Jo and Laurie: A Re-telling of the Re-telling

Ice

Jo waited for Laurie, five minutes passed, then ten, then twenty. She sat down on a log next to the frozen river bank and stared at his grand house.

On the other hand, Laurie had begrudgingly rolled out of his bed and slothfully put on his skates. He took every drop of time he could possibly take while getting ready to meet Jo. He closed the door apprehensively, unsure of what the morning would have in store.

"You're late."

"I'm here, aren't I?"

Jo didn't prefer the angry Teddy over the one she always knew, this new air he upheld was closed off.

"Harvard has turned you into a prickly old man."

No, Laurie thought, you turned me into this.

Although he was frustrated at Jo for everything: for breaking his heart, finding no flaw in her actions, and trying to act like everything was okay-he was glad to be back in Concord. He was so lightened by the crisp winter air and the freshly fallen snow that he, although upset, wouldn't like to be anywhere else but there.

Laurie stood admiring the beauty of the frozen river, before long Jo interrupted his daydream. She shot past him, "Race you to the big oak tree!"

He smirked, put aside his grudges, and whipped on his skates flying past the colt-like competitor.

It drove Jo crazy that Laurie was a better skater than she was, but she was elated that he was participating. Laurie skated furiously and found himself victoriously waiting three seconds before Jo arrived at the tree.

Laurie shrugged at Jo, "I may be a prickly old man, but I can still outskate you."

Jo exhaled in agitation, "I would rather be a lively authoress with poor skating skills than to be a languid grump with excellent ones."

The two laughed, it reminded both of them of the way their lives used to be. This was the longest time they had been without any communication whatsoever, they used to talk every single day. There wasn't a time where the two did not share a laugh, smile, wave, or hug between sunrise and sunset. The experienced chuckle helped to restore some regularity to their relationship.

The two exchanged a glance and didn't need to say anything, both of them acknowledged the other within that second-long gaze; they had missed those moments.

There was a lull in the conversation. The two were not sure how to move on from there. Laurie, asked, partly because was curious and partly because not bear the awkward respite, "So, Amy became Mrs. Laurence?"

"Yes, but only because I couldn't bear the idea of you living anywhere else but Concord with us."

"So you married me off to the most pestering girl of them all?"

"Oh please, as if I am any less pestering than Amy! At least she's proper and polished."

"Yes, she is. You are quite more bothersome, but I can handle you. Years and years of experience to help."

"That's not the way it ended, though."

"Yes, I guess not."

Jo felt as if now was the perfect time to mention what was on her mind, "Teddy, I wish to forget that occurrence six months ago."

Laurie's face turned beet red, he hated thinking about what happened. He stayed silent.

Jo spoke up, "I just want us to try to restore things back to the way they were. I feel like if we just forget it altogether we can take one step in the right direction."

"I am not here for very long, Jo."

"Well, that doesn't matter! All I am asking is that we try. Is that so hard to do?"

"I might be able to manage."

"So it's a deal? Let's never talk about what happened, ever again."

"For these three weeks, yes."

Laurie, after finishing his response, looked down at his feet and decided to promptly change the subject, "Race you back home!"

Jo looked up at him happily, she was so relieved that their tension would cease. She launched off the ice promptly and tried her best to keep up.