Years had passed since the beginning of high school. The school had become as familiar as the back of my hand. I knew each and every hall as though they were my own. Where school had once been an unknown dimension, it now felt like a second home. In my last few years of high school, I’d actually grown to have a fairly social standing. Talking to new people no longer made me sweat through my clothes. Giving presentations didn’t make my voice shake. All the things I thought people cared about, I soon came to find, were inconsequential. No one saw me as just a speck of toothpaste on my lip. When they thought of me, they didn’t remember the stray hair that may’ve popped up here or there. Instead, they saw me for my intellect, for my ability to get along with almost everyone. Being able to speak up in class and assist people with their homework allowed me to gain connections amongst the student body. Nerds saw me as a comrade; slackers saw me as a way to get their grades up. Before I knew it, I knew almost everybody in my classes, even when they switched. Nonetheless, I didn’t forget those who had been with me from the beginning.
Though Almanzo, Julian, and Matthew graduated long before I did, we remained good pals. Julian had found a place for himself amongst the workforce, taking up a job as a construction worker. Though we were initially unsure if he could handle the job, considering how much he loved to horse around, we soon found it had worked in his favor. Being in a dangerous environment had mellowed him out, forced him to mature and act his age. Before we knew it, Julian had climbed the ladder and gotten a top rank amongst the employees.
Matthew went to the military, where his stoicism proved useful. Amongst the immature men who had joined on a whim, Matthew’s potential stood out like a spark in the night. Already a rather athletic individual, the physical training was a breeze. He got along well with the sergeants and landed himself a place at their right hand. Though he was sent east to survey a war zone, he continued to send us letters detailing his adventures. When he could, he sent exotic foods and items he’d collected along the way, which we then tried and sent him feedback on. He didn’t send many photos, though he often told us he felt as though he were more muscle than man anymore.
Almanzo headed to college out west for science, though he hoped his athletic potential could get him a position in sports afterward. However, his first year on the school’s basketball team had been a rough one, and a mishap on the floor soon left him with a shattered knee. Though he’d undergone treatment for months afterward, the bone healed improperly, leaving him with a permanent limp. Sports were out of his future. Broken but not hopeless, he took to improving his grades in science, working to get a Master’s in Chemistry so he could work toward medical advancements.
Birdie and I went through high school as two birds of a feather. Where one went, the other was never far behind. Though I was a bit skeptical of making things official at first, as many people had told me high school relationships never make it far, I was soon proved wrong. Our relationship lasted all four years, and even now, at graduation, we’re still as close as ever. I guess proper communication and understanding can really go a long way.
Outside the cafeteria, the bells signaling the ten-minute warning chimed, breaking me out of my trance. As a celebration of our graduation, Birdie and I had made honey sandwiches, which we were scarfing down before we had to enter the auditorium. We were born adorned in blue gowns that hung down to our ankles, our caps positioned firmly on our heads. Birdie had given us matching charms for the ends, little gold hearts with a dove across the front. A comfortable silence hung over us both as we finished up our meal.
“Hey, look at those two!”
The doors flung open, startling us both. The voice that echoed from the other side, however, was as recognizable as ever.
“Almanzo?!”
The redhead came limping through the doorway, leaning against a crutch with his signature smirk on his face. His hair, now much shorter than before, tickled the tops of his ears as he limped toward our table.
“Look at you two little love-birds, getting ready to walk across that stage.” Leaning one hip against the table, he reached out to ruffle Birdie’s hair. “And my little kid sister is all grown up.”
“Hey, you’re ruining my look, you dirt-bag!” She slapped his hand off, practically snarling at him.
“You should know not to be snappy with your brother. He can’t defend himself properly.”
To our even greater surprise, Julian and an unrecognizable dark-haired individual stood in the doorway. Julian had somehow managed to become even scrawnier as he entered, his glasses situated firmly on his nose.
“What are you guys doing here?” I set my sandwich down, looking between the three men. “And who in the world have you brought with you?”
“You really don’t recognize me? I didn’t think I looked that different.” Though the voice was a bit altered, the way in which he adjusted his shoulders, pushing them back to appear taller, gave his identity away: Matthew.
