Reunion

Chapter Five

The next morning, I woke up with a feeling of relaxation, which I haven't received in a long time. I turned around and noticed that Anna was still asleep.
I got out of the bed and went to the bathroom to do my morning routine, including a shower.

I walked out of the bathroom with a towel, covering my body. I walked towards my suitcase and grabbed a pair of jeans, underwear and the blouse I wanted to wear.

"Good morning," Anna said, stretching. I smiled and greeted her.

She got off the bed and went to the bathroom. I got dressed, and when I was fixing my hair, Anna came out of the bathroom.

"I had such a blast last night," Anna told me with a huge smile on her face.

"I bet you did," I said, teasing her.

"Say it. I know you had fun too."

"I did. I am glad I decided to come," I replied, putting away the iron.

After Anna and I changed, we went down the lounge area to catch the brunch of the day. Last night had been a great night. I wasn't used to having fun the way I did. It was good to feel like part of something special. It was a great outcome to see Matt again. Anna and Matt seemed to love the idea of seeing each other again.

It was nice to spend a little time with Brian. He was a nice guy even though I didn't know him very well. It was a shame that I didn't meet him in high school. I always knew who he was and who Matt's friends were, but I was too shy to even hang around them while Anna dated Matt.

I was glad that nothing bad happened at the reunion. I had my mind and heart uneasy because I seriously thought that some people were going to act like they did in high school. It made me realized that people had grown up and my childhood was a past that didn't need to haunt me forever.

Anna was right. I had grown to be successful and with a full life ahead. I was proud of the woman I have become. I needed to believe more in myself instead of feeling insecure like I was in high school. It was something I needed to work with more, but I knew it wasn't going to be impossible. Thankfully, I didn't run directly into anyone that at some point made my life miserable. It has been a great time so far.

Walking out of the elevator, I saw the many people were heading towards the cafeteria. Anna and I made the line. We grabbed the food that we wanted and when we were ready, we looked for the perfect table to sit.

As I observed the room, I saw familiar faces. We were not the only ones that decided to stay the night after the reunion.

"I feel like I haven't eaten in days," Anna said, after taking a sip of her orange juice.

"Hey ladies, do you mind if we join?" Matt's voice was heard behind me. Anna smiled and shook her head. I turned around and saw Matt and Brian, holding their plates of breakfast.

"Not at all," Anna responded. The table that Anna and I chose had a space for six people.

"Good morning," Brian greeted Anna and me. I smiled and replied to the greeting. Anna did the same. The four of us ate and spoke a bit. It felt nice to be part of the conversation. Sometimes I felt like I was an outcast. I never hung with them altogether, but it felt great. Matt and Brian were good people. I couldn't deny they were fun to be around. Brian kept joking about random things that didn't even make sense, and Matt spoke about his son.

I observed his eyes sparkling every time he mentioned his son's name. It was nice that he had turned out to be a father even though it didn't work with his ex-wife. He didn't say much about her, but it was understandable.
Anna spoke about work. Brian mentioned that they were on a break after touring for almost three months in a row. I spoke about my job and how I loved being a chef.

Anna and Matt finished their breakfast first. "I could use some Strawberry iced shake," Anna said, looking at the table where the waiters were serving shakes.

"Come on," Matt responded, standing up.

"Do you guys want any?" Matt asked. Brian shook his head as he stuffed his mouth with more bacon and eggs.

"Thank you but I am already full," I said, cleaning the corners of my mouth with a napkin. Matt and Anna walked away, leaving Brian and me alone.

I smiled nervously because there was silence between us.

"I wanted to thank you for checking up on me last night. I really appreciate it. You didn't have to, yet you did," Brian said, breaking the awkward silence. I looked at him.

"No problem. It is understandable that you had to walk away. I know how much he meant to you. Anna used to talk about you guys a lot when she dated Matt. It was a shame that I never got to know any of you in a much closer level, but it is nice to know that all of you had turned out to be great people," I explained. He smiled and nodded his head.

"Thanks," he replied, grabbing the glass of juice from his side of the table.

"He was like a brother to me. I guess it was a little hard being at the reunion without him there. He would have loved to go. I can imagine it now. Jimmy being Jimmy all over the place and everyone just laughing at his antics and jokes," he said, laughing a bit. It was nice that he remembered his friend in a positive way. Everyone loves to remember the departed loved ones in such a manner.

"Yes, I actually remember when he wore his famous kimonos to class. I never got to meet him, but he was very funny."

Talking about Jimmy with Brian somehow felt like a nice thing to do. I felt honored that he even trusted me with the things he shared about his friend. Anna and Matt walked back to the table.

"Hey, we were invited to the lake. We should go for the rest of the day," Matt said, standing up next to Brian. Anna sat down in her previous chair as she drank her shake.

"Sounds like fun," Brian responded.

"Are you in Lil?" Anna asked me. I saw the begging look she had on her face and I couldn't deny her that. Maybe it was going to be fun. We were leaving this evening, so we had spare time to waste.

"Sure," I replied, smiling. Anna stood up from her chair as did I.
"Alright, we'll meet you down at the lobby in 30 minutes. I'll drive," Matt suggested. We all agreed. Soon we were walking to our separate rooms, so Anna and I could change in order to go to the lake.