Hallowed Halls

Nicole sighed as she walked through the old halls of Jefferson High School, home of the Cougars.

Each new hallway brought fond memories that caused her to sigh even deeper as they flooded her mind.

There was the janitor’s closet where she had been locked in for almost an entire day of school, before Mr. Henderson found her eventually. The principal had thought it to be a horrific experience for the freshman and had granted her the rest of the day off.

There was Mrs. Hollers class, where she had learned some of her greatest recipes and had even been able to weasel her way into the teacher’s good graces with her triple chocolate brownies.

There was the chemistry lab where Georgette Ferris had sent off the sprinkler system with the misfire of her Volcano and soaked the entire tenth grade class including a very disgruntled Mr. Reinstand.

There was the drinking fountain where she had first laid eyes on Joel McCall, the only boy who had captured her attention throughout three years of High School. Here, she froze, gazing longingly at the fountain that had been cornered off with caution tape and a laminated sign that read, “out of order” in big red letters.

She sighed longingly as if possibly staring long enough could cause the boy’s form to appear.

She wondered what had ever happened to him. Was he still playing basketball? Did he go to college? Had he gotten married yet? Maybe he already had a couple of kids by now.

She sighed again, walking past the old fountain and continued down the halls. Once she came upon the cafeteria, it almost took her breath away with just how spectacular it looked. Balloons and streamers in the Cougars green, black and white cascaded down from the high ceiling like a waterfall, while pictures of her graduating class were hung from strings in a zigzag pattern between the other decorations.

Suddenly, the deep green lighting sputtered and fizzled out, white lights replacing them instead.

“Lets give it a rest Charlie. We can figure it out in the morning,” a familiar voice said through the silence suddenly, sending a shiver down Nicole’s spine.

She’d know that voice anywhere.

“Ok Joel,” Charlie called back.

Nicole panicked for a moment, her mind trying to recall a good hiding place, but she was too late.

“Can I help you?”

A voice spoke behind her, causing Nicole to jump.

Joel chuckled before he began to apologize for scaring her, when he cut himself off mid-sentence.

“Nicole? Nicole Weatherton?”

“Yes?” She replied hesitantly.

“I thought you weren’t coming! Man! It’s so good to see you! What have you been up to?”

Nicole shrugged slightly, unsure if her tongue would work for her at the moment. Time had been more than kind to her high school crush, his brown hair and blue eyes just as beautiful as ever.

“We have GOT to catch up! Here, have a seat,” He said as he pulled out a metal chair from one the in-the-process-of-being-decorated tables making a dreadful screech against the tile floor.

As soon as Joel collapsed into his own chair, he was off, asking her questions about the past ten years and insisting that she relay to him every single minute detail which she did more than a little willing to oblige.

“What about you?” She found herself asking during a brief pause from Joel. He hummed thoughtfully, as he seemed to be searching for the right words.

“I got a full basketball scholarship in Florida, but I passed it up for one of the local colleges due to my mom’s cancer battle. I’m glad I did too, since she passed away that same year. But it’s ok, really!” He hurriedly added to keep Nicole’s obviously sorrowful expression from becoming worse.

“I never really have gotten over that, but I still keep going, holding onto her encouragement for me to not walk away from God even though He took her to Heaven,” he sighed deeply. “I think her death is what made me finally turn to God. Sounds kinda funny really. Death bringing me to Christianity! Man, I sound like a sap!” He chuckled, and the sound warmed her heart.

“Tell me more. If you don’t mind of course,” Nicole said, truly interested in this less-cocky, sweeter side of her crush.

“Not at all!”

Maybe this reunion hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.