The Wallflower's Criminal
10 years later….
It had been ten years since that day in library where six unsuspecting students became unlikely friends. It was now the school's ten-year reunion. And for some they were seeing each other again for the first time since graduation. For others they had never lost touch.
Nevena sighed as she finished getting ready for the reunion, she was nervous about going to this thing tonight. Having always been a shy person she didn't like going to social functions much. But her husband had convinced her that they would have a nice time seeing everyone again.
And still even after he had told her she should go, that she would probably enjoy herself, Nevena was still doubtful. But she knew he wanted to go so she was going for him.
She had just finished putting the finishing touches on her makeup and was inserting her earrings when her husband walked into the room fidgeting with his cufflinks.
"Damn these stupid freaking things. Babe, will you please come help me with these." John Bender asked his wife finally giving up on trying to do it himself.
Nevena just chuckled at him and finished hooking her necklace on before turning and waddling over to him, "You're hopeless." She laughed as she clipped them on for him.
John chuckled with her. When she had gotten them fixed he placed a hand on her rounded belly and leaned over to give her a thankful kiss, "Thanks baby, what would I do without you?"
"Let's hope you never have to find out." She smiled up at him and gave his chest a pat before turning and walking out of the bedroom, "Now let's get a move on, we don't want to be late."
As they were heading down the stairs they heard an excited squeal coming from the living room that set a smile on both their faces.
"Mommy, Daddy save me." A little boy screamed as he ran up to them with a young girl chasing after him yelling 'I'm gonna get you' he screamed again and hid behind John.
Nevena and John could barely contain their laughter at what was taking place between their four-year-old son and his babysitter.
"Oh my poor sweetie, is lily trying to get you?" Nevena asked her son trying to contain her laughter for her son's sake, but John wasn't even trying to stop his laughter.
Little Collin Bender glared over at his daddy before looking up at his mother and nodded with a pout. He reached upward asking his mother to pick him up, "Oh sweetie you know mommy can't pick you up, it might hurt your little sister." Nevena said as she leaned down and placed and sweet kiss on his still pouting cheek.
"Mommy, daddy, I don't want you to go. I want you to stay home with me and play." He sniffled slightly as John came over and lifted him up.
John also gave him a kiss, "Sorry bud, but me and mommy have to go to our party tonight, we promise to be back home soon though." Collin was still pouting but nodded his head in acceptance.
His babysitter, Lily, walked over and took Collin out of John's arms, "Don't worry Mr. and Mrs. Bender, Collin and I are gonna have so much fun he won't even notice you're gone."
Both parents smiled at the young girl and began heading for the door. Nevena turned around and gave their son one more kiss on the cheek before heading out the door.
They reached the car and Nevena took a deep breath before opening her door and getting in. "Hey don't worry babe, we'll be in and out. You trust me you'll enjoy yourself. Don't forget Brian and Allison are gonna be there tonight." John reached over and gave his wife's hand a reassuring squeeze.
Once they made to the school, the party was in full swing. They walking to the greeters table and received their name tags before walking into the gym. Looking around there were so many recognizable faces but no one they really knew.
Nevena was feeling more awkward by the minute but John didn't seem to mind one bit. He was smirking and waving at all the people he used to know. It wasn't until she spotted her brother and his wife that she began to calm down, and let an actual smile grace her features.
"Hey baby sister!" Brain greeted her enthusiastically with a big hug, being careful of her baby bump with his wife, Allison, right behind him smiling sweetly at them.
Allison had blossomed beautifully since that day they all met each other, she no longer wore black bagging clothing and hid behind her hair. She had grown into herself and become an amazing woman who had a wonderfully happy life with her husband.
After that day in the library, that Monday morning John met Nevena in front of the school and walked her to her first class, carrying her books for her the whole way; and after that they spent almost everyday together.
Allison, however, was not that lucky. When she got to school the next morning she walked into the building and immediately began searching for Andy. When she finally did find him he was standing in the hallway talking to a group of his friends, Claire included.
Allison walked over and smiled shyly up at him but just as quickly he looked at her, he looked away and began ignoring her. She turned to Claire beseechingly but Claire, also, would not look her in the face.
Brian had seen the whole thing from down the hallway and walked over, grabbed her hand and pulled her away. He had rescued her from humiliation that day and stolen her heart at the same time.
Nevena gave him a playful glare, "Please you're only older by thirty minutes."
Brian waved her away as though that didn't matter, "So who all have you seen yet? John, have you seen Mr. Vernon? You know he's still the principal here?"
John smirked, "is he now? Well, we'll just have to go and say hell to dear Dick." He told them wickedly as he turned and began walking away, tugging Nevena behind him.
It took them a while and a few conversations with others before finally finding their dear old principal. He was standing by the buffet table all alone.
John sauntered over, "Why Dick! It's been to long old buddy, old pal. How ya been?" He exclaimed with false sincerity
Richard Vernon looked over at John with horror and hatred in his eyes, "John Bender, I thought I was finally rid of you ten years ago. You just get out of prison and decided to drop by and hay hello before going to commit your next felony?"
John grinned, "No actually, I'm here with my wife." He motioned Nevena over, "You remember Nevena Johnson? Well actually it's Nevena Bender now."
Vernon plastered a false smiled on his face as another teacher walked by, "Yes how are you Nevena, what are you doing now?"
Nevena also smiled, though hers had no malicious intent, "I'm doing very well thank you, I'm an English professor actually, and John her is a very well known mechanic, he restores old cars, he's even done a few for some movies." Nevena bragged about her husband, knowing it would get on Vernon's nerves knowing John had succeeded in life.
"Well, we better go greet some more people before we have to leave; it was Great seeing you again Dick." John mocked and they walked off before Vernon could say another thing to them
On their way to their table though, they ran into two more people, Clair and Andrew. They were talking with some old class mates when they walked past them. Claire was the one to notice and called out to them.
John and Nevena turned and stared in shock at the two. While John and Nevena still looked good for their age, the exact opposite had happened for Claire and Andrew.
Claire was no longer the young red head who was thin as a twig and had no shape at all, only now she had way to much shape. Claire had obviously let herself go after high school and her beautiful red hair was had been dyed so many times it was fried and the red was starting to fade out showing grey roots.
Now Andrew had not let himself go as Claire had, but his muscles had abandoned him and his hairline was receding horribly, he had a bit of a beer gut as well.
"Well as I live and breathe, Nevena Johnson and John Bender. How are you two?" Claire asked loudly, she had obviously had too much wine, "Well like I need to as you Nevena, your huge and positively glowing as well."
Nevena forced a smile on her face, "Oh we're doing just fine, and actually it's Nevena Bender now. How are you both?"
"Oh we're doing marvelously, as you probably know, Andrew and I got married right after high school and had our only child not long after that. Andrew owns his father's accounting company now. And after mommy and Daddy passed in that awful accident I received a handsome amount of money. But enough about me, what have you two been up to?"
John was the one who spoke up this time, "Well after high school we dated the whole time Nevena was in college and I was getting my mechanic license, we got married shortly after her graduation, we have a little boy and this one will be a girl," he told them lovingly rubbing Nevena's belly.
They could see that the fact that their lives were happier that Claire's was eating her up inside. The tip of the ice berg was when Brian and Allison came past them hand and hand chatting with a few of Brian's old friends. They watched as Andy's eye widened at the sight of the beautiful woman that could have been his but was now Brian's. They watched the envy and self hate pass through his eyes as well. That was when John and Nevena decided it was best to excuse themselves.
"You know," John stated on the way home later that night, "I almost didn't wait for outside of school that morning."
His statement caught Nevena's attention and she turned and stared at him, shocked, "Why?"
John shrugged, "I was nervous I guess. I thought you were the hottest girl at that school and was scared that when you saw me you would do exactly what Andy had done to Allison, snub me."
Nevena laughed, "Hoe can you possibly think I would do that to you, I invited you to my house for dinner that Saturday night. I was already completely crazy about you by then." She told him smiling sweetly, that smile that always warmed his heart.
"Well I'm glad I decided to wait after all, I wouldn't change the way my life is for anything in the world. I love you Nevena." John said as they pulled into the drive way and put the car in park.
They both got out and walked to the door, "And I love you too John. You've blessed me with so much happiness in my life."
They opened the door and walked into their home, "Mommy, Daddy you're home!" their little boy squealed as he raced down the stair to them, bring a smile to both of their faces.
The End