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CHAPTER TWO : TABLECLOTHS AND FAIRYLIGHTS
The school hall smelled the way it always had, a mixture of floor polish and boiled cabbage. Julie stood at the centre of the room trying to think of some way of making the place seem more welcoming. Pulling the heavy drapes to block out the stark view of the chemistry labs, she experimented with different combinations of lighting to create the right kind of ambience. Rummaging through the boxes left by the PTA and the Art and Drama departments, she found several sets of fairy lights, strips of bunting and numerous crumpled Christmas and Halloween decorations alongside neatly folded table cloths in various colours. Checking her watch, she realised the other volunteers would be arriving soon. Mandy and Pete were the first, carrying two large, ornate flower arrangements.
“Where do you want these Jules?”
“Wow, they’re amazing, just put them somewhere out of the way for the moment, we don’t want them to get damaged. I'll figure out where to put them once the rest of the room is set. Thanks Mand, I really appreciate the effort.”
“My pleasure. Always happy to help, you know me. Shall I put the urn on for some tea?”
Without waiting for an answer, Mandy disappeared to the kitchen while Pete stood idly with his hands in his pockets, checking out the cobwebs on the ceiling.
“Don’t stand there playing pocket billiards, Pete, set some tables out, I drew up a plan.”
Pete continued looking around the room, occasionally glancing towards the door.
"This is really weird, Jules, I still feel I shouldn’t be here, I keep thinking Mrs O’Neill is going to come tearing through those doors screaming ‘Ju dirty, filthy, disgusting, young, whippersnapper, unless you woke dis mornin’ an’ the Lord had taken your man-stick then you don‘t belong in dis school.”
Jules laughed and pulled her now long, black tresses into a pony tail, securing it with a piece of ribbon she'd found in one of boxes then offered Pete the table plan.
“Mrs O’Neill was a pussycat if you knew how to handle her, besides, we'd need a ouija board to hear from her, she died three years ago.”
Pete studied the plan.
"I'm sure the old witch wouldn't let a minor detail like that stop her. I bet she's collecting prepubescent testicles from beyond the grave.”
Jules laughed again, Pete always had a way with words. He'd been madly in love with Mandy since the day he first set eyes on her, sent her poetry, serenaded her and tried every trick in the book to break into the dorms to be with her. Happily married and three kids later, it seemed like a very long time ago.
Before long, the other volunteers trickled in. Some came to Jules for direction, others generally mucked in and about four hours later the hall was transformed from a dull, clinical box echoing with reprimands and commendations, to a stylish venue for the class of '78 reunion, despite the lingering odour of beeswax and greens. Twenty years had passed since their voices had echoed together in the hallways of Saint Crispin’s
As the volunteers said their goodbyes and proceeded to prepare for the evening’s festivities, Julie put the last minute finishing touches to the tables before putting the unused decorations away. As she carefully folded the Halloween bunting in the shape of bats, cats and pumpkins, her thoughts returned to that night at Gert’s all those years ago and wondered if Shelley or Joanne would turn up tonight.
The friends had eventually lost touch despite Julie's valiant efforts, she'd been the glue holding them together from the beginning, her understanding nature helped her see qualities others failed to recognise. It had been obvious to Julie from the day they first formed their alliance that Joanne longed to be like Shelley but would never give her the satisfaction of knowing. She was also aware Shelley needed Joanne’s frivolous approach to life to stop her from disappearing up her own rectum.
Despite Shelley and Jo's love/hate relationship, they'd always clicked as a threesome, the complete antithesis of "Two's Company, Three's A Crowd" but eventually, like many childhood friendship, they'd drifted apart. Not a week went by though, when Julies didn't wonder what the other two were up to and if she'd ever see them again. Before putting the decorations away, Jules kissed the pad of her first finger, pressed it against the heart of the witch on the top of the bundle of bunting and made a wish. Perhaps tonight would be the night!
... to be continued ...
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| Be Careful What You Wish For : Part 3 |
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