Butterfly Weeds by Laura Miller Page B

room, while Rachel stayed behind in the entryway talking to Kathy. I didn’t have time to talk; I was on a mission.
     
                  I squeezed stealthily past the bodies that inhabited my path. I saw everyone but the person for whom I was searching. He’s here, I know . I saw his SUV parked outside.
     
                  I continued to scurry through the horde, acting like I wasn’t on the quest of my life – only being stopped a couple of times. I did the normal, Hi, how are you? and kept moving.
     
                  I eventually made it to the living room, and when I looked up, I swore I had been transported to some romantic movie set – because our eyes met, and for a moment, we were the only two people in t he bustling room.
     
                  He looked like his handsome self, although he had a strong five o’clock shadow now, and his hair had grown out just enough that small, wavy tuffs of it lingered on the tops of his ears. The look worked for him though. It was different, but a good different. I stood frozen in the doorway.
     
                  After taking a deep breath and letting it out, I gradually made my way through the throng toward Will, but as I did, I noticed something else that was different about him, but this time, the difference was just short of unsettling. And immediately, I knew then that this couldn’t possibly be a romantic flick that I had just been transported to – more like anything but it.
     
                  I swallowed hard, and restarted my heart. Whose hand was he holding? A knife had just pierced my body. I had not expected this emotion. I expected excited, ma ybe even nervous, but not this.
     
                  I felt hurt and then awkwardly thrown off-guard, until that turned into a silent rage. But I knew I had no case on which to stand. That was the worst part. I could say nothing. There was nothing really for me to say. I wanted to turn around and walk back through the living room door in which I had just come. But of course, we had just had that weird, eyes-meet movie scene just moments before. And now, I had no other option but to move forward. So, I took ano ther, cautious step toward him.
     
                  A couple more forced steps and I had already reached him and the unfamiliar one attached to him. I immediately introduced myself to the new, curly-locked brunette on his arm. I shook the girl’s hand, making sure I forced myself to smile and to be polite and friendly – do everything that I was supposed to do. The girl looked nervous, but she smiled as well. Then, after the brief introduction, I met Will’s eyes again.
     
                  “Hey,” I said softly. “How have you been?”
     
                  He looked nervous too. Good.
     
                  “Good,” he said, nodding his head slowly.
     
                  He kept it short and to the point, as if saying too much would cause him to wilt away.
     
                  I caught myself wondering if him wilting away would be all that bad.
     
                  “That’s great,” I lied, continuing to force my smile.
     
                  “So, did you go to Will’s high school?” the girl interjected, interrupting Will's and my stare.
     
                  Both Will’s and my attention turned to the girl, who had been fairly invisible in the last couple of seconds. He hadn’t told her. The girl’s innocent question struck me hard and made my heart sink to the pit of my stomach. It hurt, but of course, it had only been two months. I’d be surprised if he even knew her middle name.
     
                  I looked at Will, searching for a response that would make our chat a little less awkward than it alre ady was. Then, the answer came.
     
                  For a second there, I thought that I saw a