Chapter 4: Emily
"Go! Go! Go!", the audience chanted, reverberating through the high school pool, as Hadley St. Germain swam length after length in a fluid, silklike motion, her head popping up first. Rosewood was proud. I, as her coach, was prouder, and smiled from ear to ear, clapping.
Hadley St. Germain was the most talented JV swimmer we'd had in a long time. Through cultivating athletic passion like hers, I had reached my own. The joy of movement could be shared by so many, and it was my honor to bring that along.
Now, as Hadley exited the pool, smiling modestly at the ecstatic audience, I approached her.
"Hadley, that was amazing. Your practice really paid off. I really do think you should pursue varsity."
She, as prone to her nature, giggled nervously and thanked me, avoiding the subject of varsity, before scurrying off into the locker room, leaving the other girls sizing her up in awe and envy.
"Careful there. Might not want years past to cloud your judgment," a voice said, clear and precise, coming from behind me.
I wheeled around, almost tripping over a long, white cane. Jenna Marshall smirked at me from beneath her large black shades, concealing her unseeing eyes. In years past ominous and rarely seen, I had seen her everyday here at Rosewood since she'd accepted the life skills teaching position. Although I'd grown used to seeing her, she still retained a threatening and inexplicable aura, even after the end of A.
"Yeah, well, you seem pretty biased against me as well Jenna," I retorted rushedly, hurrying off, and leaving her in the bleachers, alone.
I headed into the parking lot, FaceTiming Alison, home after school, who was laden with Lily and Grace. I made a kissing motion towards them, as she tucked them into their crib.
"So, Em…you know, I was thinking. What do you say about a reunion with the gals?"
For a second, I was confused. Who were the gals? All of a sudden, months past that I had for no reason repressed came back. I hadn't spoken to my best friends in ages. We'd been through so much, and seemingly forgotten one another. I had started to subconsciously regret that the absence of A had distanced us.
"Well, Em? Grille or Brew?", Ali continued, her blue eyes gazing at me in that expectant yet charming way she mastered.
I thought. "Sure. The Grille works. Why all of a sudden though Al…"
"Friends forever Em. We find the way back to each other, with or without A." Her penetrating gaze continued.
After a few minutes, which mostly consisted of talking about the endeavors of Lily and Grace, I was driving home, thinking. What would I even say…