Quarter of a Century - Part 6

Part 6

Rebecca Grace picks up the story from Erin Bevan

Lana glanced from one to the other, her friends, the people who had meant so much to her, and for a second she couldn’t breathe. Why had Maddie brought them all together? Suddenly fashioned this reunion? She should have known her friend had a good reason beyond simply gathering the troops for a fun weekend.

They had all meant so much to each other for so long, even if they were separated for long periods after college, but they always kept in touch through phone calls, constant email and group messages, meeting for long dinners and even a weekend every so often. But now… she had sensed from the beginning this gathering was different.  A chill ran through her as she watched her friend, standing so still. Lana could almost feel the tension gripping her friend’s slim body.  

“Are you okay?” Lana asked, reaching for her hand. “What do you mean, your serious news?”

Her friend turned to her and smiled, a wan smile, or at least it suddenly seemed that way to Lana. She had noticed her friend appeared tired, but she had figured it was the work of making this reunion a reality. Now as she touched Maddie’s hand, it was ice cold, despite the warm gulf air.

Taking a deep breath, Maddie squeezed her hand before dropping it and looking from one to the next. “Well, I think you all know I’ve been making regular trips back and forth to London every month or so.”

Lana nodded. “Your work…” she started, but Maddie was shaking her head.

“It wasn’t all for work,” she said softly, looking away.

Before she could continue, a buzzing came from a nearby table. In the tense atmosphere, it might have been a gong and everyone visibly started.

Holding up a finger, Maddie walked over and picked up for her pink cell phone that was moving steadily around the table as it buzzed. She glanced quickly at the device and held up a finger. Was it suddenly shaking?

“Don’t anyone move,” she commanded in a tight voice before walking toward the bedroom, speaking in a low voice into the phone. She stopped before entering and turned back toward the group, holding them all with an intense stare. “Please don’t anyone go anywhere or leave. I really need to talk to all of you. Together.” She pointed a finger specifically at Sophie. “We are going to help you with your mom, so you sit still.”

         

Her footsteps echoed as she walked down the hall toward the bedroom and Lana looked from one person to the next, noting their stunned, stony faces. Recalling Maddie’s crying earlier, she hurried after her now. She had feared her friend was in trouble and now that seemed confirmed. She reached the bedroom door just as it closed, and the click of the lock turning stopped her even as she started to turn the knob. Maddie obviously wanted to take the call in privacy.

         
With a sigh, Lana returned to the living area where the entire group still stood, looking shocked. Or perhaps shell-shocked was more like it.

         

 "Does anyone know what’s going on?” she asked.

Sophie blinked, looking longingly at the suitcases as though she might reach for them any second and bolt. “I don’t have a clue, but my mom needs me.”

“She said you’re not to leave.” Lana stopped beside her, reaching out to grasp her shaking hand. “We’ll get help for your mom. Don’t worry, okay?

"Did you see the look on Maddie’s face?” Ray asked, his voice growing forceful at Sophie’s uncertainty. “She needs us as much as you do right now, can’t you see that? Does anyone know what her serious news is?” He looked from one person to the next.

Again, Lana felt a chill run through her. She wasn’t certain if it was concern for her friend or a return of those strange, lingering feelings about Ray. She had never seen him look so upset, and she realized it affected her. Was she jealous about his open concern for Maddie or impressed by his sudden command of the situation?

Kyle drew a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair. “She’s been preoccupied lately,” he said with a shrug of his shoulder.

“How do you know?” Sabrina demanded, whipping around toward him, her voice hard and accusing. “Has she been calling you? Why didn’t you tell me? Or did you call her for moral support again?”

“Look, my life is my own these days,” Kyle said in a hard voice. “And this isn’t the time or place to bring up our problems.” He glanced from one person to the next. “This is about Maddie right now. I care about her. We all do. And she’s been there for you as many times as she has been there for me.”

His accusing words seemed to silence Sabrina and she nodded in agreement as she hung her head. “I care about her,” she muttered.

“You know, we all shared so much in school,” Ray said, with a grim smile, looking from one friend to the next. “Right now, I feel like we’re back in the dorm or my little apartment, on one of those nights when we all sat up together. Back in those days, whether it was a bad grade, a cheating lover or bullies down the hall, we stuck together, helping each other through things. Shouldn’t we be doing that now? I really did think she had been going to London because she had work there. Was there some other reason?”

“She hasn’t told me anything,” Sophie said with a sniffle. “I want to help, but we don’t know what it is she needs. I mean, if she has serious news to tell us, and she’s more worried about my problems with my mom…”

“It might not even be serious,” Sabrina said coldly. “She’s always been somewhat of a drama queen.”

“Stop it, Sabrina!” Lana said. “Kyle's right. She’s always been there for every single one of us, and you know it. She’s always helped us. But I sensed something too.” She stopped short of telling them her friend had been crying. It was up to Maddie to divulge the truth. “There was a reason she wanted this reunion. A reason she wanted to bring us all together now.”

“You’re right,” Ray said. “I got that impression too when she called. I had something else I was supposed to be doing this weekend, but she asked me to change my plans so I could be here.”

“Let’s face it,” Lana admitted. “This isn’t just some giddy weekend she planned for all of us just to hang out.”

“But she made it sound that way,” Sabrina said.

“But there was an underlying current below it,” Sophie said, suddenly nodding. “I told her I hated leaving my mom alone and she got kind of insistent. That was why I came.”

Why had she come? Lana debated her own reason. She had wanted to see her friends but it was more than that. She had read something into Maddie’s request for this weekend gathering, something beyond the renewal of their friendship.

Maddie appeared at the door. She looked from one to the other. Her eyes shimmered with tears, but why?  “Okay, gang, here’s my serious news. No more monthly trips to London. I’m … well, I am moving there in two weeks.”

The gasps around the room were audible.

Lana started to smile, but then stopped as she noted the tears that ran down Maddie’s face. “Why?” she asked. “You don’t look happy about it…”

        

What happens next? Is Maddie's reason for moving to London...

Vote A)   A happy reason?

Vote B)   A sad, forced decision?

Voting ends tomorrow at 11pm EST