Scarred

David Seiger

Over the next month, everything around town shifted drastically. The weather had changed from sunny, crisp fall days to a light dusting of snow that would melt by the next day, only to repeat the cycle. However, that ended last night when it started snowing again and didn't stop, turning Fox Lake into a snow globe.

I relied on the Hearts to get me to work since I have never driven in the snow. I didn't have a car back in Boston, so I never had to. My mother wouldn't have let me even if I did. But the change in weather wasn't the only thing that had shifted. Fox High's football season ended after they didn't make it past the quarter-finals. Town folk took it as hard as the team. But as basketball season started, they had another sport to cheer on.

Casen lived and breathed football, so he wasn't as easily distracted. He brooded at my place for a couple of days before Marcus and Bobby forced him to go to Bobby's family cabin for a couple of nights. Things have been less strained between Charlie and Casen, so I pushed Charlie to go as well. A change in scenery may do them some good, or they'd kill each other. They had both reluctantly agreed if I stayed at the Hearts while they were away. At first, I protested but finally gave in. Now looking out the diner window at Main Street blanketed in white, I knew it was for the best. It made getting here today less of a hassle.

"When do Charlie and Casen come back?" Juan asked, interrupting my inner thoughts.

I looked at his flustered face, cheeks tinged with pink. Along with his weekday job at the hardware store, he struggled to keep up with the workload he had to pick up in Charlie's absence.

"They plan to come home late tonight to be back for Thanksgiving dinner with the Hearts tomorrow. "I smiled, grabbing orders from the window.

"Not a day too soon." Marnie chimed in.

Both she and Vivian had been moping around since the boys left, which was out of character for Marnie. She always had a fiery attitude and acted like she wasn't dependent on having Bobby's company. I, on the other hand, was ecstatic that I had a little time without the watchdog brothers. Sure they were replaced by Ian, Beth, and occasionally Nan, but they went about it more subtly.

"Marnie, the boys needed this." Nan patted my friend's shoulders.

"You sound like Evan." She rolled her eyes, then planted them in me. "You and Casen are inseparable. Don't you miss him?" She asked me.

"Sure."I shrugged my shoulders in response.

I hadn't given myself time to think about that. I've been too busy with work and distracting my friends to feel anything other than happy that he was letting off steam with the guys. I smiled at Marnie's retreating back as she grumbled her way to the kitchen

"What does someone have to do to get a burger around here?" A familiar voice filled the diner.

I blanched, almost dropping Mr. Jones's meatloaf in his lap. I hadn't heard his voice without two phones and nearly three thousand miles separating us. I slowly turned and met a pair of blue eyes locking with mine. His dark hair had grown since I'd seen him last and was messy from travel and the snow that clung to it. A layer of scruff covered his face, saying that he didn't fly straight here.

"David!" Nan dropped the milkshake she had been making and ran over to envelop her son in a hug. "I thought you had to work and weren't coming for Thanksgiving."

"Change of plans."David smiled at me over her shoulder, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Well, I'll be! I haven't seen you in years!" Mr. Jones shouted over to them, making me jump.

"Dear, you can put our food down." Mrs. Jones said with a smile.

I nodded and placed their order on the table as calmly as my shaky hands would allow. Wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans, I moved to the bar to keep my hands busy filling the salt shakers. White granules scattered everywhere when Marnie jumped on the stool beside me.