The sounds of laughter and clinking glasses drifted towards Rivka as she stood near the entrance of the school gymnasium, feeling slightly out of place among her classmates gathered for their high school reunion. It had been years since she last set foot in this building, and much had changed since then. Back then, she had been a shy and introverted teenager, often ridiculed by her peers for not fitting in with their social norms.
She had gone through her all-girl high school years with her nose in a book, preferring them over the drama her friends were constantly busy with. She looked around for a place to sit, finally finding a table with a few empty seats. She sat down next to Minky Korf, a goofball who didn't seem to have changed much over the last fifteen years, regaling the group of women around her with memories of escapades and shenanigans. Rivka laughed along, glad that she had found a table near the good girls and not next to some of the more toxic classmates who had made her life miserable.
"Can I sit here?" The voice startled Rivka out of her daydream. Rivka glanced up and realized that she had thought too soon. Sarah Andasi, possibly one of the most toxic girls in her class, was gripping the seatback of the chair right beside her.
"I guess so" Rivka answered, "no one is sitting here yet"
Sarah looked just like she did back in high school - loud and brash, her blonde hair cascading down her shoulders in loose waves.
But there was something different about her too - a hardness in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Maybe it was the fact that she was standing in front of Rivka, their mutual animosity palpable even after all these years. Or maybe it was the fact that she'd recently gotten divorced and was now single, forced to navigate the dating world as a middle-aged woman with no clue what she wanted anymore. Whatever it was, it made Rivka uneasy.
As if sensing Rivka's discomfort, Sarah quickly introduced herself to Minky and the others, immediately launching into stories of her own from their shared past.
Rivka sat back and watched the group, not interjecting but just analyzing the interplay between former classmates. Some who seemed back in school to be on the fast track to success were toiling in dead-end jobs, while others did surprisingly well.
"What about you Rivka?" she realized she was now the subject of the conversation. "How many locations does your fancy shmancy boutique have now?"
Rivka laughed, loving how Minky was unchanged, still trying to make sure that everyone was included in the conversation. "We have five, with a sixth and seventh opening up in a few months''. Her boutique clothing store business had exploded after she hired a celebrity Orthodox Jewish influencer who brought in big clients. Her little business, whichhad started off selling vintage-style clothes she had designed, grew into an empire, making her millions.
Minky nodded, impressed. "Wow, you really made it big haven't you? That's amazing"
" It could be worse, I could be making a living selling used junk". RIvka gave a start when she realized that Sarah was talking to someone else, but very clearly throwing a jab in her direction.
"For a nice price, in a classy boutique." Rivka replied. "You should come by and try us out, I think there are three stores within five miles of your house"
"I don't remember asking you for your opinion, and it's interesting that when I mentioned used junk you knew I was talking about your store" Sarah shot back.
"Knock it off guys, Minky said, "We don't have to reenact everything from high school"
"Why, are you hoping little Mrs. Millionaire will have you be the next influencer to make her store look more than it is?" Sarah shot back, her eyes blazing as she gave Rivka a taunting look.
Rivka felt heat rising in her cheeks as she mentally cataloged all the things she wished she could say right back, but knew better than to utter aloud. Sarah was always great at pushing people's buttons, especially Rivka's. She knew better than to stoop to Sarah's level, especially now that she was content with where her life had taken her. Besides, it wasn't worth getting worked up over -- not when there were bigger fish to fry. Like her rapidly expanding business empire, for instance.
" Whatever" said Sarah, "I'm going to go check out the school building, I'll be back soon, hopefully when there's a little less ego at the table" She pushed her chair back and stalked off, leaving a dumbfounded group of former classmates in her wake.
"Sorry about that guys," Rivka said. "I don't know why she is so worked up, I never did anything to her that would cause her to have that reaction"
She's just very jealous" another woman said. "Plus, her life isn't going too well for her. She's divorced, in a dead-end office job that does nothing to highlight her people skills, and probably views you, the former loser and dork, as everything she isn't"
"I should probably go talk to her, apologize for nothing I suppose," Rivka thought. "I'd hate for her to have such anger in her heart for nothing"
Rivka stood up to follow Sarah but was stopped by Minky. "Where are you going? We were just starting to have fun!"
"I need to find Sarah, talk to her," Rivka explained. "It's important"
"Well, hurry back! We miss you already!" Minky called out as Rivka walked away.
Rivka searched the hallways of the school building until she spotted Sarah standing near the 11th grade classroom door, nursing a drink. She took a deep breath and approached her, ready to do damage control. But as she drew closer, she couldn't help but notice the dress Sarah was wearing -- a sleek black number that accentuated her curves perfectly. Suddenly, Rivka recognized it as one of her own designs. Her mind raced as she tried to process the implications of this revelation.
"Came to rub it in?" Sarah spat out bitterly
"Rub what in?" Rivka retorted " I seriously don't know what I have done to you. You treated me like garbage in school but I am past that. Please let me know what is really bothering you, because I really wish I could make it better for you if I could"
Sarah looked at Rivka, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I was wrong. I acted like a complete bitch to you back there, as well as in school. I've regretted it ever since. But seeing you here tonight, successful and confident...it just brought back all those bad memories of why I bullied you. I actually had a bit of a crush on you. You were so smart and pretty, and I wasn't, and you had this quiet aura around you and...." Sarah's voice trailed off.
Rivka reached out and pulled Sarah into a tight embrace. "Don't worry about it," she murmured. "Let's leave the past in the past, okay? Let's focus on the present and enjoy ourselves tonight."
Sarah looked up sheepishly at Rivka, " I think I got some makeup on your dress, I'm sorry"
