Page 140 of The Forbidden Villain
“I’m just their free babysitter. This one is crazy about his wife.”
Evan shrugs with a bemused smile.
“We have a certain program, and I would appreciate it if we stopped?—”
Maria interrupts Valerie. “Come on, girl. You can’t be this perfect. Share with the rest of the class.” She rests her chin on the back of her hand. “You’re a famous model, but there was a time you wanted to become a veterinarian. What happened to that dream?”
“My dad killed my mom, then committed suicide. And right before that, he signed all his wealth to his mistress, leaving my sister and me struggling to survive.” She snatches a champagne glass and gulps it. “Changed my plans right away.”
A deafening silence falls over the table after this, and I swallow hard, horrified and shocked. Her parents seemed so in love.
I guess we never truly know what goes on behind closed doors.
Thomas grabs a spoon and taps it on his champagne glass, bringing everyone’s attention to him, and speaks up. “Let’s just agree that adult life might suck sometimes, but at least we aren’t teenagers anymore, which sucks significantly more.”
“Hear, hear!” the majority exclaims, and I do the same just as the host gets onstage and practically yells into the mic.
“Who’s ready for a little reunion?”
“Oh, it’s going to be corny too,” Maria mutters, munching on blueberries, and she clinks her glass with Bridget. “I’m going to be drunk tonight.”
Alvin groans. “We don’t need a repetition of the previous get-together.”
My brow furrows. “What happened?”
“Evan and Maria got arrested, and then she decided to represent herself at the police station while blackout drunk. Fun times.”
I laugh. “Seriously?” I had no idea my class was so funny.
Like a vivid movie, memories start to play in my head, one after another, of our countless times during various classes, sports events, dates, and even shopping sprees.
Science projects at Valeria’s place as she cried about her crush, Maria forcing us to participate in a debate class, Bridget dragging us to her blind date so we could keep an eye on her, only for the guy to turn out to be Thomas, hence their decade-long feud.
And Ronan.
How gentle he was. Kind. And never pushed me for more besides a few kisses that made my teenage heart race.
During my isolation, I forgot I used to have a life, and while Jade always loomed over me, casting a shadow over all my happy moments, I still had them.
I didn’t live in a vacuum.
Once upon a time, these people were my friends, the only family that I had back then, and who listened to my problems. I still couldn’t share my family situation with them.
They were there when no one else was, and I was so afraid to come here because I felt inadequate compared to them.
When I shared my most traumatic experience, they didn’t freeze or ignore it. Instead, they confessed their own pain so I wouldn’t be alone with my vulnerabilities.
I have no idea who they are as adults, aside from a few glimpses they’ve given me so far, but as teenagers?
They were some awesome people, and I showed them zero respect by doubting this meeting.
“I hope you won’t regret coming here,” Valeria says into my ear, and pats my hand. “In our defense, when we get drunk, we take care of each other.”
Tonight, listening to them proved one thing to me.
Adult lives are full of regrets.
They are inevitable. The only difference between them? Is that some we can live with, and with others we are destroyed piece by piece.
