• The can of soda glistened with condensation as it rest upon the kitchen counter, opened yet untouched. A stack of envelopes, mostly bills and rubbish, sat stacked upon the aqua tiles, ignored. In her hands, the creamy page lay unfolded, spread open and she stared at it, not quite believing what her emerald green eyes saw.

    Kai Valdyr read and re-read the boldly printed words and let the page drift from her grasp, falling past the kitchen island and breezing towards the timber flooring at her feet. "Caldermeade High's Class Of 96's Fifteenth Reunion". Dear Kai Valdyr, you are cordially invited to attend this event, please RSVP prior to the 18th. We look forward to seeing you!

    A snort escape Kai's lips, lips curled in a rather unpleasant sneer. The generic words struck her with the deepest of irony as she recalled the relentless bullying she had endured at the hands of what seemed to be the entire student body. On one hand, she could recall the pleasant encounters she'd had and those had predominately been with the faculty.

    With a shake of her head, naturally curled locks of chocolate brown hair whipping against her cheeks, Kai set her booted foot down upon the invitation, twisting her ankle back and forth, leaving a boot impression on the piece of paper. No way. There was simply no way she would return to Caldermeade High.

    - - - - -


    "Oh, Kai, you have to go!" Excited, Eloise Peterson gripped her friend by the shoulders. "Don't you see it?" Kai shook herself free of Eloise's grip.
    "All I see is that you gave me highlights. Again. Which I specifically remember asking you not to do." Kai threw a glance towards the mirror before looking to her friend. Eloise deftly ignored Kai's comment as she removed the smock from about Kai’s neck.

    “I’m talking about the reunion, Kai. This is your chance.”
    “To do what?” Kai asked casually, buffing her nails on her faded denim Levi’s. Eloise rolled her eyes as she swept up the trimmings she’d made earlier, the only thing Kai had come to her for that day.
    “Show them all how wrong they were.” Eloise pointed out in a tone that implied it should have been obvious.

    Kai shook her head, feeling the itch of miniscule hairs that had snuck past the smock and into her clothing. She’d need to take a shower and wondered if she had time. Standing, the 5’9 woman looked to Eloise, a pointed expression on her face.
    “I have nothing to show any of them.”

    “Except Zoe.” Eloise muttered and Kai felt her shoulders tighten, felt her breath escape her. Just the very sound of that name caused her to feel as if she’d been struck. Swallowing thickly, Kai looked away from Eloise as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

    “Add it,” Kai said as she ruffled her shoulder-length locks, “To my tab.”
    “Aren’t we going to talk about this? Kai, it’s been fifteen years.”
    “Fifteen good years. Fifteen years I’ve spent forgetting. I have no intention of undoing that.”
    “I think you’ll regret it.” Eloise called as Kai made to exit the salon. Hesitating briefly, holding the door open and inhaling the fresh air deeply, Kai looked over her shoulder.
    “I have no more room for regrets, Eloise.” With that, Kai departed, leaving her good friend to ponder the parting words she’d given.

    With the afternoon fast approaching, Kai pushed all thoughts of the conversation she’d had with Eloise from her mind, all thoughts of Caldermeade from her mind. There did not seem to be enough hours in the day as she found herself frantically moving from one place to another, always running late. It was not until she arrived home, exhausted, that she realized just how off her game she had been, it was 9:15PM, and ordinarily about the time she’d have considered crawling beneath the blankets and wishing for sleep to wash over her.

    Forgoing a shower and deciding against crawling into her extremely inviting bed, Kai carried a tumbler of soda to the patio, easing into the chaise recliner and letting her head fall back against the cushion. Closing her eyes, Kai recalled Eloise’s words. Perhaps her friend was correct; the reunion could be a chance to show them, show them all, just how wrong they had been about her.

    Kai sipped her soda and sighed deeply. If she did go, and she was not entirely certain that she would, but if she did, she knew what it meant. For the first time in fifteen years, she would see the one person she’d cared about throughout her high school years. The one person who had made each day bearable. Yet, ultimately, the one person who had done more harm to Kai than any bully ever could have.

    Zoe.