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Senior Year: The Reunion

Chapter 4

Kyla's point of view.

When I was young, I had a plan.

My plan was similar to a thousand other young girl's plans really. Meet Prince Charming, marry him and live happily ever after. Simple, clean cut, a good all American dream that. Of course, life tends to throw you a few curve balls, but I dodged them well enough.

Which is probably why my life for the last ten years or so have been boring. I've come to the conclusion that curve balls are what makes life fun and interesting. That Prince Charming and his big, white horse is a pretty empty dream. An illusion that doesn't even really exist in the end, but that a girl like me had clung to, because it's all I ever thought I could want. My eyes hadn't been opened to all the options out in the world yet and when such an opportunity came around...

Well, I went running for the hills screaming at the top of my lungs in a blind panic, didn't I?

Yes, not my finest moment I'll admit, but I was seventeen and scared. Every assumption I had ever made about myself came into question. I did things I never thought I was capable of, experienced feelings so strong and so confusing that...well, I ended up getting just a little lost. Or a lot lost if I'm honest.

I didn't know myself at that age, never realized the things I was capable of doing, how selfish I could be when it came down to protecting myself. So when faced with Carmen on her donkey as opposed to my visions of Prince Charming on his white horse...

I handled it in the worst possible way.

I just wasn't prepared for a change in my viewpoint and life of that magnitude, so I pushed it all away. I pushed Carmen away and I grabbed onto Aiden and the dream and held on as tightly as I could. I simply ignored my own heart and listened to my head. It was the single most stupidest thing I've ever done in my life. Yes, it even beats the time I got my nose pierced and put purple streaks in my hair. God, I was such a moron in college...

Anyway, the point is I was great at giving other people advise, at playing God and deciding what was best for Ashley and Spencer, but when it came to my own life? I couldn't see further than my own nose, couldn't see past my own childish expectations and the boundaries I let other people and their views set for my life. I was too scared to follow my own heart.

And when I finally did find the courage, when I finally realized what I wanted more than anything else in this world, it was simply too late. God knows that night next to Carmen Garcia's hospital bed broke my heart, but I deserved it in the end. So here I am today, a bored housewife.

Yes yes, I know, how cliché of me!

After that night I made some changes, came to grips with some things and ended up having loads of therapy. I accepted the fact that I was very possibly a bisexual woman. Yup, took me twelve sessions at 120 per hour to figure that one out. Another twelve sessions or so later I was actually pretty okay with that fact, yet somehow I still ended up steering clear of any woman I thought I'd find even halfway attractive and ended up marrying the closest thing to Prince Charming I could find.

I met Andre Richmond at a party Ashley and her film buddies threw and I admit to maybe falling a little in love with him. He was a beautiful young man, with a sharp mind and old money in the bank thanks to his father the shipping mogul. Aiden and I had split at that point, or more accurately, he dumped me the night I came to his dorm room sobbing my eyes out over Carmen. Back to the story though, I met Andre and we dating up a storm.

He flew me to the Greek islands and toured Europe with me, bought me a big engagement ring for our three year anniversary and married me in an old church in his grandfather's hometown of London. The perfect fairytale, don't you think?

I'm not going to lie and say he never made me happy, because for a very long time I felt loved and wanted and it was enough, but two years after the wedding he took a greater interest in the family business and suddenly I'm the trophy wife. Suddenly I'm quitting my job in advertising to host extravagant cocktail parties and host charity events.

Suddenly I realize that we have very little in common, that though the sex was always good, I hardly missed it when weeks without it went by. That when he missed our anniversary or came home late on my birthday, there would always be sincere regret in his eyes and jewelry as a gift, but it would happen again the next year.

I guess that's what happens when you settle for anything but true love. I've turned into the ultimate cliché, the woman in the designer clothes with the sparkling diamonds and the absent husband. Entirely my own fault of course, but you knew that already.

So here I am, twenty seven years old and living most seventeen year olds dream. Everything's just peachy, don't you think?

At least I'm happier than Ashley. God knows what she's doing with her life, but I've learned to not interfere anymore. Until I can fix my own screwed up life, I'm not touching anyone else's. Not to say that I don't try to keep her on track at least, because a good part of the last eight years of my life has been spent doing just that.

Picked Ashley up when she passed out at some party and didn't know where her car was, made sure she ate a healthy meal at least once a week, held her when she drunkenly cried about 'missing her'. Stuff like that, you know?

I'm glad to say the passing out at parties is something that never happens anymore, but every Sunday if she's in town we have a big family lunch at my house and it's been a few years since she's came to me a drunken, miserable mess. I still worry though, because Ashley is just...empty. I don't know how to explain it any better than that really.

Today she happens to be running late for lunch, but I've got a very good idea why. Three words:

High school reunion.

Yup, it's enough to give me heart palpitations, so Ashley must be going into full cardiac arrest. I still think I've got more to be apprehensive about, but I'm sure Ashley's taking this a thousand times worse than I am.

As if on cue I can hear her car pull up, the slamming of a door a few seconds later. She's in a tiff, I can already tell. She's not generally into slamming the door of her 1.2 million dollar car, almost popped a blood vessel when I did it once, so it's a dead giveaway of her mood.

When she strolls into my dinning room my housekeeper Camilla, she's British and older than the Queen herself, gives her a look that could freeze free flowing lava. I smile, because I'm sure that Ashley purposely dresses like a slut when she visits me, just to piss off the prudish Camilla. I eye the skirt that barely covers Ashley's ass and the top that's letting ample amount of cleavage show and wonder if Camilla will finally just give in and knock Ashley unconscious so she can dress her in a nice proper turtleneck and slacks.

I know she's thought of it, because she muttered something about that under her breath once when she thought I couldn't hear her. Funny old woman that Camilla.

"Ash, you're looking lovely as always!"

My voice is bright and cheery and both Ashley and Camilla roll their eyes, though I suspect it's for very different reasons. Camilla, because she heartily disagrees and Ashley, because she knows I'm just messing with Camilla.

"And you're looking...very Martha Stewart."

Ouch. Someone's definitely in a bad mood. Whatever happened to seeing the bright side of life?

"Right, well...want a drink? Maybe some coffee?"

She's looking rather hungover and nods eagerly when I offer coffee, so I send Camilla on her way to the kitchen. Poor woman's going to have a stroke if she keeps glaring at Ashley all red faced like that. Can't be good for the blood pressure and all that.

"Had a late night with Patrice?"

Ashley gives me a look and I smile innocently. Patrice and I...don't get along.

I guess that's what happens when she calls me a bitch and I throw her with a glass of red wine. Skank had it coming in my opinion, but whatever.

"Hmm...we were at some club."

Right, which is code for they got horribly drunk with other semi famous wannabes and ended up having meaningless sex into the morning hours. Can't say I see the attraction, but I guess I can't judge. I mean the last time I had sex, meaningful or otherwise, was...uhm...uh...

Oh, well, isn't that depressing.

I can't seem to remember! Wait, does masturbation count?

Uhm...not that I, you know, masturbate or anything. That was a purely theoretical question, honest.

"So...I got an interesting invitation in the post the other day."

Ashley stills, her shoulders tensing up and a scowl immediately forming on her face. Oh look, she's pouting like a twelve year old now.

"I'm not going."

I didn't really expect her to say anything other than that. Wait, no, I expected some cursing thrown in for good measure, so I take the lack of shouting and cursing as a positive sign. Still this is going to be a touchy subject no matter how I approach it, so caution is needed. Also maybe some emotional blackmail.

"Oh, guess I'll have to go alone then. Hmm...I was hoping you'd be there to...well, doesn't matter. I'll be fine on my own. Probably."

Ashley uncomfortably shifts in her chair and for the moment we're interrupted as Camilla comes in to serve lunch. She sets an almighty roast down in the middle of the table and I can't help wonder who is supposed to eat all that. Lately she's been shoving food down my throat like you wouldn't believe, going on about the nutritional value of this and that. Drives me up the wall really. I simply don't care how much vitamin C is in spinach, the stuff's gross and I'm not going to eat it, that's why I have multivitamins woman!

When she leaves I expect Ashley to simply start eating, anything to avoid having me talk about the Reunion, but she surprises me when she sighs loudly.

"I don't see why you'd want to go. I mean it's a high school reunion, Kyla. It's going to be fatter, older versions of people that you probably didn't like to begin with, getting drunk and then feeling you up or reminiscing about that awesome day they chained Mr Hendrickson's car to the flagpole. It's stupid...and why are you going alone anyway? Isn't Andre going with you?"

And the mouse is being lured by the cheese, right into the trap!

"Oh, you know how busy Andre is. I think he said something about meeting with the head of a Chinese company who's looking to import something or other that day and meetings might go on late. So I'd be going alone."

All I get is another 'hmm' before Ashley shoves some meat into her mouth, chewing with a thoughtful expression. I guess Camilla's lamb roast is better than cheese, because the mouse is now ignoring the bait, dammit!

Camilla is getting a pay cut!

We eat in silence and it gives me a few minutes to think. She's not falling for my subtle emotional blackmail, so I could always try the truth. It's a revolutionary thought really, using the honest approach in this day and age to get what you want.

"I...I don't want to go alone, Ash."

She cuts me off, nodding her head and swallowing.

"Of course you don't, you'd look like a loser if you showed up in your current situation alone."

I roll my eyes, because I know she's just stalling, trying to avoid the hard subjects for as long as possible, but for once in my life I'm not letting my sympathy for her get in the way. Things need to be said today, whether it brings back bad memories or not.

"I wasn't talking about that, Ash. I meant I don't want to be alone when I apologize to the three people I hurt most in my life. I want my sister there to hold my hand if it goes badly, okay? I need you for this, Ash, please?"

It's the truth, I have some things I need to set right with Spencer, Aiden and mostly Carmen. I need to say sorry to Spencer for throwing her friendship away, to Aiden for using him so selfishly and to Carmen for...

I need to apologize to Carmen for breaking her heart, for sleeping with her and giving her hope only to treat her like she was something expendable, something of little value to me when she was in truth the first person I ever truly loved. Carmen was never nothing to me and I'm ashamed to this day that I pretended for one second she was.

"Oh for fuck's sake fine, I'll go, but you owe me for this, Kyla!"

I smile so big I think I possibly crack my face in half, but I don't care.

When I was a girl, I had a plan. It involved Prince Charming and a big, white horse and living happily ever after. Now I'm a woman and I have a new plan. The goal is the same, I want a happy ending, but the players have changed.

This time, it's not Prince Charming I want.

"Oh and Ash? Andre and I are getting a divorce and I intend to get Carmen Garcia to go out on a date with me, so you're helping me with that too."

I watch as she abruptly chokes on a potato, her face reddening as she hacks it back up.

"Divorce?...Wha...but...but...You're six months pregnant!"

Right, that. Oh hey, that answers the question to when last I had sex!

I roll my eyes and take a bite of my roast, not in the least bother by Ashley's reaction. I mean I never said the plan was flawless, did I?

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