“Come sit,” Dana said, moving over and making room for her at the table.
“Rach, what’s up girl?” Penny said.
“Great to see you!” Amy said.
“You’re back!” Samantha said.
“Hi Guys, missed you!” Rachel answered back.
“Yeah, seriously! What happened to you?” Penny asked.
“Yeah, we were so worried about you!” Sam said.
“But why?” Rachel asked, hoping to gain some clarity.
“You’ve been gone a while!” Dana said. “I was trying to tell you that earlier.”
“I know, but where did I go?” Rachel asked hoping they would look at her like she was crazy.
“What do you mean where did you go? You don’t remember?” Penny asked.
“Weird!” Sam said.
“It’s been a year and a half!” Dana said. “C’mon you moved away remember?”
“Yeah! Duh! I knew that. Where did I move to?” Rachel asked.
“Stop playing games with us!” Amy said.
“Guys, I’m not playing games with you. Can I tell you guys something, but you have to promise not to tell anyone?” Rachel asked.
“Yes!” the girls said in unison.
“Well, I have to be honest with you all. You’re my BFFs and I know I can trust you,” Rachel whispered. “I don’t remember anything. I don’t remember leaving Pennsylvania and I don’t remember not being in school for the last year and a half. I need help putting the pieces back together.”
“WHAT?” Dana said. “You don’t remember?”
“OMG!” Amy said.
“Seriously?” Penny asked.
“Yeah, I’m not joking around. Please I need your help,” Rachel said. “Please fill me in.”
“Well, do you remember your big move?” Dana asked.
“No?” Rachel said.
“You moved at the start of last year to New York when your father got transferred for his job. You hated it at first and we talked everyday and then you made some new friends and I didn’t hear from you as much,” Dana said.
“Ok…and?” Rachel asked.
“And you talked about different boys and then you said you liked some guy named Rob and said you were going on a date with him. Do you remember him?” Amy asked.
“Really?” Rachel asked with excitement. “You’re joking! I had a boyfriend!”
The girls all laughed and then Sam said, “You liked him a lot. He was on the football team at your new high school.”
“Stop it! You’re lying to me,” Rachel said.
“We’re not lying at all!” Penny said.
“It’s true!” Sam chimed in. “We swear!”
“Wow! I was popular?” Rachel asked.
“Guess so if you were dating the QB of the football team!” Dana answered.
“So what else do you know?” Rachel asked.
“Well that’s where it gets unclear,” Dana said. “One day out of the blue you completely stopped texting me. It was like you disappeared or something. Last thing you said to me was that you fell in love with some new buy named Benji. You said he was mysterious and special. Your relationship with him happened really quickly and then you stopped telling me about it and dropped of the face of the earth.”
“What?” Rachel asked. “Benji?”
For a moment her mind raced back to the moment in the field with Benji. She wondered if that was the same Benji they were talking about. She wondered if that was her true love.
“Yeah, you stopped texting me, too!” Penny said.
“Us too,” Amy and Sam said.
“I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me!” Rachel said.
“So where did I go?” Rachel asked.
“We don’t know and I got so worried about you that I called your parents and they didn’t know what happened to you either. There was talks that you had died in some fight, too,” Dana said.
“My parents didn’t know either?” Rachel asked.
“No they were worried sick about you. Your mom was so stressed out that she went into a coma and had to be hospitalized. I think she’s still in the hospital now,” Dana said.
“My dad mentioned she was in the hospital but it was all so confusing to me. I couldn’t figure it out. He said it was my fault, too!” Rachel said.
“I’m sorry, Rach. This must be hard for you!” Sam said.
“Is there anything else you know?” Rachel asked. “My dad wants me to go visit her after school today. Actually he’s making me go. He said I have no choice.”
“Well, at least you will see your mom!” Dana said. “She loves you very much.”
“I know, but now I just feel bad and guilty at what I’ve done,” Rachel said.
“Listen, Rach, once you figure out everything that happened you will feel much better. This is all news to you, so it’s obvi that you’d be feeling a bit off. Don’t stress out about it,” Penny said.
“I wish it were that easy,” Rachel said. “I’m so worried about going to the hospital to see my mom, you have no idea! I’m really scared.”
“You will patch things up between you and your mom. Don’t worry. She will get better,” Amy said.
“How can you be sure?” Rachel asked.
“Well, I’m not sure, but I have faith,” Amy said.
“So, what’s been happening here since I left then?” Rachel asked.
“Well, a lot has happened!” Dana answered.
“Like what?” Rachel asked.
“Well, I started dating Dave!” Dana said.
“WHAT!? No! Dave Johnson?” Rachel asked
“Yup! He finally asked me out. Can you believe it!” Dana said.
“How about you girls? Anything I should know about?” Rachel asked hoping that they too would have boyfriend news.
“Well, Penny, why don’t you tell her!” Amy said.
“I’m going out with Danny!” Penny said.
“No, really?” Rachel said. “I can’t believe it. How about you Amy and Sam?”
“Nah, we’re still single!” they both answered.
“I can’t believe it! What happened with Gary?” Rachel asked.
“We broke up,” Sam said. “Don’t really want to get into it now.”
“It was a tough break up,” Amy whispered to Rachel.