If recognition had a sound, Brooke was sure it was the sound of shattering glass under the force of someone's fist. That was all she could hear as she looked at the group of four boys that she used to be so close to. Except they weren't boys anymore; they were young men.
True, the Sons of Ipswich (a nickname that Brooke had always thought was the stupidest thing on the planet) all looked the same but somehow…different. None of them were taller or had changed drastically, but all traces of childhood were gone from their faces. The last remnants of innocence seemed to have been wiped away from all of them.
Brooke felt herself blink a few times as she looked from face to face, trying to find a trace of the boys she had once been so very close to. She saw it piecemeal in all of them: the flicker of friendliness in Caleb's stern face as a smile grew there; the way that Reid always had a ghost of a grin on his lips that eventually turned into one; Pogue's quiet intensity as he regarded her with familiarity; and Tyler's kind eyes that hardened the moment he fully realized what was going on.
A smile began to sprout on Brooke's own face as she watched the Sons slowly put all the pieces together. It had been four long years since Brooke had seen any of them—save for on the street when she was driving with her family—and she honestly had never thought she would see them again. Not after the way she left and her parents' general aversion to all things related to Spenser Academy.
"So…does anyone want to explain what's going on?"
The sudden sound of Desi's voice startled Brooke, but simultaneously brought her back down to Earth. Her eyes went directly to her friend, who was standing roughly halfway between her and the group of four that had just entered the bar. The poor girl looked so confused as she let her eyes dart between the five other people and tried to make sense of what was going on.
"I, uh, used to go to school with them," Brooke said at length.
The explanation was a poor one, for sure, but it was all the girl was prepared to deal out. She didn't exactly want to go into great detail about just how well she knew the Sons of Ipswich. There was a very slim chance that her mental state could handle the store as it was barely hanging on by a thread at the very presence of the four young men.
Luckily, Desi didn't seem to be too concern with the small details and latched onto the least important of them all. "You went to Spenser?" she asked incredulously. "I knew your family had money but damn girl, that's fucking money."
Brooke heaved a sigh, feeling a familiar heat begin to crawl up her neck. She rolled her shoulders uncomfortably and nodded. "Yeah. I, uh, transferred to Ipswich High in the middle of junior year when I met you. I started at Spenser in middle school and that's when I met them."
The boys had all been quiet through the exchange, seemingly taking the temperature of the situation before they decided to pipe up. As usual, Caleb was the first to say anything.
The dark-haired young man stepped forward, crossing the small space between his group and Brooke in just a few strides, and smiled broadly. "It's really great to see you again, Brooke," he said; she could hear the genuine relief in his voice.
Caleb took another step forward and held out his arms slowly, silently asking for permission for reconciliation. Brooke couldn't help but take a step back, her eyes darting to the other three boys. The situation was so odd to her; she never imagined that she'd see her old friends again. Back in high school, the four sons of Ipswich's oldest families had all had such high aspirations for themselves and the sheer fact of them still being in the tiny town was enough to throw Brooke for a loop. She had considered the possibility of seeing them again, but the encounters in her imagination never got much beyond a polite smile and nod before they all moved on. They were friends with Desi, though, which meant that she would be seeing a lot of them over what she now knew to be summer break.
"You okay, Brooke?"
The next voice didn't belong to Caleb. It was deeper and more gravelly.
Brooke's eyes re-focused on the current situation. She hadn't realized that she had taken more than just one step back and was now clutching her camera bag like it was the only thing tethering her to the ground. Pogue had stepped up next to Caleb, who now had his hands at his sides and a rather concerned look on his face.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Desi added, taking a step towards her friend and reaching out to touch her shoulder.
Brooke swallowed and released the vice grip she had on her bag, letting out a long breath of air and pent-up emotions at the same time.
"S-sorry," she stammered. "I just…it's been so long since I've seen you guys, so I honestly didn't think you would remember me." It wasn't necessarily a lie. She had guessed they would remember her, but for them to be excited to see her was an entirely different story.
"How could we not remember you?" Reid piped, his voice still low and mischievous like it had been in high school. "You're kinda hard to forget, Muppet."
Brooke's face broke into a broad smile at the mention of the nickname. She didn't know where Reid had come up with it, but it had stuck. She thought it had something to do with her constantly dying her hair back in middle and high school. It was at one point, as Reid had once put it, "Cookie Monster" blue; she was sure that was where the pet name had come from.
"Yeah, I was a little crazy back then with the Manic Panic," she admitted, shifting her camera bag back across her shoulder.
The sound of a door opening caught the group's attention. Nicky emerged from his office, holding a stack of papers and a pen. He nodded to the Sons as he walked over to Brooke and handed her the paperwork.
"Feel free to post up at one of the tables and fill this out. That way I can get it all put into the system and you can start sooner," Nicky said. He looked back to the boys and smiled. "Technically, bar's not open yet, fellas. But I think I can make an exception."
Desi chimed in then: "I can get them taken care of, Nicky. Register's already been counted from Matt last shift. Can you just tap a new keg of Ipswich Ale?"
Nicky grunted in agreement and waved a quick farewell to the patrons and his new employee before disappearing into the back again.
Brooke looked down at the paperwork in her head, a smile once again creeping onto her face. Taking just a few steps to her left, she set her camera bag down on the bar and slid onto one of the stools so she could begin to fill everything out. She could see the Sons fall into stools near her, but she kept her eyes on the paperwork.
"You get a job here or something?" Reid asked, having taken one of the seats directly next to Brook and peering over her shoulder.
Brooke glanced up at him and nodded, taking her hand away from the paperwork to briefly pat her camera bag. "I'm gonna be photographing the events Nicky's been hosting. Maybe some other stuff, too."
"She's also gonna be the absolute best bar back there ever was," Desi chimed in from behind the bar. She set a pint down in front of Reid as well as Pogue, who had chosen the seat on the opposite side of Brooke. "I'm gonna train her to be a bartender so we can have someone else, too, once she turns twenty-one."
"I forgot you were younger than us, Muppet," Reid responded, taking a sip of the beer Desi had provided him.
"He's right, you know. You always seemed so much older when we were all hanging out," Pogue added.
Brooke looked between the two boys with a rather incredulous expression on her face. "Are you kidding me? I was a fucking immature mess in high school. Just ask Desi how much shit I stirred up at Ipswich High when she and I met."
Desi let out a hearty laugh at the statement, nearly dropping Tyler and Caleb's beers on the bar instead of placing them down. Caleb joined her in a laugh—Brooke couldn't tell if was from Desi's actions or her own words—but Tyler seemed a little more annoyed than anything else. He snatched the glass and pulled it towards himself in an irritated fashion that was foreign to Brooke. When had he become such a sourpuss?
"I remember you starting shit at Spenser, too, Brooke," he said at length.
Brooke froze, looking up at the boys with only her eyes and keeping her burning face turned down towards her employment paperwork. She was glad that they were the only people in the bar aside from Nicky, but not at the same time. Had it been more crowded with more voices, Tyler's snide comment may have gone unnoticed.
"I-I mean…yeah. I guess I did," Brooke finally manager to say.
Caleb laughed then, taking some of the tension out of the situation. "You guess?" he said, the humor still in his voice. "I can distinctly remember your extremely fuckin' weird feud with Kira Snyder."
Brooke rolled her eyes and sat up straight rather dramatically. The boys—all but Tyler, at least—laughed at the indignant look on her face. She was sure she looked like a child who had been reprimanded for something silly, like not picking up their toys or trying to sneak an extra cookie out of the pantry.
"Oh, come on!" she said, her voice rising an octave higher than its usual mid-alto tone. "She was a bitch and had it out for me! What was I supposed to do? Just lay down and take it? No, thank you sir."
That drew a laugh out of everyone including Tyler. Brooke couldn't help but smile at him, the sound of his genuine laugh. She didn't realize just how much she had missed not only his laugh, but the other boys' laughs as well. It had been a long time coming, but she finally felt a little closer to being a whole person once again.
"Do you remember that one time Kira tried to push you in the pool at one of the swim meets?" Tyler asked, his voice finally softening up after his earlier abrasiveness.
"Oh my God, of course I do," Brooke said as she looked towards Desi. Her best friend smiled at her, showing that she didn't feel left out of the little moment of catch-up.
"Well, what the fuck happened?" Desi asked, sidling out of the way as Nicky reappeared to place the keg she had asked for.
Brooke heard Nicky chuckle—he knew the story since the Sons and Brooke spent every free minute at the bar in high school—as she sighed heavily and put her pen down. The story wasn't so much embarrassing for Kira as it was for her; she'd been a bit of a shithead in high school.
"Well," Brooke began as she turned in her barstool to face a very eager-looking Desi, "there was this girl named Kira that always got on my nerves at Spenser. She was the bitchy popular type." She paused to take a drink of her water. "Kinda like that girl Cheyenne that went to Ipswich High and always gave you shit for your dad being a teacher."
Desi rolled her eyes at the thought of the old high school bully. "Oh man, so this girl must have really sucked," she said, glancing up momentarily as a few more patrons entered the bar.
Brooke waited until Desi had greeted the two older men, gotten them their drinks, and rejoined them. It seemed that Ipswich hadn't really changed all that much. Then again, there would always been fifty-something-year-old men in bars at four in the afternoon no matter where she was.
Brooke continued her story: "So, anyway, Kira was dating this guy Aaron—also a complete fuckass—who was on the swim team with the boys. We were at one of the meets that Spenser was holding and I was photographing the event for the school's website since the photos hadn't been updated since, like, the mid-nineties." She paused to watch Desi's face, waiting to see if her friend could see where this was going.
"Keep in mind Muppet's literally on the edge of the pool trying to get the shots of us as we're competing," Reid added, taking another long swig of his beer.
Brooke nodded and stifled a laugh. "Yeah, so, I'm crouched down on the edge of the pool trying to get this shot of Tyler and Kira comes walking up behind me with a bug up her ass and decides to try to push me in the pool." She paused again, seeing Desi's eyes nearly bulge out of her head.
"Oh my God what a bitch!" Desi said incredulously, slamming her palm down the bar with a whack and straightening up as if she was about to go find Kira and give her what-for.
Brooke smiled at her friend. "Yeah, she was terrible," she said. "But, she nudges me really hard with her leg and, since I'm crouched at this super fuckin' weird angle, I lost my balance. I ended up dropping my camera since the strap was wrapped around my wrist and not my neck—I still have no fuckin' clue how it didn't break—and grab onto her leg so I can drag her in with me."
The group all erupted into laughter, most of all Tyler. Brooke found the sound of his laugh refreshing since he had been giving her the cold shoulder more or less since they showed up.
"The look on your face was pretty hilarious, but the look on Kira's was priceless," Tyler said between guffaws. "You looked, like, so determined to take her down with you and she"—the laughing fit took over once more before Tyler was able to get the rest of his sentence out: "She looked so shocked that you could even move that quick. And when you two came out of the water and she tried to go after you and fell in again—shit, I thought I was going to die of laughter."
Brooke's laugh grew as Tyler spoke. She'd almost forgotten that Kira had tried to attack her after they were both pulled out by their respective boyfriends. She still couldn't quite place how Kira had slipped in again since both Aaron and Tyler had pulled the girls far enough from the edge to avoid another slip in.
"I thought Aaron was about to have an aneurism," Pogue chirped up, wiping his eyes from the laughter tears that had formed there. "He was on one for weeks after that, wasn't he Baby Boy?"
Tyler nodded, still laughing. "He was convinced I had something to do with Kira falling in to start off with since I had finished my lap right when they fell in."
Desi took in a few deep breaths to calm her fit of laughter. "These people sound like they are the actual worst people on the planet."
Brooke shrugged and downed the rest of her water. "I mean, they were in high school. I can only hope they turned out to be better people after graduation."
Reid shook his head from beside Brooke and she cocked her head to the side. "He was still a cock after you, ah, left, too," he said.
His small pause before 'left' was just enough to bring the mood of the room back down. Brooke sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and looked back down towards her half-completed paperwork. She picked up her pen again and flicked her eyes between the five people surrounding her. Desi didn't seem to notice—why would she? She'd had no part in Brooke's life before Ipswich High—but Caleb and Pogue looked like they wanted to throttle Reid while Tyler just looked so…sad.
"Ah, shit, Muppet I'm sorry," Reid finally said, wrapping one of his arms around Brooke's shoulders. The sudden show of affection, while not out of character, startled her and she squeaked. Aside from Caleb's earlier attempt at a hug, this was the first real contact she'd had with her former life and it felt oddly foreign. She never would have imagined Reid to be the first one to make contact.
"We're just glad that you're back," Pogue added from her other side. He smiled and placed a comforting hand on Brooke's arm. "Doesn't matter why you left Spenser now. That was forever ago. All that matters now is that you're back."
Brooke swallowed, willing the tears that were stinging her eyes to stay inside her head. She wasn't about to break down in the bar just because two old friends said nice things to her. She sniffed and shook her head, giving Pogue and Reid smiles.
"Thanks, guys," she said quietly. "And…I'm sorry I didn't reach out after I left. There was just…a lot going on and my parents thought it was better to pull me from Spenser and cut ties with pretty much everyone."
Caleb smiled sadly at her from his seat around the corner of the bar next to Tyler. "Don't cry, Brooke. You don't owe anyone an explanation. It's truly good to have you back. We have a lot of catching up to do."
As if on cue, the door to the bar opened again, drawing the group's attention once more. A drop-dead gorgeous blonde walked through the threshold, her eyes going right to Caleb and the Sons. Her smile was bright and friendly as she walked over and planted a peck on Caleb's lips before turning to the rest of the group.
"Hey, babe," Caleb said as he stood up and offered the young woman his seat. He motioned to Brooke, drawing the blonde's attention to the other girl. "This is Brooke. She's a friend from Spenser that just came back into town."
Caleb's girlfriend smiled brightly. "It's nice to meet you, Brooke. I'm Sarah," she said. "You went to Spenser? I don't think I remember meeting you…"
Brooke shook her head. "I, uh, transferred out in the middle of my junior year."
Sarah nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. I must transferred in after you transferred out." She paused to look to Desi and smile again. "Hey, girlfriend. Can I get a martini?"
Desi nodded. "You got it, Sare-bear," she said as she set to making the drink.
Brook bit her lip again, looking between Sarah and the rest of the group. There was getting to be just a few too many people there for her liking. In an attempt to keep her growing anxiety in check, she set to finishing the paperwork Nicky had given her. She hadn't been too far from being done before the Kira story had been brought up.
Brooke could hear Desi and the others talking as she continued to write; she was hyper-aware of Pogue sitting beside her, too. Reid had vacated his seat not too long after Sarah had arrived to secure a pool table with Tyler; some things in Ipswich would never change.
Seeming to notice her discomfort, Pogue leaned over and said, "You doing alright, Brooke? You've been awfully quiet."
Brooke looked up from scanning the employment papers for errors and nodded absently. "Yeah, I'm just trying to make sure I didn't miss anything on here." The explanation wasn't exactly the truth, but it was no lie either.
Pogue nodded slowly and glanced towards the pool table where Tyler and Reid were setting up a game. Brooke followed his gaze, her eyes immediately landing on Tyler. He looked away as soon as she made eye contact with him, causing her heart to sink even lower into her stomach.
"You should go talk to him," Pogue said gently.
Brooke looked over to him, straightening up in her seat and collecting all of the papers before her. "I…I really don't think that's a very good idea," she said.
Pogue sighed and turned fully to look at her. His hazel eyes had always been intense, but they seemed much more as now as he looked at her with sadness in his face.
"I can't make you, but I really think you should. I…I know it was a long time ago, but you leaving and saying good-bye had him fucked up for a good few months, Brooke." Pogue paused, pushing his hair from his face and trying to find Brooke's eyes. "I don't know what happened with you, Brooke. And please don't feel like you have to tell me, but it must have been pretty heavy for you just to walk away from that relationship. He was ass over fuckin' tea kettle for you."
Brooke looked down at her hands, avoiding Pogue's gaze at all costs. "I know," she whispered. "And I'm sorry. I just…I can't talk to him; not about that. At least not yet." She looked up, watching Caleb and Sarah as they joined Tyler and Reid at the pool table.
Pogue nodded and patted Brooke's knee gently. "Caleb said you don't owe anyone an explanation and he's absolutely right, but maybe consider at least apologizing to him."
Nodding, Brooke gathered up her things and nodded towards the office. "I should really get going. I haven't seen my mom or Jude since I've been home and I…" she trailed off, feeling the pressure behind her eyes once more.
Pogue simply stood and pulled Brooke into a tight, comforting hug. "I get it," he said quietly. "I'll tell everyone you said bye, but at least let me get your number before you head home. Reid and I are trying to have everyone over at our apartment in the next few days and I think you should be there."
Brooke breathed in deeply as she pulled away from Pogue. She held out her hand for Pogue's phone. When he placed it in her hand, she entered the phone number she never thought she would give to one of the Sons of Ipswich. After all the time in and out of Morten House, her parents had changed Brooke's phone number at least three times to keep her out of contact with certain people, the Sons being at least four of them.
"I sent myself a text so I'll have yours," Brooke said as she handed Pogue his phone back. "Just…please don't give it to the other guys. At least not yet, okay?"
Pogue raised an eyebrow quizzically, but he nodded in agreement. "Of course. You let me know when you're ready."
Brooke nodded and looked over her shoulder to see where Nicky was. She caught his attention and he came over, taking the papers from her and nodding as he shuffled through them to ensure completion.
"First event's tomorrow night," Nicky said. "Think you can bring me a copy of your driver's license and social security card?" Brooke nodded in agreement. Nicky smiled and clapped her on the shoulder. "Thanks, kid. Welcome to the Nicky's team," he said before he turned and headed off to his office to file her paperwork before the rush started.
Pogue's voice sounded from behind Brooke once again: "Let me know if you need anything, yeah?"
Brooke looked up, smiling gently at Pogue's kind expression. "Thank you," she murmured.
Pogue smiled and nodded to the pool table. "I'm gonna head over before I'm missed. Text me when you get home so we all know you're safe?"
Brooked smiled and nodded. She caught Desi's attention as Pogue headed for the group at the pool table and motioned to the door. "I'm gonna head home. I'm kind of exhausted from everything today."
Desi nodded and reached her arms over the bar to give Brooke a very awkward hug. "Let me know when you get home, okay love? I'll see you tomorrow night for the band."
"Yup. I'll be here early so I can get some shots of them setting up, too," Brooke said.
Desi smiled and squeezed her friend's hand. "Get some rest, Brooke. I'll see you tomorrow."
With that, Brooke turned and headed towards the door. She lingered in the doorway, casting one last glance over her shoulder to the Sons of Ipswich. All of them seemed enthralled in some story that Reid was telling, but Pogue turned as soon as her eyes landed on him. He gave her a small smile and wave, which she returned robotically before darting out the door and to her father's car. If she was lucky, she'd make it home before her mother and sister so she wouldn't have to deal with their draining personalities. After the reunion she'd just had, Brooke wasn't sure she could handle many more emotions. Her social battery was almost dead.