My romantic storys

Reunion

Walking into the building that once had caused me so much pain, brings back horrible memories. As we walk past the lockers, I think back to the time the put a photo up there of me in a bikini. They were all laughing, making me feel like my body was disgusting and laughable.
As we walk past the principles office I remember all of the times that I was in that office and that he told me it was just a joke they were playing on me. As if making fun of me was their way of being friends with me. And looking at all of the anti-bully posters that are hanging on the way, I shake my head and look down, those same posters were here five years ago but they never helped when they dunked my head into the toilet. Pulling me out of my dark thoughts Alex, my boyfriend of four years now, squeezes my hand. I look up at him and smile sadly.

"We can still go back if you like?" He asks me. I just shake my head. 

We keep walking, towards the busiest space in the building at the moment. The gym. The place that I hated most of all. It was the place where it became most evident that I would never fit in. I was always picked last, even though I was quite athletic and good at ball sports. 

"So what will we do when we get there?" He asks me, wiggling his eyebrows. I laugh softly.

"Well, we introduce ourselves and walk around." I say smiling at him

"Making everybody jealous!" 

"That might just happen, but I don't count on it."

"What? Why, babe?" I frown a bit. Alex went to this school as well, he was the only person that stood up for me. He was the one that pushed everyone aside and pulled me out of the toilet before they let me drown. 

"You know why.." I say softly.

"Babe, these people can never hurt you again. You are a grown woman, a beautiful one at that. Don't let them get you down. Besides, I am right next to you, they wouldn't dare to hurt you." I laugh at that, they definitely wouldn't. Alex is a big man, at least 2 meters tall. He is also very muscular, making him a bit intimidating. But I know that on the inside he is like a huge teddy bear. He would never hurt someone intentionally, only when someone hurts a person he loves. 

He has always been like this, even in high school. He was the captain of the football team, the popular kid. But he was always nice, to everyone, including me. We were never really friends, as he was friends with the people who bullied me, but we did speak with each other as he was my lab partner. We only got to know each other better when we went to the same college. I chose the one furthest away, which was in England, and as it turned out he did too. And because we knew each other a little bit and we were in a foreign country, we grew closer. 

Now five years later, we are in a relationship that has made me happier than I have ever been. And now we are on our way to a class reunion. I have changed a lot over the past five years. When I arrived in England I was able to be more confident, no one knew me so I could be whomever I wanted to be. I started dressing sexier because I was not afraid of people calling me out on it and I became a whole other person. This is what made me and Alex become closer as well. I was finally able to speak to him without looking over my shoulder expecting a rotten egg to be thrown my way. 

As I look down at my outfit today, I smile. No one will recognize me. I am wearing a dark red tight fitting dress, showing all my curves. And Alex made sure people would know that I was with him by wearing a matching tie. Not long after we arrive at the reception, well it's a table with two people behind it who hand out name tags. We have to wait a while because there is a line in front of us.

"So, what do you want to do? Do you want to go make a round on your own, or do you want us to stay together?" Alex asks, and I can tell by his demeanor that he is nervous.