Syracuse,New York
Ned
He pulled up to the school in his Mom's old, beat up, mini-van.
First time back in town in ten years and way to make a good impression Ned.
He sees a few of his old classmates enter the school.
Coconut head still has the same dorky haircut.
Claire Sawyer still wearing suits.
Backpack boy with a backpack.
Ned sat in the car for a few more minutes waiting to see if he could pick her out of the crowd.
There is no way she would come back here, not after what he did to her.
God, he was a jerk back then.
He checked his phone for the fourth time in twenty minutes, hoping there was a message from his parents or from one of the girls telling him to come back home.
No such luck.
Okay, this has gone on long enough.
Ned gets out of the car and starts walking towards the building when he is pinned against the wall.
"Hey Bigby, long time no see,"Loomer says still pinning Ned against the wall.
"Loomer, you look great. Can you put me down?"Ned asks trying to break free from Loomer's tight grip.
"Why should I,"Loomer taunts.
"I'll give you fifty bucks,"Ned says reaching for his wallet.
"Done,"Loomer says as he lets Ned go so fast he hits the pavement.
Hard.
"Nice thanks, Bigby,"Loomer says looking in the wallet Ned had dropped.
"Or I could have just given you the money,"Ned says watching Loomer sift through his wallet.
"Whoa Bigby how much cash do you have,"Loomer asks picking up several bills out of Ned's wallet.
"Look I promised you fifty, so fifty"Ned says taking back his wallet from Loomer and giving him a fifty dollar bill from inside it.
"Ok fine fifty, it's more than you ever gave me before,"Loomer says putting the bill into his pocket.
"So Loomer what are you up to nowadays?"Ned asks rubbing his neck.
"Not much I'm married, got a kid and I'm the wrestling coach here actually,"Loomer explains.
"That's cool,"Ned says still rubbing his neck.
"Well, I should probably go. Susie is probably looking for me,"Loomer says as he starts to walk away but Ned stops him.
"What, what, what you're married to Susie Crabgrass?"Ned asks.
"Yeah, for god, five years now. We reconnected after she moved back to town. Anyway see you in there Bigby"Loomer says as he punches Ned in the arm and goes back into the building.
Ned rubs his arm in pain, he hadn't even gone into the building yet and he's lost fifty bucks and has basically gotten beaten up by Loomer again.
Maybe he should just go home and forget about it.
"Hey look who it is, Mr. Big Shot,"says a voice coming from the doors.
Ned turns around and sees his old friend Cookie standing at the door holding a red plastic cup.
"Takes a big shot to know a big shot. Hey man,"Ned says as he goes over and hugs Cookie.
"Hey, I heard about Kim. I'm really sorry man,"Cookie says after they pull apart.
"Can you do me a favor and not talk about it?"Ned says almost forgetting about his wife.
"Yeah sure. Of course, and hey let me be the first to say to you tonight, I love your show man"Cookie says taking a sip of his drink.
"You're just saying that,"Ned says as they head inside the building.
"No, I am not, I watch it with my kids. Their big fans"Cookie says still taking sips of his drink.
"Well thanks, and I love your phones. In fact, I love them so much I gave them out to everybody on my staff"Ned says pulling out his own phone out of his pocket to show he was telling the truth, then putting it away.
"Well, shucks thanks. Want to go get a drink"Cookie says motioning in the direction of the gym.
"God yes,"Ned says as they start walking.
"So what's life for you like, besides being a billionaire tech mogul in New York,"Ned asks as they walk.
"Not a lot, I'm married,"Cookie says as he points to a ring on his finger.
"Your kidding, who's the lucky girl?"Ned asks.
"Lisa Zemo,"says Cook with a dreamy look on his face.
"You and Lisa are still together,"Ned asks, shocked.
"Yep, we married right after college, and we have three great kids. Karla, the eldest is ten, Caroline is seven, and baby Evan is two,"Cookie says with the same look on his face Ned has when he talks about his girls.
Pride.
"Wow, that's great,"Ned says.
"And you have three girls right. Holly, Sarah and Kayla, their six right,"Cookie says trying to remember.
"Yeah, how'd you know that?"Ned asks confused.
"I have friends in high places and I read that in the paper after Kim died,"Cookie says as he finds something at the bottom of his cup very interesting.
"Well just as long as you're not spying on me,"Ned says as he taps Cookie on the arm and starts to into the gym.
"Ned wait, there's something you should know,"Cookie says trying to get Ned to turn around.
"Whatever it is can wait until after I get a beer,"Ned says walking into the gym and stopping dead in his tracks.
He then sees what Cookie was trying to tell him.
She looked pretty much the same,her hair was shorter and she had lost some weight,but there was no denying it was her.
The girl who's heart he broke,Jennifer Ann Mosley, in the flesh.
Jen
Jen was talking to Lisa Zemo and Claire Sawyer when she saw him.
Ned
He was just standing there staring at her, so he was hard to miss.
"I'll be right back,"Jen says to her old friends and stood up and started walking.
"Ned,"Jen says as she stands in front of him.
"Moze,"Ned says using the nickname she hasn't heard in years.
"It's Jen now,"Jen says correcting him.
"Oh okay,"Ned says.
They're silent for a few seconds before she starts talking again,"So how you been".
"Fine you,"Ned says looking down at his shoes.
"Great,"Jen says as Cookie walks up to them.
"Well look at that the three of us back together again,"Cookie says putting his arms around their shoulders.
"Yeah great,"Ned and Jen say at the same time.
"So Moze, Ned is the creator of Ted's Guide to Surviving School. Did you know that?"Cookie asks trying to make conversation.
"Oh yeah my kids love that show, and every time I watch it with them I have to watch your name flash across the screen, it's great,"Jen says only slightly sarcastic.
"Alright then touchy subject. Ned did you know Moze is the top architects in DC"Cookie says not moving his arms from his friend's shoulders.
"Well, not the top but I work with the top firm in DC and I'm currently being scouted by a firm in LA,"Jen says bragging a little.
"Oh that's cool,"Ned says, not entirely lying.
"Well this is going well, so the two of you are both single parents. That's something,"Cookie says running out of ideas.
"I asked you not to talk about that,"Ned says under his breath.
"No you asked me not to talk about Kim, you being a single parent is fair game,"Cookie says not seeing his mistake.
"What Kim didn't work out. Who saw that coming, oh right me"Jen says with a hint of pride in her voice.
"That's not what happened,"Ned says still under his breath.
"What happened, she run off with the pool boy,"Jen says almost laughing.
"She killed herself,"Ned says finally speaking up.
There is another awkward moment of silence ended with Cookie saying,"Oh what's that. Coming Lisa"as he runs off in the direction of his wife.
"I'm so sorry, I had no idea,"Jen says as she puts her hand over her mouth.
"It's fine, let's just drop it,"Ned says looking around.
"It is not fine. When?"Jen asks taking her hands away from her mouth.
"About six months ago,"Ned says once again looking at his shoes.
"I am so sorry if you need anything,"Jen says still feeling like a terrible person.
"I said let's drop it,"Ned says as he walks away and towards the bar.
Jen turns around and watches him go just as Cookie walks back over with a newly refilled drink.
"Give me that,"Jen demands taking Cookie's drink and gulping it down in a second.
"That was pure tequila,"Cookie says as Jen hands him back his now empty drink.
"How could you not tell me about his wife?"Jen asks now feeling the tequila,"And why are you drinking pure tequila?".
"I assumed you knew it was all over magazines about six months ago, and I don't drink like there's no tomorrow like you do so I can handle pure tequila,"Cookie says answering both of her questions.
"Well I didn't know so,oh god he probably thinks I'm totally insensitive,"Jen says thinking that about herself.
"He knows you didn't know,"Cookie says still looking at his empty glass.
"That's not the point our first conversation in over thirteen years and I bring up his dead wife,"Jen says still freaking out.
"Look did you really think that conversation would go well?"Cookie asks.
"Well no but I didn't think it would be like that,"Jen says.
"It's still better than the conversation thirteen years ago,"Cookie says as Jen gives him a dirty look,"What, there was no screaming, no throwing things and the cops weren't called".
"Yeah I guess,"Jen says looking at her shoes.
"I'll go talk to him,"Cookie says going over to the bar and Ned.
Jen stood there thinking, she had never seen him that upset.
Those brown eyes of his so sad, the same eyes she looked into every day.
If she wasn't sure before she was sure now.
Simon
Ned hammered down a shot when Simon came up and sat beside him.
"Can you refill this. Tequila"Simon says handing the bartender his empty glass.
"I'll have that too,"Ned says not making eye contact.
"Hey she didn't know,"Simon says trying to get Ned to look at him.
"I got that,"Ned says not looking at him.
The bartender brings them their drinks, Simon takes a sip of his while Ned looks at it for a second before putting his face in his hands and asking,"Did I make a mistake Cook".
"Yes we really shouldn't be drinking tequila,"Simon asks putting down his drink.
"No picking Kim over Moze?"Ned asks putting his hands down.
"What do you think?"Simon asks.
"Well because I picked Kim I got the girls and I wouldn't trade them for anything,"Ned says finally picking up his drink and taking a sip.
"Well then you didn't make a mistake if the only good thing came of you and Kim together are those girls so be it,"Simon says.
"Why do you assume they were the only good things,"Ned asks making eye contact with Simon for the first time since he sat down.
"Because you're doubting the decision. If it was good you wouldn't be doubting yourself, but the question is how bad was it, and you don't have to answer that if you don't want to,"Simon says taking another sip of his drink.
"It was pretty bad, we were barely talking at the end,"Ned says still sipping his drink.
"Hey it's not your fault,"Cookie says setting down his drink and looks right at Ned.
"I'd like to believe that, but right know I just can't,"Ned says grimly.
"If it makes you feel any better, Moze is getting a divorce,"Cookie says finishing his drink and turning the cup upside down.
"Why would that make me feel better?"Ned asks.
"She's getting a divorce from Jake Jones,"Simon says motioning to the bartender that he was finished.
"Jake Jones, that jackass she dated in collage,"Ned asks remembering the time Jake Jones had wrapped his car around a tree when he got drunk.
"Yeah, apparently their thirteen-year-old found him in bed with their neighbor,"Simon says as he watches Ned's entire face change.
"They have a thirteen-year-old,"Ned asks.
"Yeah, I don't remember his name it starts with a P or something. Why"Simon says taking a sip of his newly filled drink.
"Moze has a thirteen-year-old son and the last time we slept together was nearly fourteen years ago. Doesn't that strike you as a little odd, and it's also odd she didn't tell me,"Ned says his thoughts racing a mile a minute.
"Oh god, you don't think?"Simon asks.
"That's what I'm going to find out,"Ned says getting up and walking away from the bar.
Simon sits there for a second then finishes the rest of his drink, thinking to himself why did I come to this thing.