Welcome to Reefside (editing in progress)

Recovery Time Part 3, - Spring Break

Normal POV 

The relief Tracy feels when spring break finally arrives lasts approximately twelve hours. It's a fragile, fleeting thing, shattered the moment she walks into the kitchen and sees the serious look on Galen's face.

"Good morning, Tracy," Aaleahya says, her voice a little too bright.

"Good morning, Mrs. Andrews," Tracy mumbles, heading for the coffee.

"Tracy, honey, please call me Aaleahya. Besides, Mrs. Andrews is my mother," Aaleahya says with a gentle smile.

"My wife is right. You can call me Galen," Galen says, his tone stripping away any pretense of normalcy. "Tracy, can we talk for a minute?"

Tracy's stomach, already a knot of anxiety from the night before, tightens into a stone. "Sure, what's up?"

Galen leads her over to the kitchen table. "Your parents called me last night. They wanted to let you know that they've officially decided to press charges against Zoey for what she did."

Tracy's eyes widen, and a cold dread washes over her. "Charges? But... she's about to graduate. Isn't that a bit much?"

"The legal system doesn't really take graduation into account when someone is assaulted, honey," Galen says gently. "Your parents feel very strongly about this. They believe she needs to be held accountable."

Tracy's heart starts to pound, a frantic drum against her ribs. "Does that mean... do I have to... testify?" The thought of standing up in a courtroom, of facing Zoey and recounting the whole terrifying event, makes her feel sick. The fragile hope for a relaxing break evaporates, replaced by the looming shadow of a trial.

"It's a possibility," Galen admits. "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it. Your parents will be here later today to discuss the details with you. For now, try not to worry about it. We'll all be here to support you."

Tracy nods, but the fear is already churning in her stomach, acidic and suffocating. She has been looking forward to a break from the stress, but now it's just a different kind of stress.

"Got it," she says, her voice quiet. "What's for breakfast?"

"Scrambled eggs and sausage," Aaleahya says, trying to inject a sense of normalcy back into the morning.

"Sounds good," Tracy says, forcing a smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

The Drive to Therapy

Later that morning, Galen drives Tracy to her physical therapy appointment. She rests her braced elbow on her lap, the joint a dull, persistent throb that seems to echo the anxiety in her chest. The weight of the impending charges presses down on her, making the car feel smaller, the air thinner.

"Galen, I thought my spring break was going to involve me maybe walking along the beach with Mike, soaking in the West Coast sun," Tracy says, her voice hollow as she stares out the window. "Which is different from my spring break activities back in Michigan."

"Oh yeah? What do you usually do?" Galen asks, keeping his eyes on the road as he tries to follow her lead into safer conversational territory.

"Well, sometimes I'd visit the Detroit Zoo," she begins, her voice flat. "Or we'd take a day trip to Frankenmuth. You know, Michigan's 'Little Bavaria'?"

Galen nods. "I've heard of it. Big on chicken dinners and Christmas stores, right?"

"Yeah, that's the place," Tracy says, the memory failing to bring any warmth. "I always wanted to go to Greenfield Village, too. That's the pioneer village attraction. I might have visited it once for a Girl Scout trip back in middle school, but I'm not totally sure."