Hi all,
We've got another flashback chapter this week. Y'all had some words and opinions about last week's chapter. While I don't want presume anything, my guess is that after this chapter you'll want another flashback next week... thanks to all who took the time to read, and a special thanks for the comments.
Borg27 your comment was perfect timing ;)
Cheers,
EQT.95
Eight weeks earlier
"Everything ok?"
"Huh? Oh, yea, fine," Sophie said in surprise as she quickly folded her laptop shut. "Just checking emails."
"Anything from Wayne Tech?"
"Not since they requested the phone interview."
Sophie's mom nodded at her words. "Well, get cleaned up. Dinner is almost ready, and Nathan will be here any minute."
"What?"
"I said dinner is almo-"
"No. Mom," Sophie sighed in familiar exasperation. "I meant the part about Nathan."
"He's coming for dinner," Mrs. Moore said matter of factly. "Didn't I tell you?"
Sophie stared back at her mother, annoyed. "No," she said simply. "No you didn't."
"Oh, well… I thought I mentioned it. Even your father knows. You've been so busy with work, it must have slipped my mind. He dropped by the other day calling for you and you we-"
"Calling for me? What century are you from?"
"A century where a boy drops by unannounced to inquire about a young lady he is smitten with."
"You know I'm dating Melvin."
Mrs. Moore waved her hand dismissively, "Yes, yes, you've told me all about him."
Sophie scowled at her mom's response. Even if she wasn't really dating Melvin, she took her mom's dismissal personally. She had shared plenty with her about Melvin, and yet she hadn't once considered it anything serious.
"Then why are you entertaining Nathan?"
"Oh, Sophia, be serious. That boy has more going for him than half of Gotham."
"I don't think being the heir to a frozen treat empire is really-"
"And on top of that, he seems to like you for some reason," she teased, sending Sophie into an eyeroll.
"We broke up for a reason."
"Don't we all break up with the people we're destined for at least once?"
"You and dad?"
"Three times. Four if you count the state fair of 1987, which, between you and me, I do."
"Well we weren't you and dad."
"You were high school sweethearts."
"Hardly. We dated for a year, mom."
"Time isn't a variable with a first love, honey."
"Wh- what are you talking about?"
Sophie stared back in surprise as the chime from the doorbell echoed through the hall. Mrs. Moore perked up in excitement. "That'll be him!" she practically sang, leaving Sophie's doorway to flee down the hall.
A moment later her father's form appeared, leaning against the door frame with an amused grin on his face.
"Dad, I-"
"Honey, believe me, I tried."
"You mentioned I have a boyfriend."
"At least a dozen times."
"And that Nathan can go to hell."
Mr. Moore chuckled lightly. "You know I can't use that language with your mother."
Sophie sighed in annoyance.
" She means well. Let's just get through this dinner, and I'll talk to her again tonight."
"Thanks Dad."
"Assuming I survive the next two hours…" he smirked before leaving toward the kitchen.
Kate parked her car on the street and walked toward the address that matched the numbers scribbled on the back of a partial receipt: it was a two-floor house bookended by a matching set of houses. There was nothing that distinguished one generic pitched roof from another save the four digits tacked onto the mailboxes and front doors. She trekked up the lawn wet with dew before climbing steps into a covered porch of laughter and friendly shouting, all while scanning the group for a familiar face. When she didn't find it, she slipped into the house, a heavy bass and bad dance music reverberating through the walls. Kate let out a small sigh, reflecting on the fact this was not how she planned on spending her night - not that the night prior had gone any better.
Six weeks earlier
"Nathan?" Sophie asked in embarrassed surprise as she instinctively tried to conceal her bright red uniform. She had just closed up the shop and was walking to her car when a tall, smiling silhouette caught her eye. "Wh-what are you doing here?"
"I can't visit my favorite sandwich maker?"
"If you're about to crack a joke about making you a sandwich, I-"
"Relax, Moore. I'm just stopping by to say 'hi'."
Sophie scowled in response, skeptical of his underlying agenda. "What are you playing at? This is the third time you've stopped by."
"What are you doing later tonight?"
"What?"
"Well, the new Fast & Furious movie came out a couple weeks ago."
"You know I can't stand those."
"I know-"
"Literally no substance, or plot, or-"
"I know, I know, but, it's part of a double feature at the drive in. I thought you might be willing to suffer through it if it also meant seeing The Great Gatsby."
"No. Thanks," Sophie said simply without giving it a second's thought.
"Oh, come on Moore. Tell me one fun thing you've done with your summer break."
"I showed Mr. Collins how to use Microsoft Excel," Sophie said dryly.
"Teaching your old boss new tricks is not how you should be spending your summer."
"Not all of us have the luxury of spending it twiddling our thumbs on the family yacht," Sophie shot back as she stepped past him toward her car.
"I think you mean 'sailboat' - yachts are Wayne-level rich. I'm only frozen-treats-level 'rich'."
"Whatever, you get what I mean-"
"Still so stubborn," he grinned.
"Still so smug," Sophie shot back.
Crickets and passing cars filled the silence that followed. Nathan's head turned to the side, observing Sophie with an amused smile on his face.
"You haven't changed one bit, Sophie Moore."
"Thanks."
"Come to the movies with me."
"If you know I haven't changed, you should also know this isn't going anywhere."
"That's because you think I haven't changed."
"I- what?"
Nathan stepped toward Sophie. "We don't even have to stay for Fast & Furious."
Sophie hesitated, eyeing him with uncertainty.
"As friends."
"As friends," Nathan nodded back as he tried concealing a small smile of excitement.
Kate navigated through the faceless crowd into the kitchen. Two kegs sat in plastic buckets filled with melting ice, cheap liquor bottles were scattered around the counters, and beer pong was occupying the dining table. Shouts of success filled the room as she continued scanning, starting to wonder if this was the right place.
"Oy!" came a shout from the beer pong table catching Kate's attention. She looked up and saw a red-faced kid waving an empty pitcher in her direction. She glanced around and behind her realizing the kid was trying to get her attention. "You mind?" he continued, pointing toward the kegs next to her. She rolled her eyes before moving on, ignoring the shouts of protest.
Four weeks earlier
"We've got lemon-lime, raspberry, strawberry, kiwi, aaaand licorice."
"Licorice?"
"Dad's testing new flavors. The kiwi isn't that bad, actually," Nathan said from the depths of the freezer. He popped his head up, a mischievous grin on his face. "You wanna try to licorice, don't you?"
Sophie laughed softly, "Kind of?"
"It's truly dreadful," he said, digging out a charcoal colored treat.
"It's licorice. That's expected," Sophie chuckled, accepting the unnatural looking Frosty Freezie.
Nathan reappeared after another second with a light green hued frozen treat. "For when you realize your mistake," he joked, gesturing to it. He hopped up on the counter as Sophie removed the wrappings and dared her tongue to touch the iced snack. Her face immediately contorted into shock and confusion.
"I told you," Nathan said, breaking out into laughter.
"That… that doesn't even taste like licorice?" she scowled at the treat. "It's like… like…"
"Like tar dipped in sugar?"
"I mean… yea, kinda."
"They're not always winners," he continued, a chuckle lingering as he unwrapped the kiwi-flavored one and swapped it with Sophie for the licorice. He watched her glance hesitantly at it. "It's good, I promise."
The tip of Sophie's tongue stretched out, cautiously dabbing at the surface. "Oh!" she said in pleasant surprise before giving it another try. "This is, wow, this is-"
"I told you it was good," Nathan chuckled before biting into the charcoal treat in his hand.
"You like that?!" Sophie asked in surprise, her face recoiling at the idea of tasting it again.
Nathan shrugged as he took another bite. "It's an acquired taste."
Sophie burst into laughter. "How many of those have you eaten?"
Nathan pondered for a moment, "seven- eight...teen?"
Sophie's eyes bulged in amazement. "And you haven't grown a third arm yet? There has to be something toxic in those - that kind of awfulness doesn't come naturally."
Nathan smirked back. "No, but I think I'm getting close. I'm banking on a third eye, but a third arm wouldn't be such a bad thing either."
Sophie leaned against the counter, focusing on the kiwi treat in her hands. It was pleasantly refreshing and, on the hottest day of the summer, it was the perfect treat.
"You look nice," Nathan said with a soft casualness, and Sophie looked up in surprise to realize his eyes were fixed on her.
She felt her cheeks burn with discomfort. Her hair was a wet mess from swimming, and she was wearing a two-year-old faded bikini with a pair of Point Rock running shorts. "We should… we should probably get back out there," she said in reference to the back porch where a handful of friends were either lounging in the sun or splashing in the pool.
"Sophie, I didn't - I just… it's a compliment, ok?" Nathan said, his face falling in disappointment.
"Should we bring any of these for the others?" Sophie continued, ignoring Nathan's response.
Nathan sighed before jumping off the kitchen counter and opening the freezer to fetch an armful of them. He shut the door with more force than necessary before making for the back porch.
"Nathan, wait-"
"What?" he shot back, his voice filled with frustration.
"I… thank you. It was sweet of you to say."
A moment passed between them where Nathan looked like he might respond before he gave her a small nod and continued out to the porch.
Kate wandered into the living room - the smell of weed wafting through the air as the attempts of philosophical conversation bounced between the couches. A duo chatting in the corner caught her eye: they fit the type she'd expect to have the information she needed.
"Hi," Kate interrupted.
"Hi?" replied one of the girls, her fingers were holding the beginning of a joint and her head was cocked as though trying to remember if she should recognize Kate.
"You don't know me."
"Oh, good," she confessed, exhaling a breath of smoke before breaking into a laugh. "I was worried I was already high. Two hits. It'd be a record."
"This is literally only your second time," the other chastised, grabbing the smoking paper and taking a drag of her own. She proceeded to offer it to Kate who always already regretting the entire conversation.
"Er, no thanks. Do either of you know Sophie?"
"Which Sophie?"
"Wh-oh, Sophie Moore," Kate clarified
The first girl giggled in reply. "There's only one Sophie."
"Right… so, you do know her or…?"
The other girl eyed Kate curiously. "Depends. Who are you?"
"Uh, I'm Kate. I'm… I have her phone. I just wanted to drop it off-"
"She's probably with Nathan," the first interrupted.
"Who?" Kate asked.
"You aren't from around here, are you?" the first girl continued with a smirk of curiosity.
Two weeks earlier
"Hey you."
"You're drunk," Sophie observed as Nathan sat down next to her.
"And you're sober," he observed back, grabbing a twig and throwing it into the bonfire in front of them.
Sophie sighed, glancing around at the laughter and shouting that came with intoxication.
"Have one drink," he offered.
"No, I can't. I'm driving."
"Yes, you can. You can stay until you're sober. What are you having? Beer? Tequila? Rum?"
"Nathan-"
"If you don't tell me I'm going to make a suicide."
"A what?"
"It's a bit of everything."
"Is that how you made the licorice flavor, too?"
Nathan laughed. "No, but honestly that might have been a better strategy," he pondered before returning his attention to Sophie. "So, what'll it be?"
"Nathan, I'm not doing this with you again."
Nathan surrendered into silence for a moment longer before getting to his feet and walking away. Sophie sighed in frustration as she stared into the burning fire. She'd arrived with Amanda and Aly two hours prior and lost them nearly an hour later to their boyfriends. She wasn't upset by it and knew if she had it her way she'd have done the same. She glanced at her phone, knowing it would be another week before she could expect a text from Kate. From her latest email, Sophie figured Kate was sleeping off a night of partying on a beach somewhere in the Mediteranean. A pang of jealousy filled her as she realized her entire summer had been spent slicing tomatoes and mopping floors.
"Here," came Nathan's voice through her thoughts. She glanced up and saw a red solo cup hanging from his extended hand.
"Nathan what did I s-"
"Relax, Moore. It's a cola," he said retaking his seat next to her. Her scowl fell as she took the glass, glancing into it hesitantly before taking a small sip to test. "It's clean, Sophie. Scout's honor."
"That might work on some people, but I know you were kicked out of Boy Scouts," Sophie joked before committing to a full sip. He was right: it was just a regular cola.
"They just weren't ready for my progressive fire-starting capabilities."
"I think the point is that you learn how to start a fire without a gallon of starter fluid."
Nathan shrugged as he took another sip from his own cup.
"I'm glad you came tonight," he said quietly, his gaze on the fire.
"Did I give the impression I wouldn't?" Sophie asked, scanning back to a day earlier when he'd call to invite her.
"Wh-? Oh, well, no, but…" he continued as though trying to reevaluate what he meant. "I guess I mean this whole summer. We didn't… things didn't really end well with us and, well, you're a right pain in the ass Moore."
"I'll pretend like this is all meant as some distorted compliment," Sophie chuckled as Nathan's train of thought waivered. She glanced around letting Nathan's words settle: it was true the end of their senior year hadn't ended with rainbows and unicorns. In fact, Sophie had spent the following summer avoiding any social gatherings which meant losing touch with a number of friends right before college. This summer was a complete one-eighty of that. She glanced down toward her cup. "But I know what you mean. It is kind of amazing how much a year could change th-"
She was abruptly cut off by Nathan's mouth pressing against hers. A shock delayed her reaction as his tongue pressed passed her lips and his hand reached for the back of Sophie's neck. It took a moment for her brain to catch up and, when it did, she quickly pulled back in surprise.
"Nathan, what the hell?"
"What?" he asked in equal surprise. "Isn't this… this is what you want, right?"
"Wha-? No, what are you talking about? What part of 'I have a boyfriend' has not been clear?"
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
"This isn't news, Nathan," Sophie said in continued shock.
"Oh come on, Sophie. Your mom inviting me over for dinner? We went to the movies together? You dance around all summer in… this," he said gesturing to her tank top and shorts. "You've been teasing me all summer."
"What are you talking about? You… I was very clear we were just friends."
"Bullshit."
"Nathan, this isn't - it was never-"
"This is classic, Moore."
"You're drunk," Sophie replied, her patience running short.
"And you're a frigid tease," he shouted before throwing his cup into the fire and leaving Sophie to a sea of stares from every set of eyes within earshot.
"Sorry?" Kate asked, not understanding.
"I said, you're not from around here, are you?"
"Oh, n-no, I'm from out of town."
"And why do you have her phone?" asked the second girl, her eyes narrowed.
Kate sighed in annoyance. "We go to school together. She was in Gotham yesterday for an interview-"
"Oh that's right! How did it go?" the first said with renewed enthusiasm.
"Uh, fine I guess? You'd have to ask her," Kate replied, unsure how much detail to provide. She didn't know who these two were, but they obviously knew Sophie. "Anyway, she crashed at my place and forgot her phone."
As evidence, Kate slipped it from her pocket and waved it in front of them. This seemed to convince the second girl who revealed a small smile of approval.
"She's been with Nathan all night-"
"To be fair though, really it's the other way around: Nathan's been with her all night."
"Whatever. Basically if you find him you'll find her."
"That… that isn't really helpful," Kate said, struggling to keep her eyes from rolling.
"Well, if his arm around her shoulder was any sign, I'd guess they're probably… if you know what I mean-"
"Amanda," the second girl hissed at the second.
"What Aly? It's so obvious," Amanda replied defensively.
"Sorry?" Kate asked, the blood draining from her face.
Aly glared Amanda into silence. "Nothing. Forget she said anything."
Kate stared blankly back at the two, a wave of nausea washing over her. It only took a second for Amanda to feel the need to clarify.
"Nathan and Sophie used to date."
"Ah," Kate said simply, unsure she wanted to hear anything more. She thought the name sounded familiar, and a conversation toward the end of last semester with Melvin was replaying through her mind.
"But Sophie is dating someone at school," she continued. "Martin or Marvin-"
"Melvin," Kate corrected uncomfortably but with some relief. If they knew about Melvin, there was no need to let her imagination run away.
"Right, Melvin-"
"You say that like it's stopped him in the past," Amanda chimed in. "Remember Elisa over winter break? Patrick still won't talk to her or Nathan."
"So, wh-where do you think I could find her? Them?"
"Might try the bedrooms. If not there, check out back. We can help if you wa-"
"No, no, uh, you've - this was great. I, uh, I'll take it from here."
"Don't forget to knock," Amanda advised as Kate walked away. An unfamiliar insecurity filled Kate as she stepped away from the conversation toward the staircase.
One week earlier
"Hey."
"Go to hell," Sophie said, brushing past Nathan as she collected trays from empty tables.
"Sophie, I'm sorry about… can we start over? I said things, you said things."
"I said-?" Sophie began before glancing over to the registers where Mr. Collins was busy with a customer. "I said things?" she said quietly. "I think I've been pretty clear all summer."
"I know, I just thought-"
"What? You thought I was secretly asking you to ram your tongue down my throat all summer?"
"I don't know… I guess, kinda?"
"Kinda?" Sophie asked in obvious surprise.
"Look, I just… I've been thinking about us, and I was drunk, and I overstepped."
"That's a bit of an understatement," Sophie shot back. "And what do you mean you've been thinking about us? We aren't anything, Nathan."
"I… look, I get that. It was just that, well, we've kind of spent all summer together, and it reminded me of… I guess I just… I got ahead of myself."
Sophie's scowl softened as she watched Nathan struggle to communicate.
"I want to make it up to you. How can I make it up to you?" he asked softly, his face full of remorse.
Sophie sighed in frustration. "Nathan, I…."
"You don't have to answer now. I just - I wanted to apologize and you weren't answering my calls or texts so I thought maybe if I came here I... I'm sorry Sophie. It won't happen again."
Kate reached the second floor, her breath catching as she counted the doors: four in total. She dreaded the thoughts taunting her periphery as she took the first step toward door number one. The music thumped against the walls and the white noise of chatter were her only distraction as she hesitantly raised a hand to the first door. Before she could knock, it swung open, and she came face to face with a giggling duo.
"Oh, sorry," she said quickly, letting them pass. She let out a small sigh of relief and realized how much weight she was putting into the words of two strangers downstairs. This was Sophie. Diligent, thoughtful, principled Sophie.
She knocked on the second and it revealed an empty room. A confidence grew in Kate as she looked at the remaining two doors. She stepped up to the third when a click from the fourth revealed someone coming out of the bathroom. Kate nearly let out a chuckle as she relaxed and let her knuckle rap against the last door.
She heard no response and shook her head at her own imagination. She stepped back toward the stairs when a muffled noise caught her attention. Her ears perked back toward the door, and she listened for a moment when another noise cried out. She knocked again and her hesitation lasted only a moment longer when a shout called through the door.
Her fingers found the knob and she thrust the door open, her eyes scanning the room. It was filled with people, and every eye had turned to look at her. In the corner was a tv playing a nameless horror film, and Kate felt a wave of relief that outweighed the embarrassment of having just barged in. She quickly scanned the room for Sophie, and when her face didn't appear, she offered a brief apology before relatching the door. She surveyed the hall one last time, a growing sense of relief filling her as she took the stairs back to the ground level.
Earlier that night
"Hello?"
"Hey Nathan."
"Er, sorry who is this?"
"Oh, sorry - it's Sophie."
"Sophie? Hi! Uh, wh-whose phone are you using?"
"Oh, it's my dad's."
"Everything ok?"
"Yea, yea just… hey are you still having that get together tonight?"
"End of summer bash to commence as planned at six! Will I see you here?"
"Yea, I mean, if it's...if that's cool?"
"I'll save you a jell-o shot."
"Oh, th-that isn't."
"Relax, Moore. I'm messing with you. See you tonight."
Kate stepped out onto the porch and glanced out across the backyard. It was vast: there was a multi-level porch that spanned downward to encompass a massive built-in pool. Entwined within all of that were seating areas filled with different groups of people laughing and joking. Where the porch transitioned to the lawn was a blazing bonfire with another group sitting around it.
She sighed realizing it would take another twenty minutes to cover the entire yard as she walked toward the first group. She kept her distance, noting Sophie's face was not among them before veering toward the next closest group. She was used to sifting through a sea of unknown faces, but this felt different. A burst from the fire caught her attention as a group of guys broke into laughter at it. She rolled her eyes as she observed the next group. She could handle a room of rich, spoiled teens playing adult, but these were teens playing teen, and that was not something she had any experience with.
A few people waved at her, mistaking her for someone they knew. None of the waves came from Sophie who remained a ghost. She finished descending the tiered porch and landed at the edge of the lawn, noting there were very few lights extending into the enormous grassy area. She let out a sigh of frustration wondering if she had missed Sophie entirely. She glanced back at the small groups lingering about, interrogating her memory for an area of the house she might have missed.
She was about to walk back to the house in defeat when a rustle and noise pulled her attention back to the sea of dark that led into the long lawn in front of her. She squinted and realized a shed sat out a short distance away. It was an unlikely location for Sophie to be, but an impulse moved Kate's feet toward it. Her shoes grazing against the wet grass was the only sound that echoed as the sound of laughter faded and the darkness around her grew.
Another sound made her ears perk. There was something unnatural about it, and Kate hesitated. She was a city girl. It's not that she didn't have experience with nature, but she also had no idea what kind of animals might be lurking out in the dark. She felt herself tense as she forced herself to continue, her pace varying between slowing and accelerating. Her eyes were fully adjusted to the dark now, and she was mere steps from the shed when more rustling echoed through the night. Taking a breath, she closed the distance, noting the shed door was shut and a padlock sat fixed over the latch. She scowled in confusion before stepping around to check the other side of the structure.
What she saw left her frozen in place: two bodies were entwined on the ground next to the shed. A male figure was positioned on top, his pants crudely pulled down. Beneath him was a female figure. Kate felt her breath catch as she recognized half of the duo:
"S-Sophie?"
