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Julia got dressed–putting on the long navy dress she didn’t wear the day before. Even though so much was twisted in knots within her, she could at least look presentable. Fake it till you make it.
She scanned her ID badge and entered the building. She nodded and smiled at various welcome backs and I hope you feel betters. Surely her absence wasn’t that noticeable. KHS was a well-oiled machine and could work independently of the administrators if it had to. She made sure of that.
She opened the door of the office and Keegan jumped up. She lunged for her, arms wide in an anticipated embrace. Just before making contact, she froze.
“Wait? You’re not contagious, are you?”
“No,” Julia laughed, and then she was tackled and squeezed. Keegan rocked her back and forth, her face buried in Julia’s sandy hair.
“I’m so happy you’re okay,” she said with a smile, and then grunted as she pulled back. “You look like shit.”
“Thanks.” Julia grinned. “What a compliment! I told you this thing is kicking my butt.” That wasn’t a lie, not really.
“I honestly thought you were just hiding away.”
They both began walking towards Julia’s office, Keegan not taking her eyes off of her.
“Why would I need to hide away?”
Julia took off her jacket and began straightening her dress in the mirror behind the door. She took a seat at the desk. Newspapers piled inches high accumulated while she was gone.
Keegan closed the door but didn’t sit down. She stood in front of the mirror, her eyebrows furrowed.
“You really scared me,” she admitted. “I thought you were disappearing again.”
“Disappearing?” Julia scoffed quietly.
“You know, what you do when things get to be too much,” she said and smiled softly, her eyes narrowing as if to accentuate that Julia knew what she was referring to.
“I don’t do that.”
“You withdraw.” She couldn’t really argue with that point. “You practice avoidance like it is your job.”
“I think that’s a little stretch of the truth,” Julia chuckled. Keegan just cocked her head in defiance, that scorn written across her face. “Alright, alright.”
“So, you worried me.”
“I’m sorry I worried you. I am truly just not feeling well.” With the tiredness in her eyes, her froggy voice, and sluggish movements, there was no way Keegan couldn’t believe her.
“I can tell, but would you let me know if you’re not okay for some reason?” Her voice was a beg. “Would you please rely on me? Like you used to?”
“I will tell you everything at the end of the day,” Julia replied with a smile.
Guilt crept into her stomach–a payment for pushing someone who cared so much about her away. Keegan didn’t deserve that. No one did.
“I promise,” she added.
Keegan smiled and left quietly–the room oddly full even after she left. Julia propped her phone up in front of her laptop screen. She didn’t want to miss a call from Dr. Rosel if it came through.
She looked at the piles of notes on her desk. Someone would assume she was gone for a month, not just a few days. Just figuring out where to start was an overwhelming task. Should it be the student referrals? Suspension plans? The latest substitute applications? Scheduling for next year?
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It doesn’t all have to be done today. It will take time, and that’s okay. It will be okay.
“Do you want to get dinner later?” Keegan popped back around the corner and the door opened with a flourish.
“That sounds really nice.”
“Chinese it is! It’s a date.”
