Homecoming

by Tonya Hurley

  “I know you,” she said cautiously. “You’re that girl that died at school and then got me held back.”

  “Charlotte,” Charlotte said gently.

  She was flattered for a second that Petula had remembered her at all. Even now, her acknowledgment meant something.

  “But if you’re here,” Petula reasoned, pointing to Charlotte. “Then I must be dead.”

  “Not quite,” Scarlet said, looking at her sympathetically. “But …”

  “Almost,” Charlotte chimed in.

  “We’re here to take you back,” Scarlet explained.

  “Back where?”

  “Back to your life,” Scarlet said with sincerity. “Back to everyone you love and to everyone who … loves you.”

  Virginia had been standing in the back of the room near the empty desk, taking it all in. She had grown to care about Petula too, in her own way, and she was glad to see her safe now.

  “Who are you?” Scarlet asked the young girl.

  “That’s on a need-to-know basis.”

  “I see you’ve been talking to my sister,” Scarlet laughed, noting the attitude.

  Petula smiled at Virginia quickly, so no one else would see. She was proud of her protégé and of the impact she’d clearly made in just a short time.

  “It’s okay,” Petula advised, tongue at least half in cheek, “you may cooperate.”

  “I’m Virginia,” she said, walking up to each girl and politely shaking her hand. “Pleased to meet me.”

  The girls all remarked on how young and beautiful she was, which made Petula a little jealous, but oddly proud, and after the pleasantries were through, Scarlet whispered to Petula that they needed to move along.

  “Well, enough small talk,” Petula said. “We’ve got to be going. Virginia, come.”

  Just then, the rear door of the office opened and a dowdy, old nurse entered and took a seat at the desk. She was carrying a file, which she opened and checked over.

  “Virginia Johnson,” she said. “Is there a Virginia Johnson here?”

  Everyone froze. It took Petula a second, but even she began to figure out what was going on.

  “Virginia,” Petula insisted. “Come with us.”

  The girl wanted to run to Petula, but she didn’t, instinctively understanding what Petula refused to accept.

  “She can’t come with us,” Pam said mournfully.

  “Oh,” Petula said, emotion sticking in her voice.

  “Petula,” Scarlet urged, choking back tears of her own.

  “No. No. No. No. No, please,” Petula begged. “I’ll stay.”

  Scarlet had never seen such selflessness from Petula. It was moving even to Pam and Prue, who had long ago left their emotions and the pain of grief and loss behind.

  “Listen,” Prue said gently but firmly to her. “If we don’t leave now, you won’t have a choice.”

  “Please, I’m afraid,” Virginia sobbed, “I want to go with you.”

  Petula broke down. Pam and Prue consoled her as she flailed at the cold empty air, trying in vain to reach Virginia.

  “Virginia Johnson,” the nurse impassively called again.

  The girl looked at Petula for guidance, and through her tears, Petula found the strength to compose herself and give Virginia the best advice.

  “It’s okay,” Petula said to her.

  “Here,” the girl finally answered the nurse’s call while her eyes looked to Petula’s for reassurance.

  “I wish I had some way to comfort her.” Petula sniffed. “Something to give her.”

  Charlotte walked over to Petula, reached in her pocket, and pulled out the ribbon.

  “Give her this,” Charlotte said. “I think it belongs to her anyway.”

  “Thank you,” Petula said to Charlotte with gratitude, and meant it.

  Petula walked over to Virginia and then hugged her like they’d never part.

  She took the ribbon out and reached for Virginia’s hair, running her hand through it slowly, over and over, finally twisting it into a loose braid and tying it into a perfect knot with the royal blue ribbon.

  “You will always be beautiful,” Petula said, awarding the girl the greatest praise she could think to invoke.

  The two of them embraced again, each trying to be strong for the other.

  “I’ll always be young too,” Virginia joked through her tears.

  As Petula chest-heaved, laughing through the tears, Charlotte walked up to them and gestured toward the nurse.

  “It’s time,” Charlotte said.

  Everyone watched as Virginia walked over to the desk, filled out her paperwork, and took her tag.

  “Where do I go now?” Virginia asked innocently.

  Virginia looked Charlotte in the eye and recognized that familiar aching in her.

  “I’ll show you,” she volunteered, nodding to Petula not to worry anymore.

  “My friend Charlotte will take really good care of you,” Petula said.

  Charlotte never imagined she’d live long enough to hear those words drop from Petula’s lips, but all good things come to those who wait, she guessed.

  “Make sure she gets the star treatment.”

  “I will,” Charlotte promised. “A-List all the way.”

  “I wish I could stay,” Petula said, hugging Virginia one last time.

  “A very smart person once told me,” Virginia explained, “sometimes you just have to let go.”

  Petula smiled, waved, and turned her back, walking toward the door with Pam and Prue.

  “It’s time, Virginia,” Pam said. “You’re going to be late for class.”

  “Class?”

  “Yes, Virginia, there is an Afterlife,” Scarlet said, trying to make her laugh a little.

  “But it’s not so bad,” Charlotte said, throwing an appreciative smile to Scarlet.

  Scarlet turned to Pam and Prue.

  “How can I thank you both?”

  “It’s cool,” Pam answered. “Just stay on your side of the tracks for a while, okay?”

  “See you in your nightmares,” Prue teased.

  “Not if I see you first,” Scarlet joked.

  “See you at work,” Prue added, waving bye to Charlotte.

  Time was growing short. Scarlet approached Charlotte to say her own farewell.

  “You know,” Charlotte said, “I would have never betrayed you, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “The odd thing is,” Charlotte observed, “when I was actually inside Petula, fighting off Maddy, I could hear the crowd screaming for her, feel her body, and see the whole thing through her eyes even though it was for just that moment.”

  “You don’t have to justify anything to me.”

  “But instead of wanting to be her,” Charlotte continued, “I was glad to be me. Constantly gawked at, judged, scrutinized by people that you don’t even know, all secretly wishing for you to fail,” Charlotte added, “was not what I thought it would be. Petula is a strong girl.”

  “There’s a first time for everything,” Scarlet said lightheartedly, happy her best friend had found peace and contentment at last. “How do I say goodbye to you again?”

  “You don’t,” Charlotte said. “I know where to find you.”

  “Is that a promise” — Scarlet grinned — “or a threat?”

  The girls hugged and kissed each other firmly on their cheeks, cementing their bond, which had proven stronger than life and now, even stronger than death itself.

  Scarlet joined Petula, turned for one last look at Charlotte and Virginia, and stepped outside.

  Chapter

  22

  Everybody Says I Love You

  Life is not about how many breaths you take,

  But about how many moments take your breath away.

  —George Carlin

  Easy for you to say.

  Talk is cheap. If it wasn’t, people might not toss around “I love you” like a marked-down phrase in a sale bin. Being stingy
with your feelings, saving it up for a worthwhile moment, should make it all the more meaningful to the person you eventually tell, no matter how long it takes. If you are with the right person, it is an investment worth making. The trouble is, sometimes you can wait so long to hear it that you go broke inside.

  And the winner is … Petula Kensington!” the emcee screamed.

  Petula’s spirit re-entered her body just as her victory was announced. There was such pandemonium nobody noticed the change, except Damen, who felt her body jolt again.

  “You’re back!” Damen was relieved that he didn’t have to carry a semi-corpse up to claim her crown, but nervous that Petula might try to plant another wet one on him.

  “So are you!” Petula grabbed his arm and continued up to the front without missing a beat.

  “Actually, I’m only here to help you so that Scarlet will come back.”

  “I just saw her. Somewhere,” Petula said. “She’s fine.”

  “I gotta get to the hospital!”

  “At least take me up to get my crown. It will only take a second.”

  Damen laughed, nodded, and escorted Petula onto the podium in the winner’s circle like a jockey walking a thoroughbred, then watched as last year’s queen hurriedly crowned her. The crowd went ballistic. Petula had the crown back, where it rightfully belonged, on her overbleached, hair-extensioned ’do.

  “Oh, but before you go, how about one for the yearbook!” Petula said as she landed a huge kiss on Damen’s lips in front of the cameras.

  Damen wasn’t even angry. The same old Petula was back. She knew instinctively the picture the photogs wanted and she gave it to them. She put her arms around his neck, leaned into him again, and whispered in his ear. He tried to pull away this time, but lingered for a second, surprised at what he heard.

  “Thank you,” Petula said softly.

  It was the most sincere thing she’d ever said to him. He felt forgiven, and even more in a rush than before to get to Scarlet.

  As the football players ran out, Petula got back to business, pushing him aside and posing down solo with her crown, making sure the Wendys were stationed just outside the frame. Damen snuck away, practically unnoticed by the throng.

  Before he could clear out completely, Josh sauntered up to him and blocked his path.

  “Hey, Dylan,” he said condescendingly, holding out his hand limp-wristed. “Just wanted to congratulate you.”

  Damen started to move around him, all the anger he’d been feeling now taking second place to his desire to get back and hold Scarlet. But Josh wouldn’t let him by.

  “At least your girlfriend knows how to win. Not like your pathetic defense last season.”

  “Have you ever heard,” Damen started slowly, “that the best defense is a good offense.”

  Damen balled up his right fist and smacked Josh in the mouth, decking him.

  “No offense,” Damen scoffed for good measure.

  He wasn’t a violent guy by nature, but beating Josh down, felt, well … great.

  As he made his way off the field he saw a familiar face racing toward it. It was Kiki. News must have gotten back to her that Petula and her miraculous dress had made it to Homecoming after all.

  She was screaming Petula’s name and something he couldn’t quite make out through the crowd noise and her own obvious tears of joy.

  Was it “she’s alive,” he thought ambivalently, or “it’s Alive.” Damen laughed to himself as he turned to watch their tender embrace, and decided that, when it came to describing Petula, there wasn’t much difference.

  The crowd continued to shout its approval long after the announcement.

  Petula checked her crown, repositioning it, and at that moment, she remembered some advice that Virginia had given her. She said that the outgoing queens always wanted to sabotage the incoming queen’s moment, so they always put the crown on crooked.

  She closed her eyes and channeled her little friend, trying with all her heart and, using the term loosely, soul, to share this victory with her.

  Her memorial concluded, Petula freed herself of her ankle monitor, which left everyone in the audience thinking that she was now ready to party.

  Love and haterade was raining down on Petula from every girl in the stands as she took her victory lap, smiling and waving condescendingly as if nothing had ever happened. The Wendys were in awe at the outpouring.

  “Do you think it’s the coma diet?” Wendy Anderson wondered aloud cattily.

  “Maybe,” Wendy Thomas said. “Let’s try it for prom.”

  Petula looked back at the Wendys following resentfully in their cars behind her.

  It was just as she’d always dreamed it would be.

  Damen walked in the room and moved toward Scarlet’s bed uneasily. She was there, lying still, and to him, this was not a good sign. It was not what he was expecting. As he drew closer, he could feel her breath on his cheek. It was not as labored as it had been. He moved in even closer and brushed his lips against hers lightly.

  “You have lipstick on your mouth!” Scarlet said with her eyes still closed.

  Damen, startled out of his mind, jumped away from the bed.

  “You couldn’t even wait until the body was cold, could you?” Scarlet said, slowly opening her eyes.

  “Scarlet!” he said, grabbing her face and kissing her, then backing away to look at her. “Don’t ever leave me again.”

  “Now you know how I feel when you’re away at college,” she replied with a smirk, still a little groggy.

  “I can’t believe you found her. Who knew Petula had a soul?”

  She laughed and looked up at him, the relief of being with him again shining from her hazel eyes. A solitary tear dropped from Damen’s eye.

  “Is that a tear?”

  “Yeah, but it’s a man-tear.”

  “The next thing you know you’ll be wearing guyliner, but that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”

  Damen held Scarlet’s face in his hands. Their smiles wiped from their mouths as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

  “Did you give Charlotte a kiss from me?” Damen asked, grateful to Charlotte for bringing Scarlet back to him.

  “I don’t kiss girls,” Scarlet replied sarcastically, but knowing just how much Damen’s saying that would mean to Charlotte.

  “I do,” Damen said, giving her a soft kiss.

  “What, I risk my life, cross over to the other side, bring my sister back, and that’s all I get?”

  “Scarlet,” Damen said in all sincerity, stroking her porcelain skin on her cheek with his thumb.

  “Yeah?”

  “I … love you,” Damen said, punctuating every word.

  “And it only took a near-death experience to get that out of you?” Scarlet whispered into his ear while embracing him.

  “I love you too,” Scarlet said, kissing him as if her life depended on it.

  Charlotte escorted Virginia to Dead Ed, first through the Hawthorne Middle School Virginia attended and then through the familiar halls of the adjacent High School.

  “I’m glad I at least got to see it,” Virginia said sadly of the bastion of higher learning.

  “Yeah, well,” Charlotte said sweetly, recalling her years there and putting the best spin on the present situation, “it wasn’t all that.”

  Virginia appreciated Charlotte’s sensitivity but could see from the wistful look on her face that she might not have been telling the whole truth.

  “You know, when my friend Pam first brought me here, she tried to make me laugh because I was so nervous,” Charlotte said, trying her best to comfort Virginia. “She said, look on the bright side, you don’t have to shave anymore.”

  Virginia thought that was kinda funny but then realized she’d never shaved before, and now, she never would. Charlotte was trying so hard that Virginia cracked a little smile for her sake. As they walked down the corridor to the main lobby, Virginia was anxious to change the subject, and saw something that would d
o just the trick.

  “Isn’t that you?” Virginia asked, pointing to the Hawthorne Wall of Fame showcase.

  “It was,” Charlotte said peacefully.

  Charlotte stopped for a second, studying her yearbook photo and her obituary, which sat in the center of sports, debate team, Mathlete trophies, and year after year of class and alumni photos, just as Scarlet had told her. Under her headshot it read “Her memory will live in these halls forever.”

  It had been a long time since she’d seen herself, living or dead, and she thought about how young she looked, even though she’d never look any different. She was grouped with the Noted Alumni, which made her feel proud, even though it might have all been some kind of joke. She couldn’t be sure, but it didn’t matter to her anymore. She had been remembered after all, and fondly too. The newspaper would yellow soon, she thought, and the photo would fade, but then, so would everybody else’s. She’d been here, been alive, for a while. That was enough for her now.

  “Looks like you made quite an impression. Were you a cheerleader or something?” Virginia asked.

  “Not exactly,” Charlotte said before she paused and changed the subject. “Virginia, some lives are long, some are short, but they’re all important and they all must come to an end. This is forever. It’s taken me a long time to figure that out.”

  Virginia wrapped her small hands around Charlotte’s neck, squeezing her tightly, and Charlotte knew that she had made an impression too.

  “Hey, you have a pretty good grip. Where were you when I was choking on that gummy bear?”

  Before Virginia could ask what she was talking about, they both noticed the projector light flooding the hallway from the Dead Ed class at the end of the hallway.

  “This is it,” Virginia said nervously, grasping Charlotte’s hand tightly.

  “That’s it,” Charlotte confirmed, remembering having said the very same thing to herself.

  Charlotte walked her, hand in hand, to the doorway, and turned the knob. She peeked in at the darkened classroom, heard the whirr of the projector spindle turning, and saw the silhouettes of the classmates, sitting and waiting. She felt like it was either just yesterday or ages ago that she’d been there.