TALES OF NORA WILLIAMS
The final bell had rung five minutes ago. The hallways of Westbrook High were packed with students moving in every direction, their voices combining into a loud, constant hum. Groups of students huddled against the lockers, scrolling through their phones. A few boys ran down the hallway, shoving each other and laughing.
Nora stood at her locker with her friend Daine. She spun the combination lock, pulled open the door, and started swapping out her textbooks for the ones she needed for homework.
"So my parents said they're fine with the sleepover as long as we don't stay up too late. Which we will."
Nora smiled. "Obviously. We can order pizza. Watch movies."
"We should do face masks. The green ones." Daine added.
"Yeah, for sure." Nora pulled out her last textbook and stuffed it into her backpack.
The noise in the hallway shifted. The general chatter was still there, but a new sound rose above it. Girls started screaming. Not scared screaming, but excited screaming. People started clapping.
Nora looked up from her locker. Down at the end of the hallway, students were parting to make room. They stepped aside, pressing themselves against the lockers on both sides. Girls were calling out a name.
"It's Ben Damien."
Nora heard it clearly. Her body reacted before her mind did. She slammed her locker shut. The metal door banged loudly. Her instincts told her to walk away, to go in the opposite direction, to get out of that hallway as fast as she could, as last night came back to her in pieces.
She had masturbated with Ben in her mind. She had texted him. They had exchanged midnight messages. Flirtatious things. Suggestive sexual things. Things she had typed and sent without thinking too much about it in the moment.
Now she was thinking about it.
Nora tried to step away from the locker, to merge into the crowd and disappear. But she had only taken one step when she heard her name.
"Nora Williams."
Ben's voice cut through all the other noise. The screaming died down. People turned to look at her.
Ben walked toward her. He was tall and well-built. His dark hair was well laid, giving him a boyish look. His posture screamed confidence. Three of his friends followed behind him, grinning. Students parted to let them through. Someone nearby whispered loudly to someone else. A few people pulled out their phones.
Ben stopped a few feet away from her. He looked directly at her. "So, I had a really good time talking to you last night." He said. His voice was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
Students around them erupted. Boys hooted. Girls squealed. Someone yelled out his name. Someone else whistled.
Nora's face felt hot. She knew she should not be afraid. But she could not bring herself to lift her head and look at him. Her eyes stayed fixed on the floor. She stared at the scuffed linoleum tiles. She stared at his sneakers. White and clean, like he had just bought them.
Ben took another step closer. Now he was right in front of her. "I'm throwing a party this weekend," he said. "At my house. Saturday night."
The crowd around them got quieter, listening.
"I am personally inviting you to be my date." He blurted.
Nora's head snapped up. She looked at his face. His expression was calm and confident. He was smiling slightly. Her jaw dropped open. She could feel it hanging there and could not make it close.
Was he toying with her? Was this some joke? She looked past him at his friends. They were standing there, watching, waiting. They did not look like they were about to laugh at her. They looked like they were waiting to see what she would say.
Ben walked closer again. This time, he was close enough that she could smell his cologne. He leaned down, bringing his face closer to look into her eyes.
"Are you in?" he asked quietly.
Nora swallowed hard. She wanted to scream no. She wanted to say she was busy. She wanted to turn around, walk away, and pretend this never happened. But her mouth opened, and she heard herself say, "Yes."
Ben leaned in even closer. His lips were right next to her ear now. No one else could hear what he said. His breath was warm against her skin.
"I am patiently waiting to do those things we talked about last night."
Then he pulled back slowly to look at her face. Her cheekbones were flushed. Ben smiled, then straightened up and stepped back.
"See you, Nora." He turned and walked away. His friends followed him.
The crowd parted again to let them through. Students returned to their conversations, but now they were about what they had just witnessed.
Nora stood frozen. Daine moved closer to her side, staring at her with wide eyes.
"Did that just happen?!" Daine asked.
Nora did not answer. She could still feel his breath on her ear. She could still hear his words in her head. Her face was burning.
Daine grabbed her arm. "Nora. Ben Damien just asked you to be his date to his party. In front of everyone. That was insane!"
Nora finally closed her mouth. She swallowed. Her throat was dry. "I have to go," she said.
"What? No, we need to talk about this."
"I have to go." Nora hitched her backpack higher on her shoulder and started walking. She walked fast, heading for the exit. She did not look back.
************************
Saturday night came quickly. Nora stood at the entrance of Ben Damien's house. Music thumped from inside. People filled the courtyard in front of the house. Some held red cups. Others stood in circles laughing. Near the side of the house, a group of guys was doing shots from a bottle. A couple made out against a parked car.
Nora recognized faces. Kids from her classes. Kids she passed in the hallways. A girl from the choir group was dancing with a boy from the soccer team. Two freshmen sat on the porch steps, looking overwhelmed. The whole scene was loud and chaotic.
She had come late. At home, she had spent an hour getting her younger brothers, Carl and Jeremy, ready for bed. One was five. The other was 14. Their mother worked the night shift on weekends. It was Nora's job to handle things. She had made them dinner, helped Jeremy brush his teeth, read him two bedtime stories, and tucked him in. She checked the locks on the doors and left a note for her mom on the kitchen counter. Then she changed clothes three times before settling on a simple black top and jeans. She put on minimal makeup. She had told herself to act cool.
Now that she was standing at the entrance, she felt nervous anyway. People glanced at her, but no one said anything. She stepped up to the front door and went inside.
The house was packed. Students filled every visible space. They stood in the living room, crowded the hallway, leaned against the staircase railing. The furniture had been pushed against the walls to make room. A DJ had set up in the corner by the fireplace. People were dancing. Others played beer pong on a table set up in the dining room. A girl stumbled past her, clearly drunk, supported by two friends who were laughing.
It felt like the whole school was there. It probably was. Benjamin Damien was the basketball captain and the most popular guy at Westbrook High. His party would be the party of the year. Everyone wanted to be here.
Nora stood near the entrance, not sure where to go. She scanned the crowd but did not see Ben. She saw his friends, the guys who had been with him in the hallway on Wednesday. They were in the living room, talking to some girls. Ben was not with them.
She moved further into the house, finding a spot against the wall where she could observe without being in the way. People danced. People laughed. A group in the corner passed around a vape. Someone spilled a drink on the carpet, and no one cleaned it up. The music was loud enough that she could feel it in her chest.
She thought about leaving the party. Maybe it was a mistake coming. Nora was about to take a step when she noticed them—the Fantastic Three.
.