Today was the day. Tonight was the night. This moment was finally here.
Years and years of planning revenge.
Weeks and weeks of getting revenge.
Everything I had built up to this point was right here in front of me.
It was a cool evening as I prepared to go to Maddy's 25th birthday party. She had sent out the Facebook invite earlier this month in a public post, and I knew my time had come.
I didn't click "Going", but I did keep it all in mind.
The plan was to go to her birthday party and just blend in. Maddy was by the end of High School the most popular girl. All the boys wanted to be with her and all the girls made sure to be around her.
I never attended her parties after the last one, but I always heard they were something else. All hours of the night partying, loud music, alcohol all over, anything you wanted you could get. I'm honestly glad I didn't go. It just wasn't my scene and well it would be a little weird to go back.
But I was ready to go back. Tonight was it. I had planned to take advantage of the large amount of people and alcohol and get my revenge in a funny and yet satisfying way. A birthday toast where I trick her into covering her eyes and exchange for me farting in her face in front of all of her party guests.
Was it lame? Yeah. Was it tame? Yeah, I could easily make it worse but by now my perspective had changed a lot. I was kind of feeling dumb about all of this. I went out of my way to seek revenge on 6 girls who wronged and farted on me and while it was nice giving some comeuppance, its not very normal to just do that and I really should get some help.
But things had picked up. Phoebe and I went on a few dates and while I hadn't told her yet about all of this, it seemed the price paid for what happened had already paid off. I was happy, I had love, I have a great job, why even go on?
Besides, the Amber and Phoebe experience shined a different light on all of this. Kat changed me making me relive that trauma, but Phoebe revitalized me and Amber made me think.
Was Maddy truly worth going after? Was she truly worth all of this? Yes. Yes, she was.
The party was supposed to be a formal occasion, so I dressed my best with a black suit and tie. It was all business for me. No pleasure to be found here, just the satisfaction of victory and the look of defeat in her eyes.
I arrived at the door and immediately was taken aback by the lack of vehicles in the premises. Was I early? Was I late? Where were all the cars? This is the right house. How could I forget all the days spent here playing when her Mom watched me while my Mom went to work in the Summers.
It truly was bittersweet, the end of a 20-year story. A rivalry of sorts that developed over the years. One that I truly didn't understand. I loved Maddy and she had always loved me. What happened to us? Why are we here doing this when we could be here to celebrate.
I approached the door, slightly ajar. I hesitated to open but I did anyways and entered the halls of what was deemed Maddy Manor by the Queen herself. I walked into to find cobwebs all over the furniture and walls. The floor was musty itself, and I felt startled by the sight of the home I once knew.
"Who goes there?" I heard a familiar voice say.
I stopped and around the corner appeared Miss Maddy herself standing a full 5'3, wearing a crown tiara along with a green dress with gold embroidery. Her long red hair, pale skin, circular glasses with clear rims.
"Hi...I'm sorry I'm not sure who you are." Maddy said, looking very disoriented, as if she had already been drinking.
"Ugh..." I stumbled.
"Wait.... no..... oh my god.... it's you." she said. "How have you been?" she exclaimed happily running into my arms to hug me very tightly, one that I reluctantly reciprocated.
"I have been well. I saw your invitation on Facebook and figured that I would swing by and visit you because it has been so long." I said.
"It has! It has been soooo long. I missed you sooooo much." Maddy grabbed me again, hugging me tighter than before.
It was a very strange feeling. The very woman that I scorned the most was the happiest to see me. I wasn't sure what to do or how to even feel. My mission from Day 1 was to take her out and now I was confused even more by this eagerness and happiness from her.
"I missed you too." I said.
She pulled back and grabbed my hands.
"Come sit in the room with me." she said.
She walked me over to her living room, musty and unclean. I sat on the couch as she sat on the chair.
"Tell me, what have you been doing?" she asked.
"Oh, you know, just working, living the dream." I replied.
"I know what you mean." she said, laughing after.
"It's certainly a grind." I said.
"What do you do?" she asked me.
"I work for a tech company, got an office job and everything. What about you?" I asked.
"Me? Oh, nothing right now." she laughed.
"Nothing?" I spoke.
"Nope, I was working as a cashier at a Grocery Store, and I lost my job because I broke down crying and my manager was really mean about it and I told them to go fuck themselves." she said.
"Yikes, I really don't blame you there." I said.
"It was hard, but I had to stand up for myself. I never do." she said, with sadness in her voice.
"I'm glad you did." I said.
"I'm really glad you came here tonight." she said.
"Who's that?" I asked.
"Well, I missed you silly. You were my best friend, and I really miss hanging out with you. We used to have the best adventures." she said.
"We changed." I said.
"I know, I became a total bitch in High School. I really wish I handled things differently with you and a lot of things back then. I feel like I let everyone down that I loved." Maddy said, as her voice grew more somber.
Was it worth it? Was it really? This wasn't the monster who humiliated me years ago. This was a broken, sad, disillusioned human that had gone through a traumatic ordeal where she clearly had lost a lot of confidence in herself and has had a fall from grace that has made her humble.
"I really don't blame you for being mad at me. I was such a trash person." she said.
"You weren't." I replied.
"Thank you." she said. "It's just been really hard these last few years with not being able to keep a job, suffering from depression, and falling out with my parents. I feel so alone these days." she said crying.
