The Reunion

Him: Hi.

Her: Hey.

Him: You look great.

Her: So do you.

Him: I like your haircut.

Her: Really? Thanks, I mean, I've always had my hair long and I wasn't sure if it would look good short.

Him: Well, it does.

Her: Thanks.

Him: Mmhmm…

Her: So…where's Cass?

Him: Oh, she's back home. She didn't want to come because she doesn't really know anybody here.

Her: She came last time.

Him: Yeah, but she was pretty uncomfortable the whole time.

Her: I could tell. She didn't leave your side for, like, a second.

Him: Yeah, sorry about that, it didn't really give us time to talk.

Her: No, it didn't, did it?

Him: No…
So, how are you?

Her: I'm good, you know, I'm actually still unpacking boxes in my apartment.

Him: Haha, really? I thought you've been back for, like, six months?

Her: Yeah, but I've been so busy with work and everything. It's weird coming back after being gone for so long.

Him: Yeah, I know.
How are you doing, moving back home?

Her: Great, actually, I never realized how much I missed it.

Him: Yeah?

Her: Yeah! I mean, I got home two days before the winter reunion, and when I came I realized how much I always loved them.

Him: I always love these reunions. I mean, it seems so weird that we have reunions with people we see all the time anyway, but its great having them all here at the same time, you know?

Her: Yeah…

Him: So…how was your trip?

Her: Oh, it was fantastic, totally changed my life.

Him: Really?

Her: Yeah. I mean, it's one thing to go to one country for a while, but after visiting so many different places it really opened up my eyes to the world.

Him: That sounds so great.

Her: It really was.

Him: You know, I feel like you're so much more…superior than me, being all the places you've been and I've just been…here.

Her: Oh, don't say that, I know you'd do what I did if you could.

Him: We were going to, remember?

Her: Um…what?

Him: Remember, in high school? Ever since freshman year we would talk about how we were going to travel the world together sometime after graduation or college.

Her: Oh, gosh, how could I forget that?!

Him: We were going to spend a whole day riding those red buses in London-

Her: And then sleep on a park bench eat horrible chain food that we could get here.

Him: But it would be so much more fun eating it there-

Her: Because it would be anywhere but here.

Him: Yeah…
But then you went without me.

Her: Yes, that…I'm sorry.

Him: It's okay, I just wished you would have told me that you were leaving.

Her: Yeah…

Him: Or why.

Her: It was just too complicated…I…I had to get away and fast.

Him: You could have called.

Her: I know…

Him: Or texted, emailed, hell, a letter would have been great too.

Her: I did.

Him: No you didn't. Not once in those two years did I get anything from you.

Her: I wanted to…

Him: Really…?

Her: Yeah. I have about thirty-five saved emails, a stack of postcards, all addressed to you.

Him: Why didn't you send them?

Her: I wanted too, shit, I wanted to so bad.

Him: I wish you would have.

Her: I hated not having any contact with you whatsoever, and I felt horrible that I never told you why I left.

Him: I thought I was the reason.

Her: What…?

Him: I thought you left because of me.

Her: Why?

Him: Because of that fight we had.

Her: Oh, God no, that stupid little fight?!

Him: I know, I know, it's stupid, but I had to have some reason why you would've left without telling me.

Her: Really, I am so sorry.

Him: Why?

Her: Why what?

Him: Why wouldn't you tell me?

Her: I didn't know how you would react.

Him: What do you mean?

Her: I mean it's like…shit, it had been going on so long that I didn't know if you'd look at me any different after keeping it a secret for so long.

Him: Why would I look at you any different for something like that?

Her: I was just ashamed and so fed up and I was falling apart.

Him: Wait…ashamed? It's not your fault.

Her: I know…

Him: I would never blame you for what he did.

Her: I know, I know, and I knew it wasn't my fault, it's just that…he's my dad, you know, and I…I just feel like everything he did to me was so fucked up that I was fucked up too.

Him: You should have told me, someone, anyone, we could have helped.

Her: I know.

Him: You shouldn't have had to go through that.

Her: I know.

Him: Do you know how guilty I felt that I didn't know?

Her: Why would you feel guilty?

Him: I was your best friend, your boyfriend near the end. I should have known.

Her: Nobody knew, not even my mom.

Him: She divorced him, you know.

Her: Yes, I do.

Him: And she finally got up the courage to send him to jail.

Her: We were always so afraid of him.

Him: You shouldn't have had to be.

Her: I know, and I'm sorry I never told you.

Him: After my mom told me, I almost wished I was the reason you left and not what really happened.

Her: Irony's a bitch.

Him: Huh?

Her: It's just…

Him: It's just what?

Her: It's just…you thought you were the reason I left when actually…

Him: Actually what?

Her: You were the reason I came back.

Him: What?

Her: I know, messed up, right?

Him: No, it's just…

Her: And I was going to talk to you at the reunion, but then…Cass…

Him: Shit.

Her: That's how I felt.

Him: The only reason I went out with her was to get over you.

Her: …seriously?

Him: Yes. I never wanted her to-

Her: So, wait, did you get married to her before or after?

Him: After what?

Her: After she…you know-

Him: Oh! Um…after.

Her: Really?

Him: We got married at her house a month after we found out.

Her: And I came back a month later.

Him: You always had horrible timing.

Her: Yeah…

Him: You do know that I'll never love her like I love you.

Her: Please, don't do this.

Him: It's true. I mean, I love her because I feel like I have to. I waited for you for so long and it killed me.

Her: I never meant to hurt you.

Him: You would never hurt me intentionally, but you hurt me so many more times than that.

Her: When?

Him: Every time you went out with someone other than me.

Her: Well, you know that I secretly wanted to rip out every one of your girlfriends' hair.

Him: We finally had our chance.

Her: I know.

Him: You left.

Her: This was already discussed.

Him: I wish I could just leave Cass.

Her: Please, don't do this to me, I already feel horrible.

Him: Don't, please, you know I can't stand it when you're not happy.

Her: You always took care of me.

Him: I still want to.

Her: You know we can't.

Him: Why not.

Her: You know it would be too hard.

Him: We've been best friends since sixth grade. You can't just throw that away.

Her: It would hurt too much.

Him: This is so fucked up.

Her: I know.

Him: So…where do we stand?

Her: Friends.

Him: What kind?

Her: The wave to each other when you pass on the street and have lunch once a month.

Him: Shit.

Her: I know, but we can't go back to what we used to have.

Him: I wish we could.

Her: So do I…
So, how far along is she now?

Him: Almost eight months.

Her: Wow, so, soon?

Him: Yeah…

Her: Send me pictures when he's born.

Him: I will.

Her: You're going to be a great father.

Him: Thanks.

Her: You were always so great with kids. That boy is one lucky guy.

Him: You'll have your own soon, too.

Her: Well, maybe.

Him: Come on, you always talked about having kids.

Her: I know, I just thought that…

Him: What?

Her: I always thought it would be with you.

Him: Oh…

Her: Yeah…

Him: I did too, actually.
Sorry, my cell phone…it's Cass.

Her: It's okay, I should go talk to people anyway.

Him: I'm sorry…I'll see you around.

Her: Email me, we'll plan lunch.

Him: Okay…bye…

Her: Goodbye.

Him: Do you…do you still love me?

Her: I couldn't stop if I tried.