Whatever It Takes, page 4
Taking a breath, she walked up and down the aisle, checking every seat just in case Devon had his headphones on.
He wasn’t there.
Panicked, Emily handed the list of names to one of her coworkers, then ran outside to see if he might’ve been out there.
Her heart dropped into her stomach when she saw Sarah doing the same exact thing.
“Are you missing someone?” Sarah asked, her words short and quick.
“Yeah, you?” Emily knew now wasn’t the time for them.
They had to find those kids.
“Same. Kayla Henderson. I could’ve sworn she was right behind us.” Sarah ran a hand through her hair and it took everything Emily had not to touch it.
“I bet she’s with Devon. I’ve seen them walking the halls together a few times.”
“I hope so, otherwise this is going to take a lot longer than I’d like.” Sarah released a breath and headed back toward the gift shop. “God, how do we lose two kids with so many adults around?”
“Don’t do that,” Emily said, holding the door and following Sarah once she was through. “Don’t blame yourself.
They’re teenagers, and teenagers run off. Heck, you used to do it all the time.”
“And you’d always run after me,” Sarah said as a smile played on her lips.
“I did, but only because I didn’t want to get left behind. If you ask me, Kayla doesn’t seem like the adventuring type.”
“She’s not,” Sarah agreed, turning the corner before putting a hand to her chest. “Oh thank god.”
Following Sarah’s line of sight, Emily released a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding as soon as she spotted Devon standing in line at the gift shop.
Sarah rushed over to the teens with Emily following close behind her. “There you guys are.”
“You two gave us quite the scare,” Emily told them.
“Didn’t you hear the last call?”
“We did,” Devon said, “but the line was so long and I promised my mom I’d get her something from the trip.” He held up a small box with a Statue of Liberty inside of it. “You think she’ll like it?”
“She will,” Emily said with a touch of relief, “but she’ll feel even better once you’re home. Come on.”
“You too, Kayla,” Sarah said, her voice shaking the slightest bit.
It was odd seeing Sarah so out of sorts. The Sarah Emily remembered was a rock.
Kayla bowed her head, then filed behind Devon. Emily hung back to keep an eye on them as Sarah took the lead, thankful to know everyone was safe and sound.
“Remind me to thank you later,” Sarah said once Kayla got back on the bus.
“What for? We both lost track of someone.”
“For staying as calm as you did. I know you were probably freaking out as much as I was, but you didn’t let it show.
Thank you for that.”
Emily nodded and left it at that. “I don’t know about you, but once we get back, I’m gonna need a drink.”
“You don’t drink,” Sarah said, catching her bluff. “You never have.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m not going to do everything in my power to unwind.” Emily paused outside Sarah’s bus to watch
her go. “I take it that was your first scare?”
“Pretty much, though I’ve come close a few times. And I might join you for that ‘drink’ later so long as you don’t look into it too much.” She was telling Emily not to get her hopes up. It was just an invitation from one co-worker to another, a way to laugh about the day, and completely platonic.
“I won’t,” Emily promised, unable to wipe the smile from her face. “I’m glad everyone’s safe.”
“Me too, but if you want lunch, you might want to get on your bus before it drives away.” Sarah laughed as soon as Emily looked toward her bus which was already on and ready to go.
“Crap. Um… call you later?” Emily had her number somewhere.
“We’ll catch up once we reach the school,” Sarah promised, disappearing inside her own bus before sitting down, the tinted glass making her hard to see.
Realizing she was still standing outside Sarah’s bus with Devon hovering close beside her, Emily shook herself aware, then went to find her seat.
“Old friend?” Devon asked with a touch of amusement in his voice as they boarded the bus.
“Something like that,” Emily said, lowering into her seat so Devon could get back to his own.
Once he was in his seat, Emily faced the front of the bus and took a breath to calm the nerves that had gathered in the pit of her stomach. A kind hand on Emily’s shoulder forced her to open her eyes again.
“Everyone’s safe,” Morgan said with a warm smile. “That isn’t the first kid I’ve seen run off on one of these things and it probably won’t be the last. Welcome to middle school.”
Emily managed a nervous laugh, one that stuck in her chest. “I take it Katie isn’t your first one?”
“Hardly. Three of my kids have gone on this trip along with the one in DC. That’s the one you really have to worry
about.”
“Well, unless I decide to teach ninth grade, I should be good. Thank you.”
“Anytime.” Morgan smiled again, then took her seat, pulling out a novel she’d been reading when they first left the school.
Emily probably should’ve brought one as well, but her stomach had been so twisted with knots that the only thing she thought to bring were her list of names, an extra set of shoes, and herself. But everything’s okay now.
And once they got back to Williams Middle School, her day would be even better.
Chapter Seven
The entire ride back to Pennsylvania, Emily couldn’t stop thinking about the missing kids and her talk with Sarah. It shouldn’t have been that big of a deal. The kids were safe and her upcoming drink with Sarah was so they could sit down, relax, and catch up after spending years apart.
Sarah told her not to get her hopes up, but like always, Emily’s mind started to wander. Her thoughts might’ve been a jumbled mess, but they all lead back to her kiss with Sarah.
It had been decades since that day in the courtyard, and yet, she found herself looking back on it more often than not.
It wasn’t one of those lift your foot in the air sort of kisses, but it was her first, and no matter what she did, it was one she’d never forget.
Closing her eyes, she could almost feel Sarah’s lips on hers, the taste of her watermelon lip gloss bringing a smile to Emily’s face. That taste along with the fruity shampoo Sarah always used were fixed in Emily’s memory, jumping to life whenever she smelled or tasted something similar.
Deep in thought, Emily’s heart dipped when she spotted Jess’ car parked in the school’s front lot. She’d been so deep in thought that she’d completely forgotten to call Jess to let her know she wouldn’t need a ride home.
Emily’s cousin was waiting for her along with all of the other parents as soon as she got off the bus.
“How did it go?” Jess asked, taking Emily’s backpack from her before she could say another word.
“Fun,” Emily managed, catching Sarah’s eye from across the way before speaking again. “Scary and exhausting.”
“Scary?” Jess cocked an eyebrow at her, then followed Emily’s line of sight to where Sarah had been standing moments ago. “You aren’t afraid of heights,” Jess said when she faced her again.
“No, but when two kids miss roll call, things can get a little hectic.”
“Oh god.”
“Yeah. There was one missing from our bus and another from Sarah’s. We found them, but my heart felt like it was going to explode the entire time.”
“I can only imagine. I’ve seen folks run into the hospital looking for a loved one. The frantic looks on their faces always makes me half-sick to the stomach. It gets even worse when what you have to tell them something they don’t want to hear.”
“Which, fortunately for us, isn’t something we have to worry about tonight.” Sarah showed up behind Jess then, grinning when Jess whipped around in surprise. “Hey Jess.
Long time no see.”
Once Jess recovered from her shock, she threw her arms around Sarah and gave her a squeeze. “Man is it ever good to see you. How ya been? I’ve tried to keep tabs whenever I could, but life’s gotten kind of hectic since the last time we went out to lunch.”
“Wait, you guys hung out while I was gone?” Emily asked as she looked between them.
“It was the only way I could check up on you,” Sarah said matter-of-factly. “Besides, we were friends before you left. It would’ve made no sense for us to drop contact just because you were gone. Sorry Em.”
Sarah meant well, Emily knew this, but the words still hurt.
“It’s okay,” Emily said after a long moment. “So when was the last time you two hung out?”
Jess gave her question some thought, then said, “Two, maybe three years ago?” She looked at Sarah for clarification.
“I mean, we talked on the phone a bit when I wasn’t on call, and we’ve seen each other in passing, but we haven’t really sat down for a long chat in forever.”
“Hey, maybe you should come with us,” Sarah said. “We were planning to get a bite to eat and to unwind. I was thinking we could hit Oliver’s?”
Jess’ eyes lit up, her body practically vibrating as the two of them acted like a pair of teenagers in front of Emily.
“Oliver’s?” Emily wracked her brain but she couldn’t remember ever visiting such a place. “Is it new?”
“New to you maybe,” Jess managed, “but it’s been around for over ten years. It’s great. There’s a tiny bar up front and they serve some of the best food in town.”
“Why haven’t you told me about this place?” Emily had been in town for over two months, so surely the name would’ve come up. Unless… “You still go there, don’t you?”
She was looking at Sarah, and when she offered Emily a nod, it was all the explanation she needed.
Jess hadn’t mentioned Oliver’s simply because it was one of the places Sarah hung out. Considering the amount of tension that had been going on between them, Emily couldn’t fault Jess for looking out for their best interests.
But now that they were talking again…
“I think Oliver’s sounds like a wonderful idea,” Emily said, “anything to get me off my feet.”
“And here I thought you took your good shoes,” Jess teased, eying her and Sarah’s footwear with a frown. “What’s up with your laces?”
“You’ll have to ask Emily about that,” Sarah replied with a warm smile.
“We’ll tell you all about it on the way to Oliver’s. I’m starved,” Emily said, already making her way toward Jess’ car.
“I just need to grab a few things, but I should be there in a few minutes,” Sarah said as she turned to go. “Hey Em?”
“Hmm?”
“Congratulations. You survived your first field trip.”
“Thanks. You too.” It obviously wasn’t Sarah’s first, but it had been her first real scare. That had to amount to something, right?
“I’d give you one of those participation trophies, but they don’t really exist for something like this,” Sarah said, oblivious to her thoughts. “Anyway, I’ll meet you guys there. I shouldn’t be more than a few minutes. I just want to wrap up a few things and get my lesson plan for next week.”
“Should you go with her?” Jess asked once Sarah was out of earshot.
“No, I’m okay. I already have things figured out for next week.” Not to mention the week after as well.
“She’s the same old Sarah, isn’t she?”
“She really is,” Emily agreed as she watched her go. She released a hard breath when Jess elbowed her in the arm. “Ow, what was that for?”
“You were staring,” Jess said with a wry smile on her face.
“You also have a little something on your lip. Right there.”
Emily rolled her eyes and bumped shoulders with Jess.
“Come on. Let’s go grab a table before they’re all full.”
Finding a table wasn’t a problem. By seven o’clock, most of the families in town had already come and gone. Emily, Jess, and a few of the families that had gone on the same trip were the only exceptions. There were a few random faces inside the establishment, but for the most part, those who walked into Oliver’s were from one of the three buses that had just rolled back into town from New York.
The building itself was rather small, the walls made of hard brick with a set of deep windows up front. Once inside, the building opened up, the dinging area reaching all the way back to the kitchen. The bar Jess had mentioned was a lot smaller than Emily imagined, leaving just enough room for five stools on one side of a counter with a series of drinks on display behind it.
Not one to drink, Emily ignored the amber and clear colored bottles as she followed Jess to the back of the restaurant. There they found a round table just outside the kitchen which only made Emily’s stomach growl even more.
“I swear the wait will be worth it,” Jess promised as she wrapped the strap of her purse around the leg of her chair before finally sitting down.
Considering how much Jess and Sarah had raved about Oliver’s back in the school’s parking lot, Emily didn’t doubt it.
The place might not have been packed, but then, they were hitting it at a strange time.
“God, you remember when my mom used to have dinner at four in the afternoon?” Emily asked as she sat back in her chair. “I was always starving by the time breakfast rolled around.”
“That’s why you had snack,” Sarah said once she joined them, taking up the chair opposite of Jess with Emily sitting next to her. “Granted, most of the folks in town don’t do any better. Six o’clock is late to most, and right now?” She blew out a breath and grabbed a menu from the middle of the table.
“They’d probably think we’ve lost our minds.”
“I can’t help when I eat,” Jess said in her defense. “I eat when I can, which is usually from the hospital cafeteria or one of the few vending machines we have scattered around the halls.”
“Oliver’s food is way better,” Sarah said for Emily’s benefit as well as her own. “It’s nothing like what she has to eat all the time.” She inclined her head at Jess, smiling as she did. “Does anyone want to share a platter with me? I was thinking of getting the sampler, but only if you two want to help me eat it.”
“It’s a sampler,” Emily said with a laugh. “How big could it possibly be?”
“Big,” Jess and Sarah said in unison.
“Wait until you see your own portions,” Jess warned. “If you don’t take half of it home, I’ll be surprised.”
“I like the sound of that,” Emily said as she looked over the menu. “I’ll help with the sampler. A burger sounds nice, but if the portions are as big as you say, it probably isn’t a good idea this late at night.”
“That’s what I’m getting,” Jess said. “I just cut it in half and take the other half home. The fries might not do that well when you reheat them, but the burger’s perfectly fine.”
“Seriously. You don’t want to miss out on those caramelized onions,” Sarah said as she put her menu down in front of her.
“Peer pressure, great,” Emily said with a sigh, putting her menu back once she was done. “And here I thought we were past all of that.”
“If only,” Sarah said.
With their meal choices out of the way, the three of them fell into easy conversation with one another, starting with Sarah’s first visit to Oliver’s and all of the times she and Jess hung out since then.
“So why stop the tradition?” Emily asked when Sarah told her about their Friday nights out. “I mean, Jess might’ve been on call or had work, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t pick another day.”
“True,” Sarah agreed as she took a bite of a chicken quesadilla. “But with my studies taking up most of my time and that internship I mentioned before, it was easier for me to go home, you know? I had some horrible experiences, and Jess talked me through most of them, but to be honest, I don’t know how she does it.
Once I realized I wasn’t cut out for that kind of work, I drifted. I went back to school for Early Childhood Education and sort of went from there. To be fair, I think you were the reason behind that,” she said, looking at Emily as she spoke.
“Teaching was never on my radar, but you were always so excited about it that… I don’t know, I thought it might be fun.
And when Jess told me you were going for your Master’s, I
decided to give it a shot. I didn’t actually think I’d like it as much as I do now.”
“It surprised you,” Emily said with a nod. “I’m surprised you didn’t go into coaching soccer or something like that. It was your jam back when we were kids.”
“Oh, it still is, but organizing a bunch of kids out on a field isn’t as easy as it looks. I might not be a fan of writing my own lesson plans or possibly losing a kid on a field trip, but I wouldn’t trade this job for the world. I can see why you wanted it so much. It really is an experience all on its own.”
“A collection of experiences,” Emily added, closing her eyes as she finished the last bite of her burger. “Man, I was a lot hungrier than I thought.”
“Walking up hundreds of steps will do that to you,” Sarah teased, pointing one of the chicken wings in her direction.
“I’m honestly not sure who has it worse, the seventh grade teachers with the trip to New York, or the ninth grade teachers who have to shuffle around DC. At least for us, there’s only so far a kid can go.”
“That doesn’t make it any easier to handle when one of them goes missing, though.”
“True, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t a mess during the entire thing or the entire ride home. I’m just now starting to come down from my panic. It’s why I wanted to grab my lesson plans in case I needed a distraction later on tonight.
Today could’ve gone so much worse.”
Emily reached out and took Sarah’s hand, squeezing it as she spoke. “But it didn’t. It’s like one of the moms on my bus said. The kids are safe, we’re safe, and everyone got to go home. That’s the best thing we can hope for considering the day we’ve had.”
