June2003Circe McKenzie walked into the house. “Hi, Auntie Mari. How are you today?”
“I’m just fine, sweetie. How are you?” Marianne Jordan told her goddaughter.
Circe shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve been better.” She walked up the stairs, heading for her best friend’s room.
Marianne watched her walk up the stairs. It had only been a year ago when she’d burst into the house with such enthusiasm, it was infectious. Now she seemed drained of life.
Circe’s mother, Mikayla McKenzie, and herself had agreed to send Circe and Calypso Jordan, Marianne’s daughter, to Europe, after that... incident, thinking it would be good for them, get their minds off of what had happened. But it had failed. Miserably. Europe had, if possible, depressed the two girls even more.
Circe walked in Calypso Jordan’s room. Not finding her best friend there, she walked out and headed for the gardens. In the month they’d been back from Europe, that was where Calypso could be found most often.
“Calypso? You out here?” Circe called, walking past the rose gardens and arbors. she crossed a small stream and entered what Marianne called the “Chinese garden”. It was modeled after tranquil Chinese gardens, and Calypso loved it.
“I’m over here,” Calypso said from the shade of a willow tree.
“We leave tomorrow,” Circe told her, sitting next to her.
Calypso tossed a rock into the small pond. “I know. Lorelie told me.”
Lorelie was Lorelie Khanauri. She had gone through... that incident with them. Unlike Circe and Calypso, she was happy. Of course, the man she loved hadn’t rejected her.
They were going to Florida for Lorelie’s wedding. She was marrying JC Chasez of *NSync. They’d met a year ago, when the girls had moved to Florida for a few months.
“How are we going to face them?” Circe asked.
“With a fake smile and polite words. It would be unspeakable for us to be rude to them. After all, we did become friends with them and Lorelie, who is our best friend, is marrying JC.”
“I don’t want to see Joey again.”
“And I don’t want to see Justin. It’ll break my heart all over again.”
“What are we gonna do, Calypso?”
Calypso laughed bitterly. “Go on living. Fulfill our destiny.”
“Which means getting married to some rich asshole, giving him a few kids, and then seeing how many lovers you can have without causing too much gossip.”
“Here’s to us.” Calypso poured Circe a glass of wine and held up hers. “To our oh so wonderful lives as rich girls who have everything anyone would want.”
“Except one thing.” Circe drowned her glass of wine and grabbed the bottle.
“I’d say more than one. We’re missing love, compassion, friendship, having a life, freedom.”
“And you can’t forget human rights.”
“Another toast. Here’s to men who can beat us and not fear the repercussions.” Calypso raised her glass and touched it to Circe’s. Then she finished off her wine. “Are you already packed?”
“No. Susie’s doing that for me.”
“Natalie’s packing my stuff.”
“I always did hate packing.”
“Which is why it’s nice to have maids who will do it for you.”
“You know it.”
“Richard’s coming over in an hour, so I have to go get ready for his visit.” Calypso stood up and dusted off the designer jeans she was wearing. “I have to give him his answer today.”
“And what’s you answer gonna be?”
“What do you think, Circe? There’s only one thing I can say to him now.” Calypso walked to the house.
Circe watched her go. Richard Galbraith was the type of man neither one of them could stand. Rich, an English nobleman, arrogant beyond belief, with superior ideas about men.
“Here’s to Calypso,” Circe said to the air, pouring herself another glass of wine. “Hopefully he doesn’t land her in the hospital.”
Lorelie Khanauri was waiting for Circe and Calypso when they arrived in Florida the next day.
“You look wonderful,” Circe told her, hugging her.
“I’ve never been happier,” Lorelie replied. “I can’t believe I’m getting married in three days.”
Lorelie was glowing, with a real smile on her face. She was, for the first time in her life, actually happy about something. Running away from home had been the best thing that had ever happened to her. She’d met JC Chasez and had fallen in love with him.
“Did you enjoy being back home?” Lorelie asked, as they climbed in the limousine waiting for them.
“No,” Calypso said. “I hated it.”
“I’m sorry,” Lorelie said. She meant it. Running away had turned out good for her, but horrible for Circe and Calypso. The men they loved had flipped, refusing to listen to any explanations of why they’d done what they had done.
“It’s ok. Not your fault.” Calypso shrugged her shoulders. “I’m getting married in about six months.”
“What? To whom?”
“Richard Galbraith, an English lord I met while in Europe.”
“But I thought you still loved Justin,” Lorelie protested.
“I do. But I need to get on with my life.”
“Not with someone like Galbraith, though,” Circe said.
“My parents approve, he’s above reproach, and he’s nothing like Justin.”
“I really wish things had worked out better between you and Justin,” Lorelie said. “And between you and Joey, Circe.”
“Me too,” Circe said. “But you can’t change the past. He hates me, and that’s that.”
“Actually, Joey doesn’t hate you,” Lorelie began. “Once he was able to think clearly, he realized he’d been wrong in judging you so harshly. He just hasn’t contacted you because he isn’t sure how you’d take it.”
Circe’s eyes briefly brightened with happiness, something that hadn’t been seen in her green eyes since the night they’d run away from California. Then the spark died, and her eyes were once again sad. “I don’t think he really cares. Or ever did. How could he have done that to me, totally rejected me without even listening to what I had to say?”
“We were in the wrong, Circe,” Lorelie told her. “We did lie to them.”
“They didn’t even take a few minutes to listen to our explanations,” Circe said. “They could have at least listened.”
“I know Justin was upset that another woman had lied to him and felt betrayed. Joey felt betrayed, also, and he didn’t know what to do.” Lorelie looked at her two best friends. “Don’t judge them too harshly.”
“We won’t,” Calypso began. “You should be telling them that.”
“If they want to talk, listen to them, let them talk to you. Try to forgive them.”
“I’ll forgive if they forgive,” Circe said. “So, Lorelie, excited about the wedding?”
“Unbelievably. I love JC so much. I’m so happy we’re getting married.”
“Did he ever tell you where he was taking you for your honeymoon?” Calypso asked.
Lorelie smiled. “He told me it was a surprise.”
“Looking forward to the wedding night?” Circe asked, grinning.
“Of course. Our first time making love as a married couple... It’ll be wonderful.” She sighed happily, a dreamy expression on her face.
“What are you going to do about your throne?” Calypso asked. Lorelie was a royal princess from a small European country. As her parents only child, it was expected that she take over ruling when her parents died.
“Father said he’ll find someone, the son of a good friend or one of his advisors to be his heir. I don’t want to be queen. They understand it.”
“What does JC think about you giving up your title?”
“He didn’t want me to- he thought I was giving up everything for him. But I explained to him that it wasn’t everything I wanted- hell it wasn’t anything I wanted. And that I was happy enough with him.”
The limo pulled up in front of the hotel they were staying at the driver opened the door. “Home sweet home for the next week,” Circe commented, stepping out of the limo.
Lorelie watched Circe and Calypso walk into the hotel, followed by their bodyguards. She was beginning to think that seeing Joey and Justin wouldn’t be good for them. Circe looked depressed, something she never was. Or, if she was depressed, she hid it well. Calypso, on the other hand, looked hollow. There was absolutely nothing in her eyes. Her eyes had never been very open, she was good at hiding her emotions, like they all were, but at least you saw something. Now, you didn’t see anything.
Lorelie prayed that Joey and Justin were ready to listen to their explanations.