Chapter 23

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by janello33

by janello33

Rachel had finally gotten a chance to talk to Sean as a group of old high school friends had made a loose circle to the side of the church auditorium. From her perch between her parents she took her leave to join them. The conversation was casual. Even though they were in a circle it was clear that Sean was at the head of this group. Everyone attempting to steer the conversation away from grief.

A flashback of years gone by as Rachel watched the guys punch at each other in the kidneys, and the girls laugh at things that weren't even remotely funny to appease the guys. Why did this have a party feel to it? She wondered at what point people started to act normal at funerals and realized she had just left a scathing conversations with her parents and their friends about Rita and how she was a terrible cheat at bingo and cards.

"Where are you now?" Rachel snapped to attention as the girl from high school on her right smiled at her, rhubarb punch in hand. "Oh I'm a nurse now. I've been at St. Joe's now for," she had to think back, "jeez almost seven years now." "Must be nice to have made it out of here?" the girl continued. "Well I didn't make it too far. I mean I went to university, but I only live like half an hour from here." "Well I never left," the girl shrugged and sipped her punch.

Someone excused themselves and the circle of old friends shrank to fill the void. Rachel was now side by side with Sean. He was holding court with "remember when" stories and everyone nodded along adding details here and there to prove that they were there. Rachel typically hated these walks down high school memory lane, but needed one right now to make the connection with Sean she had been desperately waiting for.

"Ok ok, Sean was rolling into a new story just as he wrapped his last one, "Remember when we went on the grade 10 ski trip and Andy decided he was a world class snowboarder and he went off that tiny little jump and broke both his wrists!" Andy laughed along, "The beginning and end of my snowboarding career!" "Wow," Rachel thought, "we're really reaching back for these stories now."

The group thought the story was over, since most of us were there and remembered, but Sean wasn't done. "Ya," he laughed, "You came back to school with those lame ass casts on both arms." "Yep," Andy agreed, "I remember." "You couldn't even hold your own dick to pee." Andy nodded again, "Yep, not that ever bugged me about it." Andy's cool dry tone won him some laughs was Sean was not to be undone. "You remember who I said could hold it for you?"

The group went quiet. Andy squirmed a bit in his spot before he spotted someone outside the group. "I'd love to keep talking about my dick, but I gotta go," and discretely left the group. The girl beside me sighed, "Andy's so funny." The conversation had gone stagnant and the crowd in the auditorium was starting the thin out.

"Do you ever go to The Beef?" It took me a second to realize that Sean was talking to me. "Um oh ya, sure, sometimes," Rachel stammered. The truth was she hadn't been to The Beef in ages, and she wasn't really sure why she was pretending like she had. "Some of us guys are going Saturday to like properly catch up and stuff if you wanna come?" "Ya sure," Rachel said a little to eagerly. "What time? Like just meet you there or..."

It didn't feel like he was asking her on a date, but who knew where it could lead. "Like ten," he shrugged. Bring some of your nurse friends, "It'll be fun." "Ok," Rachel said as she saw her parents starting to get up from their table. "I'll see you Saturday then," she said to Sean and the rest of the lingering group. Before she joined her parents she gave Sean a hug, "It'll be good to catch up," knowing full well The Beef wasn't a place you went for conversation. Now that she was close to him the sour smell of alcohol wafted from his breath.

Two days later she was back on shift filling everyone in with details from the funeral. Even though people hadn't known Art or his family personally, the crash was still a big enough story for everyone to be interested. There were so many angles and she chose each one carefully depending on who she was discussing it with. The heat, the attendance, the music and flowers, Janice almost driving her scooter into the grave and knocking the casket over. It wasn't until she was back on her floor with her closest nurse friends that she discussed Sean and her plans to meet him this upcoming weekend.

"You picked up at a funeral?" Angela teased passing her a clipboard. "Well it's not like I intended to." Total lie but Rachel hoped she sounded genuine. "So do you want to come?" Rachel gave Angela an over exaggerated smile. "On your funeral date? No thanks!" Angela shook her head. "It's not a date date," Rachel explained, "a bunch of his guy friends are going to The Beef and he said to bring some friends and meet them there." Angela titled her head back and forth a few times pretending to contemplate. "Ya sure I'm in, unless I find my own date down in the morgue." "You're a shit," Rachel threw a pen at her. "You are literally a grave robber," Angela said as she threw the pen back.

A few hours later Rachel pulled her hair back into a messy bun at the nurses' station. "I'm taking my break," she said looking at her watch. The other nurses didn't say anything, so she headed toward the elevator to head down to the cafeteria. The lobby was bright and bustling with people, but she could hear someone clearly calling her by name.

"That's strange," she thought as she realized the voice calling her was Marnie. She didn't think Marnie ever looked up from her book enough to notice who was coming or going. "What's up?" "There was a cop in looking for you?" Marnie whispered as if this was scandalous news. "Oh really where," Rachel scanned the room. "Not today," Marnie was annoyed pushing her glasses up on her nose, "yesterday." "Did he leave a message or..." she trailed off waiting for Marnie. "No just asked if you were here," and then went back to her book.