The autumn breeze was chilly and uninviting, carrying with it the promise of an early winter as it blew across the bus station, irritating the lone soul occupying the bench nearby.
Shannon Beveridge wiped at her reddening nose. She could already feel the early symptoms of a cold creeping into her, and it did nothing but dampen her sour mood even further.
"Damn...as if running back home with my tail between my legs wasn't punishment enough."
The brunette knew that she was being a coward, and the townsfolk who had pegged her as nothing more than a delinquent would see this as an opportunity to gloat...and they'd be right. She didn't get through college like she thought. Or rather...she couldn't...
Shannon sighed, staring at the mural on the station wall depicting the town of St. Lucius in an awfully...inaccurate light. The painting itself was fairly new, and Shannon guessed that it must have been put up less than two years ago, as it wasn't there when she left. The obnoxious colors and desperate attempt to stand out amidst the drab gray was working, and it was damn near impossible to miss.
Shannon scoffed, reading the description that had been so neatly set underneath the painting. "Welcome to St. Lucius, where hopes and dreams come to fruition......" She shook her head. "Seriously? How much cheesier can they get?"
Stepping away from the painting, Shannon checked her watch. "Huh...8:34 PM. I guess the folks must have forgotten I was coming. Well, this is a great start." She reached into her pocket to fish out her phone, only to curse under her breath upon realizing that the battery was dead. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
Shannon squinted her eyes, peering into the darkness as she tried to get a glimpse of what she was searching for.
"Ah! There it is!"
Just a few feet away from her was what looked to be an old, rusted fence with a faded warning sign tacked onto it.
A smirk formed on Shannon's lips. "If that sign didn't stop me before, then it sure as hell won't stop me now!"
The area used to be a former playground. But the kids eventually grew up, some leaving town, others staying to support what was left of their diminishing community. As far as Shannon knew, her generation was probably one of the last to use the place. The playground...lost its purpose.
Now, folks just use it as a shortcut to get to places, and today was no different. Shannon ran towards the old fence at full speed, gaining momentum before she launched herself towards the top, her lithe build easily being able to hold on and just scale the rest of the way up.
However, just as she was about to jump down to the other side, a blinding flash of light caught Shannon off-guard.
"Argh! The fuck?!" Instinctively, Shannon raised her arms up to block the light from her face. Unfortunately for her, it also meant losing her balance, and the young woman soon found herself hitting the ground with a hard thud. "Well....shit."
"Huh? Shannon? Is that you?"
Shannon sat up slowly, her body throbbing from the fall. "Yeah, it's me...and just who the hell are you supposed to be?" The voice was certainly familiar, but it was too dark to see, and Shannon just couldn't bring herself to care at the moment. She was having a shitty night.
"Wow, way to be an ass! It's me! Vanessa! Remember? Childhood friend? Tit to your nipple?!"
The woman aimed the flashlight at her own face, and sure enough, Vanessa's cocky grin and messy black mane of hair came into view. "Recognize me now Lil Bev?"
Now THAT was a nickname Shannon hadn't heard in a while. For the first time since she'd gotten back, the young woman finally felt some of the tension leave her body. "Ness! I can't believe it...and who are you calling an ass when that damn light nearly killed me?!"
Vanessa let out a hearty laugh, extending her hand out towards Shannon and helping her up. "Hey, just doing my job you know? You could've been an actual threat for all I knew."
"Your job?" At her friend's admission, Shannon finally decided to take a closer look at Vanessa. Even without the flashlight, the uniform she wore was distinguishable as Shannon's vision adjusted better to the darkness. Once her brain got through processing it, Shannon's ocean blue eyes widened in disbelief. "Dude...a cop? Like an actual cop?"
"Yup." Vanessa's grin grew even wider. "Shocking isn't it?"
"Of course it is! You hated cops Ness! You were delinquency personified!"
"Pfft! Look who's talking!" Vanessa laughed again, the infectious sound eventually getting to Shannon, who ended up joining in. Their laughter echoed across the night, a sound that had been rather uncommon for the otherwise quiet town in a long time.
"Ah, man," Vanessa wiped a tear from her eye. "It's great to have you back Shan, I mean it."
As Shannon's own laughter dissolved into soft chuckles, she pulled Vanessa in for a hug, which the other woman happily accepted. "I wasn't sure about coming back you know? Hell, even now....still wondering if I made the right decision, but...seeing as you're still here...well, guess it's a step in the right direction."
Vanessa nodded, pulling away from her best friend and scratching the back of her head. "I won't lie Shannon...a lot has changed in these past two years since you've been gone. Honestly, happy as I am that you've actually come back, if I were in your place....I probably wouldn't have set foot in this town ever again...." She watched for Shannon's reaction out of the corner of her eye. Upon seeing her fidget, Vanessa quickly added, "Though I'm sure you have your reasons..." She wasn't about to pry. Shannon would tell her when she was ready.
"Ah, you're probably pretty tired dude." A change of subject was for the best. "Come on, I'll give you a ride home...unless you want to spend your first night back in jail for trespassing!"
"Ha! I think that badge of yours isn't helping your giant ego." Shannon dodged a punched Vanessa threw her way, cackling as she did so.
"Watch it Beveridge! Or I'm withdrawing that offer for a ride!"
"Okay, okay!" Shannon put her hands up in mock surrender.
The two friends made their way towards Vanessa's police car, bumping shoulders the entire way.
__________
It certainly felt like home again, and on the surface, it was as if Shannon just stepped back in time, and everything was the same as when she had left. But deep down, she knew better. Something still felt off, though she didn't dare share her more cynical thoughts with Vanessa. It was like...a desperate scream from far away. Something big was coming, and it was going to be fucking painful, but she couldn't do shit to stop it, like some helpless bystander...
"Shannon! Yo!"
A hand waving in front of her face snapped Shannon out of her train of thought. It took her a second to realize that she was inside a moving car...
"Uh, sorry, I must have spaced out."
"You think?"
"Hey, come on, I said it was my bad Ness. What was it you were saying?"
"I was SAYING that Ally started working for that new grocery store that opened last year...what was it? 'Turkish Delights' or something like that..."
"Whoa, Ally is working again is she? Does that mean that her dad made it through that stroke?"
"Yeah, I don't think he'll ever be tip top again, but after some physical therapy, at least he can get around the house by himself now. He needs a cane, but I still say it's better than having his life snuffed out completely."
"Shit Ness...the medical expenses though..."
"Tch, you're telling me. Ally needed to find work fast. Her mom was getting buried alive by the bills. It's been a stressful couple of years for them both."
Shannon stared out the window, her brows knitting together in frustration. Vanessa really wasn't kidding...a lot of shit seemed to have happened during her absence. "Is Stevie still with her at least?"
A small smile edged its way onto Vanessa's face. "Yeah. If anything, the two of them have just gotten closer because of it all. Lady Luck may have kicked Ally to the curb...but Stevie never did."
"That's good...that's good." Shannon found herself at a loss for words. She was genuinely happy for them, but all this talk about old friends....they were encroaching a topic she wasn't quite ready to take on. But she felt it coming....
"....Camden is a pianist over at the bar now...."
And there it was.
"....."
"....."
"...How long?"
"About six months now...."
"They still call it Hero's Hearth?"
"Yeah, I doubt they'd change that. Been that way since forever."
"...Stupid question, I know."
"....."
"....."
A sigh.
"You're bound to run into her eventually Shan...it's a small ass town where everybody knows your name! 'Member?"
"I get it Ness." Shannon was getting irritated and uncomfortable. She wasn't in the right state of mind for this.
Vanessa pressed on one more time. "Since I know you're going to be hanging around Ally and Stevie, then you'll DEFINITELY see her for sure. The three of them are almost always seen together. Find your spine Lil Bev. No running."
"Running is the only thing I'm actually good at..."
"Dude...don't sell yourself short. You know what I mean anyway."
"Yeah...yeah, I know."
Vanessa placed a comforting hand on Shannon's shoulder, squeezing it gently. There really wasn't much else she could do.
"Welcome home."