Title: Reunion Re-Percussions
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: This fic starts out as a re-telling of what actually happened to me and then gets embellished as the story goes on. Basically, up until February everything that happens is true, and then it morphs in to my interpretation of what could have happened. Also, note that the prologue is in third person while the rest of the story is in first person. Hope everyone enjoys, and please review!
Reunion Re-Percussions
Prologue - August
Tara squirmed slightly on the hard picnic bench, trying to find a more comfortable position, but it was so hot outside that her legs were sticking to the bench. She gave up, and took a long drink from her water bottle, grimacing when she realized that her once ice cold water was now lukewarm.
It wasn't fair that her parents had dragged her to their stupid high school reunion barbeque, at a park an hour away from home. Simply put, it was boring, there were no girls there Tara's age, and the sweltering heat wasn't helping much.
Her mother came back to the table then and noticed her sulking daughter.
"Honey, why don't you go and try to make some friends? Matt already did. Your brother and the other boy are by the lake. They've all switched name tags, as a joke! Maybe you can go play with them."
"Mom, they're probably playing football or something. I hate sports."
Her mother sighed in defeat as her daughter went back to moping. Tara took another swig or water, figuring she'd rather drink warm water than dehydrate or pass out.
A shadow passed over the table, and Tara glanced up. A boy, who looked about her age, or maybe a little older, was standing behind her.
"Hi." He said, 'Who are you?"
"Tara," she replied. She glanced at his name tag, which read Matt, and remembered her mother mentioning the boys all switching name tags. She smiled and said, "And according to your nametag, you're my brother."
"Ewww," the boy said, and Tara wondered what he meant by that. "I'm James," the boy continued.
"Hi."
"Do you have a boyfriend?" James asked suddenly.
"No." Tara replied, surprised.
"Oh. Well…your brother said you did."
"Well, I don't."
"James!" A voice shouted from across the park. "Come on, we're leaving!"
"I gotta go," James said hurriedly. "Baseball game. I'll be back later."
Tara watched James' retreating back, thinking what an odd encounter that had been.
James never came back to the reunion. Or, if he did, it was long after Tara and her family had already left. Tara had questioned Matt, but he swore he hadn't told James that Tara had a boyfriend.
Over the next year or so, Tara thought about James occasionally. He really was a bit of a curiosity to her. When the next reunion rolled around the following summer, Tara's parents gave her the option to stay home. She remembered last year's heat wave, and decided not to go. There's always next year, she thought to herself when she remembered James. Besides, he probably doesn't even remember me.