BRIGHT

MARCH 2013

Rebecca pulled up to the Well’s house and parked her car. Ever since her husband died in a car crash a few months back, Rebecca wasn’t the same. She lost her happy-go-lucky attitude and stopped being social, spending most of her days locked in her home and only leaving to go to work or buy groceries. Many people tried to talk to her, or console her but she would simply brush them off and ignore them. She stopped dressing in bright clothing such as dresses or skirts, instead wearing all black sweats and hoodies. But then she met Alex and Jill Well and suddenly she was her happy self again. Nobody knew why, but they didn’t question it as they were all happy she was ‘normal’ again. Rebecca, Jill and Alex quickly became fast friends and if you saw them at a first glance, you’d think they were friends for years. Like many other nights, Alex and Jill invited Rebecca to have dinner at their home and Rebecca agreed. Now was the night and Rebecca was ready.

Rebecca opened the door and stepped out. While she still wore all black, it was no longer sweats and dirty hoodies that hadn’t been washed in weeks. She was wearing a black dress, had her black hair tied up in a ponytail and had red lipstick and eyeliner applied. Rebecca locked her car door before beginning the small walk to their house. Rebecca brought a box of chocolate as a gift, the perfect gift for when you don’t know what to get someone. She walked up the stairs and rang the doorbell and the classic buzzer noise rang into the night. After a few seconds of waiting she heard footsteps approaching the door, before the door unlocked and opened.

“Hello!” Jill said as she embraced Rebecca in a tight hug

“Hello” Rebecca said, hugging Jill back tightly.

“You look absolutely stunning” Jill said, admiring Rebecca

“Thank you. I feel amazing” Rebecca replied

“Well come on in” Jill said and took a step back and Rebecca walked in. Jill locked the door as Rebecca continued walking down the small hallway before entering the small area that had the living room and kitchen together.

“Hello- oh my!” Alex said, standing behind the counter as he was washing some dishes

“Hello Alex” Rebecca said gleefully

“You know this is a casual dinner party, not a dinner with the queen” Alex joked

“Well I’m feeling great today, so I figured why not go all out?”

“I can see. Glad you feel great” Alex said

“Take a seat and we’ll get dinner ready in a few minutes” Jill said as she began walking over to help Alex

“Oh before I forget, here” Rebecca said as she handed the box of chocolate to Jill

“You shouldn’t have, thank you. These are my favorites” Jill said, taking the box as she went to Alex.

Rebecca walked over to the living room and sat down on the couch, before noticing a man sitting nearby.

“Oh hey, I’m Ben” the man said, extending his hand for a shake

“Hey, I’m Rebecca” she said as she shook his hand

“Oh sorry I forgot to mention a mate of mine would be joining, hope that’s alright” Alex said

“That’s fine, the more the merrier” Rebecca happily reassured him

“So uh, how’s it going” Ben said, trying to make conversation

“It’s good actually. Been in a bit of a rut so it’s nice to get out of the house”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. Work has been kicking my ass. Need a nice night to unwind”

“Where do you work?”

“At Whole Foods, near the school. How about you?”

“In between jobs, but hopefully something to do with accounting”

“Cool, cool”

“So… got any hobbies?”

“Oh, you know. The usual stuff like bike riding, surfing all that stuff”

“Nice”

“This is painful to watch” Alex said quietly to Jill

“Shut up. Remember we were like that as well” Jill said angrily

“Yeah but still” Alex said

“Okay you guys, let’s eat!” Jill announced and everyone slowly made their way to the dinner table. Rebecca was glad dinner was ready as she wasn’t sure how to hold a conversation with Ben any longer.

Jill and Alex sat at one end of the table, with Ben next to Jill and Rebecca at the far end. Throughout the night, Ben and Rebecca got to more and more chatting and soon the two were talking almost nonstop. Alex and Jill were mostly silent but glad that Rebecca was talkative, this was probably the happiest that they have seen her.

“No way!” Rebecca said in astonishment

“That’s right, I picked the spider with my bare hands and gently guided it out” Ben said, feeling pleased with himself

“You make Death afraid of you” Rebecca jokingly said

“Oh trust me I was fucking petrified, but the things I do for love I guess” Ben said

“Your girlfriend is lucky to have you”

“She really is. How about you, got anyone special?” Ben asked as he took a sip but he suddenly noticed the shocked expression at Jill and Alex’s face.

“I did have a husband, Garry but died a few months ago”

“Oh shit. I’m sorry I didn’t-“

“That’s alright, it’s not a deep dark secret I am trying to hide.”

The room went quiet for a moment as no one was sure what to say.

“Car accident. Died on the spot and the driver drove off. I know you didn’t ask but I can see you wanted to ask” Rebecca said, breaking the silence

“Sorry” Ben apologized for being too obvious

“Let’s talk about something else, something more lighthearted” Alex chimed in, wanting to change the topic

“Yes please” Jill agreed

“Oh, have you told Rebecca about the Halloween party?” Ben asked

“No, he has not. What is this?” Rebecca quizzed

“This was years ago, it is quite an adventure” Alex said, taking a deep gulp of his drink

“I hope so. A Halloween story better be good” Rebecca joked

“Oh it is” Jill reassured her

“Here it goes” Alex said, clearing his throat. “So, I think it was 2011? Halloween night, one of my mate’s is having a party and me and Been attend. We call it a Halloween party but secretly it is just an excuse to drink and get wasted. The night starts off normal, we have a few drinks and before I know it I am just smashed. I black out and when I come to, everyone is passed out, the neighbor’s kiddie pool is over the fence and my car is through the fence” Alex laughs as he finishes his story

“Damn, that sounds wild” Rebecca said as she chuckled

“And the best part is, Alex doesn’t remember any of it” Jill chimed in

“Really?” Rebecca asked

“Really really. That whole night is a blur to me” Alex said

“Same here, it was intense” Ben said

“Jill were you there?” Rebecca asked

“Oh no, I was busy working the night shift” Jill said

“I wish I had a story like that. Most of my stories are very tame” Jill replied, sounding a bit disappointed

“How about you? Got any crazy tales?” Ben asked

“Well, since you asked I do have one” Rebecca said, finishing up her drink

“Really? This is new to me” Alex said with a slight chuckle

“I didn’t tell you everything, gotta have a few secrets to keep you on your toes” Rebecca teased

“Let’s hear it” Jill said

“Okay, but you guys gotta pay attention to this one” Rebecca said and everyone sat upright and leaned in, ready to hear Rebecca’s story.

“I’m going to need you to stick with me through this one, it is quite long. You all ready?” Rebecca asked, this time her tone being incredibly happy and joyful.

“Yeah”, “Yes”, “Definitely” Alex, Jill and Ben all replied with.