The Right Equation (3 page)

"I'm not sure. Everything went black right before the DJ planned on making some announcement."

I hated I couldn't see his entire face, though his voice soothed me. I still held my grip on his arm, and my back against his chest. "What do we do?"

A small light flashed again, and then remained on. Will knew how to use his cell flashlight, at least.

"Oh, thank God." My head fell back against him. The point of his chin dug into my scalp, but I didn't care. "We'll just use your phone to get us to the front entrance and get the hell out of here."

"I wish." He turned the light off and we stood in the dark again. "Doors are locked and we need power to get them open."

"Hasn't anyone called 9-1-1 to help us?"

As he spoke his voice vibrated through my head. "Nah. If it lasts too long I'm sure someone will, but it's kind of fitting considering it's a Halloween reunion. The centerpieces in the gym all have tealights in them so that lights up the space. I'm not using the flashlight on my phone too much to save on battery."

Clank! Clank!
Something - or someone - knocked against the lockers in the hall. The noise seemed distant and came from the direction we needed to go. Will must have put his phone back in his pocket because I still wouldn't let go of his arm, but he slid his other hand down my side to find my other hand, taking it in his. "Quiet," he whispered. "Let's go this way."

I didn't understand why we whispered. A blackout wasn't anything to be afraid of. A crazed serial killer? Different story. Did a psychopath from our graduating class plan this? I flipped through my mental yearbook and no one jumped out at me as off their rocker. Only Mandy, really, and she wasn't a psycho, just a jerk. Without arguing, though, I let Will lead us down the way I came. He slithered through the halls like a snake, familiar with the surroundings as though he never left the place.

"Where are we going?"

"Library," he indicated in a harsh whisper as he took a sharp right.

I didn't think going to the library would accomplish anything, but, I trusted Will and his instincts. Maybe when we arrived the entire Class of 1999 would be holed up in the library, snuggled together as we tried to figure out how to survive a zombie apocalypse, because I was certain that was the outcome of this blackout. I saved my questions for later, concerned only right now about getting to the library.

As a student at Polk High, I spent a lot of time in the library, especially with Will as we tutored each other. We always sat in the far east corner at the wooden table with only two chairs. No one could squeeze in at the table and interrupt our studying. We took our tutoring sessions seriously because he wanted his scholarship, and I wanted to keep my GPA. Science screwed with my average. While anything even remotely science related didn't interest me, I needed to pass the class to graduate, and I didn't want the blemish on my permanent record. I took school seriously from my first day of first grade until I walked across the stage at my college graduation. Our friendship never went beyond the library, except a wave here and there in the hall. Will was one of the nice ones. No matter how much someone picked on me - or anyone - he stepped in if he witnessed it. Mandy didn't appreciate a good guy. I wondered, still, how they ended up together.

He maneuvered through the library, the musty pages of decades-old books scenting the air. Immediately I recalled the crinkling of the plastic protectors on the books, how I ripped through a book a week, always having one in my backpack, anxious to return and move onto the next one. Since I became a CPA, work overtook my life, and I couldn't remember the last book I read cover to cover. Usually I came home from work, ate a late dinner, watched some television and headed to bed. Quite an active social life I kept.

"Ouch!" I slammed into a table, pain ricocheting through my thighs and hips.

"Sorry! Are you okay?"

Will let go of my hand and before I responded, he planted both his hands on my hips, pressing into a slow massage. I wanted to drop down to the floor and direct him to massage my entire body. God, I wanted him to keep going, but I doubted his touch was romantic in any way. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He scooted a chair out for me and guided me to sit down. A smidgen of light shone from the window. "Our old study spot," he said. "Right next to the window."

I turned my head slightly and looked out the window, the big, round moon providing light. Through the gentle glow, he didn't look as though he aged a bit. Blemish and scar free, his skin looked perfect. Here I was, thirty-one years old, and I still had zits. Those lips I wanted to kiss more than anything rested perfectly on his face, his upper lip much thinner than the bottom, a perfect crease in the middle, shaped like a heart. Over the years, he developed a slight wrinkle under his left cheekbone, but it didn't make him appear any older. Everything about Will equated to perfection.

"You remembered our table?" I said 'our table' as if it compared to having 'a song' or something. Far fetched, but enough to make me happy.

Will moved out of the moon's light and sat in the chair next to me. "Of course I remember."

I reminded my heart to keep beating at his words. The fact he recalled something from so long ago between us meant so much. "So, now what do we do? Are we safe?"

"Of course we're safe."

"I thought something crazy was going on out there. I heard a scream, and then you grabbed me like a serial killer is on the loose."

"It's just a power outage and startled some people. Others are pretending the school is haunted. I saw you run off before it happened and didn't want you to be alone."

All these years I assumed he didn't care about me. In high school, we simply tutored each other. He cared enough to seek me out, and be sure I was safe. "You don't?"

In the shadow I saw him wave his hands in front of his face. "Of course not. You're an old pal."

Oh. Pal. My excitement of the prospect of anything happening between us diminished with that one word. Pal, Friend. Buddy. Friend zoned! "Okay. Well, thanks."

"I don't know about you, but the last time I saw a power outage, it lasted for hours. We've got some catching up to do."

Hours alone with Will. The Will I crushed on through most of high school. The Will I searched for on Facebook, hoping to reconnect with. The Will who married Mandy Sanders. Of course, also, the same Will who divorced her. Did I want to torture myself with hours of conversation that would go nowhere? And why would he even want to sit with me? I noticed a glimmer of light in the distance. The complete opposite side of the room was where the emergency exit was located, the EXIT light still lit up. If Will really wanted to escape me, the emergency exit door still worked. We weren't trapped. Will knew that, too.

Not sure if Will could see my beaming smile in the dark, I replied, "Yeah, we do have some catching up to do."

CHAPTER FIVE

Whispers from students and the hiss of the air conditioner or hum of the heater always created background noise in the library. With the power outage, only the gentle breathing between us during our almost nonstop conversation interrupted the dead silence.

"Tell me, what are you doing now? You always loved numbers."

We sat at the table using the moon as our lamp, our hands on each other's arms. As much as I wanted the gesture to be romantic, it wasn't. Will didn't want his battery to run out on his phone, so we sat in the dark. "I wouldn't say I love numbers."

Will squeezed my forearm. "Yes, you do. I'll never forget how much you pushed me to do well in Algebra. I've never seen anyone so excited about math before."

I didn't think it was possible to sound more like a nerd than when Will made that statement. "You needed the scholarship. I wanted to help. But to answer your question, I'm a CPA."

"I knew it!"

I planned on this going an entirely different way. Even after all these years, I still proved to be a complete dork. So what if I loved numbers? I didn't want to be a snobby gold digger like Mandy. Every aspect of my life showed my logical side. What about Will, though? Was he still a jock like in high school? "Whatever happened with baseball? The whole reason I tutored you was to get your grade up for scholarships. I heard you never even played in college. Did you go to college?"

He loosened his grip on my arm. "So what if I didn't? Does that make me any less of a person?"

"No. That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean then, Penny?"

I didn't know. It just came out that way. I spent my whole life being judged based on my academics, who was I to judge based on the same, or lack thereof? "In high school, you were a star. You loved the game."

"Still do. Look, I went to college, well, at least for the first year. That's when Mandy and I got together. I realized just because I loved baseball didn't mean I loved it enough to make it a career. My heart belonged somewhere else."

My thumb stroked his arm. "Where?" I swallowed so hard I almost choked. If this were a movie, right now he would declare his love to me.

"Writing."

"Writing?"

"Yes, writing. Why does everyone find that so hard to believe?"

Great. Who knew simply repeating a word would make me sound like such an ass? "No, no. I'm surprised, that's all." I thought my next sentence through. "I can't wait to read something you wrote."

"Really?"

Now he questioned me. "Yes. I can't wait."

"Next fall."

"Next fall, what?"

"That's when my book comes out. I signed the contract a few months ago."

"Incredible!" The money Tammy mentioned must have been from the sale of a book. I couldn't contain my excitement for Will and went to hug him, except I smacked my head right into his instead. "Ouch!" I set my hand on top of my head as if that would make a difference.

"Are you okay?"

Game changer. Will touched his palm to my cheek, turned around his hand and traced the side of my face with his fingertips. Every teenage fantasy ran through my mind as each womanly part of my body perked up. "Now I am."

I didn't need the lights on to predict what happened next. Even in the darkness, I closed my eyes as I leaned forward. I waited more than fifteen years for his lips to touch mine. This moment acted out in my mind many times before. In my dreams, it was the perfect kiss, usually outside with the sun beating down on us as we lay in the grass overlooking the Mill Pond. He'd crawl on top of me, and our lips would take over, tasting each other. I always assumed the reality would be an unfortunate incident where I would end up using too much tongue, or I'd have food in my teeth, and start giggling. Lucky for me, this fell somewhere in between, but either way, his smooth lips touched mine, only seconds passing before he slid his tongue into my mouth. I inhaled deeply as our tongues danced, and Will placed his hands on my back, pulling me closer to him. I wanted to stay like this forever.

"Ahhhh!" A shriek from behind me disconnected me from the kiss, sending me into a screaming fit myself. The lights turned on, and four faces stared at me, laughing. My high school reunion just placed me back to the worst times of my life.

"What the hell is your problem?" Will jumped out of the chair and lunged toward his friends, Keith, Brian, Marshall, and Matt.

"Dude, we were only trying to scare you. Sorry we interrupted whatever," Brian passed his finger between us, "whatever this is." He joined the other three in a high-five.

I wanted to crawl under the table, pull my knees into my chest, and rock back and forth until they all left. How humiliating! My bottom lip quivered as a tear fell down my cheek.

"Penny, I'm sorry about these guys."

"I'm sorry, too," I said. "I can't believe you would do this to me."

"What?" Will walked toward me, but I took a step back as well. "What are you talking about? Do what?"

All five guys stared at me, smirks across Keith, Brian and Marshall's face. Matt moved a string from his makeshift broom costume away from his now embarrassed face. "This." I pointed to each person, including Will. "We're in our thirties, guys. How can you still treat people like this?" I put up with this shit all through high school. I couldn't take a stand toward Mandy, but now I had an opportunity to stand up for myself. "I may not have been the most popular girl in school, but that's not a reason to make fun of me and play pranks on me, too. You're a bunch of jerks." My eyes met Will's, who frowned. "And you of all people. I thought that kiss meant something."

"It did!"

I marched toward the library exit now that I could see where to walk. "Save it for someone else, like Mandy."

"Whoa, man, she went there," I heard Marshall from behind me.

"Shut up." Fierceness controlled Will's voice. "Penny, stop."

No. I didn't take orders from anyone, especially someone with the audacity to play with my emotions. God, I was so foolish to hold onto feelings for someone for so long, especially someone I never stood a chance with, and now, I realized, it was better that way. The hallway all lit up again, I turned to my left, keeping my stride, never looking back.

"The kiss was real."

Bullshit. Keep going. Walk away
.

"I wanted to kiss you since high school."

He shouted now, and as I increased my pace, his voice got further away. If he wanted me, he'd come after me. Like in the movies. He'd try harder. He wouldn't only yell down a vacant hall, hoping for me to turn around. I was better than that. Much better. I spent fifteen years getting over this place, yet I came back to my old high school as though I expected anything to change. The lockers were still large and overwhelming, the hallway desolate, the rancid smell of bullies and their better-than-thou attitudes filling the air. I hated this place.
Hated
. I reached the front doors, pushed on the handle, and stepped into the crisp air, my tears spilling out.