397 comments

Drama

This reunion is going to suck. I wasnโ€™t disappointed as I walked through the door. The room was filled with the lifeless bodies of deflated balloons, and the few stray ones were floating and clashing in bright hideous colors - lime green, neon pink, and mustard yellow.ย ย 

A slow song was on, but the dance floor was practically empty, occupied only by a few people who brought their dates to the reunion with them. It seemed that Eve Zimmer and Brent Johnson ended up together. Surprising, they hated each other. Eve had a sparkling diamond band on her ring finger, and she was smiling widely.ย 

What a loser. These people are all losers.ย 

The food table was cluttered with the randomest food items, from hard boiled eggs to cinnamon rolls. There was a platter of cupcakes, frosted sloppily in neon pink icing. I delicately plucked the thin wrapper off of one of the red velvet cupcakes. The colors looked awful together, pink and red. It looked like Valentines Day had come early. And I hated Valentine's Day, ever since my life became miserable, including my love life.ย 

My name is Bri West, and back in high school, I was the nicest and smartest girl in school. I had a lot of friends, but then all of that changed. I attended Stanford, and I thought that it would be great for me.ย 

But in college, I started to care less about my grades and more about partying. I started to flunk all of my classes, and when I had all Dโ€™s and Fโ€™s in my classes, Stanford kicked me out. Two days later, I was fired from my job at a fancy restaurant, Le Dรฎner De L'amour. Two weeks later, my boyfriend, Max, broke up with me.ย 

I had the worst luck, and it hardened me. I became a cruel person, to even my family, who I had to live with due to the fact that I had no job.ย 

I eventually found work at a small flower shop, but that was barely enough money to pay for the apartment I lived in.ย 

I had to stay with my parents for not one, but two years! It was dreadful, and my sister, Ariana, kept getting spoiled while I was given practically nothing.ย 

I hated it, so I found somebody who was willing to room with me - my enemy, Lora Skid. It was really hard, but I sucked it up because she was paying most of the rent. Not too long after, we became pretty close, and we ended up becoming good friends. Or so I thought.ย 

I had gotten a new boyfriend, Isaac, and he was smart, funny, and cute. But he wasnโ€™t what I thought he was. Apparently, he was a cheater, but he didnโ€™t cheat on me for a random girl, he had fallen for Lora. I dumped him after Lora told me that he confessed his feelings, but I couldnโ€™t bear to be living with her - it would be too awkward.ย 

I packed my bags and left the apartment, heading back to live with my parents. The next two months werenโ€™t that bad.ย 

A rich man moved into our neighborhood, and he purchased plenty of flowers, from our shop, of course. This meant I didnโ€™t have to live with my parents! I moved out of my old house and started a new life in a large apartment. Life was fine, but I had gone through so much, I was still an awful person.

And I still am now, I thought, as I threw the wrapper into the garbage with little effort. I took a massive bite out of the cupcake, and spat it out immediately into the trash can. Who thought that red velvet and chocolate would go together? Awful combination! I cringe, the bland flavor is trapped in my mouth. I pour myself a glass of punch and make an effort to wash the taste away. It doesnโ€™t work. I walk over to my old high school friends, Sia Sharma and Helen Jett, who are chatting happily in the corner. They havenโ€™t changed a bit. Sia still has long, black curls and sparkling blue eyes, and Helen has a short brown bob and green eyes.ย 

โ€œHey, guys.โ€ I said, bored.ย 

They look at each other, and glance back at me, confused. โ€œIโ€™m sorry, but who are you?โ€ Helen asks.ย 

โ€œIโ€™m Bri West, from high school, remember?โ€ I remind them.ย 

A look of remembrance dawns on their faces, before they smile, and Sia says, โ€œOh, hi Bri! You look a lot different from since we last saw each other!โ€ย 

They werenโ€™t wrong. In high school, I had shoulder-length blonde hair, which I grew out until it reached my back, and I had perfect skin, but now I have freckles and tattoos decorating my body.ย 

โ€œYeah, I guess I do! You guys look the same, though.โ€ I remark.

Helen raises her eyebrows. โ€œIs that a good thing or a bad thing?โ€

โ€œNo no no! Itโ€™s a good thing, I guess.โ€ I stammer. โ€œItโ€™s just kind of dull.โ€

โ€œApparently, you donโ€™t just look different, youโ€™ve changed, Bri.โ€ Sia looks at me like she would a puzzle - trying to solve it.ย 

โ€œIs that such an awful thing?โ€ I shoot back.ย 

โ€œBri, youโ€™re not as nice as you used to beโ€ฆโ€ Helen replies quietly.

โ€œStop judging me! You donโ€™t know what Iโ€™ve been through!โ€ I shriek.ย 

โ€œOkay, just stop. Itโ€™s fine. You can do your thing, weโ€™ll do ours. Why donโ€™t you go hang out with the mean girls in the meantime?โ€ Sia smirks. Then she and Helen walk away from me. Can they cut me some slack? They havenโ€™t lost everything! And they didnโ€™t even care! Theyโ€™re horrible friends. I thought to myself. I wasnโ€™t that mean to them! Was I? Was I an awful friend? I shuddered at the thought. No! I couldnโ€™t be! Could I? ย 

I run towards Helen and Sia, but they simply turn away from me, and keep on chatting about their lives. โ€œGuys, please talk to me!โ€ I say, desperate.ย 

โ€œYouโ€™re going to have to be nicer. Do something kind to somebody. Something big. But thatโ€™s the only way that we can be friends again.โ€ Sia informs me.

I nod and rush away from them into the girlsโ€™ bathroom and lock myself in a stall. How am I supposed to do something good for someone? Itโ€™s been weeks! I think to myself, and then I finally come up with a plan.ย 

September 26, 2020 17:56

You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.

397 comments

. . .
00:49 Oct 05, 2020

This story was great! I loved the humor! Part 2?

Reply

Aww, thank you so much! Hmm, I don't think so... I didn't really love this story! :(

Reply

. . .
04:55 Oct 10, 2020

Too bad! But great job!

Reply

. . .
05:16 Oct 10, 2020

You're welcome!

Reply

Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Raymond Kelly
17:26 Oct 21, 2020

I really like the story, and the character's development is compelling, if sad. I felt drawn in by her failed love life and failed... Life, and got the sense of remorse for bad decisions she had made. I do feel like the end where she talks to the friends plays out more like a bad dream than reality, as the characters are more one-note rejecting her. Maybe if she decided to shun herself because they were all happier than her, or if an old friend purposefully sought her out just to be disappointed it would be interesting. Maybe you could have ...

Reply

These are great ideas! Thank you for taking the time to read my story!! :)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
12:08 Oct 14, 2020

Hey Kylie! Interesting concept for sure, and as you write more, you'll become more experienced at creating new worlds for us to visit. Thanks! Please check out some of my stories if you have time!

Reply

Thank you so much! I will definitely check it out as soon as I can! :)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Laiba M
16:27 Oct 13, 2020

Kylie TT_TT I got downvoted by 60+ points :(( Can we talk for a while and upvote the chain?

Reply

Oh, I'm so sorry!! I'll just upvote everything that I haven't done yet!

Reply

Laiba M
18:07 Oct 13, 2020

Thank you!! You've gotten my points up really high!!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
13:02 Oct 13, 2020

โ€œ That awkward moment when youโ€™re not sure if somebodyโ€™s a guy or a girlโ€ I SUFFER FROM THAT SO MUCH- Although mostly itโ€™s accents that always get me ๐Ÿ˜”๐Ÿ˜”๐Ÿ˜”

Reply

Haha, the voices are pretty hard, too! Like, if they have a voice that isn't deep or high pitched. And I wouldn't know for the life of me if it was a boy, or a tomboy with a pixie cut!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Akshat .
07:10 Oct 14, 2020

That happens so much on Reedsy with me!

Reply

Saaammmeee. I have to ask them, "Uhh, excuse me? Are you a guy or a girl? Sorry, it's just very confusing...". I'm a girl, BTW!

Reply

Akshat .
03:13 Oct 15, 2020

Yeah lol. I'm a boy, just in case something happens like Aerin and me. I thought she was a boy, and she thought I was a girl. ๐Ÿ˜‚

Reply

Really? lol I knew that you were a boy and that Aerin was a girl, but there were some people that I had NO CLUE what gender they were...

Reply

Akshat .
15:22 Oct 15, 2020

Yeah! I thought Batool Hussain was a boy, and when she wrote that she was a girl in her bio, I was like, โ€œWait, what?โ€ PS. You like Harry Potter too? Me three! PSS. Have you noticed the new โ€œupdate?โ€

Reply

Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 2 replies

WHAAAT! AHH Wh-WHERES PART 2!! Okay but seriously this was great! You have a very nice way of writing that draws the readers all the way to end..then searching for more. I was really intrigued by everything that happened in this story and was SHOCKED when you left on the cliffhanger! But amazing job! It seems your writing has gotten so much better since the first story I readd. Your improving! Great job!! And keep writing Kylie!! Also I wrote a new story if you want can you give it a read?? Thank youuuu! And its cool how you named t...

Reply

Thank you SO much! This made my day! And of course! :)

Reply

Yay I'm glad it did!!

Reply

Show 0 replies

Oh right upvote spree? Great! I got ya right now!

Reply

Show 0 replies

YAAYY I GOT YOU TO 3000!! I upvoted every. last. comment. So everyones, Blair, B.W. Scarlett, Aerin, Lulu! Andd yeah everybody you've talked too so yeah! Enjoy your points, and tell them to enjoy their points for me!๐Ÿ˜Š

Reply

Omigosh!! UGOCHI THANK YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH YOU ARE AMAZING!! YOU ARE IN MY BIO NOW!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!! :)))))) โ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™กโ™ก

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 3 replies
Show 1 reply
Sia S
13:58 Oct 07, 2020

New story out! Its Fantasy!

Reply

Show 0 replies
B. W.
20:38 Oct 04, 2020

ya wanna go on another up-vote spree for each other?

Reply

B. W.
00:38 Oct 05, 2020

Yay :)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply

I just upvoted you a bunch! Congrats on 2515!! That is awesome.

Reply

Blair, thank you so so much!!

Reply

Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
B. W.
13:17 Oct 04, 2020

Kylie i'm lonely and i need someone to talk to, ya there?

Reply

I'm here now! What do you want to talk about? :)

Reply

B. W.
18:34 Oct 04, 2020

My novels

Reply

B. W.
18:42 Oct 04, 2020

I'm almost finished with one of them ^^

Reply

Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
B. W.
23:12 Oct 03, 2020

:D check out "Crossover: the traitor" and leave some feedback

Reply

B. W.
01:15 Oct 04, 2020

I'm on chapter 20 of my novel :)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
B. W.
13:59 Oct 03, 2020

sorry about all of that yesterday- i'm not sure if you'd be able to help with that kind of stuff

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
B. W.
23:14 Oct 01, 2020

Up-vote spree again?

Reply

Sure! I can't right now, but I will when I wake up! Good night! (from me, lol)

Reply

B. W.
13:16 Oct 02, 2020

well alright

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Raquel Rodriguez
15:03 Oct 01, 2020

Great job, I love how you personified the balloons. I can really feel Bri's personality throughout the story, great job! :D The restaurant, 'Le Dรฎner De L'amour' is such a cute name! Would you mind reading my story? ;)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
B. W.
20:52 Sep 30, 2020

I'm almost done with a novel :)

Reply

B. W.
15:47 Oct 01, 2020

well it's kind of based off one of my favorite horror games/game in general

Reply

B. W.
15:51 Oct 01, 2020

Take a guess ^^ maybe you'll know the horror game

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Sia S
09:12 Sep 30, 2020

Heyyo! Sup? If your bored I know an AWESOMELY SPECTACULAR author/reedsy frnd to talk to on reedsy. Idk if u know her already, but, Adrienne Flemmings is too great!! She didn't ask me to tell you this, but I think she deserves more recognition. So if your free, go check her out!

Reply

Hey, Sia! Yes, she is AWESOME!! She totally does! I was just talking with her yesterday!! :)

Reply

Sia S
02:28 Oct 01, 2020

Oh Nice!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Avery G.
22:21 Sep 27, 2020

Wow, this was so good! I loved it sooo much! It was so creative! Great job!

Reply

Avery G.
19:53 Sep 28, 2020

You're welcome!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Charles Stucker
21:59 Sep 27, 2020

To sum up Bri West failed out of Stanford then drifted between minimally challenging jobs and now is at her ten? year highschool reunion. She eats a horrible cupcake, then chats briefly with two old friends who find her mean. Then she goes to the bathroom to plot... I fell like we're seeing the opening of a story instead of a full story. Lots of backstory sort of infodumped on us- which slows the opening. I also feel her friends are mean girls too. I know people like that- they were unaffected by the 2008 collapse and have no thought for t...

Reply

Thank you for the feedback! I don't think I'm going to change anything, because this is probably one of my least favorite stories that I wrote, and I don't want to waste time on a story that I'm not going to like at all. Thank you, though!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply

Creepy, almost... Why a reunion. I'd miss mine if it was like that, too. (Haven't had one yet, I'm not old enough for high school reunions yet. Still a teen.) Great job! Heart emojis and book emojis everywhere! (my emojis aren't working.)

Reply

Show 1 reply
Lexi Mellor
18:10 Nov 02, 2020

I would buy this book

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Reedsy | Default โ€” Editors with Marker | 2024-05

Bring your publishing dreams to life

The world's best editors, designers, and marketers are on Reedsy. Come meet them.