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RORY
Sitting at my desk on this chilly Monday morning, I quickly scan through my emails. After taking Friday off, I need to make sure there isn’t anything important that requires my immediate attention. Thankfully, everything looks relatively good. No fires need putting out, which means it must have been a slow day.
“Is it just me or do the weekends seem to get shorter and shorter with the progression of the school year?” Lyndsey grumbles as she walks through my office door.
She takes a seat in one of the worn-down red vinyl office chairs that are staged in front of my desk. Lyndsey reaches over and hands me one of the Styrofoam coffee cups in her hand. With a grateful smile, I grab hold of the cup and take a long sip.
“Only two more months until spring break. Think you can last that long?” I tease her.
Lyndsey slumps down in the chair and pulls her hoodie over her blonde ponytail. She groans out loud, and I can’t help but chuckle at her over-dramatization of the situation.
“It’s going to take a lot of wine to get me through it. I’m warning you ahead of time. I’m claiming every single one of your Friday nights from now until then. So no more ditching me for fancy dinners with Mr. Perfect anymore.” Lyndsey sits up and places her elbows on the edge of my desk. “He’s going to have to deal with sharing you.”
Before I can answer, the bell rings, and I glance outside to see the hallways filling up with students.
“I promise, from now until the wedding I will reserve my Friday nights exclusively for my friends.” I step around my desk and offer her my hand.
“And…” Lyndsey stares at me.
“And wine. Lots and lots of wine.”
“Good girl,” she praises me. Finally, taking my hand, I help her back to her feet. “I can’t believe the wedding is only two months away.”
The two of us walk the halls, making our way toward the gym. There is a pep rally this morning to kick off spirit week. Between that and the Valentine’s Day dance quickly approaching, the student council has lined the halls with decorations. They taped banners above the lockers and have an insane amount of streamers hanging from the ceiling. They’ve really gotten into the spirit this year.
“Me either. With the holidays over, time is going by so fast. There are only a couple of things left to decide on, but the date will be here before you know it.”
“Then you’ll be living in Austin, and you’ll forget all about us.”
“Highly unlikely.” I snort. “Remember, I’ll be commuting until the end of the school year.”
“Whatever, it won’t be the same and you know it.”
There is no response I can give that will reassure her because I know she’s right. The closer I get to my wedding day, the more I realize that my entire life is about to change. I’ll be moving to Austin, looking for a job at a new school, and leaving my dad, Jackson, and the rest of my friends behind in Hawk Bend. The thought alone makes my chest tighten, so I push it to the back of my mind to deal with it at another time.
When Lyndsey and I finally step inside the gym, the smell of years of sweat and stinky teenagers hits me. It’s a distinct odor that hasn’t changed since I was a student here and will forever be burned into my memory. In the middle of the basketball court, the school band is playing our fight song. The beat of the drum causes my whole body to vibrate in time with the rhythm. Quickly, the two of us move out of the way to line-up along the padded wall with some of the other teachers. A few kids pass by and wish me good morning.
All is nice and calm on this Monday morning. So when the sudden giddy, high-pitched laughter from a group of teenage girls breaks through the dull hum, I can’t help but look in their direction to see what’s up.
There is a group of about six seniors all huddled together. They are laughing loudly and flipping their hair. It’s so cliché it’s painful to watch. All of their attention is on the handsome man in uniform as he tries to break free of their circle. His eyes meet mine, and I shake my head before taking a sip of coffee. Jackson rolls his eyes before saying only God knows what to the girls. On cue, the girls’ laughter raises a few octaves. Eventually, he escapes their blockade, and I watch as he walks toward me.
“Your fan club is out in full force today,” Lyndsey remarks bitterly. “Kind of sad how you get older and they get younger.”
Since high school, I don’t think there’s been a girl in this small town of ours who hasn’t had a crush on one—or both—of the infamous Nash brothers. For good reason, too. Jameson and Jackson have those rugged, down-home good looks that litter the covers of small-town romance novels. Unlike Jameson, though, Jackson has the heart and personality to make him more than just a pretty face.
“Jealous, Lynds?”
Jackson leans against the wall, his intimidatingly thick arms are folded casually across his chest as he bumps shoulders with me. I look up and he gives me a wink, his hazel eyes sparkling with mischief. That look always means he’s about to cause some trouble.
“Hardly.” Lyndsey narrows her eyes at him, accepting Jackson’s challenge. “It’s a bit sad when you’ve run through all the women in town, and now the only ones left are the barely legal high school girls. Pathetic, really.”
“Lyndsey, that’s how rumors get started,” I scold, elbowing her in the ribs.
“Don’t worry, Rory. She’s still mad because I tossed her ass out of my bed one summer when she was home from college. My brother’s sloppy seconds never did interest me.”
Lyndsey spins on her heels, her face red with anger. Before she can unload any of it onto Jackson, the band stops, signaling the pep rally is starting. For the next forty-five minutes, I stand between my two best friends. After all these years, I’m used to the tension between them. Jackson’s right, Lyndsey still holds a grudge because he rejected her. You know the old saying, some things never change? Welcome to Hawk Bend. It should be the motto of the town and all who live in it.
After the pep rally, Lyndsey, still pissed, mumbles something about having to get to her classroom, leaving Jackson and me standing here with the other guidance counselor and the vice principal. Together, we make sure all the students get out of the gym and to their second period class. When we get back to my office, I grab the call slips from my inbox and begin shuffling through them. These are the students that I need to meet with today. These slips always indicate urgent matters, and therefore, require my full attention. Jackson makes himself at home by plopping down in the too-small-for his-size chair, his belt clunking loudly against the steel frame.
