here's a REALLY short story called "Podcast" Kind of an idea I got from watching a tv show I think. I'm hoping to get back into writing, just real life is kicking my ass right now. That's why I haven't been around much.
This is a friendship Hannah/Amy-centric story. I hope you enjoy it
Amy walked into the hallways of county high, she put her headphones back in the case and slipped her ipod back into her backpack. It was the Monday after spring break. You could tell the kids, just by passing them in the halls, who stayed up way late on the nights they could and forgot that yesterday was Sunday and today was the Monday to return to school.
She kept looking from side to side, feeling people starring at her. Amy shrugged it off and went on the way to her locker. She was greeted almost instantly by her best friend Hannah.
“It’s Monday, isn’t it?”
“Since yesterday was Sunday, I’d say you aced that pop quiz.”
“It feels like it should still be Wednesday or something, another day we get to sleep in.”
“Sleep in? I was up at like seven in the morning everyday.”
“Some of us actually took spring break off and didn’t become a working girl in her free time.”
“Working girl!?” Amy made a face and laughed. “I’m not sure I would call it that.”
A random girl stood next to Hannah, she turned and asked, “I was told to tell you from Katie Greenbriar that you don’t need to come to the virtuous meeting.”
“Okay, but why? Is Katie not feeling well?
“No, she’s fine...in fact she’s setting up some eleborate thing or something. She just doesn’t want you to come anymore.”
“Why!? Did I make her mad or something...go back on a promise.”
The girl started to laugh, saying “yeah, something like a promise.” She nodded towards Amy. “Hey girl, see you around.”
Amy looked back at Hannah, “what was that about?”
“I have no idea. I practically helped form that club.”
“Maybe they’re having a surprise for you...since Katie is setting up something elaborate?”
“Doubt it. We don’t celebrate anyone’s birthdays or holidays.” She saw Amy’s sad face. “So many people celebrate different things and it became more about celebrating birthdays and some people feeling pressured to always buy a gift. So no celebrations.”
“But really, no idea how you got disinvited to a group you founded.”
Bright walked into English class, most of the talking immediately stopped. This wasn’t unusual considering Bright was usually doing something that called for everyone to stop and pay attention. But Bright couldn’t think of anything he’d done, but he wasn’t one to listen to gossip. He took his seat and started to get out his notebook. Hannah had quite the studious affect on him to always get out his books and be the first one prepared to take notes.
“So there’s this bet going on that you and that you and Hannah….”
Bright made a face. “Me and Hannah what?”
“You know...you finally made a woman out of her.”
Bright stood up just as the teacher came into the room raising his voice for everyone to settle down. He did as the teacher instructed and the other guy walked away laughing. Quickly, Bright got out his phone, texting Hannah under his desk.
What’s going on, what did you tell everyone? And he tossed his phone back in his bag and looked towards the front. Paying attention, Bright took notes although his mind was somewhere else.
~*~
“Today has been exhausting.” Amy entwined her hand with Ephram’s as they walked towards the her locker.
“It has been a long day. Everyone’s talking about Bright and Hannah.”
“Yeah, Hannah’s been kicked out of the vurtous club, something she helped build.”
Ephram stopped, looking at his girlfriend, “the virtuous club? What is that?”
“Purity club? A high school in North Carolina crated it as a teen cleans club, saving purity for marriage.”
“Why would she be kicked out.” Ephram saw Amy’s ‘you must be clueless’ expression, then he said, “Oh, yeah, I guess that’s a reason not to be involved.”
“But no one knows except them and me...and now you.”
“She didn’t tell anyone, talk about it too close to someone in class? Girls talk in the bathroom don’t they.”
“Yeah, of course, but Hannah never talked about it. She actually barely talked about when we have sleepovers in my room.”
“Oh yeah, Dad and Nina are out out of town, wanna have a sleepover at my house.” Ephram had the adorable grin he’s known for.
“Tempting...but I think I need to spend some time with Hannah. She’s really upset about being kicked out of the club and everyone’s kept saying strange things to her. Some were kind of mean.”
“Like what?”
“Lot of stuff about sex with Bright and she was never really a virgin and is a total fake. I swear Ephram, if I wasn’t there to walk her away from it, she would’ve started to cry….they were vile.”
“Hannah’s never been mean to anybody, why are they being mean to her?”
“I have no idea. It’s like someone made a rumor and everyone believes it. But that stuff doesn’t happen at county high, at least not to this magnitude.”
“Have you talked to Bright, yet?”
“I haven’t seen him all day. I looked for him at lunch and no one’s seen him. If they’re saying these things to Hannah...what are they saying to Bright!?”
~*~
Hannah walked into the weight room, waited for Bright to reset the weights he was using.
“Hi,” She mouthed and did a small wave.
“I looked for you all day, you seemed to have disappeared on me.”
“Same. I guess we were looking in the wrong places at the same times.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Bright sat back down, pulling barbells towards him.
“Can we talk?”
“Yeah, seems like the whole school is talking for us.”
“I’m not saying you did, but did you say something to someone about us.”
“No, I never talk to anyone about you or about us...except Ephram. He would never say anything.”
“I didn’t either, but it seems like everyone knows.”
“That we had sex? Yeah, seems like it.”
“I never told anyone...except Amy and like Ephram, she wouldn’t say anything.”
Bright patted the seat in front of him, Hannah sat down. “I don’t care if people know we had sex. I’ve just been trying to find you all day to make sure you were okay….that people were talking about us.”
“Bright, I don’t care that people are talking about us, I just want to know how someone found out.”
Bright nodded, “I don’t know.”
~*~
Rose stopped in Amy’s room to deliver some laundry.
“Recording another podcast?”
“Not tonight, too much going on at school, making my brain hurt.”
“Nothing too bad, I hope?”
“No, it’s just people are talking about a rumor that just won’t go away. Rumors that don’t go away are usually true and have a credible source.”
“Are you going to make it your missing to find this credible source?”
“The rumor is about Hannah.”
“Is Brighton involved?”
“Yeah...but it’s not bad. You’re not going to get a call from the principle or anything.”
“I would hope not, he’s doing so well lately.”
Rose closed the door and Amy jumped on her computer. As soon as she did, there was an echo. Questioning why there was an echo, she checked all of her media recording devices. She could feel the warmth drain from her face and all the blood rush out of her body. She shakily turned off the record button and the echos seemed to stop. Looking at her computer, she could see all the comments from everyone who heard her life feed. It had been recording for at least two days. Her sleep over with Hannah was last night.
“At least here I can get some peace and quiet.” Hannah plopped on Amy’s bed, wrapping her arms around the bear pillow. “What’s wrong Amy, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I accidentally left the podcast recording.”
“And it’s Monday, so I’m guessing the world heard about Rose Abbott delivering your weekly laundry.”
Amy swollowed hard. “I turned it on Saturday when I recorded my thoughts about the pep rally. We were such in a hurry to get to the game, I was going to make myself a note to turn it off when we got back here.”
Hannah could feel the blood run cold. “Was the podcast recording Saturday night?”
Amy’s voice was soft as she spoke. “Yeah, it was.”
“So now we know why I was kicked out of the virtuous club and why everyone was snickering and talking behind my back. I was the one who told everyone Bright and I had sex when I thought I was sharing an important life moment with my best friend.”
“Yeah.” Amy’s voice was soft, then she tucked the hair behind her ears, looking at her best friend. “I am so sorry! Anything I can to make it up to you, anything.”
“I thought what I shared with Bright would be intimate and private, but it was sensationalized and public.”
“And you have every right to blame me for all of it. I had no idea I left it on and I really have even less of an idea of what we talked about.”
“Sex. We talked about how I had sex and me thinking it was private and now it’s not.”
“I have nothing to say.”
“Neither do I.”
~*~
Two days later, Hannah was finally able to sit down and read her email there it was. A link to a new podcast from Amy. She put her head phones in and listened….
A few days ago, a podcast went out that shouldn’t have. Well, it shouldn’t have been a podcast at all. Me and my best friend in the entire world, Hannah Rogers, was telling me, her best friend, that she shared an intimate moment with her boyfriend, almost my brother, Bright. It was never meant to be heard outside of the four walls in my bedroom during one of our sleepovers. For that, I am truly sorry. No words I can say can ever let Hannah forget the feeling it was for everyone to know she shared an intimate moment with someone that was supposed to be private.
With that being said, the reason for this, maybe it’s a special edition, I don’t know...but this is what I want to say.
Everyone listening to this podcast has had a moment, that was truly a moment where no one was there to witness it. And you think “wow, good thing no one saw that” or “I'm glad this has stayed between us”. We’ve all said, we’ve all experienced. Well, Hannah didn’t get that option. Instead, something I forgot to do, let that moment go public, viral if you will. Everyone took part in making sure Hannah knew that everyone know what she and Bright did. Why not just bear the scarlet letter on her forehead and wear black all over town? Would that be similar to what you all had in mind when you basically exiled her out of every lunch table at county high or everyone classroom she walked into.
You may think you are invisible when saying mean things to someone that doesn’t know you. Well, you aren’t. Hannah knows who you are. She knows that you are the person that gets to walk away after saying these things. You get to walk away from Hannah’s feelings being hurt. You get to...walk...away. Think about that. You get to walk around school, no one knowing who you are or care that you wore an orange shirt with green pants. She never did that, but you get the idea.
So, what I urge you, County High, is to walk away. Hannah is took good for your insults and judgments. So please, when seeing Hannah walk around town, through the hallways….smile and nod as there may be a moment in your own personal life that doesn’t end up being so personal.
This is Amy Abbott, signing off.
~*~
Amy sat beside Hannah on the front porch. “I’m sorry.”
Hannah nodded. “I know, I listened to your podcast.”
“Yeah, I recorded that before I went to bed. I just couldn’t think of waking up think you’re mad at me and I didn’t do anything to fix it.”
“I never blamed you, or meant to.”
“You should have, I let the world hear your personal words.”
“It wasn’t your fault...you would never tell anyone about our secret talks.”
“So we’re best friends again?”
“We were ever not?”
They hugged tightly and took the route into town. just as all the kids were getting in their cars and going home.
~*~