Ryan Sterling pulled into the gravel parking lot of Eugene Porter’s “Equine”. The old horse barn was renovated several years ago and converted into a large venue for everything ranging from weddings to funerals. Tonight, it was rented out to the high school to celebrate Liberation Day and to support the football team’s successful off season training session; resulting in several of the varsity members getting scouted by universities nationwide.
When Ryan received the phone call that he was selected as one of the few that were given full ride scholarships, he couldn’t help but tell everyone. He had spent years playing the game, hoping that one day he would earn the right to become a professional.
Despite having little money due to being out of work from the Longshoreman strike, his father insisted that they celebrate the good news. That was a week ago, and that night was amazing. For the first time in several months he saw his father smile. It was like the stress of the strike had melted away.
As he thought of that night he began to smile.
“Whats with the cheesy grin?” Michelle asked, a slight smile on her face. Ryan looked over at her. She had recently moved to Purgatory from another state last May. He spent the summer trying to build up the courage to ask her out; and that phone call boosted his confidence enough to ask.
Meeting her eyes, his grin became even more cheesy. “Nothing, just thinking.” He said putting the car in park and turning off the ignition.
“Oh yeah,” She replied with mock surprise, “About what?” she asked.
He was happy to be here with her. But how did he tell her that without coming across as some kind of weirdo. He had just asked her out last week, and he didn’t know if he could consider this an actual first date. But seeing her smile like that made his heart race.
Sure, it had only been a few months since he and Tanya broke up … again. Enough time had passed and Michelle seemed different. He was still riding that feeling of excitement, everything seemingly going right in his life for once.
Leaning against the center console, he tried his best to flirt. Apparently he had failed, because before he could speak she began to laugh.
“What?” He asked, trying to hide his insecurity with a laugh.
“Did you practice the Chad face in the mirror before you picked me up, or does it just come naturally?” She asked, laughing as she spoke.
He was taken aback by her comment. He wasn’t offended, but he didn’t think he had made a face.
“There!” She said, pointing at him. “You did it again.” She said, the smile on her face growing by the second. That was when he noticed for the first time that she had dimples.
Apparently that revelation made his “Chad” face worse, because she laughed harder. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her phone and turned on the camera. “Here, look!” She said, switching to the front facing camera and handing him the phone.
Taking it from her, he looked into the camera and sure enough he was giving a pretty good Chad impression, making him join her in laughing.
After a moment, he handed her the phone. He was about to get out of the car when she grabbed his arm and pulled him close.
“Oh no you don’t” she said, leaning in. She held the phone out in front of them and began to smile for a selfie. He took this as a good sign, moving in closer so that he was in the photo too.
“Something to remember the night.” She said after taking the photo. Looking down at the phone she frowned for a second.
Ryan didn’t have time to respond to her change of demeanor before the car began to rock and a loud thunderous noise filled the car.
Turning to see what was happening, Ryan saw Troy and several other players from the team rocking his car or pounding their fists against the body.
Seeing their excitement, Ryan looked over at Michelle. “Hang on a sec.” he said. Just as he finished, the driver’s door flung open and some of the players began to pull him out of the car.
“Boy, where have you been?” Troy asked. “I had to pick up my date for the night.” Ryan replied, that big grin back on his face. “You’re date?” Troy asked, feigning surprise.
“Yes.” Ryan said, walking around the front of the car to open Michelle’s door. Leaning into the car and seeing Michelle. “Are you on a date with this guy?” he asked, sarcasm dripping in his voice.
Michelle laughed as Ryan opened her door. Taking his hand she stood up, then turned and faced Troy. “Yeah, I guess I am.” She replied, giving Ryan a flirty side eye.
“Well, just be sure to blink twice if you’re hear against your will.” Troy replied, laughing at his own joke before getting punched in the arm by his sister.
“Ignore him.” Willow said as she pushed Troy away from the car, followed by the rest of the team as they made their way to the Equine center.
Michelle reached for Ryan’s hand and slid her fingers between his. “So,” She asked, opening her phone’s photo app and bringing up the selfie photo for Ryan to see. “Just who exactly is Ryan Sterling that he has friends like this?” handing him the phone he looked at the selfie of him and Michelle … and Troy, Willow and the rest of the team in the background.
Looking closer at the photo he noticed that one of the players had dropped their pants and pressed their cheeks against the back glass of the car.
“Seriously!” He said, only to receive jeers in as a response. “I hate you Zack!” he shouted.
Handing her the phone back she sheepishly said, “Sorry about that. They can get carried away.”
She chuckled then said, “Nothing to be sorry about.”
They followed the rest of the team through the barn doors and were immediately greeted with enthusiastic shouts from those already there.
The three headed mascot modeled after Cerberus escorted the players to the front of the hall and toward a makeshift stage. Troy strutted to the front of the room, beating his chest and shouting as he went.
To her surprise, Michelle was also escorted onto the stage by Willow and the rest of the cheerleader squad. Not knowing what to do, she awkwardly smiled and tried to fit in.
Looking over his shoulder to her, Ryan mouthed the word Sorry.
The team stood on the stage, enjoying the applause from the student body before Coach Hastings took the stage silencing the crowd.
Coach Hastings gave a rousing speech about how hard the team had trained, how proud he was of the players and how the upperclassmen had been scouted by major universities. He called each player by name, having them step forward as he spoke on which colleges had sought them out, and the scholarships each had earned from their efforts on and off the field.
He finished by having those present raise their fists high and proclaiming that the team with “Give 'em Hell” when he spoke of the upcoming season.
The room erupted into shouts and celebration once the coach dismissed the players to join the rest of the students and enjoy the festivities.
Ryan walked over to Michelle and reached for her hand before leaving the stage. Looking up, he noticed Tanya standing near the steps, the look of anger on her face reminded him of the look his sister’s cat gave people that “Bothered” her.
He decided he wasn’t going to let her ruin his night, and continued to walk past her.
Later in the night, Ryan and Michelle were sitting around the large circular fire pit on the south porch of the barn, telling stories with the football team, being loud and obnoxious as they relived tales growing up together while Zack played an acoustic guitar that he brought with him.
Michelle got up and headed to the restroom with Willow, leaving Ryan with the rest of the team.
Zack stopped playing the guitar and said loud enough for the others to hear, “Heads up Man, here comes Tanya.”
Before he could react, Tanya came and stood next to Ryan; glaring at Zack as she did.
“What do you want Tanya?” Ryan asked, not wanting to deal with her.
“Can we talk?” She asked, extending her hand for Ryan to take it ,turning her back to the rest of the group; earning her a not so muffled “Rude!” from Troy.
Ryan leaned back in his Adirondack chair, making it clear he had no intention of taking her hand. “We have nothing to talk about.” He said, annoyance evident in his voice.
She rolled her eyes and gave him a pleading look. “Please.” She asked, her eyes searching his.
“Don’t do it man.” Zack said mockingly
Ryan didn’t take his eyes off of her, refusing to engage with her dramatics. He could tell all night that she was just inside his periphery, looking over at him and the group as they celebrated. He saw her dirty looks, and how she pretended to be interested in Ian Jacobs. He knew how she thought, and he had enough of it.
“Tanya, I’m seriously not about to do this with you again.” He said, the annoyance in his voice turning to frustration.
Not taking No as an answer, Tanya sat down in Michelle’s chair and leaned over to him. “We really need to talk Ryan,” She said, that old look of belittlement back on her face. “You need to stop acting like a child and talk to me.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow at that comment. He knew their old relationship had been “toxic” but it wasn’t until he had been away from her for the summer that the reality of it set in.
“How am I acting like a child?” he asked, realizing only after he had spoken that he once again fell for her trap.
“You’re not being rational. You never let me explain what happened and jumped to conclusions. Instead of talking to me about it, you chose to let your feelings, and your friends talk you into leaving. And now you show up with some random blonde bimbo and expect me to just be silent about it?”
Ryan couldn’t believe his ears. She was really trying to pin the whole breakup on him instead of what she did. She needed serious help.
Leaning forward in his chair he replied, “One, There was no misunderstanding. You didn’t accidentally hook up with Kevin Anderson. Two, I’m done talking with you about this and I shouldn’t have to explain why I’m done. And Three, Shelly isn’t a blonde bimbo.”
“No, shes a blonde bombshell!” Zack said with excitement after realizing that he just found a great nickname for her. Troy, just about spit out his drink when her heard Zack. “Yo!” he replied, purposely being antagonistic toward Tanya as he spoke. “Bomb Shell!” He said, earning enthusiastic laughter from the rest of the team and their dates.
Tanya looked away, her eyes red and watery as she looked daggers at Troy and Zack. Ryan knew that the tears were fake; she even confessed to him in the past that she learned how to do that when she was younger; he even witnessed it first hand when she faked them to get out of a speeding ticket.
“You need to leave,” Ryan said as he leaned back in his chair. “Shelly will be back soon and you’re in her seat.”
Tanya shot him an angry look, glowering for a moment before standing up.
“Call me when you’re ready to talk.” She said, storming off.
Zack played an angry tune on the guitar as she left, earning him a hate filled “Grow up!” from Tanya in reply. Zack laughed it off before playing an actual song once more.
Ryan decided not to mention what had happened to Michelle. Luckily for him, the others didn’t want to bring it up either. Zack and Troy did mention that they had a new nickname for Michelle when she returned from the restroom.
“Bomb Shell huh,” She said, looking over at Ryan with a smirk. “I like it.” She said.
As the celebration continued, the sun began to set being in a cool breeze for some relief from the intense heat of summer. But as the darkness of night took over from the light of day, a brilliant light appeared in the sky, its sudden appearance drawing Ryan’s eyes away from Michelle’s. As he looked, the light became many, fire streaking behind them like shooting stars.
Michelle, following his gaze saw them as well. The angle of the lights appearing shallow from where they were sitting, as though they were headed straight toward them.
Ryan stood, taking Michelle’s hand in his as he prepared to run. Troy and the others finally noticed the lights, they too standing.
But as they looked, the sky lit up with brilliant blues and reds from fireworks. Startled, Ryan lost sight of the lights in the glare of the vivid colors of the display.
It took him longer than he had hoped to track the lights again, noticing that they flew close overhead, falling under the height of the fireworks. Their fiery trails finally gaining the attention of everyone at the event.
With screams and panic, the Equine began to evacuate. However, Ryan couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the lights. For a brief moment, he felt their heat as they flew overhead; the intense temperature reminding him of the torch he used in his metalworking class.
With a dull THOOM the closest light impacted nearby, shaking the earth as they made landfall.
“Looks like it hit near the Hell Hole!” Zack shouted excitedly. “Come on, lets check it out!” He said, not really realizing what he was suggesting.
Looking up at him, Michelle smiled. “Is this the kind of things I should expect from date with you?” she asked.
Ryan smiled back, the adrenaline rushing through his veins. “Maybe.” He said, no longer sure if it was the impact that caused his heart to race; or if it was her hand squeezing his.
“Do you want to check it out?” He, like Zack; not thinking as he asked her. Looking in the direction of the impact, she took a deep breath before turning back to him. “Yeah, let’s check it out.”
——————————//———————————
“That was the last time I saw either of them.” Troy told Chief Presley. “That was what, about three days ago?” Presley asked Troy.
“Yes sir.” Troy answered, looking out the window of Presley’s office toward the Hell Hole.
Seeing Troy’s demeanor change, Presley stood and walked over to Troy, placing his hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry son. We’ll find you’re friends. You have my word.”