Wayside: A Serial Novel - Episode 17
This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Episode 17: Little Things
October 9, 2026
Cassie found herself in a hospital bed. She looked around for Chris, but he wasn’t in the room.
She looked for Dr. Bercerra, who wasn’t there either.
The door to the hallway was open. Cassie could hear voices, presumably from the healthcare workers staffing the unit. They blended in with the sound of beeping monitors, noisy alarms.
“Hello?” She raised her head, called out to anyone who could re-orient her to the present moment.
A woman appeared by the side of her bed. Cassie hadn’t seen her enter the room, nor had she been aware of the woman’s presence at her bedside up until that point. She looked up at the woman’s face, remembering she’d seen her before.
Dark skin. White hair. Kind eyes. Beautiful smile.
“Shouldn’t you be wearing a mask?” Cassie asked.
The woman reached for her hand. “I can’t exactly put one on. It’s a long story, but I promise you, you’re safe. You don’t have to worry about catching anything from me.”
Cassie’s brow furrowed with confusion. “How can you be sure?”
The woman placed her other hand atop Cassie’s head, lovingly stroking her hair the way a mother would calm an upset child. “You’re the one doing the breathing here, sweetheart. Just breathe.”
Cassie inhaled, exhaled. “Who are you?”
“You know in your heart who I am.” The woman winked. “Or maybe I should say you know in your lungs.”
Eyes widening, Cassie pushed herself up on her elbows. “Are you… wait… no… no. You couldn’t possibly be. How could you be here if you were?”
The woman touched Cassie’s face. “Don’t be afraid,” she whispered. “The end. It’s beginning.”
Cassie awoke with a loud gasp, jolting upright in bed. She was at home.
She'd been dreaming.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, clutching her hand over her chest. She looked for Chris at first, then remembered he was away from Wayside caring for his mother. She reached for her phone. It was just before 7 a.m., their usual wakeup time. She sent him a text.
Had another dream. I think I met my lung donor.
Seconds later, Chris replied. What? You’re kidding!
Not kidding, Cassie told him. I’ll fill you in later today when we can talk. How’s your mother?
Covid-positive ☹, Chris replied. I tried a few times yesterday to test her, but Chase wasn’t lying when he said it was a struggle. She wouldn’t tolerate the swabs going up her nose and fought me pretty hard each time I tried. I had to wait until after midnight, once she finally calmed down. I collected the sample while she was asleep. I’m so sorry, Cass. I’m masked at the moment, but I had enough exposure yesterday that I’ll likely be positive shortly myself. Chase was coughing yesterday, so he’s probably positive too.
Have you heard anything from him? Cassie asked.
Not a word. I’m really worried about him and I don’t even know why. He did such a shitty thing, he doesn’t deserve my concern. I’m so sorry he did this to us. If he gave me Covid and I can’t be there when you’re having the baby, I don’t know if I can ever forgive him.
Cassie sighed loudly. You don’t have to apologize, love. Try not to think about Chase right now. Just focus on your mom and yourself until things calm down a bit. You know, our last booster shots were only 6 weeks ago, so you should have good protection if you end up positive. What about your mom? How are her symptoms at the moment?
She’s congested and warm to touch, so she’s probably running a fever, Chris texted back. I’ll call Su-Jin at the Health Center when it opens to see if she could do a telehealth appointment for her. How are you and the baby?
We’re both fine, Cassie replied. You don’t need to worry about us. I’ve been on bed rest. I’m bored out of my mind, but otherwise I’m okay. Just a little bummed that we won’t be able to go to the dance tonight, but that’s the least of my worries now.
Actually, we can still go to the dance! Chris added a GIF of a cartoon rabbit typing frantically on a desktop computer. I’ll be posting a virtual event link in the Wayside communications app later today for everyone who can’t make it in person. There will be screens and cameras mounted around the Carolina Corral, so you can still put your dress on and join from home.
I hadn’t even thought about that. Cassie smiled half-heartedly. Okay then, see online you at the dance, provided you’re feeling well enough.
Here’s hoping, Chris replied. I’ll call you later. Love you, angel. And F.A.B. too.
We love you right back. Talk soon. Cassie rested her phone on the nightstand and eased back down into bed.
It was eerily quiet without Chris around. She missed the sound of his voice. Even his snoring.
Without him there, another voice was inside her mind, filling the void. She closed her eyes, envisioning the woman she’d seen in her dream. The familiar words she had spoken echoed in Cassie’s memory.
The end. It’s beginning.
***
Josina re-read the message on her screen twice, then hit ‘send.’
Good morning Founders’ Council members. I am writing to share that the person who vandalized the Wayside Academy mural has come forward privately to me. This person is remorseful for their actions and intends to take full responsibility. The individual has asked for the weekend to prepare a statement to be shared with the Founders’ Council. I feel confident this person is not a threat to themselves or others and we need not worry about a repeat offense. I respectfully ask that the Founders’ Council give this individual the weekend, as requested, to continue with self-reflection and preparation of their message to the Council. Thank you in advance for your support!
She held her breath, waited for reactions to appear.
A thumbs up from Bellamy. Then one from Jessica. Then Tony, Cassie, Prateeka. Reese added a heart reaction. Joel threw in another thumbs up. The others were likely still asleep, but would chime in as soon as they were awake. Emoji responses to her proposal had already surpassed a majority.
Josina breathed a sigh of relief.
She moused over her missed call log screen to glance at it one more time, just in case she’d overlooked something. She hadn’t.
No word from Jasmine yet. No word from her mother. There was a time when the silence would have been deafening, to the point of being painful. It would have left her feeling anxious and rejected.
And unworthy.
Not anymore. Now Josina knew she was worthy of patience for herself, and kindness for herself. She’d extended an invitation to her mother and her biological daughter to be a part of her life, and she was worthy of the hope that they would accept it. She welcomed them, whenever, and however, they would come to her. She was worthy of the wait.
And she was worthy of Ben.
That night, at the dance, she would make the invitation to him as well.
***
The sun had just dipped below the horizon as students began to arrive at the Wayside Community Academy’s homecoming dance.
The Founders’ Council had offered to work the event so teachers and staff of the academy could have the night off to relax and enjoy themselves. Prateeka and Reese had done the lion’s share of decorating, hanging streamers and balloons on the post and rail fence surrounding the venue, and swapping out the burned-out bulbs of the fairy lights suspended across the pergola. Jessica had pored over the deejay’s catalog of songs to ensure all the titles in the playlist for the evening were age-appropriate. Bellamy manned the punch table while Tony snapped photos of the students in their formalwear, and Joel was camped out near the entrance, eyeing each person as they arrived for any signs of security threats.
Their efforts were a labor of love; their reward was witnessing the students experience their very first homecoming dance at Wayside. All were dressed in formalwear they would likely outgrow before they had the chance to wear again. Some were masked, others weren’t, but all had been tested for Covid and flu earlier in the day at home. Parents at Wayside understood that calculating risk meant considering both the crowd size as well as the outdoor venue, and trusted each other to make sound decisions for their own families.
The younger children ran, jumped, and somersaulted across the dance floor with wild abandon while the tweens and teens swayed to the beat of each song. Some danced awkwardly, experimenting with movement, while others danced with more control and precision. The children who couldn’t, or preferred not to dance, gathered in a small gazebo adjacent to the Carolina Corral, far enough from the lights and music to make for a less overwhelming sensory experience. Reese and Prateeka had mounted a poster with the words ‘Wayside Wallflowers Club’ in front of the gazebo and stocked it with tables, chairs, board games, arts and crafts supplies, and noise-canceling headphones for any children who might have found the loud music overwhelming. And on the screens mounted in the corners of the venue, children who weren’t able to attend in person watched the festivities and danced along with their peers remotely.
All things stressful were forgotten for the moment. The collective sense of joy was palpable. And while no one wanted the night to end, the students found themselves ready for a good night’s sleep by the time the dance officially wrapped up at 10 pm.
The Founders’ Council members jumped into action, cordoning off the entrance, cleaning up tables and chairs, carrying out the trash, and touching up the decorations. The academy teachers and staff ushered the students out of the Carolina Corral, giving them hugs and high fives as they loaded them onto the golf cart shuttles that would carry them home.
As the kids departed, they waved to the crowd of grownup Waysiders gathered outside of the Carolina Corral, anxious for their turn to dance. Applause and cheering followed from the adults as the deejay played ‘Celebration’ by Kool and the Gang, and Tony dropped the stanchion at the entrance to welcome them inside.
Josina and Siado were among the first to make their way in. Upon spotting them in the crowd, Bellamy beckoned them toward the punch table, squealing at the sight of them in the dresses they’d helped each other pick out the day before.
“You two look amazing!” She gushed.
Siado spun around, finishing with a polite curtsey. “Why, thank you!”
“You look amazing yourself!” Josina exclaimed as she eyed Bellamy’s red strapless gown and matching heels. “I love your shoes, but please tell me you brought a pair of flats to switch into later. Otherwise it’s going to be a long night!”
Bellamy laughed. “I’m used to being on my feet all day at The Black Sheep, so it’s not that big a deal. If these get too uncomfortable, I can just kick them off and stand barefoot behind the table.”
“You should have invited that friend of Ben’s who came to see him a few weeks ago,” Siado suggested. “The one who gives foot massages. What was his name?”
“Kevin.” Bellamy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, he’s great at foot massages, but he sucks at responding to texts.”
“Oh no… did he ghost you?” Josina asked.
Bellamy shrugged. “Seems that way. I really thought we clicked, but he hasn’t reached out to me, and hasn’t responded when I’ve taken the initiative to message him.”
“Bastard!” Siado said with an exaggerated sigh. “If he ever shows up back here, I’ll give him a piece of my mind!”
“Yeah,” Josina feigned a snarl. “Should he set foot back in Wayside, I imagine all of us Fine Ass Ladies of the Founders’ Council would like to have a word with him.”
“Thank you, ladies. I’m glad you’ve got my back!” Bellamy laughed, then craned her head around to take inventory of the growing crowd. “Have either of you seen Ben and his friend yet? They’re planning on coming, aren’t they?”
“As far as I know,” said Josina.
“I may ask him if he’s heard from Kevin lately and—” Bellamy began.
“Girl, no!” Siado interrupted her. “What do you expect Ben to do? Call him up and demand that he text you back? Come on, Bell. You deserve better than a guy who won’t even put in the effort to communicate with you.”
“I know, I know,” Bellamy held her hands up defensively. “It’s just tearing me up to think about how well we got along. I swear, sparks were flying for the both of us. It felt like something good was starting. But in order for him to come back here to see me, he’d have to go through another 10 days of quarantine before he could even set foot inside of Wayside. I know it’s too much to ask, so I’m assuming that’s why he’s blowing me off.”
Siado crossed her arms. “Don’t you think you’re worth the wait?”
“It’s not that,” Bellamy protested. “I just want to be flexible. Like if I could get another manager hired to cover for me at The Black Sheep, I could go see him for a few days.”
“Buuuuuuut…you can’t exactly communicate that to him because he won’t respond to you,” Siado observed. “Unacceptable on his part.”
Josina raised her eyebrows. “Not that it’s any of her business, but I think Siado’s right. I think you deserve better, Bellamy. Speaking of, I think you’re getting some looks from over there.”
She nodded her head in the direction of Randall and Mitch, barely recognizable without their Wayside security team uniforms and baseball caps on. The two were dressed in tuxedos and were sporting new haircuts.
The three women giggled as they spotted Reese dancing closer and closer toward Mitch. In one swift motion, she hooked her arm through his and pulled him to the dance floor.
“Uh oh, their numbers are dwindling. Better act quickly,” Siado told Bellamy. “You gotta admit, they clean up nice, don’t they?”
Bellamy glanced at Randall, who met her gaze. The two exchanged a smile. She blushed as he began walking toward her.
“Turkey and swiss on whole wheat bread, spicy mustard and mayo, no onion, barbeque chips and a root beer with extra ice,” Bellamy rattled off. “I know his order by heart. He comes to The Black Sheep for lunch every day.”
“Based on the smile on his face right now, I don’t think he’s showing up for the sandwiches,” Siado teased in singsong fashion. “And I love that he doesn’t eat onions. That means you can kiss him without gagging.”
Randall approached them with a hand outstretched toward Bellamy. “Would you like to dance?”
Josina nudged Bellamy out from behind the table. “Go,” she said. “I’ll serve punch for a while.”
“Sure!” Her face lit up as she placed her palm against his, following him into the crowd of dancing Waysiders.
“You too,” Josina said to Siado. “At some point one of your songs is going to come up in the playlist and if you’re not out there dancing to it, I think the universe might collapse or something.”
Siado rolled her eyes. “No, it wouldn’t.”
“Go!” Josina said both playfully and more forcefully. “Hooyo knows best. Get out of here and go dance.”
As Siado scampered away, Josina reached for the ladle and stirred the punch, watching as pieces of crushed ice and tiny bits of chopped fruit swirled around the crystal bowl.
When she looked up, Ben was standing before her in a new suit jacket and bow tie, his hair combed back off his forehead and fixed in place with styling gel.
She smiled broadly. “Hi, Benjamin.”
“Hi, Jo.” Ben didn’t return her smile. He seemed subdued.
More so than usual, anyway.
“Punch?” Josina asked, reaching for an empty cup.
“No thanks,” he replied, a little too quickly.
“How about Olivia? Did she come with you? Can I serve some for her?”
Ben stared down into the punch bowl. “I lost her out on the dance floor while trying to make my way over here. She seems to be having a good time, so it might be a while. Let me hold off on the punch till she’s ready for a break.”
“Sure,” said Josina. “How’s everything going with her visit? She’s leaving tomorrow, right?”
He lifted his head, met Josina’s gaze. “Actually, I came to tell you there’s a change of plans.”
“Oh… no worries.” Josina tried to hide her disappointment, but feared it was evident in her voice. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” Ben nodded. “I’m going to ask her to move in. And her mother too, of course.”
Josina rocked back on her feet as if she’d been punched in the chest. “Oh,” she said with surprise.
“I made plans for us tomorrow. I’m going to take her out to the beach house.”
“Our beach house?” Josina asked. “Wait, that came out the wrong way. I know the beach house isn’t mine, of course. I just meant… the beach house where we lived together?”
“Yes,” Ben nodded. “I rented a boat. I want to take her out into the water to talk about some important things, and so I can ask her to move in.”
Josina’s jaw dropped. “Oh. Okay. Well, that sounds…”
Romantic, was the word on the tip of her tongue. She pressed her lips together, wondering how she’d managed to fool herself into believing the nature of Ben’s relationship with Olivia couldn’t have been romantic in nature. They’d met on a dating site, after all.
“… it sounds nice,” Josina said, forcing a smile. “It sounds like her visit has gone well. I’m… very happy for you and Olivia. And her mother.”
Ben gave her a curious look. “I was wondering if you could go get the rest of your things out of the container home,” he said. “There’s not much left, it’s just that we’ll need your room… I mean, your former room—”
“Of course,” Josina replied. “Not a problem at all. I can go get them this evening. When you and Olivia get home from the dance, all of my things will be cleared out.” She swallowed hard, fighting a knot in her throat.
Ben’s face softened. His eyes looked sad. “You don’t have to go now. You could go tomorrow, while we’re away. We’re actually leaving right after the dance tonight. Since it’s a 7-hour drive to the coast, I figured it would be easier for me to drive overnight when there’s less traffic, and Olivia can sleep in the car. We’ll probably come back on Sunday, so don’t feel any pressure to go get everything right now.”
Josina shook her head. “No, it’s not a problem at all. I wasn’t planning on staying for very long. I’m covering the punch table for Bellamy so she can dance for a bit, but once she gets back I’ll be on my way.” Her voice warbled; she turned away to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes. As hard as she tried to conceal her disappointment, she found herself failing.
“Jo?” Ben walked around the punch table to face her. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said, waving a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about me.”
“You don’t seem okay,” he said softly. “Did something happen?”
She pressed her lips together again. “It’s not any one thing. Just a bunch of little things that are all piling up on me at once.”
It was only partly true. She did have a lot on her mind, but they weren’t little things.
She hadn’t yet heard from Jasmine.
She hadn’t yet heard from her mother.
She’d assured Siado everything would be okay once she came forward to confess, but didn’t know for sure what was going to happen. If her optimism betrayed Siado in the end, she didn’t know if their friendship could recover from it.
And now this. Now Ben was standing in front of her, telling her he wanted to move in a beautiful young woman he’d met on a dating site, into what used to be the home they shared together. He wanted the rest of Josina’s things out, to make room for Olivia and her mother. She knew Ben was direct by nature; it was one of the things she loved most about him, that he spoke his mind and told the truth. She knew it wasn’t his intention to be cold or insensitive.
But it hurt, nonetheless.
These weren’t little things. These were all big things. They were all scary and painful and reminded her how devastating it was to be abandoned by the people she loved.
“I understand,” said Ben. “I know how little things can add up. Is there anything I can do, Jo?”
“No, but thank you for asking.” Josina wiped her eyes, took a deep breath to calm herself, and glanced at the dance floor again. “I see Olivia out there. She does seem to be having fun. Maybe you should go join her.”
Ben winced. “You know I’m not much of a dancer.”
“I wasn’t much of one either,” said Josina, “but Siado taught me a few things yesterday.”
“Really?” Ben smiled. “What did you learn?”
“She showed me how to salsa dance. You know what’s nice about it?”
“What?”
“When you don’t know what you’re doing, let your dance partner lead. They can show you the way.”
Ben opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Bellamy trotting toward them as one song ended and a new one began.
“That was so much fun!” Bellamy squealed as she fanned her hands toward her face. “Even if it left me sweating like a pig. And probably looking like one too. Is my eye makeup smeared?”
“No, you still look amazing!” Josina shouted over the music as the deejay dialed up the volume. “Sounds like you need punch. May I serve you?”
“Actually, I need water!” Bellamy pointed behind Josina.
Josina turned around to find a water cooler a few steps away, nearly drained. She dispensed what was left into a cup and handed it to Bellamy, who downed it in one gulp.
“I’m sure you could use more,” Josina observed, “but the water bottle in the tank is empty.”
“No worries,” said Bellamy. “I just need to head back over to The Black Sheep and grab another one.”
“Do you need a hand?” Ben asked.
“Actually, yeah,” Bellamy replied. “I was already exhausted from working the kids’ homecoming dance, but those last few minutes out on the dance floor after the adults took over just drained me of the little bit of energy I had left. I’ve got a golf cart parked out front, so we can make a quick trip down to The Black Sheep, load up a 5-gallon bottle onto it, and haul it back. Actually - hmm. There are twice as many adults on the dance floor as there were kids, so we'll need at least two more. Maybe three."
“Sure,” he nodded. "It's nice to see there's been such a good turnout for the dance. The least we can do is keep everyone hydrated."
“I’ll do my part and keep babysitting the punch table till you get back,” offered Josina, with a playful salute.
Bellamy shook her head. “No way. Get out there and have some fun! I only served it for the kids earlier so they didn’t make a mess of the table, but the grownups can fend for themselves!”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Josina asked.
“Of course I’m sure,” Bellamy sighed with exasperation. “What’s the worst that could happen? Someone might spike the punch with rum or something? It’s Wayside. Nobody does shit like that here. We can relax and live a little, can’t we?”
Ben and Josina exchanged an amused glance.
“Okay then,” said Josina. “I’m officially relieving myself of punch table duty.”
“And I’m ready to head over to The Black Sheep when you are, Bellamy,” said Ben.
“Ready now!” Bellamy said as she continued fanning her face. “Let’s head out! It will be nice to have a few minutes to catch up with you, Ben. I’ve been meaning to ask you, how’s your friend Kevin doing? Have you heard from him lately?”
Josina laughed softly and rolled her eyes. She watched as Bellamy moved toward the entrance, Ben following on her heels. She waited until they had left the Carolina Corral so they wouldn’t make a fuss about her leaving the dance.
Once Josina made her way onto the walking path toward the container homes, she burst into tears. Settling on a bench along the path, she rested her elbows on her knees and wept into her hands.
“Hooyo,” she whispered. Josina squeezed her eyes shut as she summoned the memory of Ola from her mind, imagining she was seated on the bench beside her.
“Here we are again,” Ola whispered in her imagination.
“What am I to do?” Josina cried.
“You already did what you always do,” said Ola. “My dear, you ran away.”
“I left the dance. It’s not the same thing.”
“Yes it is.”
“No it’s not.”
“Yes it is!”
“How?” Josina wept.
“You still haven’t told him how you feel about him.” Ola remained firm.
“And what would it change?”
“It could change everything.”
“You’re not helping, Hooyo.”
“Fine. Then I shall go.”
“No,” Josina pleaded. “Just… stay with me here for a while. I don’t want to be alone.”
“You aren’t alone. You just ran away from a dance full of people you call neighbors and friends and family. Why, if you didn’t want to be alone?”
“I’m not feeling very festive right now,” Josina sniffled. “And not very worthy.”
Ola cleared her throat. “You’re worthy of a good cry. Let the tears fall. They serve a purpose. They bring healing. Cry, Josina. And then pick yourself up and move forward.”
“How? How do I move forward?”
“Tell him you love him. You can ask me a million times and the answer will always be the same. Regardless of what happens, you will set yourself free. Do you not understand that? Love is a gift we’re meant to give, and receive, all throughout our lives. If you carry it around without being able to give it away, without ever receiving it back, then it isn’t love anymore. It’s a burden.”
“You’re right.”
“Hooyo is always right.” Ola laughed softly. “Imagine Siado came to you, in the very same situation you find yourself in right now. What would you tell her?”
Josina sat up straight, dropped her hands in her lap. “Exactly what you just told me.”
“So tell me now,” Ola began, “how are you going to move forward?”
Josina took a deep breath. “I’m going to go gather my things as he asked me to do. Then I’m going to go home to have a good cry, followed by a good night’s sleep. And the next time Ben and I are standing in front of each other, I will tell him I’m in love with him. And regardless of how he responds, it will set me free. I’ll set myself free.”
“Good,” whispered the imagined apparition of Ola. “I love you, Josina.”
“I love you too, Hooyo.”
Josina opened her eyes to find herself alone on the bench. She rose to her feet and began the trek to the cul-de-sac of container homes. Along the way, she noted an emergency pull station with an intercom had been installed on the grass island surrounded by the homes, just as Joel had pledged to do. She breathed a sigh of relief as it came into view, knowing it would make for a quicker response time for any emergencies – or threats – Ben might encounter.
Steeling herself, she made her way to Ben’s door and stepped inside.
It felt different than when she’d left.
Everything downstairs looked the same, with the exception of a denim jacket hanging on the back of a chair at the dining room table. Olivia’s, no doubt. The sight of it made Josina feel like an intruder in someone else’s home, someone else’s life. She knew it would be even worse once she ascended the stairs.
She took a deep breath and climbed the stairwell anyway.
Peeking in on Ben’s room, she noticed it was messier than usual. That tended to happen when he was under a lot of stress, distracted by things beyond his control. The bed was still unmade.
But only on one side.
Josina stepped into the guest room to find that all of Olivia’s belongings were there. The bed was also unmade, also on one side only.
“Hm,” Josina observed with curiosity. Every time she thought she’d answered the question of whether or not Ben and Olivia were romantically involved, something would happen that would make her rethink what she believed about them. The fact that they weren’t sharing a bed suggested there wasn’t any intimacy between them.
Not yet, anyway.
She made her way to the closet to find an empty suitcase on the overhead shelf, presumably Olivia’s. The few belongings Josina had left behind in the house were packed into a couple of cardboard moving boxes on the floor. Her name was written on both.
Ben’s handwriting.
He’d been thoughtful enough to gather everything together, to make it easier for her to move all of her things out. Josina found herself feeling both grateful and heartbroken about it as she stacked the boxes and lifted them out of the closet.
She placed the boxes on the bed long enough to step into the bathroom, check the shelves, then under the sink. On the counter was the same little basket Ben had placed in her bathroom when she’d moved into the beach house six years ago, thoughtfully packed with hand towels and toiletries.
To her surprise, the basket was empty, just as she’d left it. Apparently, he hadn’t stocked it for Olivia’s visit. Maybe he simply hadn’t had time. It seemed like things had moved quickly between them, whatever kind of relationship they had.
Back in the bedroom, Josina made her way toward the dresser. A hairbrush and few pieces of jewelry were scattered atop it. She opened the top drawer to find a few of Olivia’s neatly folded shirts, pants, and undergarments.
In the second drawer was an empty duffel bag. Also Olivia’s.
Josina knelt to open the bottom drawer. At first look, it appeared empty. She had started to close it.
She stopped herself when she noticed a small black box shoved against one of the back corners of the drawer.
Curious, Josina reached for it.
It looked like a clamshell jewelry case. It was oblong, as if it might contain a pendant or a tennis bracelet. She wondered if Ben had given Olivia jewelry. It was none of her business, she knew, but couldn’t help but open it for a look anyway.
Inside the clamshell case, a smaller oblong container was nested.
Josina opened that one as well.
Inside was a plastic tray insert, molded to hold six small glass vials, each topped with a black rubber stopper and sealed with red tape. Josina lifted one out, securing it between her thumb and forefinger.
Inside was a fine, white powdery substance. All six vials contained the same material.
She placed the vial back into its nest in the plastic molding.
Josina wasn’t sure what it was, only that it seemed out of place.
Her first thought was that it might have been some kind of medication Olivia was taking. She knew some medications came in powdered form, so it wasn’t out of the question.
Except the vials weren’t in pharmaceutical packaging, and there were no additional devices or tools for measuring or administering medication.
Josina’s next thought was that the vials contained some kind of street drugs. She wondered if Olivia might have been using them, or intending to sell them. The few times Josina had been around her, she hadn’t picked up on any obvious signs of substance use. Then again, some people hid it well. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Only the vials were seemingly unopened, undisturbed.
Josina tilted the container toward her, looking for any other clues about what the vials might contain. The angle allowed her to see the caps atop the vials, each bearing a small symbol. She brought it toward her face for a closer look.
Josina gasped.
Her heart skipped a beat, then resumed with adrenaline-driven palpitations for a few seconds. She coughed involuntarily. Her head was swimming. Her blood felt like ice in her veins.
“Oh my God,” she murmured.
Josina made sure the six vials were secured in the plastic tray, then closed the lid on them. She lifted the nested container out of the drawer, then closed the clamshell case and slid it back to the corner where she’d found it. She snapped a picture of it with her phone, then closed the drawer.
Josina took the stairs down to the first floor, exiting the house, leaving her belongings in the cardboard boxes behind. She’d come back for them, but first she had to get the vials out of the house.
She made her way to the grass island and pressed the ‘call’ button on the newly installed emergency pull station.
***
Cassie and Chris smiled at each other through their computer screens.
“You look so beautiful,” he told her. “Your dress, your hair, your makeup… I mean… wow, Cass. Every time I look at you, I keep asking myself how I got so lucky.”
She shook her head, laughed softly. “I’m the lucky one. You’ll never convince me otherwise.”
“I’m sorry I’m not there to take you to the dance.” Chris frowned. “My family is a mess. This whole thing—”
“Stop,” Cassie put her hand up. “If you still insist on beating yourself up over this, I’m just going to end the call. I’m serious, Chris. None of this is your fault. I won’t let you guilt yourself into believing it is.”
“Okay,” he nodded, then took a deep breath.
“How’s your mother?”
“She’s resting. Just started an antiviral today and I think it’s helping already. I’m going to test again before bed and if I’m positive, I’ll do my best to get a prescription as well.”
“Okay,” Cassie nodded. “That’s good. Or as good as we can expect right now, right?”
“Yeah.” He frowned. “And… I have news about Chase.”
“Oh?” Cassie sat upright in bed, shifting carefully as not to loosen any of the sequins or beads from the formal gown she was wearing. “Is he okay? Where is he?”
“In the hospital at the moment. Not exactly okay, but hopefully, he will be after he recovers.”
“Oh God, Chris… what happened?”
“He got his ass kicked, that’s what happened.” Chris sighed, then closed his eyes as he massaged his fingers against his temples to stave off the headache that was setting in. “He drove all the way to New Jersey and went to the address that this girl he’d been talking to on a dating app had sent to him. When he got there, he was robbed and beaten up by a group of men. He’s lucky they didn’t kill him. Maybe they tried to, and left him for dead. He blacked out while they were beating him up and next thing he knew, he woke up in a hospital bed. Apparently someone found him and called for the police and an ambulance.”
Cassie’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit. I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do? Send a care package to his hospital room or something like that?”
Chris shook his head. “I don’t really know what he needs. I haven’t spoken to him yet. I’ve heard all this secondhand from the detective assigned to his case. He called me a little while ago to let me know what had happened to Chase, and to ask me if he had permission to be driving our car in New Jersey.”
“Oh? What did you say?”
Chris hesitated for a moment. “I lied and said yes. Chase doesn’t deserve my help in any way, shape, or form, but it sounds like he’s in pretty bad shape right now. Broken bones and a collapsed lung, and he wasn’t even in good health to begin with. I don’t even know if he’ll recover from this, but if he does, I don’t want him to spend whatever days he has left in prison. I’m so sorry for lying, Cass. The car is in impound right now since it’s part of a criminal investigation, but hopefully we’ll get it back in one piece—”
“I don’t care about the car,” said Cassie. “It’s just a car. We can replace it if we need to. I’m glad your brother is alive and getting the care he needs right now. That’s all that matters. Who knows? Maybe this will be a wakeup call for him. Hopefully he’ll come out of this realizing how insanely lucky he is to have a big brother who’s been looking out for him all his life, and maybe he’ll make an effort to be a better sibling himself.”
“I think you might be expecting too much from him. We’ll see.”
Cassie held up her hand. “Hold on a second.” She craned her neck away from the bed, turning her ear toward the window. “Do you hear that?”
“What?”
“The YMCA song,” she grinned. “They’re playing it right now at the dance. I can hear it outside the window. Let’s jump in on the videocall before we miss it.”
“See you there,” Chris laughed as they disconnected.
Seconds later, they were back in a videocall. This time, they were joined by 79 other Waysiders. Many were onscreen in formalwear just like Cassie; some were reclined in bed, while others were on their feet and ready to dance in their living rooms. Some were off camera, but were singing along to the song over audio. On the host screen was a live camera feed from the Carolina Corral, where the dance floor was packed. As Waysiders at the dance looked up and recognized familiar faces on the screens mounted around the venue, they would run toward the cameras to wave to their friends who were joining remotely.
“Y… M… C… A!” They all sang together, mirroring each other’s dance moves.
Chris and Cassie smiled at each other throughout the song, forgetting all their worries for a moment, embracing the novelty and joy of attending their first dance at Wayside – apart, yet together onscreen.
Together in spirit.
“Look, Cass, look!” Chris said excitedly as the song finished and a new one began. “On the dance floor, look!”
Cassie quickly changed the view setting in the videocall to maximize the host screen. Gathered in front of the camera were Ben, Reese, Prateeka, Bellamy, Su-Jin, Tony, and Jessica. They were huddled around Siado, who was holding up a poster with a hand-written message.
WE LOVE YOU CHRIS, CASSIE, AND BABY CORIO!
“We love you guys too!” Cassie shouted into the microphone, knowing there was a slim chance they’d be able to hear her. She wiped happy tears from her eyes, held her hands into a heart shape before the camera, and shouted it again, nonetheless.
Then a new song started and everyone went back to dancing.
Cassie thought about how little effort it must have taken her fellow Founders’ Council members to write their greeting on the poster and hold it up to the camera, yet it had moved her to tears.
She pondered how it must have taken Chris less than a minute to generate a meeting link and distribute it to everyone at Wayside, giving them the option of attending the dance virtually. From what she could see on her screen and hear through his speakers, the participants who had joined the videocall were having just as much fun as those on the dance floor.
All the little things added up, turning an ordinary dance into something extraordinary.
Maybe the little things weren’t so little after all, Cassie mused, as the little thing in her belly stretched, kicked, and settled again into a peaceful slumber.
***
“Wayside Security,” answered Joel.
“Joel, it’s Josina,” she shouted into the intercom of the emergency pull station. “Where are you? Still at the dance?”
“Nope,” he replied. “Randall and Mitch wanted to go the dance, so I’m covering dispatch for them this evening at the main gate security booth. Why, what’s going on?”
“I found something in Ben’s container home that you need to see. I think his guest may have brought it into Wayside.”
“What is it?” He asked with concern.
“I don’t know,” Josina said, her voice trembling. “But it’s got biohazard labeling on it.”
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