Revisiting

"I cannot believe we're paying for this coffee," said Alice, clearly irritated.

"I don't mind it, as long as we don't have to stay at your parents' house," replied Ted calmly. His girlfriend rolled her eyes and looked around the hotel's restaurant as if searching for someone to back her up.

"I mean, it doesn't even taste like coffee, it's so watery and... and my parents aren't so bad. They like you," she added after a short pause.

"And I like it here," said Ted.

"Whatever," Alice rolled her eyes again. She couldn't understand why Ted didn't want to stay with her parents. They were perfectly nice people. Besides, she thought of her and Ted quite seriously, and it was important to her for them to get along. Her boyfriend was just being silly.

"You know, we're meeting them tonight. At their house. Or maybe they should come here, to the hotel?" she tried to use a sarcastic tone.

"Whatever you prefer sweetheart," said Ted with a smile on his face.

"Well, I'm sure they're gonna love the coffee here," said Alice a bit too loud, and looked around the restaurant again, trying to avoid eye contact with Ted. She could see he was smiling at her, but she pretended she couldn't notice as she was busy examining the other guests. She turned her head, so it was clear that she's ignoring him and she fixed her eyes on a group of friends sitting at a table on their right. They all seemed to be about her age, late 20s, laughing, not worrying about their silly boyfriends or the quality of the coffee here.

"I miss Molly and the gang," Alice said all of a sudden.

"I know, me too. We're gonna see them in a week though," said Ted in a comforting tone. Alice wasn't truly reassured.

"Why don't we get them some gifts? Like cute, funny little things or whatever."

"Yeah, we could."

"Nothing useful really, just something from my hometown, you know," said Alice quickly and then shrugged her shoulders. "We could go now, have a walk, and we'll still have time to change before meeting my parents. Wait here, I'm just gonna go get my wallet."

Alice stood up and walked out of the restaurant. For some reason she was really excited for buying something for her friends back at home. That is, back in the city they were all living in.

She passed the short hallway and then the reception with its revolving doors. She came to the elevator and pushed the button. When it started opening she heard the revolving doors moving. She went in the elevator quickly, hoping she wouldn't have to share it with some stranger.

"Hold it," Alice heard, and rolled her eyes, but did hold the elevator and looked up.

It was worse than just a stranger. It was Bob, her classmate from middle school, and he was now running towards her.

"What a disaster," she thought. Alice hoped he won't recognise her. That kind of talks after years were meant to be uncomfortable. Besides, they weren't particularly close when they were at school. She doubted he even remembered her.

"Thanks," said Bob and brushed his hair.

"No worries," replied Alice while looking down. Bob took his phone out of his pocket and after looking at it he pushed the button for the fourth floor. Alice did the same for the fifth. Bob turned his head towards her and raised his eyebrow.

"Alice?" he asked with a smile.

She looked at him, trying to bring surprise on her face. "Oh my God, Bob. I didn't recognise you." Alice hoped that sounded convincing. "What are the odds."

"I know, I haven't seen you in ages. How have you been?" he asked while shaking his head as if he couldn't believe in that coincidence.

"Fine, you?" replied Alice hoping for the elevator to stop at the fourth floor already.

"Really well, I'm actually meeting up with my..." he didn't finish the sentence as the elevator suddenly stopped. The lights flickered but thankfully they stayed on.

"Oh come on!" Alice shouted at the ceiling.

"It's okay, I'm just gonna call my friends, they'll go to the reception and we'll be fine," said Bob calmly. He didn't look as if he was bothered by the situation at all.

"Your friends are at the hotel?" Alice asked. It seemed weird to her. Wouldn't his friends live here just like him? From what she knew Bob went to the local uni.

"Oh yeah," Bob was texting someone, hopefully asking for help, "we met when I was on this trip a few years ago, and ever since we've been meeting from time to time."

"Cool. So have you told them we're stuck?"

"Yeah, Max is going to the reception now. They were actually waiting for me at the restaurant," said Bob laughing. Alice didn't find that situation amusing at all. Bob looked at the screen of his phone, "Yeah, they need to call some people to deal with the elevator. We'll be fine."

"Great."

"And what are you doing here?" Bob asked while sitting down on the floor.

"Visiting my parents." Alice sat on the floor as well cause she felt stupid looking down at Bob.

"Why are you at a hotel then?"

"My boyfriend didn't want to stay with them. He thinks they don't like him. Which is not true," Alice added quickly.

"Huh, yeah, you're gonna be alright. It's always like that. I mean, I wouldn't know," Bob chuckled, "I'm not into that whole serious relationship stuff." He brushed his dark hair back and smiled at Alice. She thought he didn't change much since school, back when she had that crush on him.

"Well, I'm doing my best trying to make it work, but it's not always that easy," said Alice.

"That's why I'm not doing it. I guess I prefer when it's not complicated at all," Bob shrugged his shoulders and started looking for something in the inside pocket of his jacket. "You want some?" he asked holding a small bottle of vodka.

"Sure, why not," said Alice and took a sip. It was awful but she just nodded, tried to smile and passed him the bottle. "Who carries alcohol in a jacket anymore?" she thought, "especially in the morning."

"I thought me and my friends could have a drink before we leave," said Bob as if answering her never asked question.

"Where were you going at 10 a.m.?" she thought that explanation didn't make him look any better.

"I don't know, just out," said Bob and took another sip. He passed the vodka to Alice. She drank a bit again.

"So how did y'all meet?" she asked.

"On this trip as I said. In Spain. We were the only English-speaking people in that hostel we were all staying at. And then we just started hanging out together. We went out to the city and everything, and we thought it would be cool if we met again sometime. Which we did. And this year I invited them here so they could see where I live."

"I met all of my friends at uni. I mean, those who I see on a daily basis. Even my boyfriend, Ted, we met when I was in my second year," said Alice after a moment. She thought that as they need to wait here for help together they might as well have a normal conversation.

"Yeah, I still hang out with my uni buds as well. Often they are people I've known since school. You remember Tony from our class?"

"Boderton"? Alice remembered everyone. She couldn't care less for these people but she could recite the attendance list anytime.

"Yeah, we went to uni together and we still see each other every now and then. He took over his dad's store two years ago."

"Nice. And what you have been up to?" Alice was really curious. She always liked Bob, and there were times when she was wondering what he was doing now. But he probably had no idea she ever liked him that way. That crush she had on him, Alice kept to herself.

"I'm working at the auto shop. Not exactly what I studied, but I really like it, you know. It's kinda cool to make something broken work again."

"True," Alice actually meant it. She liked the way he talked about his job, because she had no feelings of that kind for hers. "Well, I'm working for this magazine. It's great. I'm even gonna have my own office soon," she added.

"Really? Didn't you always want to work at a theatre? I remember you being in the drama club and always talking about these plays you're going to write or star in." Alice was shocked that Bob knew all that; that he paid attention to what she was saying and even remembered it.

"I thought it wouldn't be very practical, I mean, that kind of career doesn't work out for everyone."

"But you gotta hope it's gonna work out for you," Bob smiled and looked at her in this lovely, supportive way, and Alice could only hope she didn't blush.

"Maybe," she said and smiled back.

When she was at school theatre was all she could talk about. She loved acting in those little plays she and her friends from the drama club would write. She thought that after school she would move to a big city and start truly living her life, making all of her dreams come true. Silly.

"I'm surprised you remember all of that about me," said Alice after a moment during which Bob finished his vodka.

"Well yeah, you were cool and I've always liked those plays," he said and brushed his hair. He did that a lot, Alice noticed.

"Thanks," this time she definitely blushed.

The elevator started going down to the reception.

"There we go," Bob sighed and stood up. He gave Alice his hand and when she was back on her feet their faces were really close for a second.

"It's a pity you didn't go for it," he said when the elevator stopped, "but I guess people change."

"Yeah," Alice said quietly but thought how funny it was that in that moment she realised she hadn't changed at all.