Café Reunion

As I step through the door and enter the café, I can’t help but get nostalgic, it’s been 10 years after all since I’ve been in this place. The last I was here was probably around just after graduation back in high school, Jaden, Tyler, and I stayed here for like 6 hours since it would be our last before heading off to vacation and then college. Oh my gosh, Jaden and Tyler, my best friends, my brothers, from our junior until senior days, we saw each other through it all. Everyone always tells you that even some of the most inseparable high-school friendships come to an end after graduation, I guess you never believe it until it happens to you. It’s been forever since I have seen them, this place always was like a second home for all of us, especially Tyler, his absent parents in a lavish house made this place more of home than anywhere else. Anyways, I was just in the neighborhood, a neighborhood which is now almost 1000 miles from where I stay now, but a neighborhood, nonetheless, checking on the new tenants who now live in the house I used to live in during high school. I just finished my appointment with the tenants and on my way back to the airport to catch my flight home, but I couldn’t leave without going for my favorite thing here at this café. Come rain or shine, I would always have one thing in this café, it would always piss Jaden off how I wouldn’t try anything else. As I step to the counter to collect my cherished treat, packed neatly in a box, a woman grabs my order at the same time. “Excuse me, I think you got the wrong order.”, I said to the woman. “No, I’m right where I need to be, I ordered a granola muffin and know it’s mine since I’m the only one who ever orders it.”, the woman replied. “See that’s where you’re wrong, aside from a girl whom I came here years ago, I’m the only one who orders a granola muffin,” I replied, irritably. ”Let me guess, this girl, had frizzy hair with purple highlights in it?” The woman replied, knowingly. “Yea, along with turquoise glasses, I sat next to her in biology, and she braces which looked too big for her teeth and were kind of…”, I said. “A nerd”, the woman interrupted. “Yea, wait…”, I replied beginning to recognize the woman from somewhere. “Hi, Tom”, the woman bluntly replied. “No way…Sarah?”, I replied surprised. “Sara, no ‘h’, the pronunciation completely different and it was math, not biology we shared.”, Sara replies. “I can’t believe this, you’re, y-you’re so opposed to high school you, talk about a glow-up, glowing tan skin, a supermodel figure, celebrity teeth? You’re beautiful!”, I reply enthusiastically. “And therefore, I have value?” Sara replies as she takes the box. “No, no, I-mean, that’s not everything, or what matters or what people think matters” I nervously stammer on before calming down. “You, look good, how have you been?”, I continued. “I’ve been good, thanks,” Sara replies. “What are you up to?” I eagerly asked. “I’m an actress and model, I live in California now but visit my family here whenever I can” Sara replies. “That must explain the Cinderella dress” I jokingly reply. She looks at me bluntly as if to imply “really?” “Sorry”, I replied candidly. So, what brings you here?”, Sara asks. “Oh, I was meeting up with some tenants at my old place here, I’m off to the airport and on my way home after this.”, I reply.

 “So, what do you do?”, Sara asks

“I’m a graphic designer.”, I reply

“Any kids?”

“No, never married or even dated”

“Really? how come?”

“Yea, work was the only thing I’ve had room for.”

“Interesting…”

“You feel sorry for me”, I jokingly reply.

“N-no I don’t”, Sara replies

“Good, I think relationships are overrated anyhow…”, I reply just before a Tesla pulls over outside the store, a man in a grey Armani suit enters the store. “Sara, where’ve you been, your family’s worried sick and…”He pauses as he looks at me “Tom?”, he continues “Tyler?”, I reply recognizing his voice as he charges in for a hug “Bro how are you? God, it’s been forever.”, Tyler states “What are you even doing here?” I reply. “I came here with him”, Sara replied ”He’s my fiancé”. “Wait what now?”, I reply confused. “We’re getting married Tom”, Tyler replies. “When how…with Tyler why?!” I ask “Rude”, Tyler remarks bluntly. “I’m just playing”, I jokingly comment. “So, you two were both here for…”, I continued “Meeting my parents.” Sara finished. “Wait, you guys got engaged before you met each other’s parents, talk about love at first sight?” I asked. “Not that kind of meeting dummy, we were going over the wedding invitations, we were contacting old friends from high school to send invites to, we even mentioned your name and now here you are, weird right” Tyler replied. “Yea, really weird”, I said. Just then, we hear laughing and chattering coming from outside before we saw two people from outside. As the two people close in and enter the store, one male with sunglasses and a blue cap with the words “Golf” on it and the other a female who was wearing a blouse. The male stops what he is doing as he turns to get a good look at us, it feels awkward for a moment before he says “Tyler, Tom?”. “I’m sorry to do we know each other from somewhere?”, Tyler asks. The man sighs before taking off his sunglasses and hat, I instantly recognized his light brown eyes from anywhere as I ask “Jaden? Is that you?”. “Hey guys”, the woman says. “No way is that…” Tyler asks “Jessica” I interrupted in a gentle tone. She was my high-school crush, my only crush really, I never got to tell her that though. “I know it's crazy right, who would have thought we get the old gang together just like this, and you know Sara and Jessica. “ Jaden comment “So are you guys married too?”, I asked. “What? No, we just found each other here just an hour ago, it’s a crazy story…” Jaden replies “Wait ‘too’ is someone married,” Jessica asks. Sara flashes her engagement ring in reply as she points at Tyler. “Aww, congratulations guys.” Jessica cheerfully replies. “Before you start that crazy story, Jaden, I would like to thank the universe for saving me the trip of having to find you, people, here, so much so let’s just have lunch here.” Tyler interrupts. “Uhm, okay, I guess that beats a granola muffin, granted you are paying right, you don’t get to drive a Tesla and now pay for everyone, it's like, the rules.”, I reply. “Sure, it's all on me” Tyler remarks. As we all sit down, Jaden explains what he’s doing here and how he ran into Jessica along with each of us dining and catching up, all at Tyler’s expense.