Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ✔︎

17 | Things Happen For A Reason

|photo by Jake Ingle from Unsplash|

There are benches every few yards along the grey stone wall that separates Fifth Avenue from Central Park. I find a semi-vacant one in front of a tree that's still mostly green. But there are soggy, brown and yellow leaves under my feet and the damp air is cool enough to leave goose bumps on exposed skin between my skirt and knee socks.

A meat-scented gust of wind draws my attention to the food trucks and I think of Conner and I eating hotdogs in the park. Then it's like my thoughts are skipping through memories like a rock over water: Conner in front of the soda machine, wanting to protect me from Paige. Me getting flustered when I straightened his tie—and the countless tie-straightening moments that followed, because it's not like I stopped. The disapproving look he gave me this morning when I walked into school with Chase. And finally the Chemistry Lab, the reason I couldn't stay at the penthouse and can't convince myself to walk back to school.

What the hell was that?

Ha. It felt a lot like chemistry.

But that doesn't mean anything. Conner's a great guy. He's sweet and cute and it's perfectly natural for friends to have a little what-if moment now and then. It's nothing more than curiosity. He's in love with Paige and I have Glenn. And these Oz coincidences are...

Not as easy to justify.

I type out a text to Megan: Do you believe that things happen for a reason?

The read receipt pops right up. But then nothing.

Glenn's not the only person I've heard regurgitate those worn-out words, but it's always sounded like a platitude to me. That's why it was so easy to ignore him. But this feels...different.

A spot of sunlight warms my shoulder. I walk to the park entrance, where there's a break in the trees, because I want more of that glorious heat. I tilt my head back, eyes closed, and imagine myself in a wide open field. Not easy with all the Big City noises—and smells—reminding me that I'm here. In Oz. And I should be heading back to the Emerald City for my next class.

The crosswalk signal says wait, but there's a lull in the traffic and the native New-Yorkers are going for it. I take a step to follow, but stop dead when the girl in front of me lets go of her father's hand to point at the sky.

There's a half-rainbow hovering in the general direction of Zachary Academy.

Are you freaking kidding me?

My phone buzzes. Megan: I don't have time for an existential convo. If you have an actual problem, name it.

Okay, miss bossy britches. You asked for it. I type: My name is Dorothea. I live with my Aunt Emily. And because of a tornado, I'm going to a school that's called Oscar Zachary (note the initials). My new friends are: Conner AKA Scarecrow. Chase TINsley AKA "the heartless It boy." And Paige LYONS, who is agoraphobic.

My phone rings. "Sorry to bother you," I tell her. "But..."

"Mother of shit."

"Exactly. Conner and I just figured it all out and I'm more than a little freaked out right now—I'm questioning everything. It's hard to brush this off as a coincidence, right? It's too much, too many. There's got to be a reason. Isn't that what your mom would say? Something I'm supposed to learn or do?"

"Maybe. But right now—while you're so freaked out—is not the time to try and figure that out. Let it sit with you for a few days."

"What if this is about Paige?" I ask. "Remember how I told you Conner is way smarter than everyone gives him credit for? And just today, Chase gave me a drawing he made for me. It's just like in the movie! The Scarecrow always had a brain, the Tin Man already had a heart—and Paige is brave but I don't think she realizes it. Maybe I have to help her with that before I can come home."