Submitted on reedsy 08/13/2020
Prompt - Write a story about high school sweethearts coming across one another after many, many years apart.
HOME AGAIN
She looked like a model who had just stepped out straight from the pages of a fashion magazine. Her flaming red hair tied in a bun, glistening in the afternoon sun, red lipstick painted on her luscious lips. Her beautiful blue eyes shaded by a pair of Aviator sun glasses. She wore a custom tailored beige pant suit which accentuated her tall slender figure, complete with nude pumps which made a distinct clicking noise on the pavement as she walked along, attracting attention from passers-by.
“I thought I'd never come back here again” Julie muttered to herself as she made her way through the familiar streets looking around in wonder at all the shops and cafes she remembered so well, including her personal favourite, “Toby's” the general store where she used to work after school.
“This old town hasn't changed a bit” she said to herself as she neared her destination, ‘The Diner,’ their old haunt. She took a deep breath and pulled the door open and walked in.
As she took off her sun glasses and approached the booth at the far end, the blonde haired blue eyed woman sitting at it, clad in a pair of dark blue denim jeans and a white cotton top, rose to her black leather boots clad feet, came forward, with her arms extended and said “Julie Collins?......as I live and breath!” as they embraced warmly.
“It's so good to see you back here after all these years!” Lily, her best friend continued as she sat down opposite her, at the very booth they used to sit at, all those years ago as high school students.
“How have you been doing Lily?” Julie inquired beaming at her friend.
“I am doing ok, I guess, I am still teaching at the school. Josh was made Chief at the fire station a month ago. The kids are happy. We are doing alright!”
“How's your parents doing? Are they well?” asked Julie.
“They are fine. Mom has her hands full these days, baby sitting her two grand kids and dad has taken up gardening which keeps him occupied” Lily said beaming with pride.
“I am so glad they are doing ok” replied Julie beaming back at her.
“How's everything around town?” Julie inquired further.
“Oh, you know, the usual, you know how it is, nothing interesting ever happens around here!” Lily replied chuckling.
“Yeah right, that’s one of the reasons I couldn't wait to get out of town. I wanted to get as far away from this place as possible" said Julie rolling her eyes heavenward.
She paused for a moment to look at Lily and continued. “Why didn't you come with me Lily? We had plans, you and I, remember? We were both planning to go to New York. Why did you back out?”
“You know very well why. I had other obligations, dad had just suffered a massive heart attack and had to go on an early retirement. Mom had to get a job just to keep things going. I just couldn't bring myself to leave them and move all the way to New York” she said, holding back tears.
Lily continued, reaching over and touching Julie's hand, “Anyway, enough about my life. What about you Missy? What interesting things have been happening in your life now that you are a big Broadway star, living the high life in New York with your equally talented handsome actor husband?”
Julie took her gaze away from Lily and looked out of the window as she replied with a faraway look in her eyes, “That equally talented handsome actor is no longer my husband, we divorced four months ago.”
“I am so sorry to hear that. What happened? You guys seemed so happy together! At least that's what I gathered from all the photographs you sent.” Lily asked startled by the news.
“Yeah, well, appearances can be deceiving,” Julie said with a nervous laugh as she picked up the menu card and pretended to go through it as the waitress approached to take their order. They both ordered some sandwiches and coffee. As the waitress left, Julie leaned over and whispered saying, “What happened to Martha? Where is she?”
“Sweetie, Martha passed on, two years ago. I believe I mentioned that in one of my emails to you, if you'd only bothered to read them once in a while, when you are not busy performing on stage” Lily said rolling her eyes, “besides we were talking about your life, so don't change the subject” Lily continued wagging a finger at her.
“Alright....alright!” she exclaimed defensively. It sort of happened, out of the blue. I guess we got to a point where we both realised that we were incompatible off stage. On stage we were electric, we were the “Dynamic Duo,” the magic lasted only till the end of each performance. I guess we were deluding ourselves, thinking that we could maintain that magic off stage. He moved out finally and filed for divorce” Julie said wiping away the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks.
“I am truly sorry Jules” Lily said reaching out and touching her arm once again.
A few moments later their order arrived, once
“I thought I'd never come back here again” Julie muttered to herself as she made her way through the familiar streets looking around in wonder at all the shops and cafes she remembered so well, including her personal favourite, “Toby's” the general store where she used to work after school.
“This old town hasn't changed a bit” she said to herself as she neared her destination, ‘The Diner,’ their old haunt. She took a deep breath and pulled the door open and walked in.
As she took off her sun glasses and approached the booth at the far end, the blonde haired blue eyed woman sitting at it, clad in a pair of dark blue denim jeans and a white cotton top, rose to her black leather boots clad feet, came forward, with her arms extended and said “Julie Collins?......as I live and breath!” as they embraced warmly.