Hillary wanted to feel everything at once. Carrie stood by her car hooting (like it was a song), her lips wide with happiness.
Hillary closed her eyes for a moment, then walked deliberately slowly towards the car.
Both women hugged each other so tightly they could hardly breathe.
"It has been so long..too long Hills" Carrie cried. "Not that my pain can compare to yours but I have lived in hell".
"Can you ever forgive me Hills?"
"You can't ask me that"
"I know..."
They both sniffled and smiled. "Let's go home"
"Drive by my parents first" Hillary said. "I need to see her"
"I know. I just thought you'd like to freshen up to see your daughter"
Hillary's heart skipped a beat. Her daughter. Nova.
Her dead husband's parents had wanted her to be sentenced to death for the murder of Sam. Until they learnt she was pregnant. Hillary closed her eyes and dreamt of the past.
**************
She had met the news with mixed emotions. Pregnant. She was pregnant for that beast of a husband she had. Sam had made her life miserable. They got married when she was 21. Sam Wells came from a wealthy real estate business family. She had been drawn to his smile and the promises he made - a total cliché. She had wanted to escape the life at home. Her parents doted on her younger sister Marley so much, Hillary had felt left out.
Hillary and Marley Trent were not exactly two ends of a pole, but they were quite different. Hillary was tough and stern while Marley was the sweet docile baby girl her mother wanted. it had been love at first sight for their parents.
The love both daughters received were totally different. Hillary was tasked with chores and even taking care of Marley. Their parents believed in having the best education but Hillary was not one for books. She wanted to open a coffee shop and bake. Her parents had been sorely disappointed. Marley, however, was so book smart. Always one of the top three in her class, teachers had compared them all the time (they had been classmates at a certain time). Hillary's parents were proud of Marley. They made Hillary do all the chores and devoted their savings to furthering Marley's education. "I am just two years older than she is..." Hillary used to think dejectedly.
She decided she would get married early to start her own family and give her children so much love. she swore she wouldn't play favorites with her own kids when she had them. She met Sam while hunting for college. Boy meets girl then boom! A love story. A catastrophic love story for another day.
While in high school, Hillary's best friend, Grace Dennis was the cool kid. She had many friends and always managed to be in one trouble or another. Hillary, not one for trouble, had to always save Grace's neck. Until one day.
It was chemistry class. Grace and Hillary crushed on the chemistry teacher and always sat in front. That's the only class where Hillary decided that front row is the best. On this day, Hillary came in early and saved a spot for Grace. Grace rarely makes class early. She takes the back gate through a hole they discovered close to an old school building. Both girls hang out there to share their stories, secrets and tried smoking there once. Hillary had hated it. Class started, still no show. Hillary decided to go look for Grace at their hangout. Dust and debris still fell as she approached quietly, then she heard voices.
"....and what do you know about that?" - a male voice said
"nothing" Grace answered shakily.
"What's your name?" - the first voice asked
"Hillary Trent" - Grace reluctantly answered.
"Well, Hillary. You also caught me. This girl stole something from me. I was just trying to scold her"
Hillary was taken aback. Grace must be in danger. she was torn between running to get help and leaving her friend. She decided quickly. Looking around, she saw stones but none was big enough to render an adult helpless. She was beginning to sweat. She moved closer to the voices.
" But she is bleeding"
"It's just a little blood. She will be okay"
"What are you going to do to me?"
"Do you want to end up like her? " he sneered creepily. Then he kicked the girl sprawled on the ground.
Suddenly the girl bit the man on his leg. He screamed in pain and dropped the long stick he had. Then he grabbed the girl by the hair and repeatedly punched her. Grace, in her panic, looked around and saw Hillary beckoning. However, Grace picked up the wood and hit the guy twice. He collapsed on the floor and passed out.
Hillary ran towards Grace. Grace wouldn't stop crying. "What happened? " exclaimed Hillary. "omg, Hillary. I think I killed him".
"omg!, who is she? what happened?"
"I came to check you here and walked in on him beating up the girl"
"Is she okay?" Hillary wanted to run away but couldn't stop staring at the girl. She touched the man's chest. "He's not dead"
"Let's run away Hillary"
"We can't just leave her. What if he wakes up?"
"I don't know...oh God!"
Hillary pulled the girl by her shoulders. Grace lifted her legs. They dragged her out into the open. Classes were still ongoing.
"Hillary, what do we do now?"
"We need to get the teachers and the police. Grace you stay with her, let me get a nurse from the health department. Then we can go report to the principal together. Hillary rushed quickly to the school clinic. In few minutes, she rushed back with some medics wheeling a bed for the sick.
Hillary noticed that Grace had disappeared.
The girl was wheeled away into a waiting ambulance as her injuries were too much for the clinic. The nurses asked her for a report. She told them what she knew. Then the head nurse walked with her to the principal's office to report. They asked her to lead the way to where the man was. He was gone by the time she got there.
She then ran to the class to get her bag and Grace. Another session had begun. She asked some of their mates if anyone saw Grace. "Did she come today?" many asked. Hillary searched all the rest rooms.
Hillary walked back to the principal's office. She asked to call Grace's home. Grace's mother picked. It was put on speaker. Thank God!
"Hello, Mrs Dennis. This is Hillary. Is Grace at home?"
"Of course she is home. She felt under the weather earlier and couldn't come to school today"
"uh? Can i speak to her ma'am?"
"No. she's not well. She'll see you in school when she is fine." she hung up.
Something is not right here. "Please let me go to her home to check on her. There must have been a mistake."
"Are you sure it wasn't you that beat up that girl?" the nurse asked.
" Would i have run to get you if I did?"
"That place is out of coverage. We can't verify any of what you said."
" How is that my fault?"
The principal raised his hand to stop them. He had been deep in thought. "Why did you go there Hillary?"
"Grace and I hangout there sometimes. We had a class and I went to get her"
"Why would you go get her?"
"I can't explain that to you. it was important for her to be in class". Their secret crush was their secret alone.
The principal sent for the Chemistry teacher. He verified that Hillary had left the class at a certain time but he didn't see Grace at all. Hillary was detained and her parents were called.
"What about the girl?" the principal asked the nurse.
"One of the school nurses is with her. The nurse recognised her as one of the senior students. She comes in with sprained wrists and hurt fingers a lot. She's a trouble maker too, that one."
"What is she saying about this incident?"
"Nothing. She never tells the nurses how she gets injured. I hear she lives with her mother and step father"
"Have you called them?"
"They don't have a registered number"
"Great!" the principal retorted sarcastically.
Hillary's father went to the principal's office while they got her out of the detention center. Her father was livid.
"so, what, you are doing drugs now?"
"what?" Hillary looked at the principal.
"We found marijuana where you said a man would be found"
"I don't know anything about that."
"Well, the doctors also found traces of this with the injured girl. Are you sure it was not a case of weed purchase gone wrong?"
Hillary didn't answer. She just thought to herself. " Grace"
"Well Mr. Trent, we will be making a full investigation on this as one of our senior students is badly injured. Hillary should be kept at home during this time."
"understood"
He walked out with Hillary.
"Dad, I didn't do any of that. Grace was in trouble. I had to help her"
"Well where is Grace now?"
"I called her home. Her mom said she's sick. Something about that is not right. Dad, let me go see her"
"You are not going anywhere Hillary. Your mother should know you're smoking weed now."
No one would believe her. There was no one where she said a man was. There was no trace of Grace in the school on that day. The injured girl was not talking. She was a total disappointment to her parents. Yet, she held on. Grace would come around. She just needed time.
After two weeks, Hillary was called in to face the School Discipline Committee. There was Grace and her mother, Hillary and her father and the girl they saved. A woman sat by the girl, Hillary assumed she's her mother. Hillary looked at Grace. Grace wouldn't meet her eyes.
They asked the senior girl questions. She wouldn't answer their questions. Then her mother shoved her. "Hillary Trent and I fought over something." she muttered. That was the only name she remembered. She remembered the girl had said she's Hillary Trent while her step father beat her up. She felt sorry but her mother wouldn't let her say the truth.
Grace's mother spoke up. "I don't know why Hillary keeps mentioning Grace. Grace was not in school. The doctor's report is here." She handed the report to the head of the committee. "Grace is an excellent student. I don't know why she would hang with a girl like her".
"Hillary, what do you have to say?"
Hillary was so shocked but she was calm. Grace was not speaking. She remembered truly that Grace had given her name to that man. Who was he and why is that girl protecting him?
"Who is he and why are you protecting him?" Hillary asked.
They girl wouldn't answer.
"Grace?" Hillary looked at Grace. She was wearing a black leather jacket they both used to admire and said they would save money to get on their way home.
"Your jacket looks nice.." Hillary said.
Grace started crying.
"She's threatening my daughter" Mrs Dennis exclaimed. The committee asked them to leave as there was no reason for them to be there. The girl had mentioned only one name- Hillary's.
"We found marijuana at some spots around where you had a fight. Who did it belong to?"
"It's not mine and I didn't fight with anyone" said Hillary
The girl looked at Hillary. This girl's voice is stronger than the girl who was talking while she had been injured. But she remembered seeing her face when she lifted her. So who was this girl and who was the girl her step father caught with weed?
"It was mine." The girl answered.
The committee sighed with relief. It had taken too long, they wanted to return to their schedules. They made a decision to expel the girl and suspend Hillary for a session. Hillary's father thanked them as they walked out of the room. At least she wasn't expelled. He walked out, leaving Hillary to go home by herself.
Hillary just sat there, quiet and confused. Then she heard a slap. The other girl's mother hit across the face and walked out, looking at Hillary like dirt before storming out.
Hillary stared at the girl. She looked at Hillary and managed a weak smile.
"Are you really Hillary?" She asked.
"Wow...what a question after getting me suspended"
"Well my step father caught you with weed. You shouldn't smoke weed. You deserved that"
"That was not me!"
"But the person said her name was Hillary. "
"That was Grace. She's my best friend"
"I guess, now it's 'was' "
"What do you mean? "
"She was your best friend" .
Hearing that, Hillary's tears stung her eyes. She understood what happened to Grace. Grace's parents were so restrictive that Grace felt suffocated. She had started picking bad habits up because she felt rebellious. Yet she was a smart girl. Hillary always felt proud of her smart friend that she let her get away with some of these things. Each home with its own trouble.
She was sure that Grace had gotten weed into the school now. She must have walked in on that man hitting the girl and he found the weed on her. This girl said the man is her step father. Well, no one would believe her anymore...she couldn't tell anyone about this.
So this girl is protecting her step father right? Well, she would also protect Grace. She wasn't very school keen anyway. It's only right that Grace should not have any hiccups with school. It's worth it for her best friend.
"I think we should leave now" the girl said.
"I...uh...i am sorry you were expelled"
"it's not your fault. I am sorry you were suspended for what you didn't do too. But no one would believe us if we changed our stories now. Hillary, right? I will see you around."
"What's your name?"
"Carrie. Carrie Hughley. Bye Hills"