"Argh, so close," Mariah groaned theatrically.
"So true," Cassie laughed, her eyes lingering on Gwen's. "But wait... it gets worse."
----------------
Buckingham High School, Willow Creek, 2000
Bella was always very 'protective' of me, insisting that I call and keep them informed of any changes in my routine. I considered it the height of unfairness. She could unexpectedly run off to Senbamachi for work (making me play hostess in her place at some horrible dinner party), but I couldn't go to the park with Carmilla and Molly without calling first.
Edwards usually picked me up every day after school. Dear, faithful Edwards... he'd waited for what he felt was a reasonable amount of 'chatting with Carmilla and Molly' time before finally deciding to discreetly look for me.
Once he had determined I wasn't loitering around outside the school, he talked to Principal Prescott. She fairly quickly determined I wasn't on school grounds, and I'm pretty sure that's when she asked Molly, who promptly gave me up.
To be fair to Molly, it wasn't like I'd sworn her to secrecy or anything. I like I said, this really hadn't been planned out.
Ophilia Villa, Willow Creek, 2000
Anyway, Edwards had updated my father. My father had called the Browns, and Mr. Brown had, politely but firmly, made it clear that he was taking me home. It wasn't like I could really argue with him about it. Especially once Gwen said that since I'd visited her house, it was only fair she visited mine.
I said earlier that, when I'd gone to Gwen's, I hadn't thought about the difference between the Browns' humble house and my family's stately mansion. Standing on those tall steps, looking up at the shadowy bulk of Ophilia Villa, I remember thinking how much I hoped the house didn't put Gwen off.
Edwards met us at the door.
"How you doing, Luc?" Mr. Brown said warmly to Edwards. "I've got a delivery for you. One wayward daughter of the house, returned in undamaged condition."
"Much obliged, Doug," Edwards had smiled back at him. "I hope she wa'n't too much trouble."
"No trouble at all," Mr. Brown laughed. "She's always welcome... but with her parents' permission, next time."
"Maybe you remember that now, Cas," Edwards chuckled. "You staying, Doug? I'm about to put on some of my famous blackened catfish."
"I would, but Lil was getting her chicken and rice going when we left," Doug laughed. "You coming out fishing with us next weekend? The guys would love to have you along."
"The guys want me along because none of you all can cook," Edwards laughed. "Yeah, I'm coming. Fresh fish for the table, yeah? Hey, you all should go through, let Herself see Cas ha'n't been carried off by white slavers. I'll call you about the fishing."
"Here's our girl, safe and sound," my father announced as he saw us.
Just like every evening before dinner, Father and Alexander were playing chess and Bella was watching the news. On a regular evening, I would have been upstairs in the music room, practicing.
"I told you, you needn't have worried, Bella," Father continued.
"I'll worry less when she doesn't disappear," Bella replied sharply, as if I made a habit of running off to the City or something.
"Yeah, I brought her back," Mr. Brown smiled. "Thought I'd save you the trip. Maybe give you time to work on your next novel... Mr. Big-time, Best-selling Author who doesn't know the difference between 'your' and 'you are.'"
"That's what I have editors for," Father chuckled, rising to take Mr. Brown's hand. "You know, I should get you to look over my new manuscript."
"I'd be happy to," Mr. Brown said, then added, "Mortimer, I thought I should introduce you to..."
"Yes, of course." Father pushed passed Mr. Brown, a strangely mesmerized look on his face. "You must be Gwen."
"I must be, mustn't I," Gwen smiled back.
"You're Ari's daughter, alright." Father smiled a little sadly. "You have your mother's eyes. I knew her, Gwen. We all did. We're so sorry for your loss."
"Ari was a good friend," he continued, "most especially to Cas's mother, my dear lost Vickie."
"Wait, you're saying our moms knew each other?" I asked, shaken.
"They were best friends... childhood friends if I remember correctly," Bella replied from her seat on the couch.
My mother was an almost mythic figure to me. I knew she and father had met at University, but I knew so little about her and almost nothing about her life before University. Finding someone else who had some connection to her, especially to her past, was like uncovering a hint to the location of some lost pirate treasure.
"It must be fate," my father said. "Vickie and Ari's daughters finding each other."
"Wow, our moms knew each other," I said as Father wandered off to talk to Mr. Brown and Bella. "That's amazing. That's..."
"Vickie?" Gwen puzzled over the name. "Victoria? You mother was Victoria Rowen?"
"Yes! Did you know her? Did your mom talk about her?" I asked eagerly. "I mean, I know you wouldn't remember her. She died when I was little..."
"You know you're in big trouble, right?" My little brother, Alexander, on his way to the kitchen I think, picked that moment to interrupt.
"Yeah, I know, dork," I snarked at him. "We're talking."
"I don't know that there's a lot I can tell you... about Victoria," Gwen said. I recognized the sadness in her eyes, even if at the time I didn't really understand all of what was behind it.
"No, I guess not," I sighed. "Still, it's amazing. Father's right. It must be fate, us meeting and being friends, just like they were. That must be why... why I feel so... like we're just meant to be... to be friends!"
----------------
"You didn't!" Mariah groaned. "Please, tell me you didn't!"
"What?" Miranda looked puzzled, then her eyes widen in enlightened memory, "Oh, I get it."
"Yeah," Cassie admitted. "I was seventeen and I was an idiot. I wasn't ready to admit, even to myself, that I was having romantic feelings for Gwen. The intensity of what I had felt not even an hour earlier had frightened me. Besides, I was pretty sure I was straight... at least, like I said earlier, I knew I was attracted to guys in a vague way. The idea that I might be bisexual didn't really occur to me at the time. The thought of us being 'fated friends' felt like a life preserver in the stormy seas of my heart."
"New song title?" Miranda asked with a smirk.
"Bit long," Cassie laughed, "but I'll work on it."
