Lost and Found

Phoenix airport was a lot smaller than Nicola remembered, or maybe it was just her comparing it to every other airport she had spent the last two years jetting off too. It was, however, the most crowded she had ever seen it. It felt strange to be back in Arizona, even if it had only been two years since she had left this place behind. She almost felt sick from the mixture of emotions and nerves that sat in the pit of her stomach.

Breathing a heaving sigh, Nicola dragged her luggage through the crowds of people and out the main entrance of the airport. Finding one of the very few clear spots, she dropped her bags and began to search for a familiar face. A task that proved quick difficult with the amount of people flooding the place. “Come on Kennedy, where the hell are you?”

“You called?” Spinning around in both shock and excitement, Nicola squealed. Kennedy Brock stood looking quite different to how she had remembered they boy. Instead of his usual clean shaven face, Nicola’s best friend was now sporting a decent beard. His fringe was gone and he was at least a few inches taller then he had been two years ago.

“Damn, boy.” Nicola pulled him in for a hug, grin plastered on her face. “Someone grew up.”

“I could say the same for you.” Kennedy’s grin matched his best friend’s. After pulling away from each other after a good ten minutes or so, Kennedy helped Nicola with her things and lead the way to his car. “How was the flight?”

“Can’t say that twenty one hours of screaming children was all that fun.” Nicola smiled, throwing her things into the back of Kennedy’s car. “I’m just glad to have my feet on solid ground again.”

The car trip back to Kennedy’s was all but quiet. The pair spent the forty minutes or so catching up on every detail they had missed in the last two years. Nicola told Kennedy about her travels and the different parts of the world she had the privilege of seeing with her job. Kennedy filled her in on the band’s progress, how the boys were, who from high school had gotten married or had kids and other little details. One name was yet to be brought up. Nicola knew Kennedy was avoiding his name to avoid hurting her, but she also knew that moving back home meant she had to bite the bullet sometime.

“How’s Garrett?” Nicola asked, biting at her lip. She noticed how Kennedy’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Oh come on, Kennedy. It can’t be that bad.”

Kennedy sighed. The situation was awkward enough for him when Nicola and Garrett were on opposite sides of the world, let alone in the same, small town. “He uh.” He started, not sure how to approach the situation. “He’s doing okay, Nic.”

When Nicola had left Arizona two years ago for a job offer in England, she had left behind a lot. Her family, her friends and above all, she had left Garrett. It had destroyed her to have to leave him behind, but there was only so much she could take of being stuck in Tempe. Nicola hated what it had done to her relationship with Garrett more than anything. The two of them hadn’t spoken a word since a week before she had left and now that she was home, she wasn’t sure how Garrett was going to handle it.

“Does he know?” She asked. “That I’m pack in Tempe?”

Kennedy nodded. “Mom asked what date you were flying in when the boys were over for dinner.”

“Did he say anything?”

“He left and went home. He hasn’t mentioned it since.” Kennedy sighed. He wanted to be honest to Nicola about it all, but he also wanted to protect her from being hurt. “Garrett’s still hurting is all. It would have been a shock for him.”

“You think I’m not hurting?” Nicola snapped at her best friend. “I’m coming back to the place I grew up in after two years and it doesn’t even feel like home anymore. You and the boys all resented me for leaving him, I’ve barely spoken to anyone bar mom and dad because you all didn’t want to step on his feelings while I was alone five thousand miles away.”

“That’s not what it was like, Nicola.” Kennedy snapped back at her. “We never resented you for leaving Garrett because we understood both sides of the story. You were busy and so were we.”
Nicola sighed, turning her attention towards the window. She hadn’t even been home for an hour and she had already started to fight with her best friend. Half of her wanted Kennedy to turn the car around and take her back to the airport, but the other half knew that doing that would make things one hundred times worse.

Once the pair got back to Kennedy’s house, they grabbed Nicola’s things and headed inside and up to Nicola’s room. “Mom and Dad are out getting things for dinner, they’ll be home soon.”

“Okay.” Nicola sighed, sitting down on the bed. The Brock’s had gone all out for Nicola’s stay, making up the bed, lining the room with photo’s of herself and the boys at various ages and setting everything up. As much as she would only be staying here until she found a place of her own, she loved them for making such an effort. “Kennedy?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.” Nicola sent the boy a small smile. “It means a lot for you to take me in. After everything.”

Kennedy smiled back at her. “You’re my best friend, Nic. You know I’d do anything for you.”
Nicola spent the next few hours unpacking her things. She had decided to only get the important and necessary items out and keep the rest packed as she didn’t want to have to re-pack everything when she left. With her clothes in the closet, a few of her books on the desk and her laptop set up, it was starting to feel a lot more like home again. After she had finished, Nicola made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. The smell of, what could only be Mrs. Brock’s cooking, filled her nose. It was only then that Nicola realised just how hungry she was.

“God, I’ve missed that smell.” Nicola grinned, walking into the kitchen. “Out of all the places I’ve been, your cooking still beats it all.”

“Nicola!” Kennedy’s mother smiled, ushering the girl into a hug. “It’s so nice to have you back home.”

“Thank you for letting me crash here.” Nicola said, taking a seat at the kitchen counter as she watched Kennedy’s mom work her magic.

“You know you’re always welcome here.” She smiled.

Dinner went surprisingly quick. It wasn’t awkward or hard to make a conversation, even after two years. Nicola was starting to warm up to being back in Tempe. It was starting to feel like her home again.

Towards the end of dinner, Kennedy’s mother turned to face Nicola with a smile. “How about you have a welcome home party here?” She suggested. “You could have all your friends around, catch up with everyone?”

“I couldn’t have you guys do that.” Nicola shook her head. “You’re already putting up with me, I don’t want to be intruding with a massive party.”

“We honestly wouldn’t mind!” She smiled. “It would be good for you.”

“Mom’s right, Nic.” Kennedy chimed in. “It’s been two years and hell, it’s an excuse for a party.”

“I’ll think about it.” Nicola assured the Brock’s before helping Kennedy clear the table and clean up after dinner. The two best friends headed into the kitchen, each putting the plates and dishes off to the side of the sink so they could wash up.

“Do you really think it’s a good idea?” Nicola asked, turning the kitchen tap on and filling the sink. “The party, I mean.”

Kennedy nodded. “I’m sure everyone would be happy to see you.”

Nicola sighed. With a party came the issue of who to invite, with that came the question did she invite Garrett? It would be rude of her to invite all of his friends and not him, but if she did he might not be the most appreciate of her offer. Kennedy was right, it had been a whole two years since she had seen any of her best friends or had a chance to let loose with the boys. Maybe it would be good for her.