Chapter 4

The party was almost over, only the most persistent party-heads remained.

Without waiting for everyone to leave, I went to the kitchen and started cleaning. I always help Ryan when he has parties at his place. And this does not happen so rarely, because the majority of the year his parents spend in Washington - Ray's father works in the White House administration. And for a mother the secular life of the capital seems more tempting than raising her only son.

I took a black bag and threw in all the garbage that was left after the party. Suddenly, I heard Trish's shrill laughter - the music was no longer playing, so I could hear it well. I was afraid that she might come into the kitchen, but she shouted to someone: "Bye!" and apparently left the house because she was no longer heard from.

It's not that I don't like Trish, we're not friends, but until tonight I hardly thought about her at all. And now I'm sick of her.

Ugh, what normal girl would share plans to “fuck” someone in front of everybody in a common locker room?

I made a disgusted face, I started cleaning up the milk spilled on the countertop (seriously, who drinks milk at a party?), when Keller entered the kitchen.

I mentally cursed: didn't he leave with Trish?

I pretended not to notice him as I continued cleaning. Shane took a bottle of water from the fridge, then leaned back against the counter and stared at me as he drank.

It made me nervous. I wanted to say something rude and offensive to him.

“What is your problem, Wallace?” He suddenly asked.

I froze with a paper towel in hand, and slowly raised my head.

“Sorry, what?”

Shane squinted.

“What is wrong with you?”

I urged myself not to throw a wet, dirty towel at him.

“Did you smoke too much weed, Keller?”

“I don’t like you. Do you get it?” He muttered.

I blinked because this was the last thing I expected. And even though it doesn't matter, suddenly I'm... in pain.

“Okay. That feeling is mutual,” My voice was completely indifferent.

“We'll never be friends,” He continued, while stepping closer and looming over me. Every word he says breathed hate. “Don’t even think that you can quarrel between me and Ray. You are a vanilla bitch, and soon he will understand that he will dump you instantly.”

I was too shocked to respond.

Why does he have so much hate?

“Oh, throw that away!”

He tossed an empty bottle on the counter, turned and walked out of the kitchen.

***

MEL (2017)

“What do you think, Melissa? How was the first day? It's definitely different here as a teacher.”

Principal Carpenter looked at me kindly through her ridiculous round glasses, which she has been wearing since I myself went to Payson's school.

She is a good aunt and offered to work at the school when I needed a job. Now I’m the economics teacher at the same school from which I graduated from almost eight years ago.

It's true - the ways of the Lord are inscrutable.

“Looks good. I liked it - I hope the guys did as well.”

“They only like the bell ring at the end of class,” Natalie, the art teacher, snorted.

Everyone agreed with her, chuckling.

Almost the entire teaching staff that was here during my school years has changed. Only the ancient Miss Millicent remained (she was ancient even back then - I would like to know the secret of her longevity), and Mr. Volchek, who noticeably got old.

And, of course, Director Carpenter herself.

“If you don’t run away in the first two weeks, then you can handle these little shits,” Natalie reassured and blew on her hot tea.

The director looked at her reproachfully.

“Miss Jones, don't scare Miss Wallace!”

I'm not quite used to being called "Miss Wallace" yet, although it's good - that's exactly what I wanted.

Only Miss Wallace and nothing else.

Wallace…

This reminded me of Shane. He always pronounced my last name in a special way, and for each occasion he had a different intonation. I always knew from her what mood he was in.

I thought about our morning meeting at the coffee shop.

Did I think this might happen when I made the decision to return to Payson?

Of course. It just didn't seem important to me. So what - there is always a chance to stumble upon each other anywhere really!

Payson, of course, is not a metropolis, but it is not that small to never see each other. We have not seen each other for so many years, we have long become strangers to each other. He has his life, I have mine.

Plus, I wanted to leave Denver so badly that I couldn't think of anything else.

And he was taken back when he saw me. He definitely didn’t expect that. Yes, I also did not expect that myself - only a month ago I did not think about Payson, and then it turned out that my grandmother bequeathed her house to me and ...

Anyways, what difference does it make? The main thing is I am finally not in Denver.

After the classes were over, I immediately went home and didn’t even stop anywhere. I'm not sure about the probability, two meetings within one day would be too much.

And I'm not intentionally avoiding it at all, no! Everything that happened in our senior year is still there.

I have not been the same Melissa Wallace for a long time, and I think he is no longer the same Shane Keller.

He looks badass, though. Courageous, mature. Perhaps he has been married for a long time - maybe even has children.

It’s just water under the bridge!

I smiled, but I’m a little sad that everything didn’t turn out the way Mel dreamed, who jumped around the field with pompoms and was head over heels in love with one football player.

If I had a chance to go back eight years, I would do everything differently.