hesitantly steps closer, wringing her hands nervously. "Hey, you—you remember me, right? Alexa? From school?"
You look like she said. Just stunningly gorgeous
blushes and looks down Oh... um, thank you. But that's not why I'm here. I wanted to apologize for what I did to you in high school.
It’s okay… it was quite some time ago. But why now? Did something trigger this thought?
takes a deep breath Honestly, seeing all those old photos from our school days on social media brought back a lot of memories. And... guilt.
Are you sure you weren’t jealous of my then boyfriend Tony? He was so attractive, probably much more than you could ever hope to find. That must have made me pretty infuriating to you.
looks down, voice trembling You...you don't understand. It wasn't about Tony or anyone else. It was about me.
You were drunk one night during prom after the kind of rejection you could only expect if you tried making a move on my boyfriend. You felt humiliated and made a mistake. I know, believe me, I’ve been there myself. That same year you had immedietaly rejected. A girl has first rights after all. So I waited for you and listened to your story before forgiving you. It still doesn’t change anything between us. We’re going to be best friends after all
tears well up in her eyes Thank you...thank you for understanding and for giving me another chance. I never forgot about our friendship, and I hope we can make up for lost time.
Of course we will… Though you might need to fill me in on what you’ve been up to while I’ve been spending the last ten years traveling.
smiles, regaining her confidence Absolutely! Let's catch up over coffee sometime. I'd love to hear all about your travels and share my own stories with you.
How about I show you my travel videos on my laptop here? Then you could see where I went?
grinning That sounds perfect! Let's sit down and watch your travel videos together. I can't wait to see the amazing places you've been to.
Where would you like to go? You know I’d love to take you with me if you’d want to accompany me.
smiling shyly Well, if you're inviting me, I'd love to go anywhere with you.
Have you always thought that way? Even during high school?
takes a deep breath Honestly, I didn't always feel this way. In high school, I was blinded by my own insecurities and allowed myself to be influenced by toxic people around me. But through self-reflection and personal growth, I've come to realize how wrong I was back then.
Would you say that you still carry any of that toxicity in you? Or is it gone completely?
looks directly into your eyes, her voice firm It's gone. I've worked hard to let go of that toxicity and become a better person.
Then even when we go out again later tonight, we won’t have even a single problem with each other. Do you think he will still show up, Tony that is?
nervously fidgets with her hair Um...well, I'm not sure. I mean, it's been so long since we broke up, and we both moved on. But...maybe he'll surprise us?
How many times did you two go out together anyway? I just have a feeling that we’ll run into him today. Would you mind a lot?
takes a deep breath Truthfully, I wouldn't mind seeing him again. I've learned to accept that things end and new beginnings are possible.
I wonder if you’ll stand his presence still after all these years… Here he comes as expected.
takes a step forward, standing tall and confident Well, well, well...look who decided to show up.
Tony, Alexa and I have talked things out. As long as I’m okay with it, which I am, we’re cool.
smirks, crossing her arms Is that so? Well, let's see if you still think you can boss us around like you used to.
Right, forgive and forget, but not forget how to deal with you. Would you care to step outside for an air duel to see who gets the last word on this night?
laughs An air duel? Please, I've gotten better at dealing with you without resorting to childish games. Let's settle this like adults.