Part 1: Make amends?
It had been 25 years since they last saw each other.
Howard looked nothing like he used to. The then-skin-and-bones and fragile young boy now exhibited a comfortable average build. He could also look straight into one's eyes when conversing, far from his timid and socially awkward persona in high school.
Over time, he had developed impressive abilities too—somewhere between sharpness, agility, and stealthiness.
Amidst all the changes, however, there was one thing that remained: the deep-seated scar in his right cheek, engraved by ‘someone' who thought it'd be fun to stain his ghostly pale skin with his own blood in front of their jeering schoolmates. The laceration ran from his temple down to the side of his lips. The physical pain, he realized over the years, had been easier to endure, requiring far less time to heal. The heartache, in contrast, clung to his soul. It left a suffocating anger that, no matter what, never went away.
Now, years later, it felt weird looking at 'that someone' sitting in front of him at a sidewalk cafe in broad daylight. He studied his face and noticed that the only difference was the aging and a few extra pounds. Otherwise, he was still the same Milton the Mangler.
"It's great to finally have a chance to make amends, don't you think, Howie?" The Mangler greeted while holding a newspaper he borrowed from the coffee shop. The barista had informed him earlier, though, that it was only for display, not of much use at the time. It was a five-year-old paper anyway. He shrugged, not really caring, just something to read to pass the time.
At once, Howard noticed another change: Milton looked less terrifying than he used to in their teenage years. In fact, he carried a warm smile and such gentle features now.
He backtracked and smiled at Milton's words. Make amends, he thought. How sweet.
"Agreed," Howard replied. "Of all the places, what are the odds we'll see each other here after about two decades, right?"
"What can I say? Coincidence is such a funny thing. Plus, as the youngsters say, coffee is life!" Then, they laughed together, though one of them knew this meeting wasn't by chance.
Howie could swear he felt something crawling down his spine, feeling the irony of how things turned out. He and his bully... acting like close friends after years of not seeing each other.
Milton was a regular at the cafe. It was more like his sanctuary, especially during his rest days. He even identified a favorite spot outside. He liked the fresh air, you see. So, when he unexpectedly bumped into Howard at the cafe, he invited him to his special spot. Frankly, however, he wouldn't have recognized Howie if he had not introduced himself first.
"Man, look at you. You've changed so much," Milton expressed. "That makes your high school nickname void now. What was it again? Was it dumbhead?"
"Airhead," he corrected. "Your crew called me an airhead. What you just said is more insulting, you know." Another laughter.
Then, Milton apologized, mentioning the scar and the past, while Howard just shook it off. "Don't worry about it, pal. Back then, we didn't know any better. We were just kids."
After a few minutes of talking, Howard noticed the waitress approaching. He stood up and helped her place their orders on the table. Was it to make things easier for her? Or to impress her? It depends on how one would see it.
"You've become quite something, Howie-boy," Milton sneered.” The waitress smiled, a faint blush coloring her cheeks, and thanked him. "A charming gentleman. Welcome to the club," Milton said. Once again, Howard allowed himself a small smile at the comment.
Milton shared some more about his life—that he was working as a surgeon in the town, married to Denice, and had two beautiful children. "Denice, as in our classroom muse?" Howie, seemingly shocked, asked. "Correcto!" he replied. "How about you, man? I've never gotten news about the others in high school, including you. Got busy with life and everything else," he shifted and took a sip of his go-to coffee.
Howard drank a bit before answering, "I've been traveling quite a lot so far. In fact, it's my first time visiting this town today." Then, he pulled out his phone, scrolled a bit, and showed a photo to Milton. "Look. Remember your buddies, Edgar and Frank? We saw each other in Chicago! I think this was about 5 years ago."
Milton tilted his head back to see clearly and immediately left a wide-eyed smile. "You guys looked so happy!" he commented. “Now, I'm envious. Also, that made me partly guilty. I haven't contacted them for so long, you know," he added. "I'm a bad friend, aren't I?"
"Nah, Milt. You're way worse as a nemesis." For the nth time, they both laughed again.
"Seriously, though, Howie, I'm glad we've seen each other today. It's also good to know Edgar and Frank are doing very well," he sincerely uttered. "Maybe we could all have a reunion soon."
They both took another sip.
The bitterness of the Americano made Howard almost throw up. He was never a fan of it to begin with. Nonetheless, he kept his cool, masking his real reaction.
Think of someone good at faking an emotion and triple it-that would be Howard. He was a pro.
