Chapter 3: Reuniting with Friends
“Angie! Rika!”
I got up to greet my friends but was instead tackled to the ground by both of them.
Angel Michelson, the golden haired, blue eyed beauty was another one of the dancers in our elite dance group along with Rika Palmer, the brunette with hazel eyes. Angel and I have been inseparable ever since Kindergardenth, but I met Rika in Ms. Stonewall’s ballet academy when I was chosen for the elite class. I was so glad to see them in person after being apart from them for seven whole years!
We had been chatting, calling and messaging each other through the years though, but I can hardly call social media connection as ‘keeping in touch’. We hadn’t been able to meet up and have lunches or dinners or even go to the movies like we used to when we were teens. I had missed our sleepovers and girls nights most of all.
“You guys!” I hugged them to my sides. “How did you know I was here?”
“Words already circulating,” Angie told me when we all pulled back and stood in a circle facing each other. “Lydia had given us a heads up this morning that you’ll be coming, but we got the official confirmation when Mrs. Spencer said she saw you coming home and...well...”
“And my mom slammed the door in my face?” I finished that sentence when Angie looked uncomfortable saying it. “It’s alright Angie; I already know nobody’s thrilled about me showing up here. After all, I did shame the town when I ran away.”
“Oh, how ridiculous!” Rika snapped. “Your father was wrong to arrange your marriage to Jordan without even asking you how you felt about it! And you had just graduated high school!”
“Alright, enough about me. Tell me more about you guys!” I took their hands in mine and gave them a light squeeze, changing the same old subject. “Tell me what you guys have been up to! I’m so sorry I couldn’t meet up with you guys for seven years, I’m surprised you’re still talking to me after that.”
“Well, we weren’t going to,” Angie told me strictly before she broke out into a smile. “But we hadn’t seen you for seven years and I guess we thought it was time you paid us back for that time when we helped you escape from your own wedding.”
“Yeah,” Rika agreed, but she too was smiling. “How about you pay us in full this time. We demand to have lunch every day from now until your stay ends, at Jerry’s!”
“Whoa! At Jerry’s?” I blinked in surprise. “That place is still running?”
“Of course,” Angie said as she began pulling me towards the door. “And the food there is sure to make a dent in your pocket! So come now, we’re hungry.”
“See you later, Ms. Stonewall!” Rika called out to Lydia and waved her goodbye. “We’ll be borrowing Kyra for awhile!”
“Have fun children!” I heard Lydia’s cheerful reply before the door to the studio closed shut behind us and we were rushing down the stairs to my car so we could take a ride to Jerry’s.
“It’s better to take the car,” Angie told me sympathetically. “To avoid some unnecessary confrontations.”
Rika shook her head disapprovingly. “I don’t get why the whole town jumped onboard to blame you for it. Especially since J-“
“Rika!” Angie cut her off with a sigh. “Why don’t we just get some lunch and catch on instead? This town hasn’t changed one bit in the past seven years and I doubt it ever will. Let’s just focus on the good stuff for now, alright?”
“Whatever you say.” Rika shrugged and hopped onto the car with Angie riding shotgun. “Let’s go and party!”
Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at Jerry’s Diner and as soon as we entered the diner after I had parked my car outside, the entire diner fell silent. Literally everyone was staring at me like I was the devil who had come to ruin their lives.
Parents told their children to shush and look the other way while the adults gave me heated glares filled with hatred. I knew almost everyone in this diner. I could see Mr. Joseph, our neighbour at the back with his stake and mashed potatoes just like he used to have back when I was in high school. I could see Lillian Grey, one of my senior schoolmates in her cubicle right at the front as she tried to distract her son with the menu card while giving me a glare.
Hell, I could even see Tom Hardly behind the counter giving me a distasteful look as he managed the cash register. There were others too, new faces that looked at the three of us with curiosity. I knew this was going to be a bad idea, but I had no idea it was going to be this bad.
“Wow.” Rika whispered next to my ears. “You just turned into a celebrity.”
“Celebrities are adored,” I whispered back. “That certainly doesn’t look like the case here.”
“Just ignore them, Kyra.” Angie took my hand and led me to an empty cubicle. “They have no business poking their nose where it doesn’t belong.”
Angie said it out loud enough so everyone could hear her and it actually worked. Out of embarrassment or ego, everyone went back to doing what they were doing before I walked in and the low hum of conversation started filling in the void created by the awkward silence a few seconds ago. We walked over to our cubicle and took our seats and waited for the waiter to come get our orders.
“So, Miss Prima Ballerina,” Angel folded her hands under her chin and gave me a wide grin. “A little birdie told me the wedding is going to be help in two weeks or less.”
“You’ve heard?” I blinked at them in surprise. “Damn! There goes my surprise.”
“Of course!” Rika said excitedly. “Ms. Stonewall had kept us well informed. Just look at you! Working for Barry and Joseph’s Ballet Troup and also engaged! You have everything you’ve always wanted!”
“Yeah!” Angie nodded her head vigorously. “It’s great to see you living your dream. Even Rika has a job at a Ballet company in Dover to teach high school kids, while I’m just stuck here in Ruthwell teaching elementary school kids!”
“Really?” I asked them, happy that my friends were doing well. “You still haven’t moved ye? Did you tell me you were sending out applications at Dover or neighbouring cities?”
“The applications haven’t been accepted yet.” Angie sighed. “One of the schools had looked into my application and called to confirm it was me, but they haven’t called back with an appointment yet.”
“I really hope you get this job, Angie.” I told her as Ruth nodded. “Ruthwell is a nightmare to be stuck in.”
The waiter came to our table then, wanting to take our order and by the look of excitement on her face, she was new to town and to all the juicy gossip surrounding me. We placed our orders and waited while our food got cooked. In the meantime, I got to know a lot about what has been going on around town ever since I ran away.
There was one question stuck at the back of my mind that I desperately wanted to ask but I didn’t have the courage to. Or rather, I thought that I didn’t have the right to ask after all this time.
But I guess I could ask Rika and Angie. They have had my back for the longest time and they would understand why I was asking them this. It’s been killing me ever since I set foot in Ruthwell.
So, after gathering up enough courage, I went to ask the question to my friends but when the bell rang over the front door to the diner and some people walked in, my question got stuck in my throat.
Because that person was none other than my best friend since Kindergardenth, Cathy McCarthy, with a toddler in one hand and a five or six year old in the other and a slightly rounded stomach that pointed to that fact that she was pregnant again.
But what shocked me the most wasn't the babies or the wedding ring she had on her ring finger, but the fact that she was followed close behind by Jordan’s mother. The same Jordan who was once supposed to become my husband that fateful night seven years ago. And that’s when it clicked. That’s how I got the answer to my unasked question.
The wedding had happened even after I had run away from it. And the person who had married Jordan had been none other than my childhood best friend, Cathy.
Chapter 4: A Blast from the Past “Kyra, don’t.” Angie grabbed my hand as I was about to leave my seat and head over to greet Cathy. “It’s for the best.” “For the best?” I asked her incredulously. “Cathy is married to Jordan in my place and she has two kids with a third on the way and I only get to know about all of this just now? Is that what Rika was about to say earlier? That the town shouldn’t blame me because Jordan is already married?” Rika gave me a guilty look from beneath her lashes but she too placed her hand on top of mine to get me back into my seat. “A lot has changed, Kyra.” Rika begged me to understand. “Everything isn’t as easy as it looks.” “Then tell me!” I pleaded with them. “Tell me what happened after I left so I can understand. Why is Cathy married to Jordan? And if the problem had been resolved, then why is everyone still so mad at me?” “We will.” Angie told me. “But not here, especially not where everyone can overhear and judge our reaction.” “Yeah, let’s j
Chapter 5: Back to where it all Began “Are you sure you’re alright?” Rika asked for the millionth time as we drove back to the hotel I was staying at. “Yes. I’m fine.” I told them through gritted teeth. My knuckles were white against the steering wheel and I was driving a few miles over the speed limit, but this was Ruthwell, the sheriff had only one job here and that was to solve family disputes and the odd cases of stolen lingerie. Nobody would care if I was driving at a hundred miles per hour. But then again, with how my welcome back party to my hometown has been going on so far, I wouldn’t be surprised if I get pulled over for speeding and handed a thousand other bills along with them just for breathing Ruthwell air. I never should’ve come back. Promise or not, this had been a terrible idea. I knew what I was doing when I decided to leave this godforsaken town for good and I have never regretted that decision in the past seven years that I had been away. But now that I wanted
Chapter 6: Revelation “It all started eight years ago, when your brother came back from college.” Angie began. “You must remember that he wanted to open his own business and asked your dad for money?” “Yes.” I frowned, pushing my hair out of my face in frustration. “What does any of this have to do with him?” “Everything had to do with Kyle, trust me.” Rika pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration before taking a gulp of her beer. “Just stay calm and listen.” Oh, she had no idea exactly how calm I was right now. But if I had to wait any longer to find out the truth, things were going to get ugly really soon. “As I was saying,” Angie gave Rika a glare before continuing. “Your father basically gave Kyle all of his savings so he can get his business up and running. But after an entire year of struggling to get things together, the business crashed, badly. Your family was in debt and your brother could go to jail at any moment. That’s when Jordan’s family stepped in to help.” “S
Chapter 7: The Ugly Truth He’s dead…he’s dead…he’s dead… The words kept reverberating inside my head until it was all I heard. He’s dead…he’s dead…he’s dead… I clutched at my head with both hands, trying to make it stop. Trying to silence the ominous voices that kept on repeating those dreaded words over and over again like a stuck tape-recorder… “Kyra!” Angie and Rika were on either side of me in an instant. “We’re really sorry, Kyra.” Rika told me, her hand around my shoulder in a comforting gesture. “This is why we were so nervous to tell you about this, because we knew you would feel guilty for it even though you didn’t have anything to feel guilty for.” “It’s not your fault, Kyra.” Angie told me reassuringly. “Please know that.” I shook my head, finding it difficult to get words past my throat. “Kyra…we’re right here, okay?” They both reassured me, their embrace warm, but why did it still feel so cold? “She didn’t even tell me…” I managed to whisper finally, my voice ho
Chapter 8: Running Away 7 Years ago… I looked at my reflection in the mirror, wondering for the thousandth time: What was I doing with my life? My make-up was light, hardly falling in the category of make-up at all. The light smoky eyes and the nude lipstick made me look paler than normal. There were two stud diamond earrings on my ears, no necklace since the collar of my dress was already high enough to cross all levels of decency. My hair was also a simple bun at the back of my head, with a jewelled clip to hold my veil in place. The bridal gown was pure white and simple. The skirt was flowing with a slight train and the sleeves were lace. Although my father had objected to the ‘unconventional dress’ at first…but he had changed his mind at the last minute when my groom’s father, and by father’s good friend, Mr. Davis, had reminded him that this was the twenty first century and women dressing in lace sleeves was appropriate enough. And yet…Mr. Davis hadn’t thought that arranged
Chapter 9: The First Time We Met Getting to New York was a chore indeed. My two friends had covered for me until I was out of the church building, and then Ms. Stonewall, my dance teacher, had driven me to the bus terminus and provided me some of her savings to use in times of need. ‘Use it well, Kyra. I trust you and I believe in you.’ ‘But…this is a lot, Lydia!’ I had looked at the card in astonishment. ‘How do I ever return this favor?’ ‘Oh, don’t worry, I will get it back with interest.’ She had grinned at me. “When I see you perform on some of the biggest stages in the world. That would be my biggest reward.’ She had no idea how much her words had encouraged me to move forward. She wasn’t just my teacher or my mentor…she was my idol. And one day, I planned to make her proud. And preparations for that day, started right now. That day, I had gotten a good few stares from the people who had boarded the bus with me, everyone wonder what a woman in her wedding dress was doing i
Chapter 10: What She MeantThe morning started with an abrupt interruption to my peaceful slumber. The despicable sound of loud rock music rudely pulled me from the depths of sleep. Rubbing my eyes, I stumbled out of bed, cursing under my breath about the unnecessary disruption.Stepping into the living room, I found Gabriella in her usual morning ritual—stretching and twisting into yoga poses as if she was auditioning for Cirque du Soleil, all while the music blared sky-high in the background. Irritation bubbled within me, and I couldn't help but voice my frustration."Gabriella, seriously? Do you have to blast music this early just to do yoga?" I asked, my annoyance palpable.To my surprise, she turned to me with an unflinching demeanor. "Kyra, this is how I do my yoga. Music helps me get into the flow," she explained, her tone unwavering. “You should know that as a dancer.”I sighed, not wanting to escalate things. "Fine," I muttered and decided to ignore her, since it was kinda cl
Chapter 11: The First KissGabriella and I were polar opposites; not just in looks, but in every aspect of our lives. That much I had established from the very first day we became roommates.She was the contemporary champion and I was the ballet protégé. She preferred rock music, while I preferred country classics. She preferred ‘blow-the-top-of-your-head’ kinda spicy food while I preferred my meals, what she called ‘flavorless’. I preferred pastel colors and she was vibrant enough to turn me color-blind.I was shy, reserved and mostly kept to myself, while ‘Gabby’, as everyone called her, was energetic, outgoing and the most extroverted person I had ever met. She could be out partying till 2 in the morning but still manage to ace a test with her eyes closed.And no matter how much irritation I felt at having such a roommate, the one thing she and I had in common was probably the one thing keeping us from ripping each other’s hair out. Our love for dancing.Whenever it was Gabby’s tur