Mine

Two

My friends were almost exactly how I remembered them to be––except for a few select things, of course. It had just been three years.

"Love your new hair," I told Kyla.

"Thanks! It's great isn't it?" she said as she flipped her voluminous hair. It looked red... velvet red, a tone she'd never tried before, despite the fact she'd dyed her hair about a dozen times prior to this.

We decided to meet at the café. We wanted to meet at the bar but it was too early in the day. Joey suggested the diner, but the majority agreed on the café instead.

Others would say I had twenty-something friends in school but only three of them were coming that day. One already came. Perhaps only three mattered to me; that didn't include Adam.

"Haven't you?" she asked as she sipped her coffee and continued, "Done anything with your hair?"

"Nope. Still virgin hair pretty much," I responded, showing a mere simper.

She gave me an almost sympathetic aw just as another friend arrived. Zander... Now, Zander changed my mind. He looked completely different; better, to be more specific. Last time I remembered him he had this glowing red zit on the tip of his nose. Guess what, not a single blemish.

He greeted us and gave each of us a warm hug. "It's been a while! It's only been three years but it feels like it's been forever," he said as he sat across me.

"It really does," I agreed as I licked the chocolate off of the straw.

"Nice hair, Kyla," he complimented her as if it was the first time he'd seen it.

I interrupted them and asked, "Wait. How long have you had your hair like that, Kyla?"

"Hm, a couple months now. Why?" They looked at each other like I might be looking into it too much. My tone must've sounded serious––I didn't mean to.

"And it's the first time Zander's seen it?" This line made them realise my actual inquiry. Somehow I knew what they were going to say. I didn't want my hunch to be correct, though.

"Right... Um, we don't really hang out anymore," Zander confessed and Kyla nodded along, her lips pursed.

We used to be inseparable in high school. After graduating, I had to go to the city and find a college there while they stay here close to one another yet... they refused to be?

They stared at me expectantly, anticipation clear. I was at a loss for words, I almost thought maybe this reunion was a mistake after all.

"Oh... I just hadn't thought ya'll would separate," I reluctantly said. "And Joey?"

They both shook their heads, basically sealing the confirmation to my hunch.

"But that doesn't matter now, right? We're all together again!" Zander said in an attempt to reassure me. He looked at me and Kyla back and forth.

I let out a sigh but covered it up with a smile when a shadow appeared on our table. We all looked up to him.

"Hello, may I take your order?" Joey entered the scene.

"We order at the counter." Kyla pointed at the counter with creased brows then slapped her thigh in amusement.

"Yo, Joey!" Zander reached for him and Joey leant in with a shy smile. I stood up and gave him a welcoming hug myself. He rubbed my back like he always did.

He flicked his long hair away from his face and put his round specs on the neckline of his pastel-coloured shirt. Very much still the hippie that I remembered him to be.