“You know us,” Jessica said quietly.
Marissa Lou laughed a little at that. “No, I don’t. I’ve lived here for a week and I have only spoken to you once,” she said, looking at Katie.
Katie sucked in a breath and felt her face turning red. She was right. Katie and Jessica had spent all day everyday together since school let out, like they normally did. It hadn’t even occurred to her to invite Marissa Lou over to play with them. Katie sat down next to Marissa Lou in the warm grass. “I’m sorry about that. I swear I didn’t even think. We can hang out now. Right, Jessica?” she asked, looking up at sweet Jessica’s concerned face.
“Of course,” Jessica replied, nodding.
“See.”
Marissa Lou stared at her for a minute before responding, “It’s still going to suck when school starts. I’m not going to know anyone. What if no one likes me?”
“That’s easy,” Katie said, smiling. “The three of us will be starting fifth grade together. I don’t know how schools are where you’re from, but here we start middle school in fifth grade. Most of us won’t know a lot of people, or fit in either.”
“Yeah,” Jessica said, smiling wide. “We can get through it together.”
“Really?” Marissa Lou asked.
“Really,” Katie replied.
***
Jess stopped beside Katie in front of Marissa and stared at her innocently, “Hey, Marissa Lou, how are you?”
Marissa stared between them, and the visions of the ten-year-old Jessica came back to her, as well as a boisterous Katie with messy chocolate-brown hair and light freckles across her nose. Katie’s dark brown eyes stared back at her, full of confidence and life, just like they always had. Marissa clamped her hands together excitedly. “I’m great, fantastic actually. Oh, but I actually go by Marissa now. I haven’t been called that since school.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Jess said, looking down.
“Oh no, please don’t apologize. It’s so great to see you, Jess,” Marissa said, waving off her apology. She pulled Jess toward her in a secure embrace. “Come on, let’s sit,” Katie said, patting Jess on the back.
They each took a seat around the table Marissa occupied and fidgeted uncomfortably.
“It really is nice being back,” Marissa said, finally breaking the silence.
Katie looked around the room. “Yeah, it’s all right.”
“Where have you been all this time? What do you do now?” Jess asked Marissa.
“Woo, those are big questions. After eight grueling years of medical school, I decided to stay in Pennsylvania. I already had a job lined up at the local hospital where I’d done my clinical rotations. Plus I met my husband there.”
“You’re married?” Jess asked curiously.
“Yep, Stan and I have been married for five years.”
“Aw, that’s sweet. Where is he? I’d like to meet him,” Jess asked, turning her head to look around the room.
“He’s not here. We actually split up a few months ago.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Jess said sadly.
Marissa waved her hand dismissively. “No, don’t be. It was for the best. We both worked so much. It was like we weren’t even married anyway.”
***
Katie was quiet, just staring at Marissa as if taking in everything she was saying. Katie knew people divorced all the time, but the idea of it was paralyzing, no matter how secretly unhappy she was in her own relationship. She blinked away the thought and finally spoke up. “So why have you never come back to visit?”
***
Marissa sucked in a sharp breath and held it for a few seconds before releasing it. She knew someone would eventually ask, but no amount of anticipation could ever prepare her for it. She could never tell Katie that the thought of seeing her and Daniel together was too unbearable, considering how much she once loved him even after all these years, or how she dreamed about him some nights, his hands touching her in places which made her body quake like she used to. No, she would never tell her old friend that. And she also couldn’t tell her that she ran as fast as she could from Randy at the first chance she got. The addiction to him was too much to bear, almost as much as the drugs he fed her, and the horrid mistakes she was making toward the end.
Instead, she said, “Too busy, I guess. Always on call and all that. There never seemed to be any time for anything. I guess that’s why Stan left.” She stared off into the distance, thinking about Stan. He wasn’t the most attractive man. He’d been the complete opposite of Randy, her high school boyfriend, and even Daniel for that matter. He was the typical geek: tall and slim with black-rimmed glasses and polished clothes, but he was a sweet, stable guy. She wouldn’t have to worry about him being stolen from her or leading her down a path of self-destruction. But he wasn’t exciting in the least, nor was he passionate. That left her feeling bored and restless. She never loved him either. She always suspected he knew that. In the end it just wasn’t enough anymore, for either of them. She waved her hand dismissively again. “Enough about me. What about you guys?”
“I was pregnant when we graduated,” Katie blurted out quickly, almost giving Marissa whiplash.
“Well, umm, c-congratulations,” Marissa stuttered.
“Sorry I blurted it out like that. I needed to get it out.”
Marissa nodded silently.
“Daniel and I got married right after high school,” Katie continued. “My parents didn’t approve because they thought it meant I wouldn’t pursue college, but I did. We own a construction company here.”
Katie placed a small black velvet photo album on the table, showing Marissa and Jess the assorted photos of them from their senior year; the first being of the happy couple, Katie and Daniel, at their senior prom. The background looked the way the gym did now. Marissa tilted her head as she stared at the young couple.
Katie had grown into her own during their junior year of high school, and by senior year her beauty was a force to be reckoned with. The fact that she never flaunted it or got a big head made her even more beautiful, if that were even possible. To make matters worse she was still somewhat of a tomboy with a deep love of all sports. There wasn’t much point in competing against that. Marissa remembered feeling jealous of Katie. Marissa had always been the beautiful one with the straightest blonde hair and flawless porcelain skin. Her body was long and lean and kept perfectly toned with the help of all the school activities she participated in: cheerleading, softball, and volleyball. Marissa had been the “it” girl and Daniel had been hers. That was until their senior year of high school. Katie not only became more popular than Marissa Lou, but she also joined the cheerleading squad, which led to her catching the eye of Daniel, who happened to be captain of the football and basketball teams, which kept them in close proximity. Marissa had been hurt deeply by their growing affection for each other, but she loved them both so much she’d decided to step back and let them have their shot. She figured that would make her look like the better person and Daniel would pick her for it when he came to his senses, but she’d been wrong. It was the hardest thing Marissa ever had to do, and she often thought back and wondered if she made the right decision all those years ago. When Marissa looked at Katie’s pictures of their life together, she knew she did the right thing, even though it still stabbed at her heart. Picture by picture Marissa’s heart thundered as smiling faces of their youth appeared on the pages.
Marissa quietly flipped through the photos, her feelings going every which way as she remembered every instant. She gasped and froze when she got to the last one—a photo of their high school graduation. In the shot Katie and Daniel stood together, his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Jess, Becca, and Marissa, with Randy hanging on her shoulder, were nearby all dressed in their black graduation robes and pointy caps. It was the first time she had seen Randy in twenty years, even in just a photo. When she’d left, she hadn’t taken anything with her. In that picture Marissa and Randy appeared so happy. They’d
just overcome a major obstacle in their lives, but no one knew the torment Marissa had been feeling, or the fact that she was drunk off her ass, or what happened at the party later that night.
Marissa had scanned the room periodically through the night for Randy. She couldn’t help herself, but she never saw him. She wasn’t that surprised because he wasn’t there considering he much for school when they were actually in school, but it didn’t stop her from looking. She knew she shouldn’t care, but she wondered how much he had changed, if at all? She thought about asking the girls about him, but ultimately changed her mind. It was probably better not to open that box. Let the past stay in the past. She softly closed the book and slid it back to Katie.
“This is Mattie and Daniel Jr. We call him D.J. though,” Katie said, holding out her wallet, breaking Marissa’s daydream. She pointed to pictures of two small children who looked exactly like their parents; the children Marissa thought she’d have with Daniel. The toothless smile of the sandy blonde-haired boy looked identical to his dad’s, and the sparkling bold eyes of the girl like her mom’s.
“They’re beautiful,” Marissa said, forcing a smile.
“Thank you. Of course D.J. is nineteen now and just finished his freshman year at UNCW, and Mattie just graduated high school.”
When Marissa stared at the pictures, she was reminded of her why she’d never returned. Seeing Katie and Daniel together was always too difficult. It made her do a lot of stupid things.
“So what about you, Jess?” Marissa asked, grasping for a change of subject.
“I work in the veterinarian office in Bayboro,” she said proudly.
“Well, that’s not much of a surprise. You were always so good with animals,” Marissa said.
“Our own little Snow White,” Katie said, bumping Jess’ elbow with hers.
“How about husband and kids?”
“I’m married. His name is Steven,” Jess said.
“Oh, is he from around here? Did we go to school with him?” Marissa asked, sipping her wine.
Katie shook her head, her mouth full of wine while Jess answered, “No, he’s an artist from Charleston.”
“I love Charleston,” Marissa said dreamily.
“Me too. We’ve gone back a few times. Oh, and we have a daughter, Clare. She is ten years old now.”
Jess was talking, Marissa was aware of that, but she wasn’t really listening to her anymore. Someone had captivated her attention.
Across the room, standing by the bar in the only real light, speaking to a couple of people stood Daniel; the man she’d fallen in love with when she was only sixteen years old and swore she was going to marry one day. As if feeling her stare he turned in her direction. Their gazes locked for the first time. A small smile played on his lips as recognition set in, causing her heart to skip a beat. She had lived a full life after she moved away, dated plenty of men and even got married, but she never thought in a million years he would still have that effect on her.
“Oh. My. God. Is that Marissa Lou Clark, Katie Williams, and Saint Jessica Peters?”
Her spell broken, Marissa reluctantly blinked rapidly at the loud voice coming from behind her. She turned around and jumped to her feet.
The inseparable foursome were reunited.
“Becca! Oh my goodness, it has been so long,” Marissa said quickly and wrapped her arms around her friend. Their group had consisted of just the three of them until their ninth grade year, when Becca moved to town and blew them all away. Marissa grew attached to her immediately. The sayings about fiery red heads were true, or at least it was in Becca’s case. Becca was tall and lean like Marissa, but she had the curliest red hair and the most penetrating green eyes of anyone she had ever seen, and she had the personality to match. Katie was kind of their alpha while Marissa had been their queen bee, and Jess the angel on their shoulder. Becca had brought a whole new vibe to their group, however, which usually got them into more tricky situations then they would ever admit to, but it was a blast nonetheless.
“Too long, girl, too long. You haven’t called me in ages. Do you live back in the County?” Becca asked her.
“Well, actually, I may just be.”
“What?” Katie quickly asked, leaning toward them, unsure if she heard right.
Marissa grabbed Becca’s hand and turned to face Katie and Jess. “I have an interview at the hospital in New Bern on Monday morning.”
“Shut up!” Becca shouted excitedly.
“That’s so exciting,” Jess said happily, clapping while Katie just stared at her with a look of disbelief.
“Can you imagine the four of us back together again? The County Girls of ’93. It would be epic,” Becca said.
Marissa turned from the group of girls and caught Daniel’s dreamy brown-eyed gaze again. She smiled to herself. “Yes, it would be.”
Chapter Three
He delicately brushed the side of her cheek with the back of his hand and kissed her tenderly on the lips one last time.
“I love you,” he said. She knew he meant it.
She stared up at him, emotions coursing through her. She knew with definite certainty she would never love anyone as much as she loved him.
***
The bright morning sun streamed in through the cracks between the heavy drapes and fell on Marissa’s eyelids, disrupting her dreams of memories past. She hadn’t dreamed of Daniel in years. Marissa opened her eyes just slightly and looked around her room, hoping he would be there. But then she remembered it had just been a dream, albeit one that touched her heart the way it always did.
She’d dreamt of the same beloved memory she’d had while at the high school reunion. Marissa could recall so perfectly his smile, the smell of his skin, and the way her heart pounded. It was as if she were still living that moment. Little did she know back then it would be one of the last memories she’d get to have with him, because a few weeks later he fell for her best friend.
Darn you, Sun, for interrupting that perfect moment. Being back amongst her old friends, old memories, and old life, so many things had begun to stir inside of her. Things that were always there, lurking in every crevice of her being, but she refused to let them surface. Yet over the past few days, she had become powerless against them. She groaned and pulled one of the many fluffy pillows over her head to block out the offensive light, hoping to recapture the dream right where it had left off. Just as she was starting to drift back to peaceful slumber, the bedside alarm screeched loudly. She threw the pillow off of her head and slapped the alarm clock, quieting it. She stretched, grasping the headboard attached to the wall above her head for an even bigger stretch. Annoyed and tired, she got out of bed and walked over to the window, where she pulled the thick drapes apart and looked out onto the Neuse River below, noticing a few boats already moseying around the calm water. It was still early in the morning. She had lived in the mountains of Pennsylvania for so long she’d forgotten the temperature could easily reach eighty degrees by the time the sun was fully up. Marissa put her forehead against the glass and turned from side to side, noticing splashes of water spraying the cement walk way down below. At that stretched angle she could tell the hotel swimming pool was already filling up with joyful children and their groggy parents.
She smiled, remembering when times were different, simpler. When she was younger, she, Katie, and Jess would wake up early and ride their bikes to Kennels Beach for an early morning swim before everyone else could get there. But after so many years of pollution of the Neuse River, she wouldn’t dare swim at Kennels Beach again, or any other river in the area.
Her comfort levels have changed—evolved—through the years. She’d been thrilled to find out that New Bern had gotten a hotel as prestigious as the Hilton with all the comforts anyone could possibly want, so she’d booked her room as soon as she’d seen it, even though she didn’t know exactly how long she would be there. She had intended to leave early tomorrow morning, but now she wasn’t so sure.
Marissa left the drapes open as she pulled her old worn t-shirt over her head and kicked off her sweatpants, leaving a trail of clothing through the room as she walked into the bathroom for a shower to perk herself up before her interview at the hospital.
By noon she was done with her interview and anxious to explore the town. She had grown up in the area, but so much had changed in her absence. She went back to the hotel to change out of her black, pin-striped business suit, opting for a pair of jean shorts, t-shirt, and flip-flops for the hot afternoon, then set out on foot. She took in the sights in the historical downtown, not really having a particular destination in mind. Marissa wandered around, going in all the small country stores, making a few purchases of local made items, and she got a coffee from the Trent River Coffee Company. As she silently walked, she couldn’t keep her mind from running through memories from a life long gone. Being here, it was inevitable. The town’s silence made it easy to get lost in her own thoughts, and the area was small enough to hold a memory on every corner. Nothing in her life had ever been easy. She knew it was mostly her fault, but that was nothing compared to this journey. People made their own lives, she knew that, and that was exactly what she had been desperately trying to do for a long time. The last time she had been here was twenty years ago, but running for dear life in the opposite direction. She insisted on going to college far away, just to get away. It didn’t take a lot of fighting, and in the end her parents gave in, and that was where she had stayed, even after college. The Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania were her new home, and she had become fairly successful in her field. She had been able to recreate herself in a place where no one knew who she was or the demons that plagued her, which were mainly Randy and the life she led during their year together. It had been a very dark period and one she wasn’t very proud of. She had refused to talk with anyone about it since leaving, except with her shrink.
Hometown Girls: Reunion Page 2