Hanging Stars On Big Willow Creek: A Novel

by Sarah Hill

  The four captains stood in front of the rest of the class. Maysen went first.

  “Rylie,” he called, smiling over at her.

  Allowing her shoulders to sag, she made her way over and stood next to Maysen. “Why do you always pick me first?” she grumbled under her breath.

  “Because you’re my best friend,” he said, continuing to look forward.

  “Yes, but I suck.”

  “I know you do. But I’m good enough to make up for that,” he said with a smirk.

  Rylie glared at him, though it did her no good because he continued looking forward. She watched him as he took turns picking players for his team. He was always so confident in everything he did and nobody ever questioned him. He picked one of the least popular girls for his team first and nobody batted an eye. It was so irritating.

  Once all the teams were picked, Mr. Stillwell directed them to their half of the court and told them to start. “I want everyone to play, so if you have more than five players, make sure you are rotating in.”

  Rylie scrunched up her face. “Is it almost over?” she groaned.

  “Come on Rylie, be positive,” Maysen said, lightly punching her shoulder and giving her a stern look. It always annoyed him when she whined about sports, something he loved so much.

  “You know how I feel about these dumb games, Maysen. I’m not going to change. Why didn’t you pick Maddie too?” she asked, looking across the gym at her friend who looked just as miserable.

  “I can’t have two bad players, Rylie. You know that.”

  “But you’re such a good player, Maysen,” she said, waving her hands in the air and rolling her eyes.

  “Knock it off and go stand in the power forward position.”

  She furrowed her brow and asked, “The what?”

  Maysen pointed to the spot he wanted her and turned to the rest of the team to sort them out.

  Rylie got knocked off the court several times by the other team when she failed to defend the basket. After she rebounded and threw the ball to the other team, Maysen, who was unable to hide his frustration with her, ordered her off the court to allow the sixth person on their team to play.

  “Didn’t want to play anyway,” she grumbled. She sat on the bleachers and looked over at Maddie, who was still standing on the court with her arms crossed. Her team ended up with only five players, so she was stuck. To show her friend she was on her side, she twisted her lips into a frown when Maddie looked her way. Maddie shrugged and looked back to watch the ball being passed around her. At least they had the decency to let her just stand there. Rylie returned her attention to her own game. Maysen shot the ball from the three-point line and bounced on his toes as he watched it soar through the net. Her team celebrated with high-fives and shoulder slaps. “Of course,” she mumbled under her breath.

  Rylie was daydreaming about the characters in the new story she’d started writing, when Mr. Stillwell blew his whistle for them to go back to the locker room and change. The sound startled her, bringing her back to reality. She looked up at the score board and saw her team had won. Rylie jumped down from the bleachers to join the rest of her team. “Nice job,” she said to Maysen with a smile.

  He looked over at her and cocked his eyebrow. “No thanks to you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “You’re such a dork. See you at lunch?”

  “Yeah. Cafeteria or tree?”

  “Tree,” he said, jogging backwards toward the boys’ locker rooms.

  She waved goodbye and went to join Maddie, who was waiting at the locker room doors. “He so likes you,” Maddie said, swooning.

  Rylie looked back over at Maysen’s retreating back and said, “Yeah. We’ve known each other a long time.” She saw the look in Maddie’s eyes and said, “He likes you too. He just can’t pick us both for his team because we suck.”

  Maddie looked at her and shook her head. “He doesn’t like me the way he likes you,” she said, pulling the locker room door open.

  “He’s known me longer, Maddie. We live on the same farm, ride the same bus and have since we were younger. You can’t compare friendships. We have more history is all.”

  Maddie shook her head again and said, “No, Rylie. You don’t understand what I’m trying to say. I mean he likes you. I swear he’d kiss you if he could.”

  Rylie burst out laughing. “Oh, my gosh, Maddie. You are so far off.”

  “No, I’m not. You just don’t pay attention.”

  Rylie undid the lock on her locker and grabbed her t-shirt and jeans before sitting down on the bench. “I’m with him eighty-percent of the time. I’m pretty sure I pay attention.”

  “Ninety-percent of the time you’re with him, you’re lost in your stories. You miss things I pick up on.”

  Rylie narrowed her eyes and said, “I don’t get lost in my stories any more than you get lost in your music, Maddie. Believe what you want but I know what type of relationship I have with Maysen Banks.”

  “I don’t know why he’s even friends with you,” a high-pitched voice said from the other side of the lockers.

  Rylie and Maddie looked toward the aisle as a girl with curly copper-red hair came around from the other side. Rebecca Gregory leaned against the lockers with her arms folded across her chest and smirked.

  “Everyone is pretty sure he just feels sorry for you. I can also tell you that he isn’t interested in you,” Rebecca said.

  Rylie pulled her t-shirt over her head and stood up. “Eavesdropping again, Rebecca? I can guarantee Maysen isn’t friends with me because he feels sorry for me.”

  “I have no need to eavesdrop. You two talk so loud the entire locker room can hear you,” Rebecca replied as she pushed off from the lockers and sat down next to Maddie, who glared at her. Rebecca ignored her as she continued to stare at Rylie and said, “Everyone knows your mom’s the town tramp and never comes home. Maysen’s a nice guy and feels sorry for you.”

  Rylie slammed the door to her locker and came toe to toe with Rebecca, glaring down at her as the girl smirked from her seat on the bench. “You know nothing about my relationship with my mother, or the one I have with Maysen. We’re friends because we aren’t shallow red-headed assholes like you.”

  Rebecca sucked in a deep breath and allowed her mouth to drop open. “Don’t you talk to me like that!” she screeched, standing up so their noses almost touched. “Maysen is my friend too, you know.”

  Rylie stepped back and laughed. “If you think Maysen thinks of you as a friend, you’re more demented than I imagined.”

  “I don’t see you hanging out with him at parties like I do. Haven’t you ever wondered why he doesn’t ask you to come?”

  “He knows I’m not interested in partying.”

  “No, he doesn’t want to babysit you while he’s trying to have fun. He told us last weekend.”

  Rylie opened her mouth, but no words would form. She grabbed her backpack and said, “Come on Maddie, we’ve tortured ourselves long enough.”

  Shooting Rebecca a look that could burn down a barn, Maddie grabbed her backpack and followed Rylie out of the locker room. They could hear Rebecca laughing mirthlessly as the door shut behind them.

  “Don’t listen to her Rylie. Her crush on Maysen makes her jealous of you.”

  “I’ve never done anything to her and she’s always treated me like trash. I’m not trash,” Rylie said, her voice breaking.

  “Of course, you aren’t. Don’t let her get under your skin. She’s always been a bitch.”

  “Maysen did go to a party last weekend,” Rylie said, sucking in some air to keep from crying.

  Maddie stopped walking and put her hand on Rylie’s shoulder to stop her. “Rylie. You know better than to believe anything that troll says to you. She’s the biggest gossip in school.”

  “Yeah.” Rylie smiled and said, “Come on, let’s get some lunch.”

  The two girls were heading for their usual lunch spot beneath a maple tree, lunch trays
in hand when Rylie saw Maysen leaning against the tree talking to someone. He’d never invited anyone else to their tree before. As they got closer, her heart fell when she realized it was Rebecca.

  She stopped and stared. “Do you see that Maddie?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Come on, let’s eat in the cafeteria,” Rylie said, turning to go back.

  “Rylie! Hey! Where are you going?” Maysen called from behind them.

  Rylie turned to look at him, her blood boiling. Rebecca was walking away in the other direction and Maysen was standing with his hands on his hips and his eyebrows knitted together.

  “I must’ve heard you wrong in gym. I thought you were meeting us under our tree. I wasn’t trying to interrupt,” she called, before turning around and heading toward the cafeteria.

  “Rylie! Hold on a second!” Maysen yelled from the tree.

  Rylie kept walking; her teeth clenched together in anger.

  “Rylie, just listen to him,” Maddie said, in a strained voice.

  “No.”

  They’d almost made it to the door when Rylie felt arms wrap around her waist halting her.

  “Rylie. Stop, damn it!”

  Rylie turned to face Maysen. “What?” she yelled.

  “What is wrong with you? Why would you leave me standing there like that?”

  “You were busy.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t need you to babysit me, Maysen.”

  “Rylie,” Maddie moaned.

  “What is she talking about?” Maysen asked, turning to Maddie.

  “Rebecca,” Maddie said, looking down at the grass.

  Maysen jerked his head to look at Rylie. “What about Rebecca?”

  “What was she doing under our tree? You’ve never invited anyone to eat with us there.”

  “I didn’t invite her. She just walked over when she saw me standing there.”

  “What did she want?” Rylie asked, squinting her eyes.

  “I don’t know. She started talking about last weekend’s party. I don’t think she wanted anything in particular.”

  “Oh, you mean the party you didn’t invite me to because you didn’t want to babysit me?”

  Maysen’s eyes got big. “Babysit you? Why do you keep saying that?” he asked. “Did a basketball hit you in the head during gym class?”

  “Are you denying telling everyone last weekend that you don’t invite me to those stupid parties because you want to have fun and don’t want to babysit me?”

  “Guys, come on,” Maddie begged.

  Maysen held his hand up towards Maddie to stop her from talking, “No. I want to hear this madness. You think I tell people I babysit you?”

  “That’s the word in the locker room,” Rylie said, her eyes burning into his.

  “The locker room?” Maysen asked, running a hand through his hair. He turned to Maddie and asked, “Will you please tell me what’s going on?”

  Maddie took a deep breath, ignoring the glare Rylie was giving her and said, “Rebecca told Rylie the reason you don’t invite her to parties is because you would have to babysit her and you wouldn’t be able to have fun if she were there.”

  “Rylie! I would never say that! You believed her?”

  “She’s right, you never invite me to any of the parties,” Rylie said shrugging. “There must be a reason.”

  Maysen met her eyes and said, “There is, yeah.”

  “Why?”

  He looked at Maddie and then back at Rylie and asked, “Can we talk about this later?”

  Rylie stuck out her chin and said, “No. Anything you have to say can be said in front of Maddie, too.”

  “No. It’s okay. I’ll just wait inside.” Maddie went through the doors allowing them to slam behind her.

  Feeling anger warm her cheeks, Rylie stared at her feet. She felt Maysen’s fingers pull her chin up, forcing her to look at him. “Hey. I never said anything about babysitting you, okay?”

  She jerked her chin from his fingers and asked, “Then why don’t you invite me?”

  He took her lunch tray from her hands and said, “Come on, let’s sit.” He walked towards their tree and she followed him in silence.

  He plopped down with her tray and motioned for her to sit. She sat next to him but refused to look his way. He placed the tray in her lap and said, “Rylie, I don’t want you getting upset with me when I tell you why I never ask you to come. Promise?”

  Narrowing her eyes, she looked over at him and said, “No.”

  Maysen sighed and said, “Why are girls such pains in the ass?”

  “And boys aren’t?”

  “Look. You’re my best friend, okay? But here’s the truth. I don’t invite you because I know you’ve had your fair share of drunken idiots. I don’t invite you because I don’t want to put you through more crap.”

  “What?”

  Maysen closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them before responding. “I don’t invite you because of your mom. You’re always talking about how much she drinks when she’s working. That instead of coming home, she goes home with whatever guy she meets each night. I thought taking you to the parties might do more harm than good.” He shrugged and added, “I thought I was protecting you.”

  Rylie felt a warmth trickle down to her toes causing her to smile. He was protecting her. She was so dumb. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. I should’ve invited you and allowed you to decide for yourself. In my defense, you never seemed to be interested in going.”

  “I wasn’t. You’re right, I’ve seen enough drunken idiots.”

  “Can I ask why you suddenly cared that I hadn’t asked you to come with me?”

  She shrugged and said, “It’s stupid.”

  “I figured, but I’d still like to know,” he said, smirking.

  “Rebecca. She heard Maddie and I talking in the locker room and decided to insert herself into our conversation.”

  “And I was the subject of your conversation?”

  “Kind of, I guess. She told me the only reason we were friends is because you felt sorry for me. She also said that you told everyone last weekend that you didn’t want to babysit me.” She made quotation marks in the air and wrinkled her nose. “It only bothered me a little bit at first. Then I saw you with her under our tree and I thought for once she’d been telling the truth. I thought I was the butt of some cruel joke.”

  “Rylie, you know me better than anyone. I may hang out with other people at parties, but it’s only because you’re not there. You’re my best friend and always will be. Don’t let catty girls mess with your head like that.”

  She smiled and pulled a pepperoni off her pizza and stuck it in her mouth. “You’re my best friend too. That’s why it hurt.”

  Maysen stuck his pinky finger out and said, “Pinky swear we never let other people’s stories tear us apart again, okay? From now on, we talk things through and we never assume.”

  Rylie wound her pinky around his and said, “I swear.”

  “Pinky swear,” Maysen corrected.

  She laughed and said, “Fine, I pinky swear!”

  October 10, 2010

  Rylie’s flight arrived in Boise on time and after grabbing her suitcases, she headed downstairs pick up her car rental. She was exhausted knowing that she now had to head to the hospital instead of falling into a warm bed in a familiar room that Del and Norm kept for her at their house. Now that she was here, she yearned for its pink walls and white trim, though it had been years since she’d seen it. She wondered if the picture pages she’d torn from teen magazines still plastered the walls and vanity mirror, or if they had long ago found their way into Norm’s fire pit. Smiling at the memories, she walked up to the counter of the rental car company and gave her name. After she filled out the paperwork and got the keys, she headed out to look for the grey sedan they assigned her. After finding the correct car, she loaded her things inside the trunk.

  After allowing the car to war
m up, she exited the parking garage and headed towards the hospital. Rylie was in awe at how much had changed in the years she’d been away. The valley continued growing without her, expanding onto what was once rolling farm land between the cities. She could no longer discern where one town ended and the other began and she felt an ache in her heart.

  She took the exit to the hospital where Del was currently residing, taking note of the fast-food restaurants that lined the street nearby. Rylie knew she would be dining at these places for who knew how long so she might as well prep herself for the greasy options that lay ahead. She had a sudden craving for Spencer’s grilled herb chicken and veggies paired with a glass of peach Moscato.

  Taking a deep breath, she turned into the hospital parking lot and parked as close to the entrance as possible. Not quite ready to go up and see two of the people she loved most in this world, she dug her phone out of her pocket and swiped right on Spencer’s name.

  “Hello?” he answered, sleep still clinging to his voice.

  “Spence, it’s me. I wanted to let you know I’ve made it to the hospital.”

  “Hey baby. How was the flight? Did you make your connections okay? How’s Del?”

  “I made my connections with no problems. I suppose that’s a plus for flying red eye, huh?” she said with a laugh. “I haven’t seen Del yet. I’m still sitting in the parking lot.”

  “Stalling?”

  “Maybe a little. But I also wanted to see how last night went. How’s Alex?”

  “He’s good. Took him a bit to go to sleep, so I read him an extra chapter from The Sorcerer’s Stone. He obviously misses you like crazy, but so do I.”

  Tears sprung to her eyes as she whispered, “I know. I miss you both so much. I also just realized I will be without your chef-like skills for the first time in years.” She heard Spencer’s deep laugh on the other end of the phone.

  “Visions of the hospital cafeteria food invading your mind before you even set foot inside?”

  “I take you for granted, my love. Thank you for taking such good care of Alex and I.”

  “You and Alex are my greatest gifts, Rye. It takes little effort.”