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The days are longer now. I live for the breaks when I see Carina. Today is going to fucking blow because I won’t get to sneak to her floor and pretend some mundane task needs doing. Nope, today I’m driving to Rochester.
Conner tried to talk me out of it, especially because everyone seems to hate it when I leave without a driver, but I’m determined to find out what the hell Carina knows. Also, I want to know more about her. Which side of town is she from? How far away did we live from one another?
It helps that I have a meeting with the principal from Rochester High. Being the benefactor they’re after for the school’s football program will gain you an audience.
When I pull into the parking lot, I see the big blue R plastered on the front of the school. I drive through the massive loop in the front, parking on the curve close to the doors, before letting out an enormous sigh of annoyance mixed with eagerness. It’s a strange combination. The annoyance is because I’m back here when I vowed never to step foot in this town again. More so to myself because I didn’t know what the memories would do to me. What would happen to my psyche from being this close to ground zero?
This town leaves a stain on all who spend too much time here, and it had tainted my soul. Tinged it with darkness that had only stopped spreading when I left out past the city limit sign.
I slam the car door, looking up at the school a moment longer, letting memories flood and feelings return. That’s the thing about a place, isn’t it? When you’re in a moment, a span of time within a certain location, there’s a tangible feeling that you won’t get anywhere else. Here, I get the rush I used to feel stepping on campus as I headed to see whatever girl I was dating at the time, or the excitement of it being Friday and game day. I can almost feel the same nervous energy I felt as a teenager walking through the front doors again. This school was filled with mostly farmhand’s children, rednecks, if you will, and the occasional odd man out. That was me and my friends. I was the football star. The star quarterback of the fighting Warriors.
I shake my head, looking into the case and seeing my State Championship Trophy shimmering back at me. The only one the school’s gotten was when I took our team to victory.
I sigh.
This place was the grandest thing I’d ever done in my life. There never seemed to be too much waiting for me on the other side. Except Stanner Enterprises. I don’t think Conner, or I understood the gravity of how massive the company was or how much our lives would change by going to Stanner.
Seattle is a whole different ball game than Rochester.
“Mr. Stanner! How wonderful to see you, and all grown up, too. Would you look at that?” Principal Glenmont says as he approaches me. I’m still looking into the glass case that houses a shrine to me and the team I’d been a part of.
I turn toward him, removing a hand from my pocket to shake his. “Mr. Glenmont.”
He turns his gaze toward the case. “That was the last year of the greatest Warriors to ever go through this place. The program’s gone to shit, I’m afraid.”
I sigh. Ever the salesmen. I get it. He wants to provide for his students and staff, and I have the funds to get the school back on track.
It’s not his fault. He does not know the hand this place had in making me who I am or how damaged I am.
“Well, let’s get down to terms, shall we?” I ask, smiling as big, bright, and fake, as I do with most clientele.
After sussing out all the details of me handing over millions to the school to get them back in the green, we meander out of Glenmont’s office.
“You should grab lunch on your way out! It’s pizza day. Mrs. Bloom still cooks up a mean lunch,” he says, shaking my hand. Seems like that’s all he’s done all morning.
“Actually, I had some questions for you if you don’t mind. Before I go.” I don’t know how he’ll react to my requests, but it’s always worth a shot.
In my experience, not asking is where you fuck up.
He nods, face showing slight hesitation. “Anything, of course.”
Of course, because I’ve revived your dying school.
And that was the entire plan.
“So, I was wondering about a girl who went to school here my year. I know it’s hard to remember all the students. You probably see so many, but I thought it was worth a shot.”
He smirks, probably remembering how much of a ladies’ man I was in high school. What football jock isn’t?
“A girl, hm?” He opens the door, spilling out into the hall and motions for me to go ahead of him as we head toward the cafeteria.
“Her name is Carina Eder? Know anything about her? I’m not really looking for anything too specific, anything you recall.”
He nods, thinking as he taps his chin. It’s the way older men do when they’re trying to remember something, anything. I’d seen my father do it a million times.
“Yes, sad situation with that one. Had it been anyone else, I probably wouldn’t have remembered.”
I quirk my brows as he opens the doors into the lunchroom. We filter through the line, getting our pizza and waters and heading off to a table near the big blue exit doors.
