"I don't wanna eat it," Mona said, looking up at her dad, "it looks...like it'd make my mouth angry."
"It's cereal, you like cereal," Wyatt said, uncapping the milk, preparing to pour it into the bowl. "Yeah but this is all weird. It has ridges. They feel bad on my tongue," Mona replied and Wyatt stopped. He thought for a moment, capped the milk back and up and put his hands on his hips. "How about Cheerios? Those are smooth," he said, and Mona nodded happily; he patted her on the head and said he'd be right back. Wyatt headed into the kitchen and looked through the cupboard, finding the frosted Cheerios just as the back door opened and Scarlett came in, surprising him. "I cannot believe this," she said. "What are you even doing up?" Wyatt asked, "When did you leave the house? It's Saturday, you never leave the house on Saturdays." "Priscilla called me this morning," Scarlett said, "she told me that she was doing a bake sale at the school, and when she went in to use the bathroom, she passed by the notice board and saw a typed message that said they would be removing my plaque in favor or something else." "What?!" Wyatt asked, now concerned, turning towards her. "I know, right?! So I got up, got dressed and ran down there to see for myself, and sure enough, yeah, they're pulling my plaque out this week to make room for some new plaque about diversity and togetherness and all that crap," Scarlett said, seating herself at the kitchen island on a stool. Wyatt smiled as he poured the milk into this new cereal bowl full of Cheerios. "You're such a thoughtful person," he said, making her chuckle. "You know what I mean. I'm all for diversity, I'm not racist, I just...that plaque was the only thing I had as any kind of legacy, and now it'll be gone forever." "You know you have two kids, right?" "Yeah but I can't just parade them around for respect," Scarlett said, "...come on, you know what I mean. Remember when I got it? It was such a big deal. I tore my tendon and didn't tell anyone, continued to do my cheerleading duties and then, right after the season ended, I wound up in the hospital for weeks. Had to get a cast and have surgery and everything. You came to visit me every day. That plaque was in dedication to my dedication to the team, to leadership and perseverance." Wyatt rubbed her back, standing behind her, cereal bowl in his other hand. He sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry baby, but these things happen," he said, "It's a shame they won't just let you take it." "Yeah," she whispered remorsefully. Wyatt exited, bringing the cereal to Mona, leaving Scarlett alone with her thoughts, which was the worst thing he could've done, because she had an awful thought. Her eyes brightened, and a grin broke out across her face as she began to sit up, a plan formulating inside her head. "...yeeeeah..." she said again, this time with eagerness. *** Wyatt knocked on the hospital door and entered slowly, holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand as he pressed his way into the room. Scarlett looked up from her magazine as she laid in the hospital bed and smiled upon seeing him. "Hiya," he said. "You brought flowers!" she said. "Actually I just stole them from another patients room, but it's the thought that counts," Wyatt said, making her laugh as he handed her the bouquet and then pulled a chair up beside her hospital bed and seated himself, continuing, "So, how long are you gonna be in here for?" "I have to have minor surgery, but otherwise it shouldn't be that long," Scarlett said, "Might have to be in a wheelchair for a few weeks while it heals." "Maybe I'll get one, and we can race," Wyatt said, making her crack up; he grinned and scratched his head, asking, "...are you doing okay though?" "Yeah, I'm...I'm fine, honestly," Scarlett said, "I'm better now that I have company." "What're you reading?" Wyatt asked, leaning back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head. "Uh, it's an article about how to please your man," Scarlett said, picking the magazine back up. "Oh, just what I need help with!" Wyatt said, the both of them laughing. *** "I cannot believe you talked me into this," Wyatt said as they sat in the parking lot of the high school, watching it carefully, waiting for the time to get just right and everyone started to leave; he continued, "This is...this is a crime, plain and simple, you're making me an accessory to a crime, and I know women like to accessorize but this is ridiculous." "Shut up," Scarlett said, chuckling, "This is important to me. I put my heart and soul into cheerleading, and I can't just let them take that away from me. It's one of the only things I really have to be proud of." "Again, two kids," Wyatt said, holding up two fingers and wiggling them. "You know what I mean, aren't you, like, proud of the work you do?" she asked, and Wyatt stopped, thought for a moment, and bit his lip. "No, I'm really not," he said, "If anything I'm disgusted." "Well, what about what you managed to do for the baseball team?" Scarlett asked, "Remember all the effort you put into the team? You were the star pitcher! They admired you. You were considered their most important teammate. They wouldn't have made it without you, just like the cheerleading team wouldn't have made it without me." "...yeah, I guess I get that," Wyatt said, "It's true, I was a major part of that team." "I don't ask for much," Scarlett said, "I'm happy with what we have, and I love our life, but...this means a lot to me, Wyatt. I don't know if I can explain it. It's what made my mom proud of me. She was a cheerleader too, and...and I don't know, she was really proud of what I managed to accomplish, just like her." Wyatt smiled warmly and leaned across the car, kissing her cheek. "I'm proud of you too," he said, "Not just for that, but for everything you do. Every day you help raise two kids, and you keep this little family of ours going and it means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me. I just want you to be happy, and if this'll make you happy, then yeah, I'll help you steal your plaque." Scarlett blushed and watched her husband scout the area with their binoculars. She couldn't believe she'd gotten so lucky to have found a man like Wyatt Bloom. Her mother had had such a rocky marriage, and then a questionable second marriage, that it made Scarlett worry if she'd ever manage to find true happiness, but she had, and she couldn't be more thankful for it. Sure, she knew that, deep down, she should recognize that the real gift in her life was her family, and she did recognize that. But that didn't stop her from wanting her plaque. *** Scarlett hugged the soft plush bunny Wyatt had brought her as he pushed her down the hall in her wheelchair. They weren't going anywhere in particular, he was just taking her for a small ride around the hospital so she wouldn't be so cooped up in that little room all the time. "Don't you have, like, homework to be doing?" Scarlett asked. "Naw, I'll just pay some nerd to do it," Wyatt said, "Besides, hanging out with you is way more fun than homework." "You didn't have to come every day," Scarlett said, sounding almost embarrassed. "Yes I did," Wyatt said, slowing down as they passed by a long series of windows in the hallway that overlooked an enormous garden, adding, "It isn't fair for you to be in here by yourself with nothing to do. I wanna keep you company." "I have my parents stop by, and other friends," Scarlett said, "I don't wanna monopolize your time." "Like I have anything better to do," Wyatt said. After a few moments of going by the windows slowly, Scarlett pushed some of her hair back behind her ear and lowered her voice. "...but would you still be here even if I'd be in this wheelchair forever? Like...let's say that I was in some horrible accident and now I'm in this chair for the rest of my life, would you still be here? Would you still like me as much as you do now?" Wyatt stopped pushing the chair and came around it, kneeling in front of her and holding her hands. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with being handicapped, and yeah, you're still you, even if your legs didn't work," Wyatt said, "why...why would you even ask that?" "I guess cause some of the boys I've dated have only seemed interested in my looks, and what I can bring them as a social status," Scarlett said, "Like, it's all about physicality with them. I'm a cheerleader, I'm popular, so they use me as some kind of trophy. I guess I just was curious if you'd still like me even if I couldn't walk." "Scarlett, that's ridiculous," Wyatt said, "your legs, nice as they are, are not your entire person. You're more than just your beauty, and any guy who doesn't see that is an idiot. Okay, I admit it, I've dated girls before simply because they were pretty, but I always wound up finding things I really genuinely liked about them after a while. But with you, it's been the opposite. I found you were really funny and nice first, and only after a while did it begin to dawn on me just how pretty you were." Scarlett blushed as Wyatt reached up and put his hand on her cheek. "I really like you, Scar," Wyatt said, "even if you resemble Steven Hawing." She laughed as he leaned in and kissed her, and she kissed him back. Yes, she'd fallen for Wyatt Bloom long before, but this was the moment she realized she was going to spend the rest of her life with this man, for better... ...or for worse. *** The door opened easily enough with some force, and Wyatt and Scarlett made their way inside the school. Walking down the halls in the dark, with only a flashlight to guide them, something made Wyatt nervous. He shivered as he handed Scarlett the flashlight and crowbar and zipped up his windbreaker. "Boy it's creepy in here," he said. "God, it seemed like we'd be here forever," Scarlett said as they passed by a row of lockers and she reached out, touching her fingers to them, running them along as they walked on by, saying, "I just couldn't fathom one day not being in school, even though I knew it was inevitably an eventuality." "I'm so glad to be out of here," Wyatt said, "This place was hell. I mean, it was certainly easier for kids like us, who were well liked, popular, but...it still was awful. I do not look forward to our kids being in high school, especially Mona. Ever since her diagnosis, I've had to re-examine every aspect of our lives and make sure nothing makes her uncomfortable, and high school is unrelenting and the kids are monsters." "Not much different from adults, in all honesty," Scarlett said, spinning the crowbar in her hand. "You know what I mean. They find the one kid with the worst handicap and they just latch onto them and torture them for the next 4 years, and I don't want Mona to go through that," Wyatt said, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets and looking at his shoes as they walked by, continuing with, "I just...I want her to be safe." "Wyatt, look," Scarlett said, hitting his arm and pulling his attention to a glass case wherein a slew of awards and photos and trophies were. "Wow," Wyatt said, "Look, there we are." "...are you dissatisfied with life? Like, when you look at yearbooks or come to reunions, are you ever unhappy with where you ended up instead of where you thought you'd end up?" Scarlett asked. "...not really, no. I mean, I...I'm not super pleased with my job a lot of the times, but as far as where I am, with you and the kids, I'm really happy. I'm exactly where I wanna be," Wyatt said, kissing her head and making her blush. "Alright, enough cute shit, let's smash this bitch," Scarlett said. "That's my girl," Wyatt said, as he stepped back and let her smash the glass around the enclosure before handing him the crowbar and letting him peel away at the plaque, attempting to free it from the shelf it was stuck to. After a few minutes, still struggling, Scarlett began to get giddy. "This is so exciting!" Scarlett said. "It is kinda exhilarating, yeah," Wyatt replied. "Let's make out when we get outta here," Scarlett said. "Don't gotta convince me," Wyatt said, finally tugging hard enough to lift the plaque from the shelf, grabbing it and tucking it under his arm as he took his wifes hand and the two of them raced down the hallway and out the front doors of the school back across the parking lot and into their car. "Gun it!" Scarlett shouted, and Wyatt did just that, the both of them laughing loudly and whooping as they made their getaway, Scarlett's plaque in tow. It was the first real 'crime' Wyatt or Scarlett had ever been involved in, but it wouldn't be the last. As they laid on the hood of the car in a field miles away, Scarlett hugging the plaque to her chest as they looked up at the night sky, she couldn't feel happier. "Thank you," she whispered. "Of course baby," Wyatt said, "you know I'd do anything for you." "Sometimes I think that's half the problem," Scarlett said, laughing, "I could talk you into anything." "You're really a liability, yes," Wyatt said, the both of them laughing now. They went quiet again for a while, watching the night sky, listening to the crickets chirping around them and the wind softly rustling the leaves of the nearby trees. "...I know it's just a plaque, and I know I have more to be thankful for, but...we're taught to obsess over youth and I can't let that go. This was my greatest achievement in academics, and it was in cheerleading of all things. I loved it, and I still do, please don't think I'm trying to diminish its importance by saying it wasn't math or science related or whatever. I just...other kids got scholarships, or they got honor roll, or they were valedictorian...but this...this was mine, and it was something I could be proud of." "You never have to explain yourself to me," Wyatt said, "I get it. I really do. It's important that we find things that mean a lot to us and hold onto them as tightly as we can, even if they are, by definition, ridiculous. People act like pride is some horrible act of vanity, when really its simply an act of respect towards ones self, something nobody seems to do anymore." "I love you," Scarlett said quietly, making him smile as he rolled onto his side on the hood of the car and kissed the side of her head. "I love you too," he said softly, "...can we go home? I like to pretend like I'm still young and limber, but lying on this thing is killing my back." Scarlett cracked up and they both slid off the hood, pulled the car doors open and slipped into the interior. After buckling their seatbelts, Wyatt started the car up and they drove home. When they got here, he took her upstairs and after she put the plaque on the bedside table, he made love to her. Scarlett couldn't imagine a more perfect evening, in all honesty. *** Scarlett woke up the next morning to an empty bed. When she rolled over, she found her plaque was gone, and she worried. She then noticed a piece of paper on the bedside table that simply read "downstairs" with a little heart drawn next to it. She got up, somewhat puzzled, and pulled on her pajamas, heading down the stairs where she stopped, noticing the plaque hung on the wall, and then saw Wyatt had made breakfast for everyone at the kitchen table. She stood there for a moment, simultaneously confused and surprised. Wyatt often made breakfast, but he never made a spectacle of it like he was doing this morning. Upon seeing her, he grinned and waved at her. "Good morning," he said happily, "We have something for you." He helped Mona get out of her chair and handed her another plaque, which Mona carried across the room and handed up to her mother. Scarlett took it and read it, tears forming in her eyes. "This plaque is dedicated to Scarlett, the best mother, wife and friend anyone could ever ask for, and for her amazing work in the line of duty," Scarlett read as she knelt down and hugged her daughter, "I love it, and I love you." "I love you too mom!" Mona said happily before racing back to the table to finish eating. Wyatt approached Scarlett and kissed her. "It's not the same, but I felt you deserved a new one," he said, "Now you got two to be proud of." He then led her to the table, where they all ate breakfast together, and, for the first time in a long time, Scarlett felt like part of a team again, and it made her happy. She had been the best cheerleader, but now she was the best mom and wife, and that was just as good. She'd lead this team to victory too, even if it meant taking some heat herself. She looked down at the plaque sitting on the table and she smiled again. She was so loved, and she felt that love fill her heart. Sitting there, eating and watching her family, Scarlett couldn't help but understand what Wyatt meant the other night. Yes, this was the place they were supposed to be, and she was happy to be here, all 5 of them. Wyatt, herself, their two kids and, of course, the little plush bunny that Mona now slept with, never knowing its origins, but loving it just as much as her mother had when Wyatt had given it to her back in high school.
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A group of former high school classmates reunite at their 10 year reunion, and discover they each want something different, many with someone else there. What ensues is a labyrinthian relationship amongst them involving crime, murder, romance and, in one particular case, terrorism. Archives
May 2024
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