Saved By The Bell:High School Reunion

Powers

**Zack POV**
As Slater and I look across the Maxx, seeing our former best friend Screech, I feel a real sense of disgust in the pit of my stomach. The one person I truly counted on for anything turned out to be a porn star and a serial liar. Someone who cared for nobody but himself. I could never imagine that this douchebag was the same screech that could always make me laugh and accepted me and all my flaws, even during the times most people wouldn't.
Screech strutted like he was a king across the Maxx and seated himself in the booth next to Slater. I could tell Slater was doing everything in his power not to make a scene.
Noticing my open laptop, Screech asked me what was I doing on there. I quickly closed the page with all his exposed lies and opened the window with all my fertility research for Kelly and I. "Oh, nothing. Just doing some research on fertility treatments for Kelly and I" I answered, hoping he will buy it. "You know, it's amazing you and Kelly are still together after 22 years of marriage. I can't imagine staying with one woman longer than a few weeks or somethin'" Screech replied nonchalantly, munching on a french fry. "Yeah, so Screech-" Slater started to say before Screech rudely cut him off "Yo. I forgot to tell you guys. I don't go by Screech anymore. Just call me Samuel, Sam, or Sammy."
"Ok, Sammy. You know Zack and I are both happily married to wonderful women. What about you? Do you have a special woman in your life too?" Slater asked, trying to hide his boiling anger toward Screech.
"Well no. I'm not into the whole marriage or commitment thing. Women are great for a good time, but I prefer to just see it, fuck it, and sayonara"
I could not believe what I was hearing. He was talking about women as if they were objects and not people. This was not the Screech I knew.
The rest of the time Screech just kept bragging about the girls he had slept with, but still mentioned nothing about his true occupation.
"So, Zack, after 22 years of marriage and now trying to knock her up, how is Kelly in the sheets?" Screech asked out of nowhere. I almost choked on my coffee as soon as those words left his mouth. "Screech-"
"Sammy"
"Whatever. Anyway, what my wife and I do together in our home is none of your business" I responded firmly, trying as hard as I could to stay calm.
"Woah, I'm guessing she's a real dud fuck now. I bet her tits got deflated after your 10th anniversary. But, let me tell you, if I had the chance and she still looked like what she did when we were in high school, I would tap that in a heartbeat" Screech said as if it was no big deal.
That's when Slater lost it. He pushed Screech out of the booth and on to the ground. Getting out of his seat, he then lifted Screech by the collar and seemed to put him in a non-fatal headlock.
"Can't...Breath" Screech choked out. "Good. Means it's working" Slater growled, obviously infuriated by what our former friend had said about MY wife.
I know Slater liked Kelly when he first met her, but he had sworn to me he got over her once it was clear as day that they would never be more than just friends. What confused me was why Slater was getting so pissed off over a lewd comment about my wife, not his.
Right on cue, a tall Italian woman with long dark locks wearing a black pencil skirt and a navy blue blouse called Slater's name from across the restaurant. All three of us looked to see the woman, Slater's wife Izzy with their two kids in tow, looking at her husband choking someone who, just yesterday, was introduced to her as one of his best friends.
Slater let go of Screech and ran to Izzy, trying to explain what was going on. I got out of my seat and lent Screech a hand to pull him up from the ground. "Thanks, Zack" he said. "Anytime" I replied. I looked away from what used to be my best friend since 1st grade, grabbed my laptop, and walked away, only muttering a quiet "see ya" before exiting the maxx as quickly as possible. The maxx used to be a second home to me, but for some reason, it didn't feel like the same place anymore.
***
I hear the door to our hotel room open and close, smelling the aroma of my wife's perfume entering the atmosphere. Laying on the couch, my eyes focused on the ceiling above, I say nothing. "Hey babe" I hear Kelly say. "How did your breakfast with the guys go?" She asked. All I could muster out was a rough groan.
All the things I used to love about this place, my old friends, family, the maxx, mr. Belding, they all seemed to change. It was as if nothing was the same anymore. All the things I loved during my years at Bayside seemed to change so much to the point of not even existing anymore. It was like the people I loved were now completely different people and the places I cherished have now been destroyed and stripped down of all that was good about them.
"Zack, what happened? Did something go wrong? Did you at least find out what's the deal with Screech?" Kelly asked me, trying to get me to talk. "You mean Sam P? Yeah we found out. But not from him. Some girl heard us talking about him and told us everything. And when we looked him up online, we found out he had been lying to everyone this whole time. The reality is Screech is now a porn star that constantly brags about how many women he has slept with, manipulates young women into sleeping with him on camera whenever he gets the chance, and makes crude remarks about women he'd like to sleep with" I ranted, letting all my anger and frustration out. "You're telling me the same person that prepared a funeral for Slater's pet chameleon is now a secret porn star with a narcissistic personality and sexual compulsion problem?" Kelly, not really convinced, asked.
"Yup"
"Cmon. That's impossible. No way someone like Screech can make a complete 180 on his personality"
"Kelly, you're a therapist. You know far too well that it is possible. And don't forget it's been around 18 years since we've last seen any of these people. Lisa, Jessie, Slater, Screech. Remember?"
Kelly didn't answer me. She just let out a big sigh, got out of her seat, and walked to the kitchen without saying a word.

Flashback
Kelly POV
"... My junior year of college, I started losing interest in everything. I felt stuck. I loved what I was doing, but I felt there had to be more for me than this. That there was more out there than just books, classes, and fashion. So, I met this girl named Shoyanda Murrey at a McDonalds near campus. I told her my situation and she told me she could help me find my purpose. That night, she took me to this big party. I don't remember most of it, but I do remember drinking about 5 or 6 bottles of wine, 10 to 15 shots of vodka, and smoking a large amount of marijuana. I remember feeling free. Not caring about anything. It felt good. Within weeks, I was drinking everyday and my grades actually started slipping. So, obviously, I dropped out of school. I didn't care anymore. After I dropped out, Shoyanda and I moved to Los Angeles and lived in this little studio apartment in Hollywood. That's when I started getting into much more lucrative vices" Lisa told us. "What kind of vices?" Jessie asked. "Cocaine, heroin, prescription pills. The usual" Lisa answered, as if her actions and vices were normal and no big deal.
"As I was saying, the reason I went to Hollywood to try my luck at acting and modeling. I mean, I had a few gigs. I even got a recurring role on a soap opera. But as the drugs started to take over my life, the acting and modeling roles stopped coming in"
"Lisa, was there any other things going on besides drugs? Like, did you ever get plastic surgery?" I asked.
"As a matter of fact, Kelly, I did have some work done. It started with a nose job after an accident at a workout class. Then it continued with more procedures. Breast implants, botox, lip fillers, liposuction, even a few more nose jobs followed suit"
"Lisa, that's a lot of work. How did you afford it all?" Jessie asked, concerned.
"Shoyanda, her boyfriend Kenny, and I sold drugs from time to time and I saved some cash from the acting and modeling gigs"
"How did Jimmy Green come into the picture?" I asked, getting pretty scared.
"I think we are done with this discussion" Lisa scoffs as she stood up off the couch, beginning to leave.
"Lisa, we are just trying to understand what's been going on with you" Jessie pleaded to Lisa.
"We still care a lot about you" I exclaimed, trying to get through to my former best friend.
"Good day to you both. Goodbye" Lisa snapped at us before storming off, slamming the door behind her.
Jessie and I both look at each other in silence, wondering what just happened.
Before either one of us can say a word, a baby's cries rang through the suite. Jessie walked to the other room to tend to her baby.

**Flashback ends**

As I looked back on my day, I began to wonder if coming back to LA was the best decision to begin with. It seems this trip may only be making my husband more distant and anxious than before.

What the hell have I done?