Page 16 of Jumping In

The first inkling that I didn’t want to go to law school was before I even got to college. The focus was always pre-law, but there were a handful of majors I could pick that still fell under the pre-law umbrella. I opted for business because I figured it was multi-functional and would give me the skills that would be beneficial in a few different areas. I didn’t have to take the law classes until my senior year, which was a bonus.

I open up Facebook for some more doom scrolling, where I always go to check in on things happening in Oakridge.

The first post I see is on the Macdonald’s Auto Shop business page. It’s a simple advertisement displaying their specials on oil changes. I guess Mac wasn’t lying about that when I visited him the other day. I keep scrolling, making note of the Movie in the Park dates and movies they’ll be showing. As I scroll, an email notification pops up from my dad. I open the email and see a link to Mac’s case file. Looks like I know what I’ll be reading tonight.

Chapter 7

MJ

June 13

Gracie Abrams’ voice fills my ears as I pull my Jeep into a parking spot at the diner. It’s the only restaurant within Oakridge, which should mean it’s a happening spot, but the parking lot is practically empty.

When I head inside, I already see Shannon sitting at our booth. It’s the same one we dubbed ours in high school. We always met up after Friday night football games and stayed way too late, talking and hanging out.

Looking around, the diner has changed over the years. The black-and-white checkered tile looks dingy; the pleather booths are worn-down and lighter green than I remember. Everything from the long counter to the pictures of celebrities on the walls has lost their luster. It makes me sad to think that Ruby, the owner, stopped taking care of the place. But also based on how empty it is, maybe she has little choice.

Shannon has her usually unruly red hair tied up neatly into a bun on top of her head. She has a black tank topthat displays the local bar name—Hal’s—across her chest in bright pink, and I know she’ll have black shorts on if I look under the table.

“Hey,” she says once she spots me.

“Hey. How’s it going?” I ask as I sit down across from her.

Two glasses of water with lemon are already on the table. I unwrap and place a straw into the water before taking a sip. The whole time Shannon watches me, knowing I asked for this girl talk session and not rushing me to get started.

I take a deep breath. “So, I saw Mac again.” Shannon nods, urging me to continue. “Well, let me back up. I got my dad to agree to let me help with Mac’s case.” She raises an eyebrow. Giving her the cliff notes version of the case I found, she nods in understanding. “So anyway, I sat in on his meeting with my dad on Monday and I’ve been reviewing the case notes and, Shan, something isn’t adding up here.”

Shannon sucks in a breath. “MJ, that’s . . .” she pauses for a second like she’s unsure what to say and then the server appears before she can finish. We place our orders before she finishes. “That’s good?”

“Yeah, I mean, I get some law school practice and maybe even figure out how to get him out of this mess. But the files are making me think he didn’t actually do it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, like, the timeline doesn’t add up for one. Two, I’m pretty sure Mac doesn’t smoke, right?” I look at her for confirmation, and she nods. “Right, so why did he steal a carton of cigarettes?”

“Idiot,” she mumbles as she looks over my head and around the diner like she’s avoiding my face right now.

“What?” I ask her.

“Nothing,” she replies a little too quickly. “So, you’re helping with the case. Things aren’t adding up. Are you also hoping for some time with Mac?” She barrels the conversation forward, jumping straight to the point.

“I don’t know, Shan.” I shrug.

“MJ, come on, it’s me.”

“Well, I really don’t know. I miss him. I have missed him. Is it wrong to force some time with him to maybe figure out what happened all those years ago?” I ask genuinely.

“No, I just . . .” she sighs. Just then, the server comes back with our food. I place my plate in front of me, move the decorative parsley around, and pull out my phone to take a few pictures. Shannon shakes her head at me but says nothing; it’s something I’ve done since senior year of high school. Back then it was mostly me trying to make school lunches more appealing, but now it’s fun to try to make something as simple as a burger look more aesthetically pleasing.

After snapping a few pictures, I post my favorite to my Instagram.Caption: lunch date with the bestie #happytobehome #DinerattheRidge #lunchtime

“I almost forgot, though. So, before the meeting, Mac and I had a weird conversation.” I take a bite of my burger and almost moan at how good it tastes. It’s a shame the diner is empty.

“Weird how?” Shannon asks with a mouthful of food. She leans in to take a sip of her water.

“Weird like he called me baby.”

Shannon almost spits her water out, and I laugh. I had a feeling that would be her reaction. I probably should’ve waited for her to swallow.

---