So Two Years Ago
Nine
Chapter Nine:
Much to my own liking, he’d convinced me. To be honest, I didn’t especially want to leave; it was the easiest way to calm the trouble that had started.
Andy led me back inside, promising that, if any additional problems came up, Ally would be the one to go home. “After all, we’ve known her for almost a year. We all just met you, and we all need to get to know one another. Without, um… interference.” We followed the same path Pete had taken us to the stairway that led downstairs.
The room below us was uncomfortably quiet as we descended the stairs. All eyes we fixed on the bottom step when our feet finally reached it, and the unease in the air was almost enough to make me want to turn and leave again.
My nervous grin grew more genuine, however, upon my notice of the smiles on every face staring at me. Ally’s face was neither fixed on me nor adorned with a smile. Not that I expected it to be, of course.
No on had spoken, yet, though, before Ally stood up, looking like she was preparing to make some official announcement. Andy and I stood still at the foot of the steps, and once she was sure to have everyone’s attention, Ally spoke, “I think I’m going to leave, now.” She eyed me in the same nasty way she had before.
“I’ll walk you out, then, Al-- Gwen,” Pete corrected himself, prompted by her cold sideways glance. He fixed a lopsided grin on his lips, though, as he took her hand and led her up the stairs.
“Later, Joe… Patrick… Andy,” she addressed each of them with a friendly wave, passing by me without so much as a hateful glance. Pete half-smiled at me sympathetically before the two continued, and Andy directed me to the sofa on which I’d sat before.
The mood in the room had quickly become much less tense, and the boys and I had begun to chat.
“So,” Joe began. “Back to the conversation we were trying to have before, you just moved to Glenview because you’re working at a production company in the city, right?”
“Yep. Glad to know you were paying attention, Joe.” I smirked and he stuck his tongue out.
“So, what are you,” Patrick continued where his friend left off. “A director or writer or something?”
“I guess.”
“Well, which is it?”
“All of them…?” I shrugged, to which Patrick raised a brow. “Well, one of these days, I’d like to write and direct for myself. But, for now, I’m just a lowly office girl.”
“Why didn’t you move to, like, LA or something?” Andy joined the conversation with a tone of curiosity.
“I don’t really like the west coast, that much--”
“Oh, that’s right. I remember you saying that.”
“Again with your freakishly accurate memory.”
“I can’t help it. Isn’t it a good thing that I can remember things you said two years ago?”
“I suppose you’re right…. It’s still weird though.”
He had opened his mouth the reply, but was interrupted by Pete’s return. “Back. Did you guys miss me?”
“Um. Sure, Pete,” Patrick appeased him in a slightly mocking tone.
“Aw, I know you did,” Pete snickered as he approached the four of us and took a seat in the chair that he’d left. “Hey, I’m really sorry about Gwen. Or Ally. I don’t know what got into her,” he addressed me, sincerely.
“I do,” I replied, matter-of-factly. They gave me looks that encouraged me to elaborate. So I told them the whole story. How she stole my paper. How I could’ve failed that class and had to graduate late. How my parents would’ve never paid for my schooling after four years, even if it was only one extra semester or even summer session. How she was obviously still angry at me for getting her expelled, even though it was her own wrongdoing that put her in that position.
They seemed to sympathize.
“Jesus, are you serious? She stole your work?” Andy asked, amazed at what he’d heard.
“Yep.”
“Whoa,” was all Pete had to say. Joe and Patrick simply stared in my direction in disbelief.
“My thoughts, exactly. It’s such a trip to see her again, especially hundreds of miles from home. And she’s so different. Maybe that’s only because of the way she’s treated me since I got here, but it’s like she’s an entirely different person,” I was beginning to get a little upset talking about all this. “She was my best friend, and suddenly, she’s my archenemy. I expected things to be weird if we ever met, again, but everything’s completely backward. Hell, she’s even got a new name! She never liked being called by her first name. I’d only ever call her Gwen to tease her,” I had begun to tear, but caught myself before becoming a full-on emotion wreck. “Sorry to lay all this on you guys. It isn’t anything you should have to worry about, after all.”
“Nah, we don’t mind,” Andy assured me, placing a hand on my shoulder.
“Yea,” Joe nodded in agreement. “Besides, you’re pretty cool.”
“Oh, thanks, Joe,” I said with a roll of my eyes.
“I mean, you’re really cool, so we’d hang out with you even if Gwen’s got a problem with you. It’s her problem, after all.”
“Thanks,” this time, I spoke genuinely. The five of us were quiet for a few seconds. “Pete, this is probably a stupid question, but, you two are together, aren’t you? You and Ally?”
“Uh, yea. We are,” he replied, automatically understanding why I’d asked. “But that still doesn’t mean I won’t hang out with you just because my girlfriend is holding a grudge.”
“Yea?” I spoke with a hopeful grin. I silently thanked God for their understanding. I would’ve been a little heartbroken if they hadn’t been so understanding about all this shit.
“Promise.”
Much to my own liking, he’d convinced me. To be honest, I didn’t especially want to leave; it was the easiest way to calm the trouble that had started.
Andy led me back inside, promising that, if any additional problems came up, Ally would be the one to go home. “After all, we’ve known her for almost a year. We all just met you, and we all need to get to know one another. Without, um… interference.” We followed the same path Pete had taken us to the stairway that led downstairs.
The room below us was uncomfortably quiet as we descended the stairs. All eyes we fixed on the bottom step when our feet finally reached it, and the unease in the air was almost enough to make me want to turn and leave again.
My nervous grin grew more genuine, however, upon my notice of the smiles on every face staring at me. Ally’s face was neither fixed on me nor adorned with a smile. Not that I expected it to be, of course.
No on had spoken, yet, though, before Ally stood up, looking like she was preparing to make some official announcement. Andy and I stood still at the foot of the steps, and once she was sure to have everyone’s attention, Ally spoke, “I think I’m going to leave, now.” She eyed me in the same nasty way she had before.
“I’ll walk you out, then, Al-- Gwen,” Pete corrected himself, prompted by her cold sideways glance. He fixed a lopsided grin on his lips, though, as he took her hand and led her up the stairs.
“Later, Joe… Patrick… Andy,” she addressed each of them with a friendly wave, passing by me without so much as a hateful glance. Pete half-smiled at me sympathetically before the two continued, and Andy directed me to the sofa on which I’d sat before.
The mood in the room had quickly become much less tense, and the boys and I had begun to chat.
“So,” Joe began. “Back to the conversation we were trying to have before, you just moved to Glenview because you’re working at a production company in the city, right?”
“Yep. Glad to know you were paying attention, Joe.” I smirked and he stuck his tongue out.
“So, what are you,” Patrick continued where his friend left off. “A director or writer or something?”
“I guess.”
“Well, which is it?”
“All of them…?” I shrugged, to which Patrick raised a brow. “Well, one of these days, I’d like to write and direct for myself. But, for now, I’m just a lowly office girl.”
“Why didn’t you move to, like, LA or something?” Andy joined the conversation with a tone of curiosity.
“I don’t really like the west coast, that much--”
“Oh, that’s right. I remember you saying that.”
“Again with your freakishly accurate memory.”
“I can’t help it. Isn’t it a good thing that I can remember things you said two years ago?”
“I suppose you’re right…. It’s still weird though.”
He had opened his mouth the reply, but was interrupted by Pete’s return. “Back. Did you guys miss me?”
“Um. Sure, Pete,” Patrick appeased him in a slightly mocking tone.
“Aw, I know you did,” Pete snickered as he approached the four of us and took a seat in the chair that he’d left. “Hey, I’m really sorry about Gwen. Or Ally. I don’t know what got into her,” he addressed me, sincerely.
“I do,” I replied, matter-of-factly. They gave me looks that encouraged me to elaborate. So I told them the whole story. How she stole my paper. How I could’ve failed that class and had to graduate late. How my parents would’ve never paid for my schooling after four years, even if it was only one extra semester or even summer session. How she was obviously still angry at me for getting her expelled, even though it was her own wrongdoing that put her in that position.
They seemed to sympathize.
“Jesus, are you serious? She stole your work?” Andy asked, amazed at what he’d heard.
“Yep.”
“Whoa,” was all Pete had to say. Joe and Patrick simply stared in my direction in disbelief.
“My thoughts, exactly. It’s such a trip to see her again, especially hundreds of miles from home. And she’s so different. Maybe that’s only because of the way she’s treated me since I got here, but it’s like she’s an entirely different person,” I was beginning to get a little upset talking about all this. “She was my best friend, and suddenly, she’s my archenemy. I expected things to be weird if we ever met, again, but everything’s completely backward. Hell, she’s even got a new name! She never liked being called by her first name. I’d only ever call her Gwen to tease her,” I had begun to tear, but caught myself before becoming a full-on emotion wreck. “Sorry to lay all this on you guys. It isn’t anything you should have to worry about, after all.”
“Nah, we don’t mind,” Andy assured me, placing a hand on my shoulder.
“Yea,” Joe nodded in agreement. “Besides, you’re pretty cool.”
“Oh, thanks, Joe,” I said with a roll of my eyes.
“I mean, you’re really cool, so we’d hang out with you even if Gwen’s got a problem with you. It’s her problem, after all.”
“Thanks,” this time, I spoke genuinely. The five of us were quiet for a few seconds. “Pete, this is probably a stupid question, but, you two are together, aren’t you? You and Ally?”
“Uh, yea. We are,” he replied, automatically understanding why I’d asked. “But that still doesn’t mean I won’t hang out with you just because my girlfriend is holding a grudge.”
“Yea?” I spoke with a hopeful grin. I silently thanked God for their understanding. I would’ve been a little heartbroken if they hadn’t been so understanding about all this shit.
“Promise.”