Chapter Text
Nicole couldn’t help but resent her mother as she stared out the window from the passenger seat. The endless nothing that they had been passing for hours now only made it worse; she really, really hated everything right now. She understood that her grandmother wasn’t doing well, understood that her mother needed to stay with her for the time being, but she didn’t understand why she had been forced to come along.
Leaving the city during her last summer before college felt like the ultimate betrayal. Nicole had thought about this summer for years, her last chance to make memories with the friends she would probably lose when they went their separate ways. Not only was she already missing her friends, she hated the absence of anything city-esque around her. She had visited Purgatory before, when she was very little, but she remembered nothing except for her grandmother’s chocolate chip cookies. Now, taking in the scenery, she realized that the small town her mother had grown up in was absolutely nothing like Manhattan. It almost made her sympathize with her mother; maybe growing up in such a boring place had eventually driven her crazy. Maybe Purgatory and it’s lack of anything resembling human life was the reason she was so focused on her work she barely had time to look at her daughter. At this point, Nicole wasn’t even sure if her mother even knew what her only child looked like.
In her opinion, Nicole was far past the point of being able to take care of herself. Of course the one time her mother wanted to be a mother had to involve upending what to her was her entire life. The screaming matches had been epic, she was sure she had burst at least a few blood vessels in her face with the sheer strength of her adamant protest. It didn’t matter, she had no choice. If she wanted someone to support her financially through university, she had no choice but to appease her mother. Even when it meant spending three months in what she was quickly coming to consider the most boring place on Earth.
Taking in every detail of her surroundings that she possibly could, Nicole took a deep and defeated breath. There was nothing she could do about the situation anymore, they were already pulling into her grandmother’s driveway.
“Here we are,” said her mother, turning the keys in the ignition and silencing the engine, the only present sound that even vaguely reminded Nicole of home.
“Lovely.”
The teenager caught her mother’s eye as she muttered facetiously under her breath; nothing about this was lovely. In fact, she had begun to call it her own personal hell. Clearly there was a reason why this town was named after the grey space between Heaven and Hell. If she believed in that kind of thing, Nicole would’ve sworn that this Purgatory was worse than its namesake.
“Help me with the luggage, Nicole.” Her mother had already stepped out of the car and popped the trunk. Nicole couldn’t imagine what she was so eager to get to, they were in a town that didn’t even have its own gas station.
Rolling her eyes and cursing under her breath, Nicole stumbled into the muggy air and begrudgingly took a suitcase from her mother. Dragging it up the front steps, she went to knock on the door, but before her hand even hit the hardwood it swung open.
To her surprise, it wasn’t her grandmother who had opened the door but a girl with long brown hair and big, soft eyes who looked closer to her age than anyone she had seen on the drive through town. Unsure of what to say or do, Nicole stood dumbfounded for a moment.
“Hi, I’m Waverly!” the girl said, extending a hand that supported thin fingers laden with rings. “Waverly Earp,” she clarified, smiling like there was nothing at all strange about the situation. Like she wasn’t in an 86 year old woman’s house on a Friday afternoon in the summer.
“Nicole,” the redhead stuttered, standing unnaturally still in front of the threshold. “Haught,” she added, though she had a feeling that this girl already knew that.
“Your grandmother told me you’d be coming soon!” The brunette smiled, eyes sparkling with genuine excitement. Her enthusiasm almost made Nicole want to smile too, but she quickly remembered that she hated it here, that under no circumstances will she find anything good about this hellhole her grandmother calls home. “Here, let me take that.”
Before Nicole could protest the shorter girl had taken possession of the overfilled suitcase, dragging it gracefully down the hallway. Unsure of what to do, Nicole decided to follow her. She felt like an intruder just walking in, though she knew she would have to get used to it. This was home, at least for the next 90 days. Might as well get used to it.
It felt unnatural to follow this girl she didn’t know through her own grandmother’s eerily quiet house, but her feet moved for her without much attention to the mess of questions swimming through her mind.
Hearing what must have been her mother closing and locking the front door, Nicole snapped out of the semi trance she had entered and stopped in the middle of the doorway she had been about to walk through.
“Sorry, who are you again? How do you know my grandma?” Nicole knew the second she said it that she had been rude, not in the context of the message but in her delivery. She was in a bad mood and it showed, her voice was short and unimpressed.
“I’m Waverly,” she said again. “I live next door. I visit your grandma everyday after school and help her out around the house.” She said this as though it was a casual thing, as though any teenage girl would spend her afternoons with her elderly next door neighbor.
Nicole couldn’t help but wonder if she was getting paid at least a small sum for said visits. Her grandmother wasn’t exactly the nicest person, and it had only gotten worse since she had become sick. Nicole hated calling her, she always had something to say about how Nicole could be a better daughter, how she would be going to Columbia in the fall had she only taken her studies seriously.
“Oh.”
Nicole knew she was being rude, but the sound of her mother approaching and all the resentments she held toward her family were spoiling her mood more and more by the minute. She wanted nothing more than to go to her room, wherever that was, and cry. The drive with her mother had been exhausting; she already missed her bed at home, the view from her window over the never ceasing lights of the city.
“Nicole, help with this bag.” Her mother had caught up to the two girls, lugging two large duffel bags behind her.
Grateful to take her mind off of her frustrations, Nicole wrapped her fingers around the handle of the bag and continued to follow Waverly. She almost ran straight into the brunette when she stopped in front of a closed door, getting so close she could smell her strawberry shampoo.
“She might be sleeping again,” Waverly said quietly, looking knowingly from Nicole to her Mother. “I’m Waverly Earp, by the way. I live next door. Nice to meet you, Ms. Haught.”
The two exchanged pleasantries while Nicole’s fingers grew more and more numb with every passing second, the straps of the duffel digging into her skin, cutting off her circulation like a tourniquet.
Knocking softly, the three entered the room. It was dimly lit and warm, the air stale. Nicole thought that it smelled like sadness, like a life that had been caged. She saw the array of orange and white bottles that crowded the dresser top first, then the chair positioned carefully next to the bed. Her grandmother was the last detail she noticed.
Nicole hadn’t seen her in years, but she swore she looked infinitely smaller since they last hugged. Sure, they talked on the phone, kept in touch just enough to have what Nicole assumed was supposed to be a good relationship, but she hadn’t seen her in the physical sense in years. It surprised her how fragile she looked, the woman who had always scared her with her rigid rules and punishments.
It made more sense to her now why Waverly spent time here so often, why they had essentially moved to Purgatory for the time being.
Her grandmother was sick, but she wasn’t just the painful kind that took your physical strength and energy. She was drained, almost entirely helpless. The dull look in her eyes made this obvious; there was no question that she needed people to care for her. Nicole almost felt guilty for her adamant hatred of the town.
“Maggie,” Waverly said softly, leaning down so that she was close enough to touch the old woman. “Samantha and Nicole are here.”
Stirring as though she hadn’t noticed them until this announcement, Nicole’s grandmother Margaret looked from daughter to granddaughter, eyes moving ambiguously.
“Samantha, I expected you to call when you were an hour away. You know it’s rude to show up unannounced.
Nicole saw her mother’s jaw set tightly from the corner of her eye; she had called Margaret twice to tell her their ETA and had gone to voicemail both times.
“And Nicole, darling. You look tired, have you been eating?”
Nicole blushed at this, making awkward eye contact with Waverly and shifting quickly to a staring contest with the carpet.
Shifting in bed so that she was almost sitting up, Margaret looked from the brunette to the redhead, eyes showing just a hint more of life than they had been previously.
“I see you’ve met Waverly. The most lovely girl, she’s been the biggest help to me since all of this started.” Nicole looked shamefully down at her feet. She had been neglecting to call her grandmother, and here was someone her age who was taking better care of her than she had ever even considered. “Waverly’s 18, Nicole. I’m sure you two will get along fine. Maybe you can help her get settled while I talk to my daughter.”
Her tone of voice told the girls that it was time for them to exit the room, time for the adults to talk and the kids to pretend like they didn’t have a clue as to what was going on.
Slowly, Nicole shut the door behind her and followed Waverly silently to a closed door down the hall.
It better at least have a closet, Nicole thought as the other girl opened the door.
As she had expected, her bedroom for the time being was actually much bigger than the glorified closet she slept in at home. Their apartment in the city may not have been very big, but it was one of her favorite places in the world.
Looking around the white room, Nicole felt awkward and out of place.
She hadn’t expected to meet anyone her own age the entire time she was in Purgatory, much less someone who had an actual relationship with her grandmother. The redhead felt almost guilty, this random girl had done more for her only grandmother than she ever had. Nicole almost regretted all of the horrible things she had thought about Purgatory and her own mother for dragging her here, but reminded herself that nothing could make this place any better. She was still going to be bored. She was still going to miss her friends and her life in New York.
Waverly cleared her throat and Nicole flinched; she had completely forgotten that she wasn’t alone.
“I hope you don’t mind me being here,” the brunette bit her lip and looked shyly at the ground. “I was going to leave before you got here but I lost track of time. I’ll leave if you’re all settled.”
Nicole suddenly felt bad for her unwarranted hostility towards the girl. She had no idea who this Waverly was, but by all accounts she seemed to be a decent person. Only a decent person would willingly spend time with her grandmother.
“No, no,” Nicole stuttered slightly, blushing and trying not to meet Waverly’s eyes. “You’re fine. I’m sorry if I’ve seemed like a bitch.” At this the brunette laughed, a genuine, almost sparkly type of laugh that Nicole hadn’t heard in a long time. “I’m pissed at my mom for making me spend the summer here.”
The two girls both visibly relaxed, Nicole sitting on the corner of her neatly made bed, Waverly sinking to the floor on crossed legs.
“You weren’t a bitch, don’t worry.” Waverly was still smiling, the remnants of her laugh still lighting up her face. “Purgatory isn’t exactly where anyone would want to vacation. You’re from New York City, right?”
“Manhattan, yeah. Is it always this boring here?”
Nicole hadn’t noticed her shoulders relax, her body free of the resentment and anger she had so desperately been clinging to.
“I wish I could say no.” Biting her lip again, Waverly looked from the spot on the ground that she had been eyeing up to the other girl, smiling. “There are a few other kids our age,” she continued. “I was homeschooled so I’m not close with most of them, but Rosita is pretty cool. Their graduating class was 37 people, I think.”
Nicole couldn’t help but let her jaw drop, mouth hanging open dramatically.
“37?”
She said it as though Waverly had just told her that she was actually an alien who could fly.
“Yup.” Waverly laughed. “Welcome to Purgatory.”
Nicole joined her, nervous laughter turning genuine as the two girls got to know each other. Waverly learned that Nicole’s graduating class had been 450 students, that they had actually had a real prom with corsages and everything, that for the most part, people took the subway instead of driving. Nicole was the first person Waverly had ever met who came from a big city. Everything about her and her life intrigued her.
Nicole discovered that Waverly was the youngest of three daughters, Willa and Wynonna being her older sisters. She was closer to Wynonna and rarely saw Willa, who had moved out of the family house and to a neighboring town with slightly more people, slightly more action. She lived with her mother; her dad was also dead. Both girls had been young when it happened, too young to remember much about anything. They felt guilty that they weren’t as affected by this absence as they thought they should be, but they couldn't change what had happened.
By the time Samantha knocked on the door to ask Nicole if she was hungry for dinner, they were sitting inches apart on the bed, smiling and laughing as though they had known each other their entire lives.
“I’m glad you girls are getting along!” Nicole couldn’t help but roll her eyes; her newfound friendship didn’t change the fact that she hated her mother right now.
“What’s up, Mom?”
“Your grandmother’s sleeping. I was thinking I could cook some spaghetti for dinner, I know it’s your favorite.” She looked knowingly at Nicole, who again rolled her eyes.
Waverly noticed and squeezed her hand. Nicole had made it clear that her relationship with her mother wasn’t one she couldn’t live without.
“Waverly, would you like to stay for dinner?”
The brunette locked eyes with Nicole, who gave the tiniest nod of her head, a pleading look in her eyes. Smiling, she turned.
“I’d love to, Mrs. Haught. Thank you for inviting me.”
Dinner went quickly, the girls sneaking mischievous glances at each other every few minutes. Nicole didn’t think she had ever connected with someone so quickly. She felt like she had known Waverly forever, the type of friendship where everything is just one inside joke, just for the two of them. She couldn’t help thinking that maybe this summer wouldn’t be as awful as she’d anticipated.
When they were satisfactorily full and the dishes had been washed and put away (Waverly insisted on helping), the girls went outside, the air hot and dry, the sky darkening by the minute. Nicole hadn’t realized how late it had gotten, time had passed so quickly.
“I should probably go home soon,” said Waverly dismally, and Nicole could tell she was genuinely upset to leave, even though their houses were less than 20 feet apart.
“Yeah.”
Nicole was quiet, remembering that with the absence of her new friend she’d be stuck once again inside her miserable head. She was surprised at how much she didn’t want Waverly to leave. They had only known each other a few hours, yet Nicole knew they would be best friends. She could confidently say that she had never met anyone like Waverly.
“Do you want to go into town tomorrow? I can show you all the best spots in Purgatory. I have a lot of hiding places.”
But Nicole wasn’t paying attention. Her eyes appeared unfocused as she stared fixedly into the front yard. Waverly watched her curiously, jumping when the other girl suddenly gasped.
“What?”
“I think I saw a firefly!”
Laughing, Waverly looked curiously at the girl with whom she was sitting shoulder to shoulder.
“Yeah? They’re out here every night.”
Nicole looked incredulous, jumping again to point at a tiny burst of light breaking through the darkness.
“I’ve never seen them in real life before,” she whispered, in awe of the magic she was witnessing. “They’re beautiful.”
Waverly was quiet for a moment, looking at Nicole who was still enthralled with the lightning bugs. She couldn’t help but feel that she was witnessing something special, a child like innocence she hadn’t expected from the hardened 18 year old. She smiled and found that she couldn’t look away. Something about Nicole was different, special. The warmth in her chest and stomach travelled to her cheeks and she looked away, realizing she had been staring.
“You’ve really never seen fireflies before?”
Waverly broke the silence, looking again at Nicole.
“Never,” she said almost breathlessly. “They’re so cool.”
“They are pretty wonderful.” Waverly once again found her eyes drawn to the tall redhead sitting beside her. Pulling them away, she realized that it was getting late and she needed to be home.
“It was really nice meeting you Nicole. I’ll see you tomorrow?” They agreed on a time and hugged goodbye, Waverly walking unnaturally slow to her own house.
Her mother greeted her at the door.
“I saw you with Maggie’s granddaughter outside. How are you two getting along? New York to Purgatory is a big adjustment.”
Waverly grinned at the mention of her new friend.
“Yeah, we’re getting along really well. She seems cool, I really want to be friends with her. I’m taking her downtown tomorrow.” She didn’t realize that she was talking faster than usual, her heart pounding in her chest.
Up in her own bedroom, Waverly moved to close her curtains when she saw Nicole still sitting on the front steps, head moving back and forth with every moving lantern she saw. She didn’t know why, but she felt close to the new girl, wanting nothing more than to know more about her. Not realizing she was watching, Waverly bit her bottom lip as the girl below watched the fireflies sprinkle their starlight through the air.