Twice Burned

Zoe

My lunch with my mom didn't go as I had hoped. The beginning left me with an open wound in my heart after my mother's mention of my husband overseas. I would not be like her when Dad left. I would not worry if Tommy would die any second, assume the worst 24/7.

After lunch, I started to head home, when I got a call from an unknown number.

"Hello?" I answered after I removed my earmuffs.

"Zoe?" The person on the other line asked.

"Uh, yes, this is she. Who is this?" 

"Wow, don't even remember your best friend's name, don't ya?" The other person said. I was confused, until I heard the raspy tone of the voice.

"Harley?"

"This is she." I heard Harley say on the other side of the phone call.

My face lit up. "Harley! Hey, how are you?"

"I'm doing great, and in fact, I'm in the neighborhood, just got back from LA!" She said, sounding really enthusiastic. I wouldn't have been. Montana was a boring state for people like me.

"Really? How'd your little audition go?" I asked.

I could hear the rolling of Harley's eyeballs through the phone. "It's called a tryout, Zoe, and I think I did pretty good! There's a very good chance I could become a Spark for the WNBA team."

"Well good for you!" I said, turning a corner into my neighborhood cul-de-sac. 

"So, I know it's late, but do you mind having lunch with me in about twenty minutes?" She asked.

"Ooh, bad timing. I literally just got done having lunch with my mom at Vivra Verra's. How about dinner and dessert?" I laughed.

Harley chuckled through the phone. "Alright, Glitter-Wings. How about my place, 6:00?"

I shuttered at the nickname.

"Where even is your place, Har?" I asked, finally pulling into my driveway. "I thought you moved to LA when you went for your tryout."

"Oh, yeah, duh. Come to Plaza Hotel, I'll meet you in the lobby. You're going to just love the homemade TV-dinner microwaveable meals I'll have for us!"

"Mmm, mac-and-cheese and refried beans, coming up!" I said. 

"Great! See you then!" I heard Harley click off the phone and I turned off mine as I climbed out of my car and into the warm house. Once again, it was like the world had turned into a black-and-white movie inside my house.

---------------------------------

"Zoe Winkle, is that you?" Harley exclaimed when I walked into the Plaza Hotel lobby. I was surprised as well, seeing Harley tall as a tree with one side of her head shaved. She wore long black yoga pants and a purple tank-top, looking like she had just walked down to meet me. Her legs were so long I thought I could stand next to them and still be shorter than them.

I smiled and walked over to give her a hug, which she greatly accepted.

"Harley!" I said, giving her a tight squeeze around her neck. I hadn't seen her since Tommy was deployed and she moved to LA to get a basketball contract. It had been too long.

"It's so good to see you, Zoe!" She said, letting go and taking my hands. 

"You too, Harley!" I replied, looking her up and down. "You got a growth spurt, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I grew like a weed, you know?" She said. I smiled and followed her to the elevators to go up to her room. 

Five minutes later, she was getting her key card out from her pocket and shoved it into the lock, but before she opened it, she looked to me.