Brenda Walsh
Brenda Walsh turned the thick, cream card over in her hands, watching as the gold lettering caught the sunlight streaming through her bedroom window. She sighed and put the card down on her dressing table. The words on it seemed so alien, it was all part of a different world, and it belonged to a different Brenda Walsh. "You are invited to the West Beverly Hills High School, Class of 1993, 10 Year Reunion." Another note had been tucked into the envelope it had been handwritten on pink paper. "Bren, I know this is probably a bolt out of the blue, but it won't be that same if you're not there. It's time we were all together again, time to bury the past. Love Donna."
God if anyone could make her feel guilty it was Donna, guilty for being away from them all for nearly nine years, guilty for not going to Donna and David's wedding. She'd received the invite and Donna's note and something in the pink, perfumed paper made her get on a plane and fly from New York to Beverly Hills. It had been too long since she'd made the journey home and now here she was, sitting in the bedroom of her teenage years, listening to Brandon taking a shower, as if she was sixteen years old again.
Taking a deep breath, Brenda picked up the phone and dialled the now familiar number on the back of the invite.
"Hello, Silver residence." Donna's voice rang clearly down the line.
"Donna, it's Brenda."
"Bren, oh my god. How are you?" Donna sounded exactly like her excited sixteen-year-old self and Brenda was hit by a wave of nostalgia.
"I'm in town, for the reunion."
"I didn't think you'd come."
"I'm still not sure I will, it's been a long time Donna." Brenda was nervous, she felt like a complete stranger back in her old life, she didn't know where she fitted in with her old friends and their new lives.
"It'll be okay Brenda, besides you can always bail if it gets too much." Donna as always was looking on the bright side, she'd spent months organising the reunion and not even Brenda Walsh throwing a tantrum was going to ruin it for her.
"Believe me I've thought about it." Brenda smiled, Donna's excitement was contagious and part of her was curious about how everyone's lives had turned out.
"Look Bren, about the venue, it wasn't my idea, the rest of the committee out voted me."
"Donna, it's fine, it weirded me out a little at first but really I'm ok with it." Weirded out was an understatement, Brenda had been freaked when she found out they were holding the reunion in the same hotel where she had first slept with Dylan. It had been like her sixteen-year-old self was taunting her, so sweet and naïve; she'd have saved herself a lot of heartache if she'd said no that night. The sound of the shower being turned off snapped Brenda back to the present.
"Don, Brandon's finally got out of the shower, so I'm going to wash my hair."
"Okay, Bren. Hope to see you tonight." Donna sounded bright and breezy but she was worried about her friend.
"I promise I'll think about it." Brenda hung up the phone and headed for the bathroom.