Yearbook Reunion

Chapter 3: A Secret Is Found

    Chapter 3: A Secret Is Found

     It was dark and late out.  The moon was shining its glorious rays. It was raining slightly. The rain softly kissed the windows facing our booth. The moonlight was a beautiful scenery in this town. Especially when it rains. I heard a thunder a few miles away. Lightning would soon be striking.  It was about 7:30 p.m. and we were still in the ice cream parlor.

     "Its getting late. We should probably leave now. They're closing up," Amanda whined. I looked around. Surely, the janitors were cleaning up and the waiters were taking off their classical diner outfit. They were laughing and having a ball.

     It's weird because people should be happy and stress-free when the sun shines, but no. They laugh and enjoy their lives when it rains. Then, they get stressed over the happy mood the sunlight brings us. It's something I will never understand. What is this world coming to?

     "OK. come on girls. We have to go. Your parents might be worried," I sighed. We were having such a great time, that I lost track of time.

     We got outside and ran towards my car. My mom brought my car earlier so we wouldn't all have to walk home at night. She drove off with her co-worker. I never bring an umbrella the day I need it most, which sucks. When we got in, I made sure that Josh, Riley, Amanda, and Jacquelyn were behind me in Jacquelyn's car. We decided to skip the mall since it was too late out and it was raining.

     After dropping off Alice's friends, we headed straight to my house. The ride home was filled with annoyance and giggles from Alice's friends. They were annoying the crap out of me, so I sped at one point and ended up almost getting a ticket. Luckily, Amanda used her "charm" to get me out of getting a ticket.

     As soon as we got home, Alice rushed to tell my mom that I almost got a ticket. She never grounded me because she knew I wouldn't make that mistake again. 

     After my mom put Alice to sleep, all six of us headed to my room. My room was pretty cool. Instead of a bed, I purposely got a futon so that it can be a couch and a bed at the same time. It took up too much space and money for a couch and a bed, so I got a futon. My walls were a lemon frost color that I adore considering the fact that I like to bake. The lemon frost color reminded me of frosting.

     Everyone attacked my bean bag arena and after much deciding, Adrian and I sat on my futon. "So, Amanda, what did you do to the cop?" I asked slyly. Everyone laughed knowing that she ended up giving him a little "boob action".

     We chilled for a few minutes after we came from the diner. We were laughing and talking about embarrassing moments from school and confessions.

"Ok, so your turn Amber," Riley said getting all too comfortable in my bean bag chair.

"Ok, well I'm kind of scared to go in my basement," I said quietly hoping nobody would hear me and continue the confession game.

"Bullshit!" Jacquelyn said loudly. Everyone had a shocked expression on their face. They knew I've been living for a few years and the basement is part of my own house. I mean, what owner is scared to enter a part of their house? I guess they have the right to be shocked.

"Nope. I honestly am terrified to go in the basement."

"Well, you obviously know what we're gonna do, right?" Riley got up with a not-so-pleasant smile on his face.

Fuck.

"Ugh, great." I rolled my eyes as they dragged my unwilling body to the basement.

     The basement was small but big enough to fit all of us in there. The only person that's been in there was my mom. Alice and I, both, were terrified of this place.

     I stepped in and pulled the string to turn on the light bulb that was in the middle of the room. The basement was overcrowded with old memories that were threatened to be thrown out. There were Christmas decorations, my dad's things, and memories when I was a kid.

     "Looks like you guys haven't been in here in awhile," Jacquelyn said.

     "Ya," I replied shortly. Even though the light was on, the basement still had this darkness to it. It felt uncomfortable and the place was covered in dust. The only thing we really came down here for was for the Christmas decorations. Otherwise, we stay out of the basement.

     I looked at a photo on the shelf. It was a photo of my dad and I when I was about four. My dad had died in a car accident a few months back. I was still grieving over the fact that someone purposely killed him. In other words, he was murdered. The killer left a note in the car saying, "Mr. Holden did not die by accident. It was for a reason and a good one too."

     Adrian came over to me and placed the photo down. Then he hugged me and I felt like that hug would last forever. It felt so good. Adrian knew what I was going through. His mother died in a car accident too but they never caught the other person who crashed into her. He was also close to my father.

     Now that I realize it, we all had a parent that died. Most of them died in car accident. Others died in a mysterious way that not even the cops could've figured out who or what caused the deaths.

     I broke the hug and we continued looking around. I found a container that had huge handwriting in the front. It said, "Marianna's High School Memories." Marianna was my mom's first name.

     "Hey guys, look at this," I gestured them to come. Then, I pulled out the box and opened it. There were photos, cards, and yearbooks.

     "Looks like ancient shit," Riley said. I punched him slightly. I picked up a yearbook. It was the yearbook from the year my mom and dad graduated. They were high school sweethearts.

     We searched through each page. My mom and dad were prom king and queen. I was shocked. They never told me that they were popular in high school. As a matter of fact, they never really told me anything from their high school years.

     When I flipped the page, I found Josh, Adrian, Jacquelyn, Amanda, and Riley's parents in there.

     "I never knew our parents went to school together," Jacquelyn said.

     "Neither did I," Josh replied.

     "I don't think none of us did or else we would have mentioned it," I said.

     "But why keep it a secret then?" Jacquelyn asked.

     "Maybe they forgot that they went to school together?" Amanda said to try to ease the confusion in all of us.

     Everyone fell silent. Everyone was lost in their thoughts that were filled with confusion.