Page 8 of Beyond the Hedge Maze

Oliver grimaced as the realization of who was behind him slowly seeped through his consciousness. He slowly turned around. “McDavis, pleasure as always to see you. I’m here with some friends, so I think I’ll be heading there now.”

Somehow it had completely slipped Oliver’s mind that he was Jesse’s teammate. He was so concerned about running into his childhood crush, he forgot about his childhood tormentor. Roger’s grip tightened on his shoulder. “Bit rude to run off. Let’s catch up.”

Oliver tried to shake him off. “I’d rather not. Get out of my face, McDavis.”

Chapter 4

Jesse

Two Years Ago

Sean roughly grabbed Jesse by the neck, smashing Jesse’s face into his armpit as they stumbled through the pub doors. The vibration of his laughter shook them both and Jesse joined in, shoving at his best friend to let him go before they both fell to the ground.

Jesse’s emotions were at war with each other. He was proud, so proud of his team for winning their 5th consecutive Boat Race; even if he had only contributed to two of those wins. But now that it was over, he was also filled with a deep sense of loss that this was probably his last time being a part of a competitive team.

The podium ceremony had lasted an eternity. Sean was presented with the trophy, champagne was sprayed, and afterwards, as was tradition, they tossed and then subsequently fished Alex out of the Thames. The poor man emerged sputtering and choking on river water, and Jesse made a mental note to check on him tomorrow. Who knew what swallowing that water would do to a person. Then came the photos, interviews, hand shaking, and congratulations from scores of people Jesse had never met, and would most likely never see again.

Through it all, he hadn’t stopped thinking about Oliver.

“Can you both cut it out? We’re in public,” scolded Michelle.

Tanvi kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. “Let them have their fun, babe.”

Sean bent into a squat and hoisted Michelle in the air. “Yeah, babe, let us have our fun!”

Michelle pounded on Sean’s back as Jesse and Tanvi laughed. “Put me down, you brute! You’re all sticky!”

“Still?” Sean gently set her back on the ground and gave her a quick peck to the top of her head. “I took a shower back at the boathouse.”

“I can’t believe you can even lift her. I’m not sure how I’ll lift a beer. My arms are dead. Also, better to be sticky than that shit get in your eyes. Mine are on fire,” said Jesse.

Michelle Palin and Tanvi Pathak grew up in the same town and had been dating since sixth form, but the couple looked like near opposites of each other.

Michelle usually opted for dark clothes, today black jeans and a deep burgundy sleeveless top, showcasing the many intricate tattoos that traveled up and down her arms, while her hair changed colors at any given time. Last week she had dyed it a teal green that complimented her green eyes and gave them more of a cat-like quality than usual.

Tanvi, on the other hand, preferred to wear her colors; choosing a light blue skirt that swished across the floor with a white crop top she accented with layers of chunky gold necklaces that matched the rings adorning all of her fingers. Her long, silky, black hair fell across her shoulders and back, never once to be tainted by a boxed dye.

One night, Sean and Jesse had been attending a party of a friend of a friend, and Sean had accidentally run into the pair, spilling his drink all over them both. After Michelle gave him a thorough dressing down, which was a feat for a woman a foot shorter and easily one hundred pounds lighter than he was, they had all made a silent decision to stick together for the rest of the night. The foursome drank until the early morning, and Jesse had been thankful for Sean’s clumsiness ever since.

To outsiders, they probably looked like an odd group. With Sean and Jesse, it was a natural kinship; both were working and training towards a common goal, and their easy going personalities complimented each other. They were athletic, were by any societal measure, handsome, and each had a tendency to let their egos get in the way from time to time. Michelle and Tanvi were there to remind them, on any occasion, that they weren’t the hot shits they thought they were. Jesse understood now, years later, that he and Sean needed the girls to balance them out. But above all, they provided the boys a soft place to land.

Jesse frequently sought out Tanvi when he needed to vent about his father. Both children of immigrants, both individuals of color, they understood each other on a fundamental level. They knew what it meant to constantly have to prove themselves, both to their own parents and to society.

His bond with Michelle was something different. Her mother had also passed when she was young, and like the roots of a redwood, she and Jesse had woven around each other, acting as support and nourishment in their own times of grief.

Tanvi rubbed her hands together. “Okay, so what’s the plan?”

“Right. The plan. It’s customary that after a win that the team all gather here for a celebratory drink. We are here for that purpose, and that purpose only. After said drink, we move onto ‘Operation Find J’s Long Lost Love’,” Sean explained.

“I don’t understand,” Michelle said. “Doesn’t he have social media or something? Can’t we send the bloke a DM?”

“Where’s your sense of romance, Mi? Of adventure?” Sean retorted.

Michelle scoffed. “I’m plenty romantic, but I’m also pragmatic. It’s impossible not to be found these days. Surely it’s not that difficult to find some guy at Oxford.”

He hadn’t discussed it with Michelle, but Jesse had already gone down that route and had tried to find Oliver on social media several times over the last few years. Eventually, he did find someone who he thought might be him, but the profile picture was too blurry to confirm. There were no pictures on the feed, and he only followed two people. Jesse considered it a dead end.

“I can’t wait to see what he looks like—” Tanvi started.