New to New York

As 21 year old Willow Harrington stepped out of the cab and on to the sidewalk in front of her new upper west side brownstone building, it finally hit that she wasn’t in Rhode Island anymore. She was in the big apple. Somewhere she’s wanted to be all her life.
And now she was. All thanks to a long lost friend who showed up out of the blue and offered to share an apartment right next to central park, a stone’s throw from The Tavern on the Green.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Willow was shopping at the mall one day when out of the corner of her eye she saw the unmistakable copper shine of Maddison – or as everyone called her, Addi – Evry’s wavy red hair. No one had seen her since her long time boyfriend, Danny, died five years earlier. She finished school is such a daze she didn’t even realize she graduated early. Three months after that, Willow heard she had moved to New York away from everything she knew. So why was she back on this godforsaken island?

She had to find out. Addi had been her friend before she completely abandoned her.

“Addi!” Willow yelled over the people between them, trying to follow the five foot three red head. “Addi!”

Just when she thought she had lost her again, she runs smack into her. “Gah! Addi, I’m sorry.”

“Will! I thought I heard you,” she said smiling. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been good. You?” Will asked even though she didn’t really know if she wanted the answer. When Danny didn’t come back from war, Addi had mentally checked out. She was an example for the saying “the lights are on, but no one’s home.”

“I’ve been…okay.” Addi looked out at the other people as she said this, then back at her friend. “I just can’t believe you’re still here. I would have bet money that you’d be long gone, off to some far away country or something.”

“Believe me, I want to but without the money or destination, I’m stuck. Why are you back?” But she regretted the moment it was out. She knew why the other girl was here, because Danny was here. She came back three times a year; his birthday, their anniversary, and the day he died. Those were the only days of the year her parents saw her either.

Addi looked away again and shrugged her shoulders. “Ya know, check up on the parents,” Will nodded like she understood. Then Addi turned back to her with a huge smile, and a little mischief in her eyes, “I just had a brilliant idea. An amazing, tah-dah, holy cow, brilliant idea.”

“What?” Will was just a little surprised by the sudden mood change. But then again this was Maddison Evry she was talking to. The same girl that before all bad things happened, was planning the senior prank.

“You,” she said pointing to Will, “should move in with me. We can split the rent, it’d be perfect. My place is somewhat of a castle of awesome.” She grinned, and looked so much like the old Addi.

And the rest is history. Or the present. Whichever is timely correct.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

“Willow! Willow Harrington!” Willow turned to come face to face with her short spunky ginger headed friend. “Will!” she yelled again before throwing her arms around her in a bear hug.

“Hey Addi! Long time no see!” She said hugging her back. Maybe she’d gone back to her old ways after all. When she pulled away, Will noticed the tall lanky-but-muscled, latte colored surfer hottie with thick light brown dread locks past his shoulders behind said friend. “Um, hi there…”

“Jake. Jake Shane,” he said, a smile brightening his face. “I’m Addi’s…friend.” But the way he looked down at her, said a lot more than just friend.

She looked over at Addi who, surprisingly, looked a little guilty for a split second. Then she was back to bright and cheery. “This is the place,” she said swinging her arm in a large arch. “You like? If you look up you’ll see our living room window just there, on the fourth floor.”

“Yes,” Will said. “I like a lot.” And she did. The building reminded her of what she thought an old library might look like, with the brown stones against the white ones around the window. Off to the right she could see the fire escape and the park beyond.

“Well,” Addi said snapping Will back to the present. “Will and I will go up to the apartment, and we’ll meet everyone down at Quints?” she was talking to hottie Jake now.

“Sure, sure,” he said nodding. “I’ll call Hatter and Jimmy. Anabelle too? She can be kinda…you know.”

“Yeah,” Addi answered, biting her lip in contemplation. “Um, yeah call her too. She’ll be even worse if she’s the last to know. Kay?”

“Yeah. Kay.” And with that, he turned and started walking south. Taking out his cell as he did. Addi’s face fell the slightest, just enough for Will to see and feel bad for her. Later on she’ll have to ask what’s between them.

“Right this way, m’lady,” Addi said bending low.
Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, and dragging her other bags behind her, Willow followed Addi in to her new building.

&&&&&&

“Should I be afraid?” Will asked hesitantly has the two girls entered the bar.

Addi’s brow pulled together. “Afraid? Of what?”

“Um, Annabella?”

Addi laughed then. Loudly. “You mean Anabelle. Pronounced like on-ah-bell. And no. She smells fear like a dog. But no worries, her bark is worse than her bite. Remember that.”

And as if on cue, an Angelina Jolie look-a-like walked in with an Asian guy under one arm and Jake on the other. Asian guy had royal blue streaks in his jet black hair looking every bit like a hot topic model, while the look-a-like had platinum blonde dreads mixed bright pink.

Did everyone on the island look this good?

Addi stood up when they got to their table in the back of the smoky bar and introduced everybody. “Will, you already know Jake. That’s Jimmy and Anabelle.”

Jake smiled and sat down next to Addi; Jimmy grinned at her and sat down a little too close to Will; but Anabelle sneered and sat next to Jake choosing to ignore Will all together. “Where’s Hatter? Didn’t you call him?” Addi asked Jake.

“Yeah, I called him. I think he’s outside smoking. He’ll be here in a second. Relax Addi.” He smiled at her and her shoulders did seem to ease a little. She smiled back at him.

“Any who,” Anabelle said. “I talked to Harry today…” she let her sentence fade making sure she got everyone’s attention.

“And what did he say? Did he say sorry at all?” asked Addi her voice showing how excided she was to know.

Will looked over at Jimmy who was looking at Anabelle like everyone else, “Who’s Harry?” she asked him, peaked that she was out of the loop.

He looked at her and grinned, glad he wasn’t the out of the loop like usual. “Ana’s soon to be ex. We hope. He’s a total ass hat.”

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” said a deep voice standing above them.

The whole table looked and everyone broke in to smiles. There, standing before them, in all his sexy, mysterious, smoky glory was Will’s dream man. Close to six foot with a little scruff, and long-ish dark brown hair and deep green eyes was the one friend everyone had been missing, Hatter.

And true to his name, he was wearing a faded red-orange top hat with a green ribbon tied right above the brim. He was perfect.

Addi, whose smile was the biggest, spoke first, “Hi Hatter. This is my old friend, Willow.”

“Will. Just Will,” she spit out while trying not to let her jaw drop too far.

He tipped his out to her and motioned for jimmy to move next to Anabelle.

This was going to interesting…