High School Reunion Part 2

[Otaru_grower]

Everyone seems to be having a great time. They are playing 90s music, all from the time we were in high school together. I suddenly regret coming. I look at my reflection before walking in and hold it in my mind. I look at least ten years older than everyone here. My hair is balding. I mean so are a lot of guys but my skin is bad and then there?s?

?Do I know you? Wait, Ryan??

It?s one of my old football buddies. His name is Rich and boy does he look the part. He looks great. Looks like he?s still 21. He?s wearing a tux and has a beautiful woman by his side.

?Ryan Johnson? How?are you??

?Wow, everyone looks so different!? says his wife. ?It?s me, Vanessa.? She is bouncy and vivacious and brunette. ?Steve and I got married!?

?Right after high school, and we?ve been together ever since.? Rich smiles.

?I remember you both. It?s uh?it?s good to see you.?

?Ryan? Ryan Johnson??

God, this is becoming a freak show. Let?s all stare at the former jock.

?Ryan Johnson,? says the stunning looking man now at my side.

?I?m sorry, you don?t have a nametag??

?I know, that?s because I had to put ?Dr.? in front of it.? He chuckled in an infectious way. ?Hi! It?s me, it?s Scott.?

?Scott? Wow, you look great!?

?Yeah, say, I hope you don?t mind me asking. I?m a doctor, so it?s my job every day. Do you suffer from some kind of disorder? You have some scarring-?

?I uh?guess you didn?t see that episode of Dateline.?

?Wait,? Scott said furrowing a brow. ?You were?that was you!?

?What was what?? Vanessa asked.

?You?re not dying, are you?? Rich asked.

?Dear!?

?Sorry. I just-?

?He can be so tactless sometimes, I?m sorry.? Vanessa made a face at her husband, who looked back at her with a helpless shrug.

?No, I remember now. You had the genetic anomaly. They actually studied you.?

?Yeah. It?s pretty rare alright. Only a few people in the world have it.?

?Now from what I remember, if I am remembering correctly, you shrank in height, am I right??

I winced. ?Yes, by several inches.? God, get me out of here.


Vanessa looked confused. ?How is that possible??

I began. ?They explained it to me over the years, and on Dateline, when they had that story about me. I did it because I thought a doctor somewhere might be able to help. You know how when people get really old, like in their 80s, they can shrink? Their bodies sort of just start to become more compact?? She shook her head, hanging on every word. ?I contracted this rare genetic mutation that basically started doing that when I was 18. No one knew why. At first I had trouble with my joints. I couldn?t do heavy labor. My muscles just started to give out on me, I couldn?t exercise without intense pain. Anyway, they did every test on me, and while they were doing so I started to uh?shrink.?

?Wow,? she said. Dr. Scott just looked intensely interested.

?It has to do with the way your brain received information. Like it was receiving information from much later on in your lifetime, the genetic receptors had some sort of transmitochondrial problem that they couldn?t rectify because the mutation was too far deep.? Scott stated.

?Yeah. So, basically my hair had receded by twenty, and I shrunk and shrunk. I?ve lost about six inches total.?

?Oh my God, but you?re okay, right?? Vanessa asked.

?Yeah. I had a walker for a couple of years and a cane. I was given this new gene therapy. So now I can walk around okay but for a number of years it was pretty difficult.?

?Did they try Human growth hormone?? the doctor asked.

?It had no effect.?

?Fascinating. You know, if science could understand what triggered your anomaly, we might be able to figure out how aging really works, and if there?s a cure for you, it could stop the process altogether or at least halt it.?

?Yeah, way to dream doc,? Rich said. ?I?d love to look like this forever. You should see my dad. I?m gonna look like that one day, I just know.?

?Well, I?m fine with that, dear. I really wish you the best, Ryan, but there?s a couple people I want to talk to.?

?Sure, sure.?

?See you around, champ,? Rich said. Dr. Scott continued to look at him as if he was studying a petri dish.

?Well, I guess I should uh, you know, mingle.?

?Yeah, yeah.?

But Ryan didn?t really feel like mingling. He said hello to a few more people. Soon word of his condition had spread, and the rumor mill had gone into full effect. God, this really is just like high school, he thought wryly. He found himself standing next to two familiar faces. Jim and Jordan!

Their reuniting gave them amazement. Jim had gained a hundred and fifty pounds or so. He looked like Artie Lange but with a bald spot. Gone was the gangly teenager who used to score great basketball shots and went long on the field. Jordan, who had once been such a fine athlete, a strapping young black man, had now also let himself go and had quite a gut, and was prematurely grey.

?Three of us look like old men here, are you sure we?re at the right reunion?? Jordan joked and got a small laugh. But it was oddly true. Out of the entire room, it had seemed like they had really aged much more poorly than anyone else.

After exchanging information, he found out that Jim was not doing so well. Being nearly 300 pounds wasn?t easy.

?I thought of not coming, but hey, free food is free food.? He joked.

None of the men was doing well financially. Jordan was about a hundred grand in debt. Ryan himself was deep by about only 30 grand. Jim had put out a second mortgage on his house and found himself with no energy for the ex wife that kicked him out and two kids who hated him. Jordan was pretty much jobless for a year now. He had moved back in with his parents, who berated him for being a loser constantly.

?So uh, I hate to ask this but uh?he?s not here. Is he?? Ryan asked carefully.

?Who?? asked Jordan.

?I think he means, you know, him.?

?Oh, no. No I haven?t seen him yet.

?Say, who is that? She is hotter than hell.? Jim pointed.

The woman walked with poise and confidence. She looked like a movie star with honey colored hair and her designer dress that screamed New York. She looked like a cross between a rock star and a fairy princess.

?That?s our little Jenny!? someone said loudly and hugged the woman.

?No way. That?s Jenny?? Ryan asked.

?Yeah and I guess that must be her husband. Jesus Christ, look at the size of that guy.? Jim said, noticing the giant approaching her side. Jenny dazzled in the light, with her bright supermodel smile. Ryan felt faint. He had never had much luck with women. Truth be told, and he never would tell anyone, he had not made love to a woman since he was twenty two, and even that was a pity fuck on her part.

But all of them had been wondering who this guy was. None of them remembered him. Around the room surprised lips spouted who he was and the rumor mill spread across the dance floor. People who found out stared and gawked. Some turned their heads away in embarrassment. The perfect couple posed for a few photographs. Now that he was closer, Ryan could make out a few details of the face and the smile seemed strangely familiar.

?We didn?t have him in our class, did we?? Jim asked, nursing a beer.

?I don?t remember him. Shit, I don?t remember much about high school at all, though,? said Jordan.

The man was immense and had a really pleasing smile. He emanated a confidence that guys like him always did. Tall, a wonderful smile, perfectly smoothed-back hair, a shoulders that bulged upward and outward. He took off his black tuxedo jacket so he was only wearing a business shirt and a short sleeved one at that. A handler who he guessed was an employee or handler or some kind dashed off with the jacket. His arms were veined and powerful, like a Greek statue. He was hairy but not too hairy, a rich dark brown mane neatly coiffed, like men you see in GQ. He towered over Jenny, but he was cautious and gentle around her. He genuinely seemed to enjoy everyone?s company. His laughter was melodic and familiar and?

Oh no.

It couldn?t be.

It couldn?t be!

Ryan didn?t remember the perfect smile, the molded face that was like if a younger more military version of Scott Bakula were combined with the rugged good looks of Jon Hamm from Mad Men, with pecs and arms right out of a bodybuilding magazine. And then?then he saw.

I started to grow uncomfortable and wanted to crawl under the nearest table. No. Make this stop. Anything but this. He?s walking right towards me!

It was like being passed by a freight train. The man talked with his new entourage as he walked right by and to the punch table just feet away. ?So then Jenny here tells me that Heidi Klum wants to talk to me and I think ?oh boy am I in trouble!?? He laughed a deep, warm, rumbling laugh. Jenny positively glowed at his side.

?Oh but she was really nice. She actually loved my designs on the runway. I mean I?ve never been on the TV show but just one word from Heidi Klum is enough to make or break you at Bryant Park.?

?Tell me about it.?

?Oh stop, you are so silly.? The great huge man smiled amiably, almost drunkenly. It was almost infectious to watch someone so masculine and good looking, and charming. The man could easily be an actor in Hollywood. How tall was he now, 6 feet 4? 6?5? maybe?

?Just don?t tell anyone there that you?ll invest in their line if they jump you-remember that one woman with the-?

Jenny laughed on cue. ?She had this huge wedding dress on and she says ?I?m ready if you are!?? and the two laughed uproariously at their various anecdotes.

One woman piped in. ?I?m curious, tell me more about Paris, Kyle.?

Oh god. A sinking feeling at the pit of my stomach.

?Guys, I?m gonna just get something.? I muttered. Before realizing that Jim and Jordan had already fled to the back exits. ?Thanks a lot.? I was about to turn. When he saw me for the first time.

?Ryan?? Jenny grew quiet and her eyes nearly bulged as she saw me.

?Wrong guy.? I turned and started towards the doors. Vanessa cut me off. Vanessa, I had remembered, wasn?t around when I left, she had spent the semester as a foreign exchange student in Mexico. She had no idea what she was doing. So when she turned me around I thought I was going to die of embarrassment.

?Look, you can barely recognize him, but that?s-?

?Kyle. Hey,? I said meekly.

?Ryan. It?s a pleasure to see you again, man,? the giant clapped me on the shoulder. I want to run inside a gigantic shell somewhere, like a hermit crab.

?Ryan, it?s been forever! Oh you were SO adorable back then!? Vanessa gushed over him.

?Oh I think you?re being kind,? he responded, his entourage laughing in tow. ?I brought a few friends with me to the party. They might not know it but I was actually pretty different back then.?

?Oh you may be bigger, but I still remember what you did for me.? Vanessa continued gushing and grew serious. ?When I was fifteen, I remember my grandmother died and you said some really comforting things to me. I still remember how much that meant to me.?

Kyle shook his head helplessly. ?I?m afraid I don?t remember that, but I?m glad that I could help.?

?You were such a sweet boy and I?m so glad you?ve been successful. I?ve been following your career for quite some time. You too!? She came over to Jenny and they embraced. ?A fashion designer! And how exciting is THAT??

Maybe this won?t be so awkward, I thought. I?ll just listen to them talk fashion. I can handle that. But Jenny was looking at me with caution, as if I was some kind of explosive dynamite.

?Thank you. That?s very kind. Do you mind if I ask what you do??

?Well, sure. I am actually managing a craft store right now. I love sewing machines as well. I do a lot of historical Renaissance fairs, making people?s costumes.?

?Oh, I?d love to see some of your work!?

?Oh! Really? Oh, I didn?t bring any photos.?

?You can e-mail them to me. I would love to see them.? Jenny held her hand. ?Come on, I think we should let the boys catch up.?

Shit!

Jenny walked away with Vanessa in tow. I looked around for a life preserver.

?Why don?t you guys mingle, I?d like to catch up with my buddy here,? Kyle said to his entourage, who spread out across the floor. He looked down on me. I could practically smell the masculine sweat smell on him. Had he worked out right before coming here? His pecs hung near my line of vision, just above actually.

?You look different,? he said quietly.

?So do you,? I nearly mumbled.

?Funny thing about appearance is, it can be so deceiving.?

He was close enough now that I could look up at his face, his beautiful face, even the fine stubble, that didn?t have any bumps or scrapes.

?Appearance isn?t everything.? I mumbled.

?Well not for you. Not anymore,? he whispered. I felt a burning in my gut. I wanted to leave. But I couldn?t.

?You don?t know me anymore. And I don?t know you. We?re different people now.? I said.

?Oh believe me, I know that. I spend a lot of time thinking about that.?

Something propelled me to stay. I didn?t know what; part of it was burning curiosity, like a moth to a light bulb.

?So what is it you do, professional bodybuilder?? I asked, wearing a shit eating grin.

?Oh no,? he demurred. ?That?s just a hobby. I own my own company now.? He sipped from his punch glass.

?Of course you do. Excuse me, I think I need a drink.?

?You know that alcohol is just empty calories,? he added, smiling as I walked away.

Back at the bar, there were a number of ex football jocks who still looked great. I ordered a scotch on the rocks. I needed it. I could feel the entire room staring at me, peering a hole through my skull. I needed to get out of here. Jim and Jordan were back now, although as they approached me it was to give me their phone numbers. They were leaving early. I said goodbye to them.

I didn?t know why I should hang around. I didn?t have any reason other than I wasn?t due to get a ride for another four hours. Fuck it, I thought. I?ll just walk to Ed?s sister?s house. I looked at the address I had copied down just in case he didn?t show. Fifteen miles? Oh, fuck. I could never walk that far. I can?t afford a cab. Maybe I should take a walk.

Outside the crisp night air greeted me. I walked away from the din, from the light, and the general crowd around the door, and made my way around the building. I found myself in the bleachers. The field was lit up, though no game was scheduled. The baseball field glowed with its red clay quadrangle and chalk outlines. There was a beauty to it that I?d missed. I used to play every sport. Baseball, football, basketball. Football I loved. It gave me such a thrill. I used to feel like the world was just opening up for me.

Not you would never know it now, I thought bitterly.

?This seat taken?? Kyle happily popped up, surprising me and nearly scaring the hell out of me. He was in a chirpy, excitable state. He clapped his immense hands together loudly and blew on them for warmth.

Oh god. I had dreaded this moment all my life.

?Kyle, I??

Kyle sat beside me, on the silver metal bench, giving me just enough space between us so that I could tell just exactly how much bigger his arms were now. Like big tires attached to a human arm. Jesus Christ.

?It?s beautiful, isn?t it?? We sat looking at the field. ?You know, I actually tried out for baseball in high school? I didn?t get picked. Too small, not coordinated enough.? He scratched his stubble.

?Yeah, well, I?m sure you?d be a big hit now.?

?Now college, that was another story. I love baseball. Football I was never that into. At least, not before a recruiter saw me and encouraged me, and I got that scholarship.?

Jealousy burned at the edges of my mind.

?Wow. That uh, that must have been something.?

?I loved those days. It was so much fun. To discover that people could actually?? He stopped to think, perhaps about how much to share.

?Kyle, I am so?so sorry. You have no idea. How much I regret the person I was back then.? The words came out haltingly, like bitter jagged chunks scraping my throat. ?I mean, I don?t know how I could have done that to you-?

?I don?t either,? he said, with some anger finally showing through.

Oh shit, please don?t let him kill me here, I thought. I can?t afford to die tonight.

He started to breathe through his nose and took several long breaths of air.

?I admired you, before you started?doing what you did,? Kyle began. ?I remember once thinking, why doesn?t he want to really be friends with me? Would it really be that bad??

And I can?t take it anymore. I?m blubbering. He stares at me sadly. I collapse. I start crying like a little sissy baby. I?m so sorry, I mutter, I try to get the words out. He stares at me with either cold or empathetic eyes, I can?t tell.

?Not a day goes by that I don?t regret it, what I did,? I said between tears. I hold my head in my hands, hold my mouth shut.


?I?m glad, that you came here. You know, they weren?t going to send you an invitation so I sent one myself.?

?You what?? I sniffed Jesus, this was embarrassing.

He puts a strong hand on my shoulder. I feel like a little boy sitting next to his father rather than a grown man sitting next to another.

?I wanted you to come here tonight.? He holds my shoulder and I turn to look at him. ?I needed to know if you felt anything. I went through hell,? he says, his voice quivering. ?I thought of tracking you down so many times,? he says, withdrawing his hand. ?Of coming for you one night with a crowbar and just beating the hell out of you. But then that would make me like you.?

?Yeah, well, I haven?t had the best life if it makes you feel any better.?

?Not better. No, not?not really. I found out a while back. About your condition. I thought it would make me feel better.?

?Did it??

?A little. At first. Now that you?re here not so much.?

We stared at the field some more.

?Walk with me, Ryan.? The giant got up and motioned that I follow. Sure. What the hell. As if this night could get any worse.

?I guess all I really want to ask is why. Why did you do it?? We walked past the bleachers and back toward an empty part of the school.

?I wasn?t good at anything. My parents were always telling me how good for nothing I was.?

Kyle laughed in disbelief. ?I never would have pictured that. I thought you had quite the charmed life.?

?Yeah well, after I graduated my parents threw me out. My dad went to jail for selling stolen auto parts and my mother just took off one day. Haven?t heard from her since.?

?I?m sorry,? said Kyle solemnly. ?Do you know how my parents died??

?No.? I said honestly.

?That?s because I never told anyone. I begged all my teachers not to breathe a word. To this day, I can?t talk about it. But when they died, I was on my own. I was fifteen.?

I let that sink in. What had happened to him just a year before I sent him spiraling over the edge.

?I?m sorry. For everything. If I could go back in time and do it all over again, I would. I would take your pain away.? Kyle stopped and looked at me, both angry and strangely moved.

?We?ve both been through a lot. Ryan, I don?t know how to say this. I didn?t think that I was going to do this. I thought I?d just come in and flaunt how much better I am than you and laugh at you but I can?t. I can't. I can?t do that,? He turned away in disgust, perhaps at himself.

?I would have deserved it.?

?Maybe.?

We stood there for a time, looking at the school clock. A couple of hours more of reunion to go.

?For what it?s worth, I?m glad.? I said. ?I?m glad you?re a success. You deserve it. You deserve it. I got what I deserved. I?m a fucking ugly freak with?acne scarring and bad skin.?

?And a bald spot,? Kyle added.

I smiled and bit my lip. ?That too.?

?And you kind of might need glasses.?

?Yeah. I?m guessing you have contacts now.?

?Laser surgery,? Kyle said smirking. ?Okay, maybe I?m enjoying this a little.?

I allowed myself to laugh. ?Oh my God. Kyle, you are a whole new person.?

?You don?t know the half of it.? Kyle looked down on me, somewhat sadly.

"No I mean it. You're a good guy."



?Yeah, well right now I don?t feel like it. Here. This is my card.? He clapped me on the back. Signature of the alpha male from an Ivy League school - business card, expensive and opulent looking, clap on the back means I?m in charge. ?I want you to swing by tomorrow. You doing anything??

?I honestly can?t say yes to having any plans.?

?Good. Come by my office and we?ll see about maybe getting you a job. I have a lot of people working for me. I think I might be able to find something for you.?

?I?I don?t know what to say. I?th-thank you,? I said meekly.

?Don?t worry about it. Now, if you?ll excuse me, I have been neglecting about half that room and I am dying to show off my new uh?well, you know.?

And so the giant lumbered back inside with me in tow. Jenny was not pleased to see us together.

?What are you doing?? she whispered to him inaudibly to anyone else. ?Are you crazy? Why would you talk to him??

?Jenny, it?s okay,? Kyle whispered back. ?I know exactly what I?m doing.? He gave her a confident smile and offered a hand to escort her back in the auditorium.

Ryan spent most of the rest of the evening avoiding much of anything other than small talk, though a few people asked about his medical condition and he heard a few smirks over it.

Meanwhile, Kyle was basking in the attention. He joined circle after circle of people he hadn?t seen in a long time. He especially flaunted his muscles in front of people that used to laugh at him. And he remembered each and every one. He made sure to mention the limo outside that had brought him and Jenny. He name dropped Donald Trump and Martha Stewart as a few of his friends, along with several Hollywood actors, and even high up government officials, both American and European. His anecdotes amazed everyone. Whenever someone doubted him, he was good humored about it, because his pocket was crammed with photos to share.

His laughter was infectious.

?Hey, Kyle, flex for me, I want to take your photo.?

?Hey, Kyle. What?s your secret? What do I gotta do to get arms that big??

?Hey Kyle, is it true you own your own company? You hirin? man??

Jenny politely conversed with just about everyone, except a few people that she really avoided. Kyle, however, found it necessary to veer her towards those people.

?I don?t want to talk to everyone,? she said between gritted teeth. ?In fact I really don?t see why you should make me do anything. This is your show.?

?I am nothing without my best friend. Oh, look it?s Stacy!?

Jenny?s shock was visible and her eyes bulged. During her last year of high school, she had a vendetta against Stacy for what she had done, her part in the debacle that sent poor Kyle into a mental institution. She had told everyone about the graphic details, about who did what. Stacy earned a reputation as a bad girl, and started getting into fights more and more often. She dropped out, but married someone from her class, the boy who knocked her up. Jenny forgot his name, but he looked like a bowling ball with a bad mustache now. He was shaking her hands with his greasy palms and Stacy was unsuccessfully trying to avoid eye contact with her.

The woman was unrecognizable from before. She had ballooned up to a whale of a woman, huge booming breasts heaving on the ship of her stomach. Her once luxurious curls had become tangled and ratty. A trashy tattoo stretched over a flabby arm. She fidgeted in their presence, these two amazingly beautiful people that she had wronged so long ago.

?So, Javier, what do you do??

?Oh I am a salesman?

?What do you sell??

?Oh, you name it. I sell it.? The couple smiled, their acting as bad as their hair.

?And you, Stacy.?

?Oh, I?m a computer programmer.?

?Really!? Jenny exclaimed, recognizing that this response sounded incredibly rehearsed. ?What do you uh, think of the new move to combine Linux with C++ and gut HTML altogether in lieu of a program that can replace all three??

Kyle looked down on her with a furrowed, knowing eyebrow in a surprised gesture as if to say "you gotta be kidding me!? before turning back to avoid looking amused.


?Oh, I?m all for it! You know, I?d been hoping that they?d do that, because you know, we need to move forward and all.?

?Yes, we do,? Jenny smiled. ?By the way, I?m a fashion designer in New York, and well, I?m sure you?ve heard about Kyle?s company. It?s all the talk of the technical manuals these days, and all the Hollywood celebrities love those gadgets. He?s always being mentioned at TED.?

?Can?t help being the center of trends,? Kyle chuckled. ?What can I say? It?s a gift. Of course it doesn?t leave me with much free time.?

?He spends all of his time with hovercraft these days. You?d think he was James Bond.?

?Hey, he?s certainly dressed for it, eh man?? Javier joked.

?Yeah, a toast to James. Cheers,? Kyle said lifting his punch glass. No one else toasted. Kyle didn't seem to mind.


?So you two, no kids?? Stacy asked.

?Oh we?re not married. We?re just best friends. New York is so hectic and our schedules have us all over the world. I just got back from Milan and putting a show together there is just, well, you know.?

?Yeah, yeah, life?s busy, keeps ya busy all the time.?

?Do you have children??

?Four.?

?Four! Boy, they must keep you busy.? Jenny was starting to sound ebullient now. Kyle began to plan their escape.

?Yeah, but you know, being a mother is the most important job in the world.?

?Yeah, yeah.? Jenny nodded and kept smiling. ?Well, you?ll have to excuse us. We have to make rounds. We simply must talk to everyone before we take off for Norway.?

?Norway??

?I know, we just got back from Europe but Kyle insisted that we visit the reunion. I?m glad he made me come with him. He always has to have his way,?

Kyle threw his hands up in the air comedically. ?It?s true, I can?t deny it!? He chuckled. ?And Norway is just so nice this time of year. Let me tell you. It?s like a postcard. The kayaking is divine, but if you really want a great ski slope, try Hemsedal. Remember that,? he told the impoverished couple with four kids. ?Hemsedal. Beautiful slopes. Unforgettable. Oh, come on Jenny, it?s the old glee club members. Great seeing you two.?

?You too,? Stacy said between clenched teeth.

When they were out of hearing distance they started talking again.

?Wow, that was tremendously therapeutic.?

?Weren?t you putting it on a little thick back there??

?Me? Excuse me, King Odin of Ski Valhalla.?

?Actually I?m more like Thor.? Jenny threw him a sarcastic look that needed no words.

Ryan watched from afar as Jenny and Kyle simply glittered. They looked like people should be taking their photos, but not by old acquaintances. Rather by paparazzi and modeling companies. Ryan eventually just sat down by the bar and drank another few beers. He could barely afford it, but what did he care?


When it was over, Ed picked him Ryan up and told him he could sleep on the floor of the living room that night. Ryan asked him if he could possibly get a ride to the docks the next day.

?What fer??

?I think I might have found a job,? he said, mustering up some false happiness over his prospect.

Coming out of the reunion themselves, Vanessa and Rich socialized and got emails and business cards.

?I notice Ryan didn?t give anybody his information.? Rich commented.

?That?s because the poor man is nearly homeless,? Vanessa told him. ?I found out from Jenny.?

?How did she know? Did that loser actually share that??

?No! And Rich! That?s a terrible thing to say!?

?Well I?m sorry but some people deserve their station in life. What goes around comes around.?

?Yes, Jenny filled me on some of the things that happened.?

?Oh, you have no idea. I never liked Ryan and his goons in school, and I sure as hell don?t like him now. Guy deserves everything he got in life, believe me.?

?Well, I think everyone deserves a second chance.?

?Yes, but that?s because you are a lot more compassionate than almost everyone,? Rich said, kissing her. ?So how did she know he was homeless??

?Well she knew a lot about everyone. I guess it was her job to look up information for awards and such.?

?I love how Kyle got one for most changed since high school. AND most successful.?

?Jenny said Kyle actually might buy some of my line! She said that she was looking for something just like it.?

?Well that?s nice of her.?

?Yes, it is. Oh now how do you like that??

?Like what??

?Jenny gave me a photo I put in my purse. I forgot to show it to you. Here, look.?

?Jesus, he has changed a lot.?

In the photo, Rich and his then girlfriend, now wife sat on a bench with Kyle sitting on the opposite side of the bench, alone. He was so scrawny it was difficult to believe he could possibly be such a powerful man now. In the background was Ryan, telling something and looking in Kyle?s direction.

And staring at Kyle, with his arms folded with a deep scowl, was Principal Knight.


Back at Ed?s sister?s living room, Ryan slept with a couch cushion from a couch too small to lay down on for a pillow and in his clothes. He had no idea what was going to happen tomorrow, but something was nagging at him.

He hadn?t mentioned to anyone that he was unemployed. Or that he was in need of any assistance. Maybe Kyle just assumed because Ryan had had such hard luck that he must need a job. Still, he hadn?t said anything to anyone, he thought, drifting to sleep and remembering how amazingly different Kyle used to look, back when he had to look up at Ryan.

[MuscleHintz]

I'm quite interested in seeing what Kyle's and Ryan's past was and what relationship they had. Was Ryan a selfish bully? and what about Rich and the others... can't wait for part 3!

[michaelv2]

You know, this little gem grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. What a fantastic story! Looking forward to Ryan's first day at work.

[Otaru_grower]

I am going to have more flashbacks as it goes along. Let's just say that both of them have a lot more going on than meets the eye...

And thanks for the positive reviews guys, I live for feedback!