Page 11 of Journey to Cheshire Bay

“But it was more than that. That jock? We became fast friends, and in a way, he became my bodyguard. After one unfortunate incident where my arm was broken by a bully, and my new friend taught that guy a lesson, no one touched me. Jeremy became my biggest fan, as much as I was his. He clapped the loudest at the awards and graduation ceremonies, and I cheered the hardest at his games.”

“Sounds like you either fell in love or you’re the best of friends.” A sardonic laugh escaped.

“The absolute best of friends.” He smiled, the kind that suggested a warm memory was tickling his brain. “He now plays for the NFL, no surprise there as he is a formidable wide receiver, but we get together at least once a month to drink beers and stare at the stars.”

My curiosity was piqued as to who this nameless guy was, even though I didn’t follow any football. Sports weren’t an activity I had a remote interest in.

“You’re lucky.”

“How so?”

“You havefriends.”

The statement hung in the air between us as the plane bounced once again with turbulence – the water in my bottle sloshed around violently.

“Tell you what.” Holden stuck out his left hand, palm side up when the plane leveled out. “From now on,I promise I will always be your friend. You will never be alone.”

I cocked an eyebrow and stared at his open, yet empty hand. “I didn’t make the comment so you’d have pity on me. It was off the cuff.”

“And I swear it’s not pity, just an understanding of your truth within the words. You don’t have to be alone, Iris. We’ll both be on the island. Besides, I have selfish interests. It’d be nice to have someone to visit once in a while.” He wiggled his fingers.

“You remember me, right? The mean girl who pickedon you and made sure you had a rough year. Seriously, you can find better friends.”

Why I needed to remind him of my foul behaviour was beyond understanding. Here was a decent guy, a damn smart guy, offering me a literal hand in friendship, and I was pushing him away. Idiocy clearly ran in my veins.

The plane shifted again, and the fasten seatbelt came on. My eyes widened as my heart palpitated wildly in my chest. These constant jumps from the plane were unnerving.

The flight attendant passed us by withan open bag so passengers could dispose of their garbage. They walked backwards at a fair clip.

Holden spoke and grabbed my attention. “Honestly, I think you’ve grown up. I know I have. Besides, I don’t hold grudges.”

“Seriously?” How was that possible? The list of people I hoped to never cross paths again was a mile long.

“Oh wait, you’re not still friends with Adam, Jordan, and Mel, are you?” He rescinded his hand and his left eyebrow lifted, but there was a hint of a grin trying to peek out.

I shook my head. Adam was the ringleader of our group, a total badass, and also a part-time lover. “After I left St. Jude’s, we fell out of touch. Probably just as well. Last I heard, Jordan had served time in jail.”

“For what?”

I shrugged, not knowing all the details because I really wasn’t surprised and couldn’t care less. “Robbery?”

“Wow.”

“Great crowd I ran with, eh?” At the time, I’d even thought they were grade-A friends.

“We all learn from our mistakes, otherwise what’s the point?”

I stared at Holden, assessing his words and facial expressions. High school life was rough for just about everybody, but for him, two years younger than his peers, it had to have been a nightmare. Bullies and tormentors galore.

Sadly, I had been a small part of his personal hell. “I’m so sorry.”

His tongue wetted his lips, and then he laughed. “Whatever for?”

“For that year. For being less than kind to you. You didn’t deserve the nightmare you lived through.” I tipped my head to the side. “I wasn’t very nice, and looking back, I know that. I think I even knew that then, but peer pressure and all. It was …”

Did he really need to know high school was a form of hell for me too? Not likely. Not that it was an excuse, but I was a product of my environment, something which took me a long time to break out of. At least partially. Leaving Toronto was hopefully going to nail that coffin closed.

“Water under the bridge. Honestly. I’d long since forgiven you.”

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