her speed and saw that it had crept up too high. She put the car on cruise control
as her thoughts remained on the Circle of Seven and Dylan.
The CoS had been an odd group, but they’d been together since their elementary days. What
they had gone through together when they were young, thanks to Mr. Norton, had created a tight
friendship that survived even the social complexities of junior high and high school. The seven of
them were like The Breakfast Club in some ways.
During fourth grade at Greenway Elementary, Mr. Norton, the evilest of the evil teachers, had
always had it in for them for one reason or another. Only God knew why. Mr. Norton had constantly
sent the seven of them to the principal, who had been vile, too. Mr. Johnson had pulled down their
underpants to expose their bare bottoms before paddling them. Now she knew it had been perverted
and child abuse, but that was back when teachers and principals got away with it.
Mr. Johnson had drilled holes into the paddle so it hurt worse when it smacked their skin. After
hitting them, he had made them sit together on the steps outside, during recess, their bottoms
stinging and their cheeks burning with humiliation. The seven of them hadn’t been allowed to move,
but they had talked and talked when Mr. Johnson wasn’t checking on them.
They began to call themselves the Circle of Seven and had forged a friendship that had
withstood so much over time. Over the years, everything they went through individually also
continued to strengthen the group.
At Bisbee Middle School the school mascot had been the Cobras, the colors purple and gold.
When they’d graduated, they’d gone to Bisbee High and had become the Pumas with red and gray
as their school colors.
Belle had been a cheerleader at BMS and BHS. Once she left Bisbee, she’d fallen into the
restaurant business. Over the years, she’d worked her way up from bottle washer to making a decent
living in restaurant management.
21
***
Christie had kept Belle updated on what everyone else was up to. Interestingly enough, only
three of the original seven had children.
Tom had excelled in various high school organizations, as well as being class president and the
class valedictorian. He’d divorced recently and had transferred from Tucson Medical Center to take
a position at Copper Queen Hospital as a physician. He had joint custody of his son, but only had
the boy in the summer because his ex still lived in Tucson.
Leon had been a football hero who now had a wife and three children, and they owned a water
well drilling business. He lived a little ways from Bisbee, close to Sierra Vista.
Marta had played varsity basketball. These days she lived with her wife, Nancy, and their
fraternal twin sons who had been conceived with donor sperm. Marta had been a stay at home mom
with their boys.
Christie had played flute in the band, and had been quiet but popular. After marrying Salvatore,
she started working in his office. They’d attempted to have children but they had been unable to get
pregnant.
Dylan was a cowboy and had worked on his father’s ranch when he wasn’t at school or spending
time with the CoS. Now he was in federal law enforcement, and had never married. She swallowed
and had to push thoughts of Dylan away because thinking about him was too painful. No one had
ever made her feel the way Dylan had.
Nate had never had a thing for organized activities or labels. He’d driven a hot rod and had been
a girl magnet. Even though he’d dated, he hadn’t seemed to realize so many girls had a thing for
him.
A smile touched Belle’s lips as she thought about Nate as he had been then. Despite his outward
appearance and the souped-up Charger he drove, he’d been the quietest of the group. He would
interject comments and jokes when they were together that would crack up all of them. He might
have been the least talkative, but he’d had an awesome sense of humor and he’d
as her thoughts remained on the Circle of Seven and Dylan.
The CoS had been an odd group, but they’d been together since their elementary days. What
they had gone through together when they were young, thanks to Mr. Norton, had created a tight
friendship that survived even the social complexities of junior high and high school. The seven of
them were like The Breakfast Club in some ways.
During fourth grade at Greenway Elementary, Mr. Norton, the evilest of the evil teachers, had
always had it in for them for one reason or another. Only God knew why. Mr. Norton had constantly
sent the seven of them to the principal, who had been vile, too. Mr. Johnson had pulled down their
underpants to expose their bare bottoms before paddling them. Now she knew it had been perverted
and child abuse, but that was back when teachers and principals got away with it.
Mr. Johnson had drilled holes into the paddle so it hurt worse when it smacked their skin. After
hitting them, he had made them sit together on the steps outside, during recess, their bottoms
stinging and their cheeks burning with humiliation. The seven of them hadn’t been allowed to move,
but they had talked and talked when Mr. Johnson wasn’t checking on them.
They began to call themselves the Circle of Seven and had forged a friendship that had
withstood so much over time. Over the years, everything they went through individually also
continued to strengthen the group.
At Bisbee Middle School the school mascot had been the Cobras, the colors purple and gold.
When they’d graduated, they’d gone to Bisbee High and had become the Pumas with red and gray
as their school colors.
Belle had been a cheerleader at BMS and BHS. Once she left Bisbee, she’d fallen into the
restaurant business. Over the years, she’d worked her way up from bottle washer to making a decent
living in restaurant management.
21
***
Christie had kept Belle updated on what everyone else was up to. Interestingly enough, only
three of the original seven had children.
Tom had excelled in various high school organizations, as well as being class president and the
class valedictorian. He’d divorced recently and had transferred from Tucson Medical Center to take
a position at Copper Queen Hospital as a physician. He had joint custody of his son, but only had
the boy in the summer because his ex still lived in Tucson.
Leon had been a football hero who now had a wife and three children, and they owned a water
well drilling business. He lived a little ways from Bisbee, close to Sierra Vista.
Marta had played varsity basketball. These days she lived with her wife, Nancy, and their
fraternal twin sons who had been conceived with donor sperm. Marta had been a stay at home mom
with their boys.
Christie had played flute in the band, and had been quiet but popular. After marrying Salvatore,
she started working in his office. They’d attempted to have children but they had been unable to get
pregnant.
Dylan was a cowboy and had worked on his father’s ranch when he wasn’t at school or spending
time with the CoS. Now he was in federal law enforcement, and had never married. She swallowed
and had to push thoughts of Dylan away because thinking about him was too painful. No one had
ever made her feel the way Dylan had.
Nate had never had a thing for organized activities or labels. He’d driven a hot rod and had been
a girl magnet. Even though he’d dated, he hadn’t seemed to realize so many girls had a thing for
him.
A smile touched Belle’s lips as she thought about Nate as he had been then. Despite his outward
appearance and the souped-up Charger he drove, he’d been the quietest of the group. He would
interject comments and jokes when they were together that would crack up all of them. He might
have been the least talkative, but he’d had an awesome sense of humor and he’d
Similar Books
Bone Deep
Randy Wayne White
All Wounds
Dina James
Sweet Memories
Lavyrle Spencer
Seal Team Seven
Keith Douglass
A Map of the Known World
Lisa Ann Sandell
The Bride's Farewell
Meg Rosoff
Killing Gifts
Deborah Woodworth
A Simple Song
Melody Carlson
Saddle Sore
Bonnie Bryant
Plan B
SJD Peterson