INTROVERT

COLIN

Colin is thankful that Rachel never brag about James. He is thankful that she never force the two of them to hangout with her at the same time, so that Adult Colin and Adult James only met a few times during the years they dated, on rare occasions.

He remembers that day when Rachel went to work with a smile so big that he thought she tried to swallow a curvy-shaped hanger. Rachel told him that she met someone from their past; that she met the Adult James, that she thinks Adult James is hot ( she practically said that his butt is sexy-which took everything Colin had not to vomit blood ), and that they are seeing each other.

He remembers himself stare at her in disbelief, like, really? out of all the jerks in boston you could have like, you like this one?
He remembers telling her to be careful; he tried to tell her that James is mean, he tried to make her remember all the pranks that he pull on both of them.

But Rachel just laughed.
She said that Colin is the one who can't let go of the past, that they are all grown-ups now, that it'd be different.

And now, more or less 3 years since that day, Colin is sitting on a private booth of some fancy bar, sipping his beer, while glancing at 3 guys sitting on the same booth. The blond, the brunette, and the red-head. The three of them are bonding with each other, talking animatedly, while Colin just look at them. He remembers them now: The brunnette is Jake, the red-head is Jason, and the blond's name is Jeremy. They were those spoiled rich kids in Colin and James' group. Colin thought they grew apart and simply lost contact with each other. But if they were here; the special booth that Rachel said James reserved for the private engagement party, that means..

Oh, man, this is junior high all over again. Colin thought while sipping his beer.
Colin wasn't going to come. But Rachel beg him to come, since James would just invited a bunch of his closest friends and treat them whatever they want to drink; kind of a small celebration that Rachel said yes.
Rachel said since all of the bunch is going to be James' friends and she would have no one to chat with over there, Colin really really should come.

People said boys don't grow up, they're just getting bigger. Now, sitting among his old friends, Colin wonder if that's saying is true.
Jake, Jeremy, and Jason are still talking; about their own toys ( their women, their yachts, their houses, their businesses all over the world ), and their friends' toys. And now it seems, they're talking about literal toys. Sex toys.

Trying to gulp every last drop of his beer so that he have an excuse to get out of the booth, he nearly choked when his already pink ears caught a name he care about.
"I wonder which one James use on Rachel. I hear he's into that kinky thing."
"Rachel Gray, man,..remember in junior high when she just started to become hot ?"
"Yeah. But then all of us have to moved to prep schools and leave her alone with him?" Suddenly all of them look at Colin as Jake mentioned and gesture toward him.
"Speaking of which,..I heard that you dated her in high school, Col."

"Umm.." Colin stutter as his fingers play awkwardly with the mouth of his beer bottle. "Yeah. It's just a month thing."

"I bet you take advantages of her, huh ? I bet she's even hotter in high school. I bet she's amazing in bed." Jason, the red-head, is the kind of person who bet a lot.
"No, I didn't -"
"James show me their video once. Man, with a body like that.."

What the hell ? James taped them having- Before he let his mind wander any further, and before the third guy ( at this point, Colin doesn't care which one of them said the third comment ) say something, Colin hit the table with the bottom of his beer bottle loudly enough for the three to hear, and stand up.

"What? You're gonna defend her honor ? Just like back then ?" One of the guy mocked. "You know that by being engaged, she is practically James's property. You can't just be her knight of shining armor every time someone say something about-"

Whoever saying that doesn't get the chance to finish. Because Colin fastly pull his front shirt up, forcing him to get up, making him look straight to Colin's fiery eyes.