Free Circle in the Sand by Lia Fairchild Page A

have the same dusty-blue eyes and light brown hair that never cooperates,
     but that’s where the similarities end. Ned is much taller at about five-ten. His looks
     are not rugged or model-like, but pleasant—the type of guy who appears more attractive
     when you get to know him. There is something about his smile, though. He seems to
     get that when he’s completely annoyed me, he can smile in that certain way that makes
     me a little less annoyed.
    Sage hugs Emily and then Ned.
    I hug Emily, pat her back, and then when my eyes lock on Ned’s I say, “Hey, Nerdy.”
    “Hey, Wonder Woman,” he answers right back.
    First Sage today at lunch and now Ned? They must be comparing notes, but it doesn’t
     matter since Wonder Woman is ancient history.
    Sage laughs. “I tried one at lunch, but I guess she’s all grown up now. Wonder Woman
     has hung up her cape.”
    “Hey,” I say in my defense. “My fascination with wonderment was never about maturity.”
    I can tell Emily is not listening to a word we are saying. I take her hand, squeeze
     it, and give her a smile.
    “Yeah,” Sage says, “that was real mature what you did to Alison Kingsly.”
    It was our sophomore year of high school and we’d arrived back from lunch. Emily,
     Sage, and I stood in the hall at Sage’s locker. Her mortal enemy, Alison Kingsly,
     and her sidekick Luann leaned against a wall a few feet away from us. Alison had stolen
     Sage’s boyfriend earlier that year by batting a set of overly exposed melons at him.
     She seemed to have it in for Sage merely because she was popular and beautiful.
    Alison had her eye on a new boy named Trey. She put the word out that he was going
     to be hers. Trey happened to walk by that day, stopping to stuff a baseball glove
     in his locker. Alison said to Luann loud enough for the three of us to hear, “I can’t
     wait to taste those beautiful lips.” We all shook our heads with disgusted expressions
     on our faces. We started to walk away when Alison said, “I wonder if he’s a good kisser?”
    The three of us stopped as if a brick wall slid down from the sky in front of us.
     We all knew what that word “wonder” did to me. Sage and Emily busted into a fit of
     giggles, aware of what was about to happen. I turned and walked right up to Trey,
     hooked my hand behind his neck, and pulled him in for a long kiss. He caught on perfectly
     fine and willingly participated. After, I marched by Alison and Luann, their mouths
     agape and said, “Now you don’t have to wonder. The answer is yes.”
    But I wasn’t doing my Wonder Woman routine any longer. It lost its luster after a
     while, and I came to the understanding that there are way too many things in this
     universe to wonder about. And sometimes the mysteries in life were better left to
     the cosmos, to unfold how they were meant to and when destiny set them. But that doesn’t
     mean I didn’t watch for signs. There are always signs.
    Now I am more worried about Emily and getting her off to a good start for this weekend.
     I have to get her mind off missing her kids. We say our goodbyes to Ned, and I invite
     him to a barbeque tomorrow after we do some shopping. When he hesitates, Sage jumps
     in to insist. This seems to make Emily happy, but not happy enough. This is serious
     and we need a serious remedy. Sage and I race Emily to the kitchen, ready to hook
     her up to a wine IV if necessary. When each of us has a glass in hand, we begin with
     our toast. Sage says a few simple words, but no one brings up our pledge. I guess
     it’s silly now, but I actually had the urge to grab their hands and say it. I wonder
     if I’m the only one experiencing this nostalgia.
    Within minutes, we are lounging in the living room, acting like giddy teenagers again.
     I watch Emily’s expressions, trying to see if she’s faking it or actually having a
     good time. She’s become expert at the facial facade, fooling almost everyone but me.
     But I never try to