Chapter One: Welcome Home
"Thanks for the invite," I said as I looked around at the large room. There were many people gathered for my friend's sister's reception. I call him my friend loosely as we had only recently reconnected through social media, and by recent, I mean like a few days ago.
"No problem, Turbo," Ted said as he smiled at me.
"That was ages ago," I said, shaking my head; it was amazing that name had stuck around for so many years, even when we were in high school. Ted's name was Stretch because of his long arms and ability to palm a basketball with ease. My name was obvious. I had been the fastest person on both our football and basketball team.
"Can't believe you returned home after all these years," Ted said with amazement.
"Yeah," I shook my head.
It had been sixteen years since I had come home to this mid-size town. It wasn't a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. It was what some would call suburbia. The one thing different from all the other suburbs was this place was a football town. Everything stopped for the high school football games.
"I know my parents will be shocked to see you again," Ted smiled.
Ted's place was the place to be back in high school. He had it all, a basement where we could throw parties, all the latest video games, the most significant pool table, plus a full-sized swimming pool. Everybody hung out at Ted's place after school.
"I doubt that," I said, shaking my head as I sat down at the table he pointed out to me. It was an open spot that no one had claimed.
There was something to be said about peaking in high school as I did, then dropping to the lowest of the lows afterwards.
Ted went to the stage and waited for the bride and groom to arrive and the entire entourage.
In high school, I was the "man", so to speak. I was good at every sport. You named it. I could do it in spades. Basketball, I had the highest scores, rebounds, assists, and steals. Football I did it all, offence, defense, special teams.
There were scouts all over me, then I went to college, and it all went downhill. Sure, I could play, if things had gone as they should have, I would have played professionally, but I didn't.
You know that saying, don't hang out in the wrong crowd, or they will ruin you, well I never listened. I got caught up in the wrong crowd and started acting like I was the best thing since sliced bread, which cost me.
Coaches kicked me off the teams as I started telling them what to do, and one thing leads to another, and I had no more free rides. My so-called friends disappeared, and I was left out in the cold, literally.
I eventually got a job working retail, which lead to a management position. I also got married, but that fell through as I worked too much and didn't realize she wanted more than just a part-time husband.
Now here I was, back in my hometown. No idea why I had returned, but it felt like the right place for a fresh start. I put a post on my social pages about returning home, and that's when Ted found me.
We had hit it off like the past few years never happened. In our eyes, I was still Turbo, and he was still Stretch. He invited me to his sister's reception, and now I sat in the middle of a luxurious hotel banquet room, waiting for the reception to begin.
"Friend of the family?" an elderly lady at my table asked.
"You can say that," I replied.
The truth was in high school; the only reason people hung out with Ted was his rich family status. He was a joke. If it weren't for his house and his parents, well, mainly his father being out of town every week, no one would give him the time of day.
Especially me, I made fun of him consistently, the name stretch was meant as an insult, but he was too caught up in trying to fit in with the rest of us that he made it into something that stuck.
So, being here was not something I was looking forward to but staying another night in that roach-infested motel by the highway was not my cup of tea.
"Here she comes," the lady said as she stood.
Sure enough, the bridal party came into the room with music playing and cheers and screams of congratulations. I stood in silence.
'It can't be,' I said to myself. "Little Natalie?"
"Yes," the lady said.
I had thought I said the last part to myself, but it seemed I said it out loud. The party got up on the small stage and took their seats. I couldn't believe my eyes. Little Natalie was far from little. She was all smiles as she sat near her husband.
I couldn't take my eyes off her as everyone sat down. The annoying little brat that tried to ruin all our fun when we were teenagers was all grown up. And had become a beautiful woman.
Ted stood up and said a few words thanking everyone for being here. Then he did it. What I had begged him not to do. He told everyone that I was here. I looked around at all the faces that looked at me. Most of them were all smiles. I bet they remembered the high school me, the one that couldn't be defended as a wide receiver or the one that put up numerous basketball scores. I waved and smiled and then congratulated the newly married couple.
I caught Ted's father's eyes, and it all came back to me. He saw through me like I was transparent. I was a failure, and he knew it.
The party got into full swing, and I tried to stay away from anyone who would recognize me, but it wasn't easy in a town like this. Soon people were asking about me and why I had dropped off the face of the planet. I tried to answer as quickly as possible, but it was hard to say I peaked in high school and then fucked it all up.
"You returned," a voice said from behind me as I got my fifth drink from the open bar.
I thanked the bartender and then slowly turned around. "Yeah," I nodded, looking at Terrence, Ted's father.
"You could fool all these other people, but..." he started to say.
"Look, I just wanted to get out of the motel for a while, nothing more," I said.
He looked back at me and nodded. "Just making sure you're not trying to pull anything," Terrence said as he walked away.
"Asshole," I said, shaking my head.
Terrence had kept up with my college shenanigans. He had been one of my biggest sponsors. He would pay for me to get the newest shoes, clothes. Since my family was dead poor, he would help us out. Then I threw it all away when I got kicked off the team.
My dad stopped talking to me. My mother slowly passed away from cancer, and after she was gone, so was he. I hadn't heard head or tails from him or about him since.
On the other hand, Terrence tried to get me back on the straight and narrow, but I threw it all away when I got caught with drugs in my car. That was when he wiped his hands and set me free. I guessed he never told anyone, or else they wouldn't be all over me like white on rice.
"Not going to say hi?" a woman's voice said from behind me as I tried to sneak to the exit.
"Natalie!" I said, spinning around.
She had changed from her wedding gown to a form-fitting blue dress. And by form-fitting, I meant every word.
"Don't you mean brat face?" Natalie said.
I laughed and nodded. I had called her many names during that time.
Natalie was no brat face now. Like her Hispanic mother, she had long brown hair that came down to her mid-back, and well, the rest of her was easy to sum up. Curves on top of curves on top of busty deliciousness.
She wasn't skinny, but she wasn't obese. Every inch of her body was just curvy, thick, and curvy. From her thick thighs to her waist, ass and huge breasts that wanted to burst out of that dress. Gone was the skinny little brat that chased us around and threatened to tell everything that we did. Now she was a full-fledged woman.
"Congrats," I said as I held my drink up and nodded to the man beside Terrence and Ted.
"Meh," Natalie said, shrugging.
"Meh?" I asked with surprise.
"Don't tell anyone, but he has been asking for just over a year now, I finally gave in," Natalie said as she waved and looked back at him with a smile. "I figured what the hell."
"So, you're not the happy bride?" I asked.
"Happy, not so much, bride absolutely!" Natalie said.
"Still, the brat!" I laughed.
"Never gave up the title," Natalie smiled. "Oh, there is someone that you should meet," Natalie said as she grabbed my arm and pulled me across the room.
We finally stopped at a group of girls chatting. Most of them walked away, leaving behind a busty redhead in a green gown. "Well?" Natalie asked as she looked at me.
"Well, what?" I asked, trying not to be impolite.
The redhead snickered. "He doesn't recognize me," she laughed.
"I know," Natalie laughed as they both stood there staring at me.
I concentrated and tried to remember this young woman in front of me.
"Sorry, but I can't," I said, shrugging.
