Blast from the past
"No! I'm not going and you can't make me."
I told my brother over the phone, there's no way in hell I'm going back to that god forsaken torture dungeon.
"Uggh you're always so dramatic. High school wasn't all that bad."
"Yea not for you, you were mr popularity, star quarter back. Everyone loved you, You know it was nothing like that for me. No one liked me."
"Oh there u go again, being overly dramatic."
"You know what? You go relive your glory days and leave me out of it, no one wants me there and no one will miss me."
By this time I could feel tears welling up in my eyes and could feel the stares and hear the laughter of the kids in school. In high school I was a scrawny redhead freckled faced very shy girl. Where my brother who was my fraternal twin was the exact opposite he was six foot something by the time he was a sophomore. He was a natural athlete and a really good looking guy. He had dark curly black hair big bright green eyes. He was basically a teenage girls walking wet dream.
I tuned back in long enough to here Bruce (my brother) say "did I mention Janice Capshaw is going to be there?"
"Ha! That's just one more reason for me not to go."
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"How in the hell did I let you two talk me into this?" I asked my brother and sister in law as I climbed out their car and adjusted my skirt. "I don't like these damn people and they don't like me, so why am I here?"
Sheri grabbed my arm and said "because you deserve the chance to show everyone that you are not that shy scrawny kid anymore"
We walked in and I felt like I was that same skinny girl that I was ten years ago. I looked around at all the smiling faces and though they had aged they mostly looked the same. I sighed as I walked to the sign in table to grab a name tag. Sitting at the table were two of my biggest reasons my high school years were so miserable. Becky Waters and her best friend Heather Thompson
I put on my best 'fake it till u make it' smile, gave them my name and enjoyed the shocked look on their faces. I grabbed my tag and walked to the bar and ordered a drink. As I was waiting for my drink Todd Berkman walked up, looked at me like I was a prize to be won. "I don't believe we've met" he said as he smiled a greasy smile.
"Oh but we have, when we first met you pulled my pony tail and told me I was ugly."
He looked confused as he spoke "There's no way I or anyone ever called a hottie like you ugly, you must have me confused with someone else."
"Nope" I sighed "when we were in third grade you pushed me out of the swing and laughed while I sat and cried."
"I still think you have me confused with someone else, I don't know you and I know everyone here, we all went to school together. There's no way you went to school with us I would remember a gorgeous redhead like you."
"Ok, I'll give you one more hint as to who I am. In 9th grade my brother beat the shit out of you because you kept hitting on his girlfriend."
His eyes just about jumped out of his head and his mouth gaped open as recognition hit him like a ton of bricks. "You're Tiny Rollins!?!"
"It's Tina actually, but yes in school everyone called me tiny"
I got my drink and walked off with Todd hot on my heels. "Tiny, uhh Tina wait a second!"
I didn't stop walking till I got to the table where my brother and his wife were sitting. Finally I turned and louder than I intended asked " what Todd, what do you want?"
"Whoa easy tiger, I just want to talk."
"Oh now, now you want to talk to me. Why now Todd? Hmm?"
Stunned he stood there in silence for a few seconds before he answered " well I mean you're fine now, possibly the finest piece of.. uhh I meant to say the finest woman here."
I glared at him as I took my seat, hoping he would go away and just leave me alone. But no such luck Todd was just as dense and annoying as he had been in school. He sat across the table from me and started peppering me with questions. "So are you married? What do you do? How'd you get so damn fine?"
" no I'm not married. I'm a writer, and I used to work at a gym and got free use after hours. Now is that all? Because if it is you can go now "
Ok bear with me just a few minutes more then I'll go."
By this time my brother had had enough "no Toad I think you're done now." He said with a menacing look on his face
"Ahh Come on now just a few more questions then I swear if she says go I'll leave."
My brother shot me a questioning look, I just sighed " ok go ahead Todd, ask your questions so you can leave me alone.
"Ok so you said your not married, do you have a boyfriend and if not are you looking for one cause I mean damn girl."
I gave a bored look and sipped my drink before answering "no and no and eww."
This made my sister in law laugh, however Todd didn't find it funny.
"What do you mean eww? Like you can do better than me?"
"Oh honey I can and have done so much better than you."
"Right sure, you don't know what you're missing."
"Mmm pretty sure I do, let me guess you went to law school because that's what your daddy told you to do and of course he paid for it. Now you work for daddy hoping the old man will make you partner before he kicks the bucket. How I'm doing so far Todd did I miss anything? Oh wait marriage! And with the way you've been hitting on every woman here I'm guessing you either never married or you're divorced."
Todd jumped up out his seat and angrily walked off then turned around and shouted "You know what? Fuck you tiny!"
"Not even if you were the last man on earth and it was up to us to repopulate it!"
He stormed off as I laughed. Bruce was starting to get up when Sherri (his wife) laid a hand on his arm
"Honey sit down it's over."
"Naa it's never over with that ass. I think I'll go teach him some manners obviously he's forgotten the last lesson I gave him."
" you will not" she said forcefully "Tina took care of it."
"Sherri's right it's over, though I wouldn't mind seeing you beat the brakes off him again, he's not worth the time or effort. Not to mention he'd have you locked up. And that would mean I'd be left to 'take care' of Sherri for you." I gave Bruce a small wicked grin.l
Laughing Bruce said " umm no mam you keep your hands off my wife. Besides what would Lilly say?"
"Well first of all she and I broke up like three months ago. But when we were together Sherri was my free non celebrity pass."
Sherri looked at me wide eyed "really now?? Do tell."
"Oh stop you know I've always had a crush on you. Why do you think I approached you to begin with?"
"Wait so the only reason we became friends is because you wanted to sleep with me? That's that's... I don't know if I should be mad or flattered."
Wicked grin in place I replied "I vote for flattered besides I'm your bestie you can't stay mad at me."
Bruce chimes in " but I can be mad at you"
" what do you have to be mad about? You got her, she chose you."
"Yea because you never told her how you felt about her."
"My bad I kinda thought she knew I had a crush on her. But it's not like I was in love with her. No offense sherri I just wanted to get you in the sack. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to get another drink. As I approached the table I stopped dead in my tracks. Sitting at the table talking with Bruce and Sherri was my high school 'dream girl' Janice Capshaw sitting there. Damn time did her very well. She was just as gorgeous as she was in high school.
It was Bruce who brought me out of my head. "Tina you remember Janice don't you?"
I stood there for what seemed an eternity trying to figure out how to answer him I could pretend I didn't remember her but that would be kinda rude and she was never rude to me. "Uhh yea we had English together senior year right?"
She smiled a beauty queen smile and I damn near creamed myself. "Yea you were the reason I had to study so hard in that class."
I shot her a quizzical look as I sat down
"What do you mean?"
She gave a short laugh " same ole tiny totally oblivious to the outside world."
Janice went on to explain that everyone knew I was going to get the highest score on every assignment and every test. Unknowingly I was the one Mrs. Doty compared the others too.
I sat there stunned and proud of myself. Then I had to play 20 questions with her.
"So tell me tiny.."
"Tina" I corrected her shyly.
"What's that now?"
I cleared my throat sat up straight and badly but calmly responded "My name is Tina, no one calls me tiny anymore..ever."
She actually looked slightly upset when she said "ohh damn I'm so sorry tin..Tina. That was really rude of me."
Damn why couldn't I be mad at this woman I wanted to be mad but damn those big blue eyes and all that beautiful black hair.
"So tell me Tina, what've you been doing with yourself since graduation? I mean besides completely changing your look's except for all that beautiful red hair."
" Well I took some creative writing classes, got a degree in business and wrote what I thought was going to be one book but turned into an 8 book and counting series."
She looked at me shocked "wow that's great! What's the name of your books I'll have to look them up."
"Have a heart, it's a murder mystery..."
"Oh my god yes! I know I have all 8 books!"
"Oh stop you do not!"