19. Auld Lang Syne

Chapter 19

Auld Lang Syne

T he bleak nighttime air was cold and stung Alice and Hugo as they strolled down the sidewalk. The exterior lights of Newbury Grove High School fought back against the winter darkness. Large, black tarps covered a portion of the entrance to the two-story building. The brick facade was weathered, chipped, and worn with age. Years of environmental torment damaged the hardened exterior. Scaffolding rose from the ground where, before the holidays, workers valiantly fought back against the structural decay.

A large banner hung over the entrance and welcomed guests to the Annual Newbury Grove New Year’s Eve Celebration . It thrashed back and forth in the winter wind. It clanged against the steel of the scaffolding, held tightly by its straps. Various people of all ages braved the winter cold for the warmth of the communal celebration.

Hugo Dodds and Alice Primrose were amongst those who entered the high school. Hugo grabbed the door from someone who held it open for them. With a grand gesture to welcome Alice, Hugo invited her into the building for a walk down his memory lane.

“It’s over here.” Hugo guided Alice to a glass showcase .

The showcase was filled with various photographs, trophies, and awards the students had won over the years. Most importantly, the showcase was filled with memories. Hugo’s eyes fixated on the sports trophies. He scanned for one photo in particular, but he was unable to find it.

“Are you sure you’re in here?” Alice teased.

“They moved it,” Hugo said. “Every time I stopped in to visit Elizabeth, I always double checked to make sure it was still here. They moved it, probably to make room for new stuff.”

He scanned every photo of various athletic championship teams. Their trophies were right in front to display their winning achievements. Each photo he passed raised a concern that the school had erased the memory of his achievement. He hurried past each one before stopping. He double tapped the glass.

“This is it,” he exclaimed. “Right here.”

Alice took a closer look. “I don’t see you,” she replied.

“What?” Hugo said in disbelief. “I’m right there. The one in the back. Second from the left. Regional Hockey Champions.” Hugo pointed to a picture of his high school hockey team.

Three rows of elevated teenage hockey players faced the camera with solemn expressions. A staple of all team photographs. They were adorned in their black and royal blue jerseys with an emblazoned, screaming blue jay on the front—the high school mascot.

“Why does everyone have this real, mean, serious look?”

“That’s what you do,” Hugo stated, shocked this wasn’t common knowledge. “You’ve got to look mean and serious for the opponents.”

“That can’t be you,” Alice exclaimed with a teasing, Cheshire cat like smile. “He looks way cooler.”

Hugo chuckled. “That’s me, all right.”

“Look at that hair!” Alice said. “So moppy and long and wild. I love it.”

Hugo tugged on his black leather jacket and puffed up his chest. He ran his fingers through his neatly combed, coifed hair. “You have to have the flow going if you’ re a hockey player.”

“You should grow it out that long again,” Alice said as her gaze found Hugo. “It’s a good look on you.” She winked.

He smiled and took her hand in his. They held hands as they proceeded toward the sound of music and merriment echoing down the hallway. They readied themselves for the approaching new year.

There, at the end of the glass showcase, was a memorial for the school’s fallen teacher. Her auburn colored hair flowed in curls behind her shoulders. Her hazel eyes glistened with happiness. Her smile was beaming. Elizabeth.

Her official school photo was memorialized in the glass case. A sign above read, “Gone, but not forgotten.” It was surrounded by notes from her students. Some notes mentioned how much Elizabeth was loved as a teacher. Other notes were sealed and meant only for heavenly eyes. Hugo lingered on the photograph. He’d seen it before, but only briefly.

“Are you doing okay?” Alice asked.

Hugo didn’t respond. He was committing the entire memorial to memory.

“We can leave if you want to,” she added.

“No,” Hugo replied. “I’m okay.”

“I thought we agreed to not use that phrase,” Alice responded. “Is it too much?”

He turned to Alice and grabbed both of her hands. He held them high as he moved closer. “I’m doing unbelievably well. I should be thanking you.”

“Thanking me?” Alice said with a shocked look on her face. “Why?”

“I was lost and numb and confused. I was broken, shattered into a million pieces. Then this purple haired witch moved in next to me, and my life changed. I… I started to feel things again. I felt happy.” Tears welled in his eyes. “I wanted to be like my old self again, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know how. I wanted to find joy, but I only found torment. And then… and then you gave that to me. I was in a bad place before I met you. ”

“You’re making me cry.” Alice pulled one hand back and wiped away tears flowing down her face. She grabbed his hand again.

Hugo motioned to Elizabeth’s picture with his head, not wanting to let go of Alice. “I loved Elizabeth. I will always keep her in my heart and mind and never forget her. But my heart is big enough for more than just her,” Hugo said.

Alice smiled through her tears at the anticipation of what was coming next.

“I love you, Alice Primrose.”

Alice let out a small, joyful, laugh through her tears. “I love you too, Hugo Dodds.”

They hugged, burying their heads into each other’s shoulders to hide their tears. They held each other for an eternity before pulling back. Hugo leaned in and kissed Alice on her soft, sweet lips. They were lost in bliss.

Hugo knocked off Alice’s hat during their embrace. He picked it up off the floor and returned it to her head. “I need my purple haired witch looking the part before we go in there.” Hugo adjusted it a few times to get it right.

“You’re not embarrassed to be seen out in public with a witch?” Alice asked with a wide smile.

“Embarrassed? No,” Hugo replied with a wink. “I want them to be jealous.”

They locked hands and ventured down the hallway.

The gymnasium was decorated with brightly colored banners welcoming in the new year. A table of refreshments was set up in front of the recessed bleachers. A few bartenders handed out drinks for a nominal fee. All proceeds went toward repairs of the high school, of course. A net of balloons hung above the revelers. Music blared through a set of speakers set up at the far end. The DJ played a mixture of pop classics .

The revelers packed the gymnasium as it was filled with excitement for the festivities. Some wore party hats. Many had brightly colored glasses in the shape of the digits for the new year. People congregated on the sides of the gym, discussing their various holiday exploits. Others danced to the melodic beats closer to the speakers. Children ran around, in and out of the crowds, playing various games of tag and keep away. Some of their parents chased them, not to play along, but in an attempt to wrangle them in from causing too much of a disturbance.

Johanna stood in the corner opposite the entrance and rolled her eyes at the sight of the children playing. Not that children were being children, but a resentment toward the parents for letting them run roughshod around the other revelers. More and more people flowed into the gymnasium. The excitement of the people partaking in the evening. The New Year’s Eve event had gone off without a hitch. Smoothly. Uneventful. The way she liked it. She allowed herself a rare moment to smile at the happiness of the evening.

That smile, however, was short lived. Her eyes dropped to the empty space next to her. The space that should have been occupied by Elizabeth Dodds, the one who enlisted her to help with the annual festivities many years ago. Her smile dissipated as fast as it had appeared. She gave two taps to the cloak clasp pinned below her left shoulder.

She bowed her head in thought. You’d really love this. Everything is going perfectly. I miss you, my friend. I wish you were here to see this.

Johanna caught sight of Hugo and Alice, hand in hand, as they entered the gymnasium. Her face turned solemn and then furious. Everything had been perfect until now. He had to walk into this gymnasium, this event, with her . His betrayal was like a slap in the face to Elizabeth’s memory.

Hugo and Alice stopped and talked with many people. They laughed. Johanna’s eyes narrowed as she focused on the woman with the purple hair. Alice’s witch like appearance sent shots of adrenaline coursing through Johanna’s veins. That woman ruined this perfect evening with her presence.

Johanna turned back to the empty spot. “I’m sorry,” Johanna whispered in a low voice. “I’m sorry you had to see that. He should be more faithful.”

Johanna focused her eyes on the couple. Hugo was introducing Alice to various people. They talked and laughed before moving on. They meandered their way to see the Raskins before moving on to the next group. Johanna watched their every movement. Hugo and Alice worked their way through the room. Johanna needed to get closer.

She left her self-appointed spot, dodging children and ignoring other revelers, who attempted to make conversation with her. As Johanna moved closer, she never lost sight of her targets: the betrayer and the seducer.

She tapped Hugo on the shoulder to interrupt his conversation with someone. He turned around with excitement.

“Johanna!” Hugo exclaimed. “How are you doing?” He tugged on Alice’s tailcoat to get her attention.

She turned around with a half-hearted smile. “Hello, Johanna. Did you have a good Christmas? Did you like the cookies?”

“Christmas was adequate. The cookies were good. Perhaps not as great as Elizabeth’s, but they were good,” Johanna replied.

“I’m happy you enjoyed them,” Hugo said.

“I’m surprised to see you two here,” Johanna said.

Hugo chuckled and replied, “I’m surprised to see you too. Glad you could make it.”

“Well, I’ve committed to this every year, and I don’t want to break my commitment,” she replied. “You should never break a commitment.”

Hugo’s smile disappeared for a moment. He seemed lost in thought. He glimpsed Alice’s purple hair, and the smile returned.

“Everything is great,” Alice said. “Everyone is so nice and welcoming and… and this is a fun evening. ”

“I’m glad you’re having fun,” Johanna said. “I’m going to go back to my commitments now. I just wanted to say hi.”

Someone shouted Hugo’s name, and he waved with his left hand. Johanna paused. All feeling left her body. Her face turned morose. She felt sickly, horrified. She tapped her cloak clasp, but held it tightly. Its elegant, crisscrossed filigree dug into her hand and left a temporary impression. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Hugo’s wedding ring was gone.

“Are you okay, Johanna?” Hugo asked.

Johanna was fixated on the ringless finger. She traced the hand’s every move.

“Johanna?” Hugo asked again.

She snapped out of her trance. “You took off your ring.”

“Uh, yeah,” Hugo replied as he pinched his ringless finger. He felt the bare skin, then let go. “It… It was time. Alice and I are in a relationship now, and it felt like it was time.”

“We love each other.” Alice smiled at Hugo. “And tonight, we’ll ring in the New Year with a kiss at midnight.”

“I see,” Johanna said as she backed away. “I’m sorry. I just remembered… I need to go do something.”

“Take care,” Alice said as Johanna scurried off.

The evening passed. Johanna stood in her spot off to the side. The occasional volunteer asked Johanna a question, but she blew them off. She wasn’t paying attention. Her focus was on Hugo and Alice. She checked the time on her watch. Midnight drew closer. She glanced to the empty spot next to her. Thoughts raced in her mind. Anything she could do to stop that kiss from happening at midnight.

“I’ll do something,” she whispered to Elizabeth’s invisible ghost. “I promise you. I’ll do something.”

She scanned the room for anything that could cause a distraction or put an immediate end to the festivities. Anything to prevent midnight from coming. Johanna focused on a middle-aged gentleman moving from group to group. He was holding a drink and shared a laugh. He was making sure everyone had a great time .

Frank! Johanna thought. Frank was the head of the New Year’s Eve committee. His power and, most importantly, his access to the building gave her an idea. She moved through the crowd as fast as possible. Time was against her.

“I’m sorry to barge in, Frank,” she said as she approached him. “But I need the keys to the maintenance room.”

“Johanna! Having a great time?” Frank asked.

“It’s been a great evening up until now,” she replied. “An extension cord went out. I need to get a replacement. I don’t have keys.”

Frank removed the keys from his pocket and handed them to Johanna. “I’ll get them from you at the end of the night,” Frank said. “Hurry up. You don’t want to miss the balloon drop.”

“I know,” Johanna replied. “I know.”

She took the keys and left the gymnasium. She hastened through the hallway and passed the showcase. Elizabeth’s memorial gave her a momentary pause. She lost herself in Elizabeth’s smile and her auburn hair. She was reminded of their tea parties together and happier times. She thought of how much Elizabeth reminded her of Abigail. Her Abigail , and how much her betrayal shattered her soul. Johanna pulled away from the picture and ran down the hall.

She arrived at the electrical maintenance room and checked the time. She only had a few minutes before midnight. She tried the keys one by one. There were too many. She inserted one, but it wouldn’t budge. She tried another, but nothing. With each passing key, she breathed heavier and heavier. The clock raced. It was going to win, and Elizabeth’s betrayal would be complete.

She tried one more key, and there was a click. The key worked. Johanna laughed with momentary relief. She scanned the area to see if anyone was watching. She was alone in her deeds. She opened the door and slipped inside.

Alice allowed herself to smile. This evening was perfect. Hugo seemed happy. He smiled as he interacted with everyone. He shared stories of Elizabeth’s past and talked of Alice’s future. As he greeted everyone, Hugo immediately introduced her—not as his neighbor or an acquaintance, but as his girlfriend. Everyone welcomed her. She received the occasional odd stare. Those who still had not quite reconciled with her purple hair and witchy appearance, but she didn’t care. She felt welcomed, and that’s all she wanted.

Alice grabbed Hugo’s arm and pulled him onto the dance floor.

“I don’t like to dance. I’m not very good,” Hugo pleaded as he reluctantly followed her through the crowd.

“I don’t care. It’s the effort that counts,” Alice replied. She, on the other hand, loved dancing.

They moved and danced to the pulsating music.

Alice sashayed her hips and made certain Hugo saw her moving her hips. She gave him a wink, a smile, and occasionally brushed up against him. She hoped it tormented him in all the right ways. He grinned after every teasing glance.

As the music slowed, they held each other close and swayed with the beats of the music. Alice smiled with tears in her eye.

“Hey. Everything okay?” Hugo asked.

“Everything is perfect,” Alice replied.

“All right! We are seconds away from midnight,” the DJ said over the speakers. Cheers and whistles echoed throughout the gymnasium. “Grab that drink, grab that special someone, and let’s count it down!”

The scoreboard counted each second down from sixty. More and more cheers erupted the closer it got to midnight.

Alice looked Hugo in the eyes and said, “Thank you for everything. I love you, Hugo Dodds.”

“I love you too, Alice Primrose.”

“Thirty seconds!” the DJ shouted.

The scoreboard went off, and the gymnasium went dark. Commotion rose as people were audibly confused .

“Everyone, stay calm,” Frank shouted. “Stay calm. We lost power.”

The revelers verbally expressed their disappointment as midnight drew closer.

“I can fix this,” Alice whispered to Hugo.

“Are you sure?” Hugo asked. “Aren’t you afraid someone will notice?”

“It’s dark. No one will see me.”

“Do it,” Hugo said. “Give the evening some of that Alice Primrose magick.”

Alice drew in close to Hugo. She raised her hand between the two of them to hide it from prying eyes. She closed her eyes and drew in the might of her arcane abilities. Alice snapped her fingers. The room illuminated back to life. The crowd clapped. The scoreboard resumed its countdown with only seconds to midnight.

“Oh. Oh! It’s almost time,” the DJ shouted. “Five… four… three… two… one. Happy New Year!”

Cheers of “Happy New Year” erupted. The colorful menagerie of balloons rained on the crowd below. Some drank from champagne flutes. Some kissed their significant others.

In the center of the room, Hugo and Alice embraced with a kiss to welcome in the New Year. Alice melted from the burning passion that flowed through her. She was lost in her bliss. She was welcomed into a community. She was lost in the arms of someone who loved her, not for what she could do, but because of who she was. She was Alice Primrose. She was a witch, and Hugo Dodds loved her for it.

Alice pulled back from Hugo, and their eyes met. “Happy New Year,” she said.

“Happy Witchy New Year,” Hugo replied with a wink. They hugged once again.

As Alice rested her head on Hugo’s shoulder in their embrace, she noticed Johanna enter the gymnasium from the darkened hallway. Johanna glanced back to the darkness and then at the light inside the gymnasium. Johanna’s mouth dropped into disbelief and shock. Johanna focused her scornful eyes on Alice. An unnerving and unsettling expression was on her face. Johanna snarled at her before she turned around and stormed out.

Alice thought for a moment that Johanna must be involved in the power outage somehow. She wasn’t sure why though or why she looked so angry the power was restored. Her heart sank. All feelings of happiness and joy disappeared. They were replaced with a solitary thought, Does she know? She stood there and held Hugo tighter.