Chapter 2

"Willow, my dude! How about one last fling tonight at my place? We’ll party our heads off!"

I turned around with a deadpan and flipped Chris Grant off. If the crowd wasn’t dressed in robes and waiting in line to receive the high school diploma, I would have punched him in the face. Maybe another person would knee him for harassment, but I wanted to be nowhere near his weenie. Not even if he were the last man on the earth and it was upon me to repopulate it.

I was in a terrible mood already and dealing with the asshole ticked me off further. It had been a week since the call with Mr. Rowe and I had yet to hear back. I had come to the consensus with Lory that if he didn’t call me by that night, I would call him myself.

I was scared that calling him would make the situation worse… that he would get pissed off and dismiss me. The only thing holding me together was that he was across the country and he couldn’t kill me for pestering him.

“Yeah, Willow. You should come to the party tonight.”

I looked to my side and found Joan Ray smiling at me. I stopped myself from shuddering at her voice. There was just something about it that was akin to nails on a chalkboard.

"I’ll pass."

My idea of fun didn’t include being packed into a house with sweaty and drunk people. It also didn’t include being puked on or groped. 

"Are you sure? We might never see each other again."

I thanked God in advance if that were the case. I would donate to whatever charity the higher power wanted if they made it come true.

"I bet I will live." 

She huffed in irritation at my words. It was hard to resist rolling my eyes.

Joan was a part of a duo with Sasha. They had been downright aggressive since the beginning of high school and nicknamed me "Little Orphan Willow". Much to my displeasure, the nickname caught on when Joan accused me of trying to steal her boyfriend. You ask who that is? Chris Grant. The man I wouldn’t take help from even if I was drowning. 

The bullying taught me how to take a step back… become a well-settled person. That was the only good thing that came out of it.

"So, which college will you be attending?"

Of course, Joan knew the answer. Everyone in our school knew of the scholarship drama between Chris and me. And I also knew she was fishing for gossip to spread later on.

“I have decided to dig wells in Africa,” I said blandly. I loved seeing her mouth drop open in shock. I threw a stereotype at her sarcastically and she accepted it without a word. She didn’t even point out how horrible my statement was. Our school needed to restructure the education they gave to students. How was this girl going to survive in the world? “You should pay attention. Your name will be called soon and you don’t want to miss it,” I warned her.

I had to applaud her for graduating with shitty grades. This gave me some comfort. If she could make something of herself, I could do as well. If I kept saying it, it would happen. 

Luckily, she turned away from me. I could see Lory waving at me from her seat. I looked past her and at the crowd and a wave of sadness overcame me. It was hard to have no family of my own watching me at this milestone.

I had awoken to find a note from Oliver that morning. It was on the kitchen table and I knew he had come to the house to get the last of his things. I hadn’t even known he had come back. The note contained an apology for not being able to attend graduation and he even left me a generous amount of cash as a parting gift. Another paper came with it. It listed the date I needed to move all my things out and where I had to leave the key to the house. I knew for certain I would never see Oliver again.

I should have been angry. I should have screamed and cried about how unfair it was. But what was the point of it? Nothing would change if I felt sorry for myself. And I was never going to beg Oliver to stay when he had made it clear he wanted to cut ties.

And I was certain I would someday find a place in the world I could call mine. Somewhere where I was wanted and needed.

As I scanned over the faces in the crowd, my eyes landed on a pair of eyes staring right back. It was a man in a dark suit who could have been extended family for any of my classmates. Yet, a strange feeling of familiarity washed over me. I could have sworn I had seen him around town several times over the last few days. Our neighborhood consisted of families that had lived here for decades, so a new face was easy to spot.

I hated to say but he was ordinary looking. With light brown hair, he had nothing particularly distinguishable about him. As I continued to stare, I realized I had seen him near the administrative room at school. He had also bought things at the supermarket a few nights ago when I wash manning the cash counter.

But why was he staring at me?

I shrugged off my concerns and raised my head when my name was called. Much to my shock, I heard a small but distinct round of applause as I walked over to receive my diploma. I gave Lory a smile and turned to her parents with a small nod. I found some of my coworkers from the supermarket too. At least there were a small group of people that had some care about me.

The ceremony ended shortly after I took my seat. Our school didn’t allow hats to be thrown into the air. The graduation gown and hat were rented and losing them would lead to a big fine. I gave back my robes before the others who took pictures with their family. I had little emotional attachment to all things school-related. The only thing I needed was the documentation.

"It's finally over!" Lory took me into a bear hug before dragging me towards her family.

"Congratulations on graduating, girls." Mrs. Adams hugged us both. "Willow, will you join us for dinner?"

They had reserved a table for a celebratory dinner. Though I knew I was welcome, I was not in the mood to join in. I had much more pressing issues to focus on.

"Thank you for inviting me, but I think I have to pack everything at home."

She looked sad as she nodded in understanding. Before Lory could try to change my mind, I was ushered away by the well-wishes of my coworkers from the supermarket. Even the owner handed me a gift card.

“This should help you buy things for college,” he said.

"Thank you," I told him softly.

"You’ll be sorely missed, Willow. But don’t forget us while you are living in the big city. I will be waiting for you to make a name there." I knew he was simply teasing, but I couldn’t joke back. 

Make a name for myself? If I was lucky I would have a shoebox to live in and food in my stomach. I had to repress the dissatisfaction from being ignored by Mr. Rowe.

Lory found me again and pulled me aside. "Are you sure you want to go home?" she asked. I squeezed her hand in reassurance.

“I will be fine. I am just not in the mood to celebrate.”

She was silent for a moment. “I will go over to your house after dinner. Packing is better when you have someone to accompany you.”

"Okay." She wasn’t wrong. I would have her by my side rather than be alone in that empty house. I didn’t need a hand to pack my meager belongings, though.

"Willow, hop into the car. We will drop you at your house on our way," Mrs. Adams called out.

"Thank you," I told her.

Lory threaded her arm through mine as she spoke in low tones. “Will you call him when you go home?” she questions.

“I have no other choice,” I said. There was no time left to dilly-dally. I had to contact him.

If only it were that easy.

“How about you wait until I return to make the call? It won’t be late then.” She knew how nervous I was to call. Everything was riding on Mr. Rowe’s decision.

"I’ll let time decide." I remained noncommittal. I would fake being relaxed until I felt it completely. If I kept using Lory as a crutch, I would never be able to stand up on my own.

The conversation remained light on the ride back. They all knew to steer clear of my immediate future. I hopped out of the car and heard Lory yell that she would see me soon. Once inside the house, I stripped off my formal clothes and rushed toward my phone. I was appalled that the school didn’t allow phones at the graduation ceremony. Some of the people in the education industry were still living in the dark ages.

I groaned in frustration when I saw that I had no notifications.

I threw myself on the bed and tried to calm myself. There was a possibility he was busy and didn’t have time to call me. I really wanted to think he was a good guy. That he would give me a chance. 

I was startled out of my thoughts when the doorbell rang.

"Just come in, Lory," I yelled as I ran downstairs. I yanked the front door open, ready to chew her out for rushing her celebratory dinner. Instead, I came face to face with the stranger in the dark suit who had been staring at me during the graduation ceremony. 

I should have looked through the loophole before opening the door. I was an idiot!

I was having a breakdown right at my front door. I was close to slamming the door shut and hiding in my room, but my shock prevented me from moving.

"Willow Taylor?" His voice was low and non-threatening. But what would I know what threats sounded like?

My thoughts ran at the pace of lighting: Who was the guy? Was he stalking me?

He noticed I was scared and held his hands up in surrender. He even offered me a guilty smile.