Chapter One: Old Memories, New Lives
Somehow the air felt colder, denser in a weird way. It had been way different ten years earlier, when Becka Stolls left her home, her friends, and her boyfriend without even a word of where she was going or what she was doing. Nobody had expected it, and everyone was shocked and saddened by her departure.
As Becka continued walking along the parking lot, she began to wonder what she was doing back at the one place she had dreaded, but that weird feeling in her gut told her she was doing the right thing.
Here goes nothing she thought to herself as she got herself a cab and directed it to the city where she lived, or had lived, St. Albert.
She looked through the windows that were speckled with dirt in the taxi and heaved a great sigh.
"You visiting?" The fairly young and very handsome driver said.
"Well, I suppose you could say that, sort of yah."
"How is it only sort of?"
"Well, I haven't been home in ten years, and I haven't talked to anyone since then."
"Well, that's interesting."
"Yah I know, would you forgive me if I was that friend?"
"Well, it depends, if you explained everything then maybe, but it would be hard."
"What if I was your girlfriend?"
"Gosh, then it would be hard to forgive, but I suppose I would feel abandoned and left alone, and I don't think I'd ever forgive you."
"What would you suggest that I do to earn his forgiveness?"
"Did he love you?"
"More than the world."
"Well Miss, I don't know anything about this, but I'd say you start with an explanation and an apology."
"Yah, I suppose. Thanks"
"Anything for a paying customer."
The rest of the trip was silent. As they rolled into the familiar town, Becka stiffened and began to regret coming, but she couldn't turn back, not now that she had come so far, so fast.
She smiled as she saw familiar landmarks and all her memories came back to her as if it was just yesterday that she lived here and hung out everyday at the old fort.
"Where would you like to be dropped off?"
"Right here is fine, thanks."
He stopped the car and Becka gave him the money she owed for the ride.
"Good-bye Becka, I wish you luck."
"Bye."
When the driver drove away Becka began to fill with curiosity. She never told him her name.
Trying to ignore it, she walked up to the motel and got a room. She remembered when her and her friends rented a few rooms and stayed up all night watching movies. Becka laughed as she remembered that she hadn't seen much of the movies because her and her boyfriend, Matt were too busy on the couch to be paying attention.
All the good memories, all the laughter and smiles, everything came back to Becka as she unpacked her bag into the dresser that was provided, then got changed into a knee-length jean skirt and a black turtle-neck.
She found the bathroom and re-did her make-up and was relieved that her long, light brown hair was still straightened. After putting her contacts in, she sat on the bed and zipped up her fancy beige suede boots. It just hit her how much they actually cost, how much her whole wardrobe cost.
She grabbed her purse and the key to the room, and headed out the hotel to her first stop, the library. It was only a few minutes walk, which made Becka happy because she didn't want to walk very long in this heat.
When she found the first available computer, she immediately logged on to the Internet. She remembered how her and her friends always went on the computer and went to inappropriate sites. How immature she was when she was fourteen. Nobody at the office would believe that Becka was once a fun person because she was a workaholic who never went out to clubs or dated or did anything fun and normal.
She went to a people search site and typed in 'Guy Westerman', finding an address and street number, along with a phone number and personal information. Becka found it amazing how much you could find out just by logging onto the Internet.
"Wow," Becka said aloud, without realizing it. She smiled when the person beside her looked at her in a funny way, "Sorry."
"No problem, I talk to the computer all the time," the man about her age joked. He had dark brown hockey hair and ice blue eyes. His teeth were straight and white and he was well dressed, "I haven't seen you around here and I've been here for a long time."
"Well, you could say I am visiting."
"I could say, huh? Well, you could say I am Jordy Leeden."
Becka's mouth dropped in a smile. She let out a breath and put her hand over her mouth
"The name is that funny huh?"
"N-no... You're Jordy Leeden?"
"Umm, yah."
"The Jordy who used to be obsessed with Led Zeppelin?"
"How did you know that?"
"Jordy it's me."
"Uhh, I'm sorry, am I supposed to know who you are?"
"Yes, actually. Can you remember back to ten years ago?"
"Yah."
"When the Stolls moved away without telling anybody, and your best friend Becka left without saying good-bye to anyone?"
"Yah, how did you know about Becks?"
"Jordy, it's me, Becks."
"Yah...no, you're not Becks. I must admit that you had me going for a while there, but you're not Becks. So who are you, really?"
Becka lifted up the arm of her shirt to reveal a series of beauty marks shaped like a star and the man gasped.
"Becks? No way."
"Way. Hi Jordy, it's been awhile, hasn't it?"
Just after Becka began to think there were no hard feelings, Jordy got a sad look on his face.
"Jordy what is it?"
"You decide to come back now, ten years after you leave out of nowhere? Everybody has been wondering their whole life why you left, why you never told us you were moving. Why did you come back?"
"I came back because I just wanted to take a trip down memory lane. Sorry you're not happy to see an old friend."
"Becks, I didn't say that, I am overjoyed to see you, I am just confused, that's all. Now, let's go for a walk shall we?"
They shut down the computers and paid the front counter for their time on them. Then Jordy took Becka around the back of the library.
"So what are you up to these days Jordy, are you that pro snowboarder that you always wanted to be?"
"Actually, no, I'm a writer."
"Wow, you? You always despised writing when I was there. What's changed?"
"Well, after you left I found certain inspirations from everyone's reaction to your departure. I wrote a book about what makes people change when something big happens in their life. I have written lots of books, but that was the first."
Becka looked at the ground, and seeing that she felt uncomfortable, Jordy changed the subject, "What are you up to? Are you that big actress you always wanted to be?"
"I wish. No, I'm a big time magazine editor, have been since I got out of college."
"Wow. Where did you move to?"
"New York."
"Wow, long ways away."
"Yah. Jordy, listen, I am sorry okay? I have felt guilty since the day I decided I wasn't going to tell anybody I was going. That was ten years ago, and I didn't want to go, but I had to."
"You could have stayed with your dad."
Becka looked at the ground.
"Oh well, it's all in the past right?"
Becka nodded, keeping her heads down.
"You've changed a lot Becks. You aren't the girl I once knew. The one who said she would burn all the skirts in the world and make it illegal to make them, the girl who opposed magazines and long hair and so many things. Now look at you, you're beautiful and feminine and you're wearing obviously expensive clothing."
"You're quite different too, I'm not the only one who's changed. I'm sure everybody else has too. I am hoping you will tell me about them?"
"You really want to know about everyone?"
"Yah, I do. I want to know everything about everyone since I left. Well, our group anyways."
Their group had included Becka, Guy, Jordy, Ray, Max, Ally, and Jen. They did have other friends, but those seven were inseparable and they always hung out, everyday.
"Matt is a doctor, and he is a nice man. He has a very nice normal sized house and he has a child and a wife, Jen. Her child, Kay, 4 months old, is already learning Shakespeare. They live a happy life. They both did really well in high school and college. Jen was vala dictorian of our year. When they were growing up, they loved to go to movies and always were as in love as the beginning of the relationship."
"Wow, I can't believe they got married. Wow, and a child, crazy."
"Yah, it gets crazier. Max and Ray own a record shop and they make tons of money, believe it or not. They actually go clubbing every night. They are what you call ladies men, though they never really get the ladies, they try. In high school they were C average students and the party kings. They didn't go to college."
"Oh my, what about Guy and Ally?"
Jordy hesitated and ran his hand through his hair and then began. "I don't think I am the right one to tell you about this."