Quarter of a Century - Pilot Story

Music exploded through the open windows of the bright yellow cottage, causing Lana to take a prolonged breath. She stared at the house in front of her, grasping her suitcase at her side, for several seconds before making a move. It was only a week out of her otherwise organized life. She could deal with anything for seven days.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see her college friends or participate in this “Quarter of a Century Reunion” they’d planned. In truth, she was excited to reconnect with the people she’d once been so close to. But she’d changed in the three years since college graduation. She’d done a lot of soul-searching and gained a razor sharp focus on developing her career in real estate sales. What if spending time with these friends, certain ones in particular, brought her back to a place she’d worked so hard to leave behind?

The white porch steps creaked under her feet. She wasn’t familiar with the market in Key West, but she bet this quaint home, a short walk from the nightlife on Duval Street, would earn this owner a pretty penny. She peeked into the living room through a screen door and counted three figures. Two were missing. Maybe they hadn’t arrived yet.

“Lana!” Maddie spotted her and jumped from the couch. “What are you doing out there? Get inside this second.” Maddie shoved the screen open and enveloped Lana in a bear hug. She’d always been Lana’s favorite. An honest to goodness friend who had your back.

Seconds later, Lana was sandwiched between friends on the couch, beer in hand, catching up about where life had taken all of them. A lot of it she knew already. Social media had a way of making you feel informed, even when you hadn’t actually connected with people in a while. But it wasn’t the same as hearing Sophie’s stories, in person, about how her crazy mother was still interfering in her love life, and it definitely wasn’t as good as watching Ray’s hysterical, spot-on imitations of their college professors. Within fifteen minutes, Lana felt at home, as if no time had passed.

The screen door squeaked open behind her. “Lana, you made it.” Kyle’s gravelly voice made her pulse dance, just like it did years before.

“Great. Didn’t want to have to send out a search.” Sabrina’s sarcastic tone had the same effect it always had, too. Muted irritation. “I’m just kidding,” she said as she entered the house and ruffled Lana’s hair with her fingers. “How are you?”

Lana pushed her wavy hair away from her eyes. “I’m good. And you?” She turned. Kyle stood right behind the couch. He was tan, and broader than he’d been three years ago. Damn. She was really hoping he’d gotten fat and lost a little hair.

He smiled at her. “It’s really good to see you. It’s been too long.” He leaned over and gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek.

Of all the friends here, he was the one she’d intentionally cut out. It was just too hard to feel what she felt and maintain a friendship with him. Especially after he’d started seeing Sabrina. Sabrina made a habit of taking whatever Lana wanted. The two were always involved in some silent competition and Lana came up a day late and a dollar short most of the time. Usually it didn’t bother her, but the day Sabrina waltzed in and announced that she’d kissed Kyle was the day Lana decided she was done with both of them.

If only it had been that easy.

She tried to pay little attention to Sabrina, or to the way she hung on Kyle, whose expression was unreadable, as the rest of her friends laughed and discussed how they would spend their week together. It was miraculous that they’d all been able to take the same vacation time – a plan that had been in the works for a year – and they didn’t intend to waste a second of it.

Still, it was dark by the time they decided to check out the sights in Mallory Square. By then, Lana was beat from the flight and the long day. She’d sit this one out and see them in the morning. She went into the bedroom she was sharing with Maddie and unzipped her suitcase on the palm-tree bedspread. A knock on her open door sent her spinning around.

“Won’t you reconsider?” Ray asked, leaning against her doorway. “I’ve heard it’s a real freak show there, with sword swallowers and acrobats. You seriously don’t want to miss that. Or at least, I don’t want you to.”  He waggled his eyebrows as he held his arm out to her.

She pretend to sigh as she linked her arm with his. “Okay, twist my arm.” Ray always had a way of persuading her to do things. He was a blast, and a really good guy, and besides, if she got a second wind, this would be fun. It’s what she came for, after all. She could rest another time.

As they were about to walk out the front door, Kyle called her. “Hey Lana, could you come here a second?”

Slowly, Ray released her arm. She walked over to Kyle, who was leaning on the kitchen counter.

“Are you heading out?”

She nodded.

His voice was low. “I was thinking, if you stayed behind, there are some things I’d like to talk to you about.”

Lana glanced around the room - at Ray waiting expectantly by the door, at her other friends huddled behind him, anxious to go explore, and at Sabrina, who was hovering inches away from Kyle, glaring at her. What should she do?

Okay readers, it’s up to you. Should Lana:

A. Stay back and talk to Kyle

or

B.  Go out with Ray and the other friends and explore Key West

Please comment either “Choice A” or “Choice B” below.