The Girl in the Mirror

"You ever miss this place?"

Billy shrugged as he merged onto the freeway.

"It has its charms, but I like the milder climate in Northern California better. We had some good times here, though, didn't we? Remember that one time..."

The pair spent the next twenty-minutes rehashing a story that they both knew well about the time they snuck a Garter snake into their biology class and turned it loose. The sight of old Ms. Thornwell, who was afraid of snakes, climbing up on her desk while cursing loud enough to wake the dead, left them in stitches for weeks. They arrived at their hotel, still laughing about it.

"Frank texted me he would be waiting in the bar," commented Billy after Joe rejoined him.

Frank Palmer had been the kind of kid no one noticed. This, along with his quiet, studious personality had made him the perfect point man for the many jokes he and his friends had played in school. Back in the day, he had been a boy of medium height and build with rather dull-looking brown hair combed into bangs on his narrow forehead. The years hadn't changed him as much as Billy, but Joe noted that he had filled out and let his hair grow a bit, parting it in the middle now. The look in his green eyes hadn't changed though, a glint of mischief that hinted at more going on beneath the surface than presented itself to the world.

He had his back to the two of them when they entered while holding a beer poised to his lips, but when he spotted them in the mirror behind the bar, his mouth split into a grin.

"Son of a bitch! Crazy Joe Harper and Billy the Kid!"

Billy and Joe caught their old buddy in an awkward three-way hug as he launched himself off the stool toward them.

"Hey there, Frank," laughed Joe patting him on the back.

"Easy, Pal! If you knock me down, I doubt the two of you could get me back up!" cried Billy jokingly.

"Wow...I can hardly believe we're standing here," replied Frank after collecting himself and backing off a step.

"I know what you mean. I wish the circumstances were happier ones," replied Billy.

"Yeah...Can I buy you guys a drink?"

They each settled on a barstool, and Frank ordered another round of beers. When their drinks arrived, they raised a toast to their wild and crazy high school days.

"Man...I don't remember it being this hot," commented Frank leading to Billy and Joe sharing a look and a laugh.

"I hadn't noticed," deadpanned Joe.

"I guess only the girls could take the heat since Bonnie and Tess were the ones who stayed behind."

Billy rubbed his jaw in thought, "Bonnie's family have lived in the valley for three generations, so I'm not surprised she never left. I figured Tess would hit the road the first chance she got, but then she met Dale, and I guess that changed her mind."

"I still can't get over the idea of Tess Julewski being a mother of three."

"Four," corrected Frank.

"What?"

"I had dinner with her last night since I came in early. She's five months along with her fourth kid. I think Dale might be Catholic or something."

"Holy shit! Four kids! That's a handful for sure."

"This I gotta see for myself. Let's finish up, gentlemen," suggested Joe.

The drive wasn't long, and within a short time, Billy pulled up in front of a charming looking two-story home in an affluent neighborhood. Joe rang the doorbell, and a few seconds later, the door swung open as if moved by an invisible force. It took a moment for the three men to look down and spot the real reason for it.

Standing barely as tall as Billy's ample stomach, a dark-haired child of perhaps five looked up at the assembled men with a frown.

"Are you selling stuff? Daddy doesn't like people who do that..."

"No, we aren't salesmen. We're friends of your moms. Is she around?"

"Francis! I told you not to answer the door without me!" came Tess's voice as she took the stairs as fast as her pregnant body would allow.

She hit the tiled floor coming to a brief halt to straighten her dress and run a hand through the thick, red curls on top of her head. Joe spotted a tattoo of a falcon on her upper arm before it vanished back into the sleeve of her blouse.

"Well...Well...Crazy Joe Harper and his band of misfits."

"Of which you were a member in good standing, Tess Julewski. If it wasn't for you distracting that security guard...What was his name?"

"Martin. Toby Martin," she supplied.

"That was it! If you hadn't distracted him with your feminine wiles, I would never have been able to get into the faculty lot to swipe the vice-principals car."

"Oh! How I remember! Toby Martin had breath like a dog that had been licking its rear non-stop for a week," laughed Tess.

"He had a thing for you, though. The boy thought he was in love."

"What wasn't to love back then?"

That was true enough. Tess Julewski had been one of the hottest girls at their high school. Petite, with a round face that contained a cute, upturned nose, large dark-brown eyes, and a generous mouth, Tess turned heads easily when she walked down the hall. Her beautiful face had been equally complemented by a smoking body that included a sweet pair of huge and very firm breasts. Things were not quite as firm as they had been, but three kids will do that to a woman.

The Tess Julewski that stood before her friends now was a much rounder, more matronly looking woman, but she was still stunning in the face.

"Come here, you hooligans!" she shouted suddenly, darting forward to be engulfed by them all in a four-way hug.

Her son looked on with his frown only getting bigger while a bunch of strangers mauled his mom.

They moved as a group into a sunken living room that was decorated with bulky oak furnishings that lent it an old-world feel. Just outside the sliding glass doors that led into her backyard, Tess's other two children, both boys that looked to be quite a few years older than Francis, threw a ball back and forth between them.

"This is a beautiful house, Tess, and clearly, motherhood agrees with you," commented Joe.

"I can hear the surprise in your voice. I never thought I was the settling down type, but life never quite works out the way you think it will."

"I know that all too well," thought Joe.

"Take you, for instance. I fully expected to see your name on a concert billboard one day."

Jo gave a wane smile, shaking his head.

"I was never that good."

"Bonnie thought you were."

A heavy silence followed the mention of their deceased friend.

"I was good for around here, but things get a lot harder when you start competing out in the real world. Anyway, I'm happy where I'm at."

"King of the financial world?" suggested Billy sounding less than convinced.

"Well, maybe not king, but working my way up."

Tess watched his face with a look of motherly concern that was different from any expression that Joe had ever seen on her pretty features. It seemed almost alien to him. She smiled after a moment and shrugged.

"I'm not criticizing, Joe. If you say you're happy, who are we to pass judgment? It just seems an odd fit for you compared to the Joe Harper we use to know. Then again, who would have seen Frank here as a tech guru?"

"I wasn't completely hopeless back in school!" laughed Frank with fake anger.

"Sure, you weren't. Did you notice that your shoe is untied?" said Billy with a raised eyebrow.

"I can do it myself..." shot back Frank with a wink, bending over to secure the offending laces.

"Right over left, my friend."

"Screw you, Billy."

"Guys! Language!" snapped Tess.

"Sorry, Tess. Though I seem to recall you cursing like a sailor back in the day."

"I have no fucking clue what you're talking about."

"Mommie!" yelled Francis from the kitchen.

"Go play in your room, Francis...and Mommies sorry," she called, "Little bastard has ears like an elephant..."

They all laughed.

"When does the old ball and chain get home? I'm looking forward to meeting the man that could tame the 'Wild Thing.'" asked Billy, referring to Tess's nickname in high school.

"Sadly, Dale had to leave on a business trip this morning."

"That's too bad. I bet he would have some stories to tell."

Before Tess could comment, Frank broke in, "Does this mean we're eating in tonight?"

"Feeling hungry, Frank?"

"I could eat. I overslept and missed breakfast, so I'm down a meal today."

"I think Billy could stand to be down a meal," chuckled Joe.

"Hey, now! I'm on a diet. These things take time."

"Don't worry, Guys. My next-door neighbor is going to watch the kids while we get some adult food. We just need to wait for our last guest."

"Someone else is coming?" asked Joe.

"Marta North is going to have dinner with us. I offered as a courtesy, and I admit she surprised me by accepting. I figured with the funeral tomorrow, she would be caught up in all that mess, but I guess not."

"Do you know her well?" questioned Billy.

"Not really. Bonnie and I may have lived in the same town, but we drifted apart after high school. I did bump into her occasionally, but we weren't close socially. She ran in a different circle. I think I've seen Marta half-a-dozen times over the years. I'll say this much the apple didn't fall far from the tree."

As if on cue, the front doorbell rang, and Tess ponderously pulled herself up from the couch to answer it. Joe watched her leave the room, his heart picking up speed in his chest. Oddly, he felt very nervous at the prospect of meeting Bonnie's daughter.

The front door opened and shut, and he could hear the women's voices in the hallway. Tess's he knew well enough, and the other had a gravely quality to it like Stevie Nicks. Bonnie's voice had always been clear as a church bell, so he wondered what other differences her daughter would display. It turned out that looks weren't one of them.

The minute Marta North entered the room, Joe froze, not able to take his eyes off her. It was almost like seeing a ghost, and for just a second, he thought Bonnie had returned from the grave only twenty years younger. Then the young woman stepped out of the shadows of the entryway, and the differences started to become more apparent, but not in a bad way.

The apple had, indeed, not fallen far from the tree at first glance. Marta had light blond hair like her mother, but less curly hanging like a mane around her face. Her eyes were the same hauntingly beautiful shade of bright blue the exact color of a summer sky. The shape of her mouth mirrored her moms, but Marta's lips were even more full and sweet looking sitting beneath a slightly upturned nose. As she stepped down into the living room, it dawned on Joe that she was quite a bit taller than Bonnie had been, maybe two or three inches making her closer to five-foot-seven or eight. Her body was slender, skin darkened by time spent in the sun, with perky but not overly large breasts exposed in the low cut green dress she was wearing.

All eyes were on Marta as she came to a halt.

"Um...Hi...Frank Palmer. I was a friend of your moms," said Frank awkwardly, introducing himself first since he was the closest.

Marta turned her gaze on him, and he fidgeted like a grade school kid caught sneaking candy out of his desk. Her look had an almost palatable intensity too it leaving Frank uncertain of what to say next. Then a radiant smile lit her face, and all that intensity seemed to vanish.

"Mr. Palmer. It's a pleasure to meet you. My mother always spoke very fondly of you."

Joe looked on as Marta shook hands with Frank, slipping one long-nailed hand into his. Then she moved on to Billy, who bravely went in for a hug, which she graciously returned. When his turn came, Marta marched right over to him, and he stuck out a hand.

"Hey. I'm Joe Harper I..." he started to say, but the words died when Marta marched right past him, ignoring his hand and instead walked around him in a tight circle. He kept his eyes on her as best he could while she circumnavigated her way back in front of him again.

"Uh...Is something wrong?" he asked, not sure of what to make of her behavior.

"Sorry. I was checking for wings. After all the stories I've heard about you, I just assumed you could fly."

Joe had no idea how to answer that, but Marta killed the tension in the air by breaking out into a staccato laugh while taking his still extended hand in hers.

"It's nice to meet you, Joe Harper. Or should I call you, 'Crazy Joe,'?"

"Joe is fine. I think my crazy days are long behind me."

"That's too bad," she replied, still holding his hand. Hers was warm, the skin silky and smooth. The look she was giving him now was back to the intense scrutiny she had displayed when she first came in, and it disconcerted him greatly.

"I might need that hand later," he said jokingly.

"Of course..." she said, laughing again as she released her grip.

"We were all very sorry to hear about your mother," said Billy from behind.

Marta turned her head and nodded back at him, "Thank you. I'm glad that you could all come. It would have made my mother very happy to know that you took time out of your busy work schedules to be here to celebrate her life."

"It was the least we could do. It may have been quite a few years, but your mom was a very important part of all our lives," offered Joe.

"Some more than others..." Marta said when she turned back toward him, in a voice so quiet he doubted the others heard.

Joe shifted nervously in place, wondering how much Bonnie had told her daughter about their relationship.

"We were just talking about getting some dinner," said Frank.

"I made reservations at a Chinese place if that's o.k. with everyone?"

Tess eyed the group and waited.

"I'm starved," said Marta simply, pivoting on one heel and walking back the way she had come.

Joe found he could breathe again when her eyes weren't on him, but his feelings of discomfort returned when he was forced to abdicate the front passenger seat to Tess. This maneuver put him in the back where he was pressed very close to Marta, who, in turn, was wedged in between himself and Frank. In the tight confines of the car, her perfume was very noticeable and very alluring. Joe tried, without success, not to stare at her perfectly sculpted bare legs that jutted out the bottom of her dress.

"So, Marta. You seem to have the advantage here. You know something about us, but we know very little about you," remarked Billy.

"There isn't much to know. I graduated from Arizona State last fall with a degree in biology. I recently started a job with the state studying the effects of last year's wildfires on the wildlife in the Coconino national forest."

"You must like being outdoors."

"I thought the tan gave it away," joked Marta.

"In this city? I'm guessing people here turn brown in ten minutes or less like meat on a spit," commented Frank.

"It's cooler up north where I spend a lot of my time."

"You're your mother's daughter. She loved the outdoors. Hiking was her thing."

Marta turned her head toward Joe, smiling so much like her mother that he was taken back twenty-five years.

"Mom gave me a love of the outdoors and rock music. She used to tell me tales of your band."

"Bonnie, your mom, she was very tolerant of what I optimistically called music back in the day."

"Oh...I think you're selling yourself short. Mom played me some recordings she had of your stuff. It was terrific."

"Bonnie, kept recordings of my music?"

"You sound surprised?"

Joe looked out the window, trying to hide just how surprised he really was by this revelation.

"I just didn't know any still existed, that's all."

"Maybe it's not too late to go for that album deal, Joe?" said Billy from the front seat.

"I believe that ship has sailed."

Joe felt a hand on his leg, and he turned away from his perusal of the passing scenery to look once again into Marta's pretty blue eyes.

"My mom always said once the music is in you, it never goes away."

The words flowed over him, said with such conviction that for a moment, he wanted to believe it was true. Marta's eyes were hypnotizing and try as he might he couldn't stop starring into them. The truth was even as much as Marta resembled her mother, her looks improved on those inherited characteristics in every way. She was so beautiful it was almost intimidating, and the strength of her personality made her even more alluring. Joe's mouth was suddenly dry, and he finally tore his eyes away from hers with an effort.

"What's a matter with me? I should be ashamed for even thinking about Bonnie's daughter," he thought.

Marta removed her hand from his leg, and he was grateful for that given the effect that just her presence was having on him.

The interior of the car seemed just as hot as the desert air outside to Joe, and he felt a sense of profound relief when Billy turned into the busy parking lot of a Chinese restaurant called, "The Flying Dragon."

He held the door for Marta while she exited the car and fell in behind her and Tess as they walked to the door. The two women were talking, but he couldn't quite hear what they were saying over the sounds of cars driving on by them. Marta threw a look at him over her shoulder at one point, and he nearly stumbled while stepping up onto the sidewalk with his attention distracted by her flashing blue eyes.

"You used to be the athletic one," chided Frank when he reached out to steady Joe.

"Right...I guess I'm getting old," he replied.

Frank smirked at him and patted him on one shoulder before walking away.

Joe could have never explained the real reason for his unsteady feet. It would have seemed so inappropriate, and it did even to him, but he realized he was reacting to Marta the same way he had to her mother so many years ago. Then it had been the freshmen mixer at school, and he had run into a young Bonnie North at the punch bowl. He had been wearing a vintage Pink Floyd t-shirt, and they had struck up a conversation about the band. From the get-go, he had been haunted by her eyes and the way she smiled at him. It had been a miracle that he had made it through their chat without passing out. Afterward, he had fled back to his friends, and that might have been the end of it if his buddy, Terry, hadn't noticed Bonnie and made noises that he was going to asked her to dance. In a panic at the thought of losing her attention to Toby Fleischman, Joe had plucked up his courage and asked her to the dance floor himself. He had no idea at the time how that one dance was going to change the next five-plus years of his life.

"You know they don't serve food out here on the sidewalk?"

Joe was jerked back to reality, and it dawned on him that he had been standing alone daydreaming while the rest of the group had entered the restaurant. Billy had come back for him and looked at him with almost brotherly concern.

"Is everything o.k.?"

"Sure...I guess I was just a little thrown at meeting Marta."

"I know. It is ghostly. In the right light, she's the spitting image of Bonnie."

Perhaps that was what was throwing him as well? That maybe he was having flashbacks to his feelings for Bonnie, but it seemed like something more. Whatever it was, Joe resolved to shake off these odd feelings and try to enjoy his dinner.

"Come on. Let's eat," he said, throwing an arm around Billy and leading him toward the entrance.

Tess had made a good choice. The food was excellent, and despite the somber occasion, conversation flowed smoothly around the table. Marta constantly laughed as the old friends regaled her with tales of their more outrageous exploits in high school, many of which prominently featured her mother.

"Seriously? She mooned a bus full of football players?"

"It was a homecoming, and they were our biggest rivals," explained Joe with a grin.

"She hung it proudly out the window of Joe's Mustang," said Tess laughing.