Homecoming

By Jody Godwin

Hayley Newman, a college student graduating from journalism school, finds herself searching for answers--answers to questions that go back to a missing girl from high school have haunted her. She was the last one to see the girl before her disappearance. With the help of a college classmate and her lifelong friends from home, she discovers things she never dreamed could happen. From ghost stories, to a trip to a cemetery, to old police reports and old newspapers, to finally a hidden journal, Hayley figures out what happened. Then she had to find a way to get her back. In the process, she'll need to save herself.

Because of a cat in a cage, she finds herself in the world her friend has been living the last five years. There she witnesses what true love really is and realizes that she has finally found it herself.

After disappointments of being able to return home, she understands the desire of her friend to be with the one she loved. With one last try and a combined effort of her friends at home, Hayley succeeds in returning to her family and friends.

Her triumph is bittersweet because she has to leave behind so much that she has grown fond of, but she brought more with her than she thought--a new outlook on life. She was now sure of what was important--family, friends, and most especially, love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887632438

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

The Beginning

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

The Other Side

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

About the Author

cover.jpg

Homecoming

Jody Godwin

Copyright © 2023 Jody Godwin

All rights reserved

First Edition

NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING

320 Broad Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2023

ISBN 979-8-88763-242-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88763-243-8 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

To my granddaughters, Hayley and Makaela.

Part 1

The Beginning

Chapter 1

Harper was a small town in the land of extremes—at least that was what some people called North Dakota. They said it was because the temperature ranged from 110 degrees in the summer to 40 below in the winter. It was also in the middle of nowhere. The nearest town, other than crossroad communities, was Spring City. It was not much larger that Harper; between the two, the population was less than 250. Anything any larger was 60 or more miles away. Spring City was close enough that we consolidated the schools and were able to have enough students to have sports teams. That happened sometime back in the 1960s.

We might live in the middle of nowhere, but we had all the necessities of life. There was a post office, a feed store, and a pharmacy. They were the oldest buildings in town. There were also a clothing store, a grocery, a convenience store in one of the gas stations, a small movie theater, and the sheriff's office. Most important to the town was the Buffalo High School. It was built in the late '90s when a local farmer donated some land to have it built; before that, the school was in Spring City. Now only the elementary was there and the high school here. They included a football field when the building was built, and it was the center of all activities from August to November. It also had a track that was used in the spring. We had other sports at our school, but it seemed nothing was more important than football in the fall. It was football season when the event occurred that seemed to shape the rest of my life.

*****

I remember it like yesterday. My friend Amy Reed and I (by the way, I'm Hayley Newman) were chosen to head up the homecoming activities with our friends Grant Simmons and Alex Smith. It was not like we were popular or anything. Each year, two juniors and two seniors were chosen. They couldn't be in a fall sport or activity, and since there were only fourteen juniors and sixteen seniors, there wasn't much to choose from. We four had the highest grade point average, so we were it. Amy and I had been friends since we were in kindergarten. Amy and I became friends with Grant and Alex when we were in seventh grade. Grant moved here his seventh grade year, and Alex started that same year. He had been going to a private school in Fargo before that. The four of us were best friends from that point on. We were inseparable; every weekend, holiday, and summer break was spent together. Now we were in charge of homecoming.

Like I said, football was big in our town, and homecoming was an important responsibility. Each group at school was responsible for something, but we had to get things together and orchestrate the whole event. It was to go like clockwork, at least that's what Amy said.

It was the Wednesday before homecoming, and we were seated at our usual table—in the back of the cafeteria by the doors to the courtyard. There we could see anything that was happening in the cafeteria. From there we could see the kids who were playing with their food and who's getting ready for a food fight, or we could do our favorite pastime, making lame comments about the other students' clothing and hairstyles. It was amazing what teenagers will wear or do to their hair. Usual attire was jeans and a Western shirt, T-shirt, or hoodie; but the creative ones were always entertaining. Today we weren't concerned with that. Today we were finishing up our plans for homecoming. Amy had her notebook out checking off each item that was complete. As we were discussing our next move, James Walker, our quarterback, came up to talk.

Did you remember that they are combining parents' night with homecoming? he inquired.

Yeah, we are going to crown the queen before the game instead of halftime. That will leave halftime for the parents. That's how much time they usually have, I explained.

Sounds like you have it under control, he confirmed. He turned to walk away and stopped. Nancy, his girlfriend and head cheerleader, was walking toward us.

Are you checking to see if our fearless leaders have everything under control for Friday night? she asked.

We're not your fearless leaders, Grant emphasized. We just tell you what to do for one night.

Very funny, I just came to see when the festivities were supposed to start, she quipped.

Well, the floats are supposed to be lined up at the pharmacy by four thirty. Amy already cleared that with your dad, James, I confirmed. He said he would be closing early for the festivities. The queen's car is the last one. It follows the attendant's cars.

Could you get Corvettes for each of us to ride in? she asked excitedly.

No, only one for you, a bright-red one. It belongs to my dad's boss. He'll be driving. We got Camaros for the attendants, black for the senior and sophomore and white for the freshman and junior. The car dealer in Spring City found them for us. One was on his lot and the others he has sold to customers in the last two years. He'll be driving the one from the lot, and the owners of the others will be driving theirs, Alex informed her.

That's great! Red, black, and white—school colors. I'll have the girls ready at the pharmacy by a little after four as ordered, ma'am, she said, saluting. She made an about face and giggled as she walked back to her table.

We all laughed. We weren't best friends, but in a school this small, almost everyone is a friend of some kind. Of course, there are always exceptions, but in our school, it's only a few.

By the time Friday rolled around, we had everything under control. We had notified all of the float entries and the local paper of the time of the parade. It takes about an hour and fifteen minutes to weave around town and get to the football field, so we started at five. That gave us forty-five minutes before the game to make announcements and crown the queen. Everything went off without a hitch, except the sophomore attendant tripped and fell backward. Luckily our running back, escorting the freshman attendant, caught her. We won the game, and parents' night went well. Everyone was pleased. Now all that was left was the dance on Saturday night.

The dance was a little more complicated. There were several different responsibilities to keep track of, and it was our job to put groups in charge of those responsibilities. We put the Future Farmers of America in charge of the stage and the electronics. Joe Carson, whose dad owned the electronics store in Spring City, was the president of FFA. The homecoming theme was Sea of Enchantment. This made no sense to me. We live over a thousand miles from an ocean, but Joe's dad had equipment that could give us the illusion of being underwater. He also had the idea of making a movable stage for the queen until the dance could get underway. The Family Career and Community Leaders of America was in charge of refreshments; the cheerleaders were in charge of decorating; and we were hiring a band and getting chaperones. Parking, coat check, and other things had been assigned to other clubs.

On the night of the dance, everything was going well. The FCCLA group had used the old home-economics room down the hall from the cafeteria where the dance was being held to keep the extra refreshments. That way they could replenish them easily. I had gone down to check if there was any more punch when Nancy came through the door. Someone had spilled punch all over Nancy's dress. Some of the attendants brought clothes to change in to after the dance, and Nancy was one of them. I expected her to be angry about what had happened, but she didn't seem to be.

What happened? I asked.

Tim Brown tripped over the stage steps, and I happened to be in the way, she answered, almost laughing. I wanted out of this dress anyway. It's a job for the dry cleaners now. It's almost ten, and the dance is about over.

Jeans are more comfortable anyway, I added as she stepped behind a screen and changed.

I was putting the last of the cookies in a basket when she came out. Do those go out on the table? she asked. Let me take them. I'm ready to go back to being queen again, she joked. She took the cookies and headed out the door. I turned to get the last jug of punch from the refrigerator in the next room and heard a sudden gust of wind. By the time I got to the door to see what all the commotion was, there was a blue haze clearing. The hall was littered with leaves, and Nancy was gone. I went back to the fridge and got the punch, then headed for the cafeteria. The basket of cookies wasn't on the table. I asked the girl acting as hostess if she'd seen Nancy. She said not since she went to change, and she hadn't returned yet as far as she knew. I looked all over the cafeteria, no Nancy. I asked James, and he became concerned as did the chaperones. We searched everywhere. Every inch of the school grounds and parking area was searched several times. Her parents were called thinking maybe she had left to go home suddenly. The sheriff was called, and the deputy on duty drove all over town and the countryside, looking. The sheriff came to school and made all of us stay until he and the deputy he had called in had a chance to talk to each of us. It was two in the morning when they finally let most of us go home. They spoke to me several times since I was the last person to see her. Then they took her parents and James to the station. They also took all the cameras and cell phones to download in the computer to see if they caught anything on film.

I went home, but I couldn't sleep. All I could think about was what had happened. The problem was what did happen? I wasn't sure. I turned my back, and I heard the wind. Then I turned around and went to the door. That's where the leaves were. Where did they come from? Where did the wind come from? There is no exterior door in that hall. I spent most of the night tossing and turning, wondering what had happened. It bothered me that I couldn't figure it out. I finally went to sleep sometime around five and slept until about ten. When I got up I figured that Mom would ask a bunch of questions or she'd tell me that Nancy was home safe and sound. I was hoping for the latter but to no avail. All Mom said was that she was there if I needed to talk.

There were all kinds of accusations. Was James a part of this? Was she kidnapped? Did she run away? The sheriff was baffled. They had no evidence to prove any of their suspicions.

Chapter 2

School was canceled for over a week, and crime-scene tape was up for a month after. Students and teachers were not allowed to enter the area until it came down. For the next few weeks, the students were quiet. No one talked in the halls, but classes went on as if nothing happened. Counselors were brought in to help the students cope with the situation, but they couldn't tell us what we wanted to know: What happened to Nancy?

Time passed, and things went back to normal, or at least for most students. James's life never seemed to be the same. The happy-go-lucky football player was sad and quiet. The sheriff was a constant visitor at school for the rest of the year. Graduation came and went. Parties were given for all the graduates except one, Nancy. James, Grant, and Alex left that fall to go to college in Fargo.

They say, time heals all wounds; I don't know about that. Time passes and some forget, but others, like me I guess, can't. Our senior year came and went. After graduation, we decided to go to college in Jamestown where we had scholarships. Amy was studying education, and I was into journalism. Grant and Alex had talked about transferring to Jamestown but decided to stay in Fargo. Grant was studying criminology and Alex business.

Our first year of college went well. When we came home for the summer, nothing had changed. Nancy was still gone, but life was returning to normal. We worked, went to movies, went shopping, and we enjoyed ourselves. Then a week before classes were to start again, Grant's father passed away suddenly. Grant stayed home that semester taking classes online. Alex and Grant had made arrangements to transfer to Minnesota State that next fall. Alex started without him, then decided to transfer to Jamestown with us at the beginning of the winter semester. Grant joined us at Jamestown at the same time but had his classes meet only two days a week, and he drove back and forth. He didn't like leaving his mom. Grant would be able to finish his classes by next fall, and then he would enter the police academy the following February. Because of our different majors, we didn't see much of each other during the week, but we would get together on the weekends.

Since Grant was home more, he became close friends with James. James was still waiting for Nancy to come home. He didn't want to believe what a lot of people now thought—that she was dead or she would have contacted someone by now. James had engulfed himself with school. He had taken class after class to occupy his time. He even took classes in the summer. It probably helped that he was very intelligent, so he didn't have to work hard to pass. In the time that he did have, he would help his dad at the pharmacy. He was studying to be a pharmacist like his dad and doing it in record time. By the time that Alex was in his senior year and Grant was getting ready to go to the police academy, he was getting ready to do his internship with his dad.

I wondered if he still thought about Nancy. I know I did. I still wonder what could have happened to her. Every class I took I hoped would give me some insight about how to find her. I asked questions every chance I got about investigations and how to investigate. I always got the same answer. That's not what this class is covering. You'll have to get into that with the professor of the Investigative Journalism class. I have always wondered if they investigated enough or if they could have looked somewhere else. Of course, there was no way that I could know how well they investigated; we were just students, and they didn't share that information with us. I found myself searching missing persons and Jane Doe's to see if any matched Nancy. I was glad when they didn't, but I really wanted to find something. I looked through Internet sites of why young girls are abducted and what happened to them. I really hoped after reading some that that didn't happen to her. I've been thinking that maybe I went into journalism because I was the last to see her and I had no answers.

Winter break of Amy's and my junior year at Jamestown was troubling. Alex would be graduating in May and moving to St. Paul, and Grant would be entering the academy. Amy and I were feeling like we were left behind again. We all decided to go to Mario's for pizza. While we were talking, Amy blurted out, We're engaged!

You're what? I asked.

I'm sorry, Alex, I can't keep it a secret any longer. We're engaged!

Grant was shaking Alex's hand and patting him on the back. Congratulations! When's the big day!

I was stunned. I just sat there. What does this mean? When is this going to happen? Are they leaving? What about our group? I never thought of them as a couple.

Aren't you going to say anything? Amy asked. Aren't you happy for us?

Of course I am! I'm just shocked. I had no idea. Some investigative reporter I'm going to be, I replied. What was I thinking? This was great! One of my best friends was going to marry another of my best friends. Now I won't lose either one of them. It was just I wasn't sure how it was going to work out.

When is the happy day? Grant asked again.

We're not sure, but I want a fall wedding. I was thinking September. What do you think, Hayley? she asked.

Me? It's your wedding, I answered.

I want your opinion because you're my best friend, she said.

Well, in that case, I like October, but you'll have to check with your mom first, I answered.

She would be the deciding factor, wouldn't she? she acknowledged.

Are we the last to know? Are you having an engagement party? asked Grant.

We told most of our families, but Alex's dad has been away. We wanted to tell him before we announced it to you and everyone else, but I couldn't wait. I wanted you to know, Amy said.

We'll have to get together and go over what plans you have, I told her.

We were busy talking about details when Alex spoke up, Hey, if you don't eat any pizza, it's going to be all gone. We turned around, and only four pieces were left.

Thanks for at least saving us some, I said sarcastically.

The boys walked over to the pool tables and started racking the balls. Hurry up, Grant urged. One of you will have to play the winner.

I'll play the loser, Amy added quickly.

I guess that leaves me to play the winner, I responded.

We spent the rest of the evening playing pool and even ordered a second pizza. When I arrived at home, Mom was still up getting a drink before heading to bed.

Have a nice time? she inquired.

Yea, Amy and Alex are engaged, I announced.

I wondered how long that was going to take. Are you happy for her? she asked.

Yea, why wouldn't I be? I answered.

You don't look happy, she said.

I guess I'm just confused. I didn't see this coming. I'm not sure what it will mean, I told her.

It just means things are changing. You're growing up. You'll still be friends, just in a different way. I'm here if you need me. You better get some sleep, she said as she turned off the light and headed down the hall. She yelled good night when she got to her room.

Good night, I said as I went upstairs to my room.

Chapter 3

The next morning I called Amy, and we did some last-minute Christmas shopping. We spent a few other days together and met with Grant and Alex for pizza several times. Christmas came, and we had obligations with our families. Amy's parents had an engagement party on New Year's. Grant and I went and spent most of the time talking, away from the others. Neither of us like big parties. Several people came up to us and asked when we were getting married. They seemed surprised when we said we weren't dating; we were just friends. I guess they assumed since we all spent so much time together we were dating.

The new semester began, and Amy was taking extra classes. I didn't see her as much as before. Grant was no longer on campus. He had to wait until March to enter the academy, so he stayed home with his mom. I guess I was feeling lonely. I had a few friends at college and dated some, but it just wasn't the same. I looked forward to the few times that we all got together at home. My classes took up most of my time, so I didn't go home that often. Amy and I were both trying to finish early. We had taken some classes the summer before online to cut out most of our last year. The one class I was looking forward to the most had been canceled this semester. I really didn't want to wait until fall semester to take it. The professor was on sabbatical and wouldn't be back until almost