Weeping Willows

Chapter 6

 Growing Pains

                Later that night Elizabeth found herself lounged across her couch with a bottle of Merlot, the comfiest throw she owned, and her friends faces across her laptop screen.  The three of them were laughing riotously as she recounted her day to them in as much detail as she could.  She rolled her eyes at the fact that her friends found her muddled day comical.  Although, now that she wasn’t right in the thick of things anymore, she had to admit it was kind of funny.  She chuckled to herself as she took another sip from her glass.

                “You’re living the dream Lizzy.”  Courtney sighed out wistfully making Elizabeth snort into her wine which caused some of the fluid to go up her nose.  Hacking she sat up using her throw to wipe the offending liquid from her nose.  She made a mental note to toss it in the washer later as she rubbed it back and forth.

                “You stay right where you are.  I don’t even want to know what would happen if you and those two sisters ended up in a room together.”

                “Only fun things I assure you.”

                Elizabeth shuddered as visions of mad scientist and experiments gone wrong danced in her head.  It was the stuff nightmares are made of and it scared the crap out of her to even think about.  She tried to shake the image not wanting to give herself terrors but as hard as she tried it just wouldn’t leave.  Her thoughts just got worse and worse as she imagined what the three would be capable of if they ever met.  If it ever came to pass, she was leaving the country.  It would be much safer then sticking around that was for sure.

                “Then why can I only picture the center going up in flames.”

                “Oh, come on Lizzy we wouldn’t blow the place up.  It’s their home after all.”

                “I for one don’t see flames but world domination.”

                At Lauren’s words Courtney’s eyes lit up making Elizabeth groan.  Visions of the cartoon Pinky and the Brain danced through her head with reckless abandon.  She shuddered at the thought.  It’s official those three could never meet. In fact, thousands of miles away may not be far enough of a distance to keep disaster from striking.

                “Don’t encourage her Lauren.”

                Lauren just smiled while taking a drink from her own wine.  Courtney glowered at her and stuck her tongue out.

                “Real mature Court real mature.”

                “Please, in the grand scheme of things we’re still all babies.  After hearing about your day, it warms my little black heart to know that I’ll never have to grow up.”

                This made them all laugh.  Elizabeth watched her friends from the screen missing the old days but glad they still had a way to have their girl’s nights.  She hated to admit it, but she missed having the company.  She watched the other three as they sat around Nell’s kitchen table picking on each other and having a good time.  She wished she could give each of them a hug.

                A loud creaking noise above her drew her eyes to the ceiling as she stared at it in contemplation.  Everyone she came across after leaving the senior center she had asked about the house and they all stated the same thing; haunted.  Each person had then lambasted her with some harrowing tale of when they were a kid and broke into the place only to barely make it out alive.  Physically shaking her head she turned her focus back to her friends.

                “What were you looking at hon?”

                “Nothing, the house is just making creaking noises is all.”  Nell went to speak again but was railroaded by Courtney.

                “Do you think it’s actually haunted?  That would be so cool.”

                “Don’t you start with that it’s just an old house settling.  Stop trying to scare her.”

                Nell scowled at her smacking her upside the head causing Courtney to slosh wine over the rim of her glass.  Nell reached for a towel, but Courtney bent over and slurped it right up.  She looked up at Nell’s disgusted face as she wiped her hand across her mouth.  Growling out Nell pushed up from the table retrieving a dishcloth to wipe it down with.  Courtney shrugged her shoulders laughing at her.

                “Waste not want not.”

                In response Nell threw the cloth across Courtney’s face scrubbing away as if she was one of her boys she was washing.  Courtney’s arms swung around wildly trying to get away from Nell’s ministrations.  Lauren was laughing so hard she shot wine out her nose effectively re-coating the table that had just been wiped up.  Before Courtney could dive in to clean it up Nell beat her to it growling at the two of them like a mama bear.

                “I swear you two are as bad as my boys.  Can’t take you anywhere.”

                “You didn’t take us anywhere, we’re at your house remember?”

                “And you wonder why!?  Don’t bat your eyes at me Lauren it won’t work we’re not leaving.”

                Elizabeth giggled as she watched her friend’s antics feeling a little fuzzy around the edges.  The wine must be going straight to her head tonight.  She tried to recall what she had had for dinner but couldn’t quite remember eating.  A light grumble coming from the vicinity of her stomach served to back up her thoughts.  She was just too tired and lazy to get up to take care of it though.  She would make sure to eat a big breakfast in the morning. 

                “You guys will never guess who texted me today.”

                At the interruption all three woman stopped and gave Elizabeth their undivided attention. As she said Nolan’s name she received mixed reactions.  Nell was looking at her blankly clearly not recalling who he was either.  She was glad she wasn’t the only one.  That made her feel a tiny bit better but only just.  Courtney looked like she was trying to solve a complex algorithm as if she recognized it and just needed to work it out.  Lauren however slammed her wine glass down with gusto clearly still remembering the anger she held for him. 

                “What did that jerk want? You already broke up with him so what could his reason be for getting in touch with you now?”  At Lauren’s words the other two gasped seeming to finally remember who he was.

                “He heard I had moved.”

                “So, what business is it of his?  He’s your ex for a reason.”

                “Actually….”

                “Don’t tell me you took that tool back!”

                “Technically that would mean I had to get rid of him first.”

                “ELIZABETH!”  All three of them looked at her in shock.  She knew this wasn’t going to go over well, but they needed to know in case he tried to contact one of them looking for her.

                “I may have forgotten to break it off before I left town.”

                Nell groaned looking at her in disappointment, Lauren appeared to be downright ticked, and Courtney well, she was laughing her butt off. 

                “How do you forget to break up with someone?”

                “I was going through a lot at the time and honestly I didn’t even remember I had a boyfriend until he told me who he was.”

                At this revelation Courtney fell off the chair in hysterics.  Elizabeth’s problem was momentarily forgotten as Nell rushed to see if she was hurt.  Courtney pulled herself back up into her seat waving Nell off as she gasped for air between cackles.  Lauren, at this point, was chuckling in vicious glee as well.

                “How did he take the news of the breakup?  You did break up with him this time, right?”

                “Um, kind of, maybe.”

                “What did you tell him exactly Lizzy?”

                Sighing at Nell’s question she decided to just blurt it out.  It’s not like Nell could hit her for how she acted.  After all she was too far away to accomplish such a feat.

                “I pretended he had the wrong number and had no idea what he was talking about.”

                This set Courtney off on yet another round of loud riotous laughter.  Lauren joined in this time as well.  The two held each other up as they guffawed together.  Nell shook her head at them in disappointment.  Throwing the towel at them she crossed her arms.

                “I don’t know what you two are laughing about.  The both of you are knee deep in your own problems.”

                Sitting forward on the sofa Elizabeth noted how at Nell’s words they both sobered completely.  Just what had the two of them done now.

                “Well let me have it, what’s up.”

                “Lauren had someone hack my dating profile.”

                Elizabeth looked from the fuming Courtney to the oddly abashed Lauren.  Lauren shrugged her shoulders blushing slightly as she brushed back an errant strand of hair from her face.

                “It’s not a big deal.  I thought I would teach Court a lesson and found a man instead.” 

                “How does that happen?”

                “It started out with wanting to crash the date they had set up.  I went to the meet up place, looking pretty good that day I might add, and watched until I saw the guy.  I strutted right in front of him sitting in plain view.”

                “So, you ended up attending Court’s date instead of her.”

                “While I watched!”  Courtney wailed out in indignation.

                “Oh, that’s not the best part.  Keep going Lauren spill it all.”  Sighing a put-upon breath Lauren continued.

                “Turns out he’s a really sweet guy so I came clean with him and he actually found the whole thing funny.  He’s not the type I usually go for but there’s just something about him.  We’ve been out a few times since then and the whole thing has become our inside couple joke.”

                “But wait there’s more.  Go ahead Courtney.”

                “Ugh, the twerp hacker Lauren used apparently liked my evil genius ways, so he attended the date as well!  While I was busy being insulted that Lauren swooped in and stole my guy I got ambushed by the nerd.  Just walked right up to where I was hiding and said he liked my moxie.  Who says stuff like that any way?”

                “Your guy does apparently.”  Elizabeth harassed her.

                “Her hot Australian guy does.”  Nell added making Elizabeth raise her eyebrows in surprise.

                “He’s not my guy!”  Courtney growled out angerly getting all worked up by their teasing.

                “Wait, back up, hot Australian?”

                “He’s tall, built, has a wicked sense of humor, a chiseled face, and of course there’s the accent.”  Lauren filled in helpfully, playfully pretending to swoon.

                “He’s clean cut like his mom or wife dresses him in the morning.  He has a sparkling personality that makes him approachable.  Flaming red hair, which you know I hate flashy bright colors.  No offense Lizzy.  Oh, and did I mention he has serial killer teeth!  They’re so freaking straight and white it’s creepy.”

                Elizabeth was smiling from ear to ear listening to Courtney harshly sneer each point.  The guy honestly sounded pretty damn perfect to her and better yet Courtney’s complete opposite.

                “He sent her a beef jerky bouquet for her birthday too.”  Nell gushed obviously on the same page as her.

               “He’s stalking me I swear.  How else would he know I like meat instead of flowers?  He won’t leave me alone!”  Both Nell and Elizabeth point their fingers at Lauren who looked unabashedly giddy at cornering Courtney.  Elizabeth laughed when Courtney went to lunge at Lauren only to be held back by Nell.

                “It’s not funny! I’m being hunted Lizzy!”

                Elizabeth looked to Nell for confirmation and found her lips twitching as well trying to hold back her own peals of laughter from coming out.

                “Oh, he’s on the hunt all right, but he’s a really sweet guy too.  Lauren has worked with him for years and hung out with him outside of work.  I checked him out as well when we had the barbecue last weekend.  He’s charming, cocky, and likes a challenge.  I’d say she’s finally met her match.”

                Courtney pouted while swatting Lauren away from her every time she leaned in to hug her.

                “His name is Royce, for crying out loud. Who names their kid that anyway?”

                “Honestly he’s not fond of it either so he goes by Roy.”  Lauren quipped helpfully shooting down yet another of Courtney’s arguments against the guy.

                “Come on Court this is karma if I’ve ever seen it.  Give him a chance I’m positive you’ll hit it off.  Your ego’s just momentarily bruised, build a bridge and get over it already.  Besides when have you ever let anyone get the better of you?”  Courtney’s eyes lit up with renewed purpose.  You could see the cogs spinning as she sat silently plotting away.  Both Lauren and Nell smiled knowingly at Elizabeth and high fived behind Courtney’s back.  With the gauntlet thrown it was pretty much a done deal he was about to get more than he bargained for.  Well, he would if the three of them weren’t positive he was the perfect guy to take on they’re devious little imp.

Chuckling Elizabeth couldn’t hold back the large yawn she had been fighting off.  Stretching herself out she sunk further into her sofa. 

                “I think I’m going to call it a night you guys.  I’m beat after today and the wines not helping any either.  I’ll talk to you all soon.  Keep me updated on the war of the sexes.”

                With a chorus of goodbyes and miss you they all signed off.  Too tired to make the track to her bedroom Elizabeth settled in for the night on the couch.  As she drifted down into a deep slumber, she vaguely felt like someone was tucking her in.  Snuggling deeper she drifted off and with a profound exhale of air she was out.