression that silently asked for permission for her to come closer. Willa understood what Brynn was asking of her and she extended her arm out with her palm up to accept the invitation. Brynn pushed forward on her wheels, letting the smooth surface of the floor propel her with calculated ease towards Willa.

  For a single precious moment, Willa felt as though she could handle whatever would come next between her and Brynn. She was prepared to accept any emotions that Brynn would throw at her and to allow herself to express what she was thinking and feeling without holding anything back. She knew that this was what they both needed so badly, regardless of the outcome.

  All of her hopes were shattered, though, when the shadow of a figure stepped out into the hallway behind Brynn. Willa’s eyes widened as she immediately saw the hulking presence of Griffin come into view behind Brynn.

  Griffin was also dressed impressively, adorned in the mirror image of Brynn’s suit. There was no denying the stark resemblance of the Reed twins, not only in their physical appearance but also in their mannerisms and confident personalities. With their combined dashingly good looks and charismatic charm, they were the most sought after members of their class, although neither one of them showed interest in anyone else when Willa was around.

  Willa’s initial reaction to seeing Griffin was one of awe for the boy that she once cared for dearly when she was young. While those feelings were lost over the years, he still held a place in her heart for the friendship that she shared with him for so long. When she looked to him for the same yielding of past conflicts as Brynn did, there was nothing but a cold and hateful disdain enveloping him.

  He broke the peaceful silent exchanges between the two women by filling the space with the pounding of his footsteps across the floor, in his haste to cover as much ground as quickly as possible. He stopped just behind Brynn and arched his back over her. He made it known with his show of ownership that Brynn was off limits, no matter what her desires were. He solidified the deal further by flashing Willa a look of disapproval for even thinking about getting close to his property. The rage shown as Griffin puffed out his chest in protest of her being anywhere near his sister made her back away slowly. Brynn shook her head in objection of the distance Willa put between them and reached out to her, but she was already retreating beyond reach.

  A hard, protru
ding object jabbed into the lower portion of Willa’s back and she turned to see that it was the banister to a flight of stairs leading up to the second floor. Without hesitation, she ascended the first set of steps. Just before she rounded the corner to the second set, she glanced down to the base of the stairs. Brynn had followed her as far as her wheels would allow, hitting the barrier of the bottom step. Her hand wrapped tightly around the railing, and Willa was sure that if Brynn could have followed her on pure will alone, she would have. What broke Willa’s heart was the shattered look that Brynn gave her for running away. It was cowardly for her to escape to the one place that Brynn didn’t have access to, and the hurt on Brynn’s face was gut wrenching.

  Willa hesitated, wanting to fix the pain that she caused, but Griffin still lurked below, and along with that, the eminent threat issued by him if she dared to return.

  The only place for her to go was up, and so she continued until she was pushing the metal bar that opened the door to the second level of the school. The door slammed shut behind her and clicked into place, sending an almost deafening echo down the empty hallway. As if the memories of her teenage self led Willa, she went directly to the third door on the left and stepped into the classroom located there.

  The room was simple as far as decoration goes, in comparison to the others in the building, because it was primarily used for English classes. Other than the student’s desks, seats, and blackboard, there was only the teacher’s desk at the front of the room. It particularly stood out though, because unlike the generic metal desk that every other teacher had, this one was a massive hardwood oak writing desk. Willa made her way over to it, and rolled out the equally impressive high backed leather chair from behind it, to take a seat.

  Out of all four years spent at this school, she felt most at home here in this room. She never had to put effort, as the other students did, into the assignments given in this room. Everything having to do with reading, writing, literature, and composition came easily to her. It was no wonder, when in her time of agony as an adult, she ran here for comfort.