Twenty five years out of high school, I found myself one day thinking about classmates, and former friends. Sitting by the scenic pond just a few miles from my apartment I did not have a care in the world that afternoon. The letter that came in my mail that morning informing me that my 25th high school reunion was just two months away set me to wondering what became of at least some people who once were buddies.
I had been a jock in high school playing on the hockey team as a forward. At five foot ten with muscular legs I could skate as fast as anyone in the conference.
Since leaving high school I had graduated college, worked first as a bank officer and currently as a certified financial advisor. I had stayed with hockey but have long since traded in my skates for high school coaches job.
The weather was no surprise as I disembarked from the 767 jet at the Seattle airport. It was one of those cold damp and miserable days that was so common in Washington state.
A short but expensive cab ride brought me to the hotel where I would spend the weekend and attend the reunion the following afternoon which was Sunday. Just after I had signed in I saw a woman who I thought should look familiar. She wore her light strawberry blond hair in a medium length style parted high on the right side. She was tall for a girl, perhaps five nine. Our eyes met and then there was recognition.
"Randy Taylor, is that you?"
"Yes it is," I replied. "You're Jill right?"
"Jill Mitchell. My name back then was Connor."
"Jill Connor, cheerleader," I said.
We embraced like two old friends remembering that we had briefly dated. The romance had lasted two months during my junior year after a friendship that had begun during late summer.
While attending college I had stopped denying who I am and had taken a boyfriend for the first time. Ron Haley and I had dated for two years after I had graduated. Things didn't work out between Ron and I but I knew that my future partners would always be men.
"So bring me up to date," I said.
Jill had become a 'soccer mom' with a 16 year old. "David loves playing. He's always out on the field with his ball practicing."
"That's good. What's up here?"
"I'm on the reunion committee. I've been working my ass off to get this whole thing organized."
"No help?"
"I've spent months trying to find everyone but it's not easy."
There were three people who came to mind that I hoped she contacted. They would make the reunion worth while.
Mark Henning seemed as though he should have had a date every weekend. The lean six foot one curly haired blue eyed blond seemed to mix well with the girls. Though not a jock he did play basketball at the end of his parents' drive way. I had tossed a few shots through that hoop and had missed quite a few.
I also had my other friends. These were Matt, and Paul from the hockey team. I usually ran with them when I wasn't chasing girls.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" I said.