Here We Are Again (Isabela)

[Evangeline B. Jada]

Evangeline gently set herself down on the bench out by the training field, biting into the apple she had brought with her from the staff room.  The intense nostalgia from being at Hammel for the first time in years had begun to wear off, though occasionally a sight or smell still touched off a memory in her mind.  She set her apple aside and shrugged her jacket back on as the cool autumn air touched her skin, raising goosebumps on the soft flesh.

A few students and adults mulled about on the field, including a group of guys playing a game of Ultimate Frisbee.  Evangeline wryly remembered the times when guys would go Shirts Vs. Skins and flaunt their bodies, often thinking they were more attractive than they actually were.  It was a bit too cold for that right now, thankfully.  She picked the apple back up and gazed off into the distance, replaying the many memories as she absently picked at the red peels of the fruit.

[Dr. Isabela Monroe]

It wasn't odd to find the Physical Education teacher around the training field. Usually she'd spend her time somewhere in the area, regardless of whether she was teaching a class or not. She never knew when someone might need her for something. Or need help for that matter.

Some people might've found it odd to see said Physical Education teacher walking along the path in her choice of attire; a fitted, long sleeved striped dress in black and white - because it was always in black and white - and heels that brought the usually short woman up to an almost regulated height.

How does one walk properly in heels like that?

Well, being the perfect human specimen has its advantages.

But imagine her surprise, when on that particular walk on that particular day, she finds herself faced with something of a ghost. Sitting at a bench all alone. Isabela rarely indulged in the nostalgia the halls of Hammel provided, but faces? They kept more precious memories at bay, drawling them to the surface in a flash. Even at a distance, she could tell who she was about to be faced with.

"My, my, my..." She exhaled the words, interlocking her hands behind her back. It was rare to find her so surprised, but the more steps she took towards her, the more the emotion seemed to settle on her features; "Do my eyes deceive me, or are you really here?"

[Evangeline B. Jada]

"Do my eyes deceive me, or are you really here?"

The astonished words jolted Evangeline out of her reverie - and the familiar tone sent a shock through her heart.  Could it really be- was she really here?  A glance upward toward the source of the voice confirmed what she had been wondering and hoping.  Isabela Monroe, her close friend from her days at Hammel, was here with her.  Once again the two stood stood on the familiar training ground, gazing at each other with disbelieving wonder.  Isabela had changed slightly in appearance - more formal attire, more mature face and figure - but was overall much the same as when Evangeline had last seen her.

She leaped off the bench to her feet, taking a few steps toward her old friend.  "Isabela?" she asked, her disbelief slowly giving way to happiness as a wide smile came over her face.  "Is it really you?" she asked, though she knew it was - it had to be, since the other woman had recognized her as well.

How long have you been here?  What's happened in the ten years since I last saw you?  So many astonished questions were swirling in her brain, far too many to ask all at once.  God, it had been so long.

[Dr. Isabela Monroe]

Isabela so rarely felt self conscious that when it did hit her, it took time to register. She couldn't help but wonder how different she was now that a decade had passed. Sure, her academic standard was something that altered her significantly, but she primarily wondered about her physical differences. And her personality, she supposed. Not to say she disliked reliving the memories of her youth; but the woman preferred to look forward, not back.

Behind her back, her hands clenched together in what she assumed was a kind of nervousness. This was all incredibly strange for her. A new experience. And a confusing one at that.

"It is." She replied with a smile, glad to learn that despite her exuberant train of thought, she could still articulate words with great success. "I work here now. I..." Pausing, Isabela wondered what she could say next. Should she have launched into a spiel about how her life had progressed? Deciding quickly that that would be selfish, Izzy instead worked with the first thought that came to mind; "You look wonderful, you know."