Molly.”
“Yeah, we thought you were right behind us,” Gretchen adds.
“We told you to come,” Zach says.
“Yeah … that’s right … we did …” the others chime in.
That’s true. They did. Remembering makes me feel a little better. They must have been freaked out when they regrouped and realized I wasn’t there.
“So … we heard you got community work service,” Tony says in a low voice.
That makes me pissed off again. If they’d come forward, I wouldn’t have been the only one. They’d be doing it with me.
But I just nod.
“Rough, eh?” Crystal says.
At least she’s asking
, I think. “It’s not so bad,” I say, surprised to realize it’s true. I don’t mind doing stuff for Bridget. It’s the least I can do. And I’ve been feeling pretty good. Turns out I don’t miss the booze and pot all that much.
“You almost done?” Tony asks.
“About halfway.”
“Cool,” he says. “Then you’ll be free, eh?”
I nod again.
Another silence falls. Then Zach zips up his jacket. “Well … got to go.”
“Me too.”
“Me too.”
“See you.”
Before I know it, they’ve all gone, passing down the hall in a tight knot.
I stand there. My stomach drops. No one said,
Sorry
. No one said,
We should have stayed
. No one said,
Come with us
.
But then, as I gather my books from my locker and walk out the door, headed for Gwen’s and today’s chores, I think about what Tony asked.
You almost done? … Then you’ll be free?
Maybe he meant,
Then you’ll be free to hang out with us again. Then you’ll be free to party. Then it’ll go back to the way it was
.
Yes, I tell myself, my step lightening. That must be what he meant.
“Surprise!”
Gwen stood at the open front door. On the doorstep was a beaming Susie, flanked by Carley and Janelle. Susie was holding a plastic container.
“We came to cheer you up,” Carley said.
“And tell you all the latest,” Janelle said.
“And feed you,” Susie added with a grin. Stepping inside, she lifted the lid of the container. Chocolate brownies were stacked in rows, their frosting softly gleaming.
Gwen smiled faintly. The last thing she felt like was a visit, small talk, pity, questions. All she wanted was to be left alone, to sit in her chair and watch the clouds slowly drift by.
But she motioned them into the living room, even turnedher chair around to face the room. Carley and Janelle sat on the couch, while Susie went into the kitchen to find plates and glasses.
“So, how are you feeling, Gwen?” Carley asked.
A pause. “About the same.”
“Are you coming back to school?” Janelle asked. Another pause. “Not yet.”
There was a short silence, broken by the sound of Susie clattering in the kitchen.
“How’s your dad?” Carley asked.
Gwen felt the quick sting of tears. She blinked rapidly. “Uh … not so good.”
“Well, I’m sure he’ll be fine, Gwen, don’t worry.” Carley leaned forward and patted her knee.
Gwen stiffened.
Susie bustled in, carrying a tray loaded with glasses of milk and plates of brownies. “Good thing I know my way around your kitchen, Gwen,” she said with a chuckle. She set the tray on the coffee table and started handing around plates. “Eat up, Gwen, you need it.” She patted her belly. “Looks like the pounds you’ve lost ended up on me,” she said, laughing. She lifted her brownie. “I shouldn’t … but what the hell.” She bit in.
Carley licked her lips. “Delicious, Suze.”
Janelle nodded, daintily lifting crumbs with her fingertip and licking them off. “You make the best brownies, Susie.”
“And cookies. And cakes,” Carley added, taking another bite.
Susie beamed. She looked at Gwen.
Gwen quickly picked up her brownie and took a bite. “Yummy,” she said. And it was – full of dark, chocolaty flavor. Trouble was, she wasn’t hungry. She moved the brownie around on her plate, hoping Susie wouldn’t notice.
“So, Gwen, you should
“Yeah, we thought you were right behind us,” Gretchen adds.
“We told you to come,” Zach says.
“Yeah … that’s right … we did …” the others chime in.
That’s true. They did. Remembering makes me feel a little better. They must have been freaked out when they regrouped and realized I wasn’t there.
“So … we heard you got community work service,” Tony says in a low voice.
That makes me pissed off again. If they’d come forward, I wouldn’t have been the only one. They’d be doing it with me.
But I just nod.
“Rough, eh?” Crystal says.
At least she’s asking
, I think. “It’s not so bad,” I say, surprised to realize it’s true. I don’t mind doing stuff for Bridget. It’s the least I can do. And I’ve been feeling pretty good. Turns out I don’t miss the booze and pot all that much.
“You almost done?” Tony asks.
“About halfway.”
“Cool,” he says. “Then you’ll be free, eh?”
I nod again.
Another silence falls. Then Zach zips up his jacket. “Well … got to go.”
“Me too.”
“Me too.”
“See you.”
Before I know it, they’ve all gone, passing down the hall in a tight knot.
I stand there. My stomach drops. No one said,
Sorry
. No one said,
We should have stayed
. No one said,
Come with us
.
But then, as I gather my books from my locker and walk out the door, headed for Gwen’s and today’s chores, I think about what Tony asked.
You almost done? … Then you’ll be free?
Maybe he meant,
Then you’ll be free to hang out with us again. Then you’ll be free to party. Then it’ll go back to the way it was
.
Yes, I tell myself, my step lightening. That must be what he meant.
“Surprise!”
Gwen stood at the open front door. On the doorstep was a beaming Susie, flanked by Carley and Janelle. Susie was holding a plastic container.
“We came to cheer you up,” Carley said.
“And tell you all the latest,” Janelle said.
“And feed you,” Susie added with a grin. Stepping inside, she lifted the lid of the container. Chocolate brownies were stacked in rows, their frosting softly gleaming.
Gwen smiled faintly. The last thing she felt like was a visit, small talk, pity, questions. All she wanted was to be left alone, to sit in her chair and watch the clouds slowly drift by.
But she motioned them into the living room, even turnedher chair around to face the room. Carley and Janelle sat on the couch, while Susie went into the kitchen to find plates and glasses.
“So, how are you feeling, Gwen?” Carley asked.
A pause. “About the same.”
“Are you coming back to school?” Janelle asked. Another pause. “Not yet.”
There was a short silence, broken by the sound of Susie clattering in the kitchen.
“How’s your dad?” Carley asked.
Gwen felt the quick sting of tears. She blinked rapidly. “Uh … not so good.”
“Well, I’m sure he’ll be fine, Gwen, don’t worry.” Carley leaned forward and patted her knee.
Gwen stiffened.
Susie bustled in, carrying a tray loaded with glasses of milk and plates of brownies. “Good thing I know my way around your kitchen, Gwen,” she said with a chuckle. She set the tray on the coffee table and started handing around plates. “Eat up, Gwen, you need it.” She patted her belly. “Looks like the pounds you’ve lost ended up on me,” she said, laughing. She lifted her brownie. “I shouldn’t … but what the hell.” She bit in.
Carley licked her lips. “Delicious, Suze.”
Janelle nodded, daintily lifting crumbs with her fingertip and licking them off. “You make the best brownies, Susie.”
“And cookies. And cakes,” Carley added, taking another bite.
Susie beamed. She looked at Gwen.
Gwen quickly picked up her brownie and took a bite. “Yummy,” she said. And it was – full of dark, chocolaty flavor. Trouble was, she wasn’t hungry. She moved the brownie around on her plate, hoping Susie wouldn’t notice.
“So, Gwen, you should
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