Prologue
"Are you being serious right now?" A strong voice came echoing in my room. I grabbed my eye glasses from the white painted oak table beside my bed just to make sure that it is actually the one I am hearing at the moment. If I am not mistaken it is 1:19 in the afternoon yet I am still laying down on my bed as if I slept at 3 AM.
"Haven't you read the group chats?" Celestine asked as she comfortably sat on my bed. I raised my brows on her. "Doesn't she look like she knows, does she?" Grace added while roaming around my room, browsing the scattered papers with the designs I am currently working with, and plans with my new clients. "What's with the bags?" I wondered when I noticed that they brought 2 large bags with them.
Celestine rolled her eyes and grabbed my phone a couple of inches away from me. She then unlocked it and all I knew was she is now holding my phone facing the screen towards me. I gasped as I read the messages from the group chat they were talking about. "99+ messages from our senior high class?"
"Yes dear and if you're going to stay rotten on this smooth fluffy bed, we'll not be able to attend it," Celestine replied. "How come I haven't heard about this?" I asked them, now looking alternately at them. Like how come I haven't received any notifications from my Facebook messenger app if I always turn off do not disturb during my working hours. I heard Grace sighed at the corner of my room standing at my fully opened wardrobe. "Where are your gorgeous-gorgeous dresses?"
I unconsciously pointed out another closet just in front of my working table, still searching for answers. Celestine laughed staring at me. "You looked naive," she said.
"I am and I will if you two will not give me answers right now!"
"Alright, alright, chill," raising both arms to display defeat, Celestine reached for her phone and showed me a digital invitation to the said reunion. I raised my head and looked straight into her eyes to make sure that she was not messing with me. I read the invitation again. The invitation is in the shades of blue with bits of silver on it. "Class reunion tonight at 6?" I blinked twice as Celestine smiled and nodded at me, looking as if a proud parent to a 1-year-old child who stated their first 'ma-ma' and 'pa-pa'.
"I think you should wear this," Celestine and I both glued our eyes to the Navy Victoria Maxi Dress I spontaneously purchased at Billy J's last month. It is an asymmetrical dress which I think fits perfectly with my inverted triangle body.
"I think I'll not go?" I received 4 glaring eyes on me. "Are you hearing yourself, Lily?" Grace walked towards the bed with the dress hanging on her right hand. "Come on girls, this is the first time I am hearing about the reunion which will happen in 5 hours or so? I can't work on myself at that time. I have to get my nails done, my hair, my make--," I was stopped by Grace's index finger damped on my lips, hushing me.
"That's why Celestine and I are here, Lils. We're here to help you and get dressed with you. Just like how we prepared during our senior's graduation night a couple of years ago," Grace stated excitedly. "Plus, you don't have to worry about the fact that you just heard about the reunion just now because the person in charge just sent the invitation earlier this morning," she added and removed her finger on my lips.
"And I think Celestine has something to say with that," I moved my eyes from Grace to Celestine who is now browsing her phone gallery. "Oh seriously Celestine? A screenshot proof in the year 2033?"
"What? Like it doesn't work its purpose?" She then showed a screenshot of a conversation from a group chat talking about the reunion with a time stamped 2 months ago. "A senior high school drama cannot!" I reacted as I finished reading the messages. "Exactly! So we better move ourselves now or we will serve them a grandeur entrance," Celestine said with full determination.
Before we started to prepare ourselves for the event, I asked them if they would love to have a meal first because obviously I haven't eaten a thing but they said that they already ordered a meal online from a fast food delivery app. We ate as fast as the order came and had a little chat about the world we are living in. It is actually the first time our circle had this time to get together and unfortunately we have to use our time well to still show up for the reunion.
Both Grace and Celestine work under the Medical field. Grace has her own clinic as a dentist, continuing her family's name in the said field while Celestine is a pharmacist under a huge drug corporation here in the Philippines. I honestly have thought about entering the medical field as well, thinking that it would give me enormous opportunities. Given the fact that I graduated senior high school from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics with Medical as a specialization yet I am living with a stock full of designs, plans and boundless sketches I did for my career. It is not like I regret entering my career of choice but the thought of being a health-care front liner hasn't left my mind ever since I started my freshmen year until now. All the what if's were still there asking me questions that might alter the way I am living today, about the relationships I might turn myself into, and about the woman I might become both in a positive and negative way. However, I am still grateful that I was able to reach this point of my life with my friends and families to support me all the way.
"Should we use my car?" I asked them since I haven't asked if they brought their cars with them. Grace shook her head doing her last touch of make-up. "We'll be using my car," she said. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, besides Celestine will be fetched by her so-called boyfriend later this evening," I bit my lip to not let a laugh escape. Celestine paused spraying perfume behind her ears and gave Grace a disapproving look. "You know that he's not my so-called boyfriend," she answered mimicking the way Grace speaks.
The girls told me that not only was the event announced late but also the theme was questioned. I am not sure who was the person in charge about the reunion but I think they should have stated the theme on the invitation right? I also did read the group chat yet most of the replies were 'See you there!' and not more like 'the theme was not stated' as if the event was not formal enough.
So my friends and I just decided to wear anything with blue and silver in it to complement the colors the invitation has thinking that maybe it gives the hints of the theme tonight. Celestine is slaying her white and blue satin tube mini dress paired with dangled silver earrings and a matchy choker necklace. While Grace serves the pastel blue linen blend maxi dress with dainty accessories. Our hairs were down because it looks like it will rain outside and if ever the rain caught us it wouldn't be lovely for our hair to be soaked with rain water after hours of having our hair tied up.
We left my home 30 minutes before the said time and if I am not mistaken the time to get to the event's place from where we are will take around 40-60 minutes. However, the two assured me that I should not worry too much because if the invitation was given late, the event should start late as well.
It is indeed too late for me to realize that the area where the reunion will take place is owned by one of my classmates. We entered the huge gate and decided to head for the parking lot first because we don't want to go inside with one of us missing. Plus, Celestine was the one who drove Grace's lustrous grey titanium ford and was also the one who was active in messaging most of the people attending the reunion.
There are a lot of cars already parked in the parking lot. "Are you guys excited?" Celestine asked. "Yes-No!" Grace and I answered in chorus. "I am actually kind of nervous. I feel like something will happen."
"You should get your hopes up Lils. Who knows if one of our classmates is a bachelor," I gave Grace a nasty look. "I came here to be with you guys not to point and choose someone from our class to get married with!" Both of them shared the same look. "Have I heard that right, Grace?"
"I bet you did. Our friend right here was just thinking about getting married with someone in there," Grace continued to tease me. "That's not what I said! You guys are absurd!" I shook my head as they started laughing. I don't get the fact that they instantly have come to think of that. Celestine turned off the engine and all of us got out of the car.
As expected, most of our former classmates were inside the hall. The ambience was a little dark so it was hard to determine who is who and who is with who with only the vintage golden candle wall lights screwed on each pillar of the room gives light. There was a chandelier at the center ceiling but it was turned off. Most of the people were busy with the one that they were talking to. Some of them are already sitting around a table while others are like us who just came with wine glasses on our hands.
"It's better than I was expecting," Grace whispered in my right ear. I bit my lip to hide a smile. I was also expecting for the event to be in chaos but maybe I just got locked into the idea that all of us are grown-ups now and as much as possible avoids any type of dramas. "Where's Celestine?" I asked roaming my eyes around. Grace gave me a shrug and led me to an empty standing cocktail table.
"I heard that we're almost complete."
Before we entered the hall we were greeted by the class's president way back, Penelope with her friend, Dexter. I was the one who wrote last at the paper and I wondered why the attendees are pass from the number of students we were before then realized that maybe they have their plus one attending or even their children or friends come with them which I may not be wrong because I see a lot of unfamiliar faces now that my eyes adjusted to how dimmed the hall was.
Just what we thought, the event was formal, the men were dressed handsomely and creatively with their tuxedos as well as the women who amusingly gave their best look for tonight.
"Lily is that you? Grace?" A familiar voice was heard from both of our backs. Grace and I turned our head around to see Alex with her friends. "Alex? Yes it's you, hi," I tried my best not be awkward with them but yes those were the words that came out from my mouth. "And you're with your girls," a smile drew on my lips as we greeted each other with friendly kisses. "I missed our dance sessions, you know the TikTok and stuff we do during our vacant classes!"
"Exactly! So when?" I jokingly asked. A quick pause happened and we laughed about it. "Nice seeing you two and Celestine wherever she is now," Alex said. "Have you seen her?"
Bella nodded, "She's with our guys," I searched the room to find Celestine from the crowd and saw her with their other friends. "Oh yes, thank you!
"See you around then!" Alex gave me a kiss on the cheek before the group moved to another table.
"I didn't know you still had your social skills with you, Lily," I rolled my eyes to Grace. "Alex and I had our time before. We danced for the same team, remember?"
"And you hid your own feelings to let him crashed your guy's heart?" She said as she point Ethan across the hall where Celestine's at. "Their still friends, we are all still friends. Besides, it is all in the past,"
And who knows if he already has his girl now like his own family.
"You sure are best into hiding, Lily. You sure are." She blew a dishearten breath before giving me a concerned eye, I gave Grace a small smile to assure her that I am totally fine and sipped wine.
Celestine at last came to our table and ever since then, a couple of classmates with their plus ones and friends visited our table. "Did you see how glued Sebastian's friend to you?"
"Oh my God! I thought that I was the only one who noticed!" Grace added and grasped her phone, browsing her contacts. "I heard that he is indeed a bachelor," Celestine said overstressing th word bachelor. "Oh come on, will you stop that nonsense,"
"You wish because I just sent you his phone number," Grace said and gently hit me on my left arm to tease me. "Perfect! I am sorry Lily but I actually gave Lance your phone number,"
Grace and Celestine giggled about how the universe made them to give random people their numbers and talked non-stop about how destined Lance, if that's the guy's name and I together. I mean, how come that was destiny?
The program started with a prayer and an opening remarks about how the reunion was well conducted and how the speaker, Penelope is pleased to have us gathered in one place to catch up and share how far we all became. Then a slideshow started with our pictures flashed on the projector in the right side of the stage. The picture was mostly during the time we had our online classes way back the pandemic era then proceed to the first day of classes as a grade 12 student and more.
I was bored watching when I noticed familiar photos displayed on the screen. "Is that from my camera?" I asked my friends quietly. The pictures were mostly candid. There were photos of my classmates and friends talking to each other, eating, laughing, and even during some of our activities in school. There's no reason to be mad about it I told myself. It's completely fine sharing those photos because there's nothing to be shameful about the being in the photo. And as far as I remembered most of it were candid. People may be wondering now who took the photos. I gave Grace and Celestine a look because I have no idea how the photos from my camera are included in the slideshow.
I heard people gasped and started whispering. I didn't mind them at all because I am starting to get pissed about how my photos are being shared now without my consent. "No way," Grace whispered and looked at me, her eyes showed perturbed. Celestine then looked the same way at me. "Believe me Lily, I selected the photox carefully. I don't know how thosewere added," she was in the verge of crying, I'm sure of it.
At that point, I had this urgency to glance at the projector. No candid photos of my classmates were displayed. But instead a carousel of faceless photos of two people in a classroom, walking home, playing arcade, playing basketball, running in the rain, and riding a bike were showed. I am ready to not react and burst out my anger to the ones who put those photos to let people stay be confused who those person. A photo of a boy playing with the girls hair in the classroom appeared. This time the boy's eyes were revealed. The voices of the crowd went louder as they saw how familiar those eyes were.
I am committed no one will get to realize who the girl is and I don't care if they already know the guy until the last photo was shown 2 seconds before the projector shut down. It was a polaroid photo of two people. The girl's hands were intertwined behind the guy's nape who's wearing a black polyester sweater, her long hair waved beautifully, the guy's both hands wrapped around the girl's waist, leaning towards hers. A huge smile formed at the girl's lips as the guy gave her a long peck on her left cheek
It was not an ordinary polaroid photo of two people. It was a photo of me and Ethan.
