Meeting up with my high school love interest, Jason, again at a fancy restaurant felt like a scene from a romantic comedy. But as his endearing faรงade gave way to a shocking secret that hit me like a ton of bricks, the evening took a gloomy turn. The boy Iโd looked up to was gone, and in his place was someone I hardly knew.
Hello to all of you. Iโm Emma, and Iโm thirty-five years old. My background dates all the way back to my high school years. I used to be the quiet, scholarly girl who preferred to hang out at the library over parties. The golden boy of the school, Jason, had a major crush on me. Jason had it allโbeautiful, well-liked, and seemingly endless.
When I saw Jason walking about, my best friend Sarah would prod me, saying,ย โEmma, come on, you have to at least try talking to him.โ
I used to hide behind my big spectacles and blush hysterically.ย โYou know heโs not in my league, Sarah. I am simply myself.โ
โEmma, youโre incredible.โย She would argue,ย โHeโd be lucky to know you,โย but I would just shake my head.
Jason never once turned to look at me while he was with his friends. Being the football teamโs best player, he was always the center of attention. From a distance, I observed, certain that he was unaware of my existence.
I never thought he would notice me with my braces and glasses. Furthermore, he never did. We lived in quite different worlds.
I had grown into a beautiful, accomplished woman years later. I exchanged my nerdy clothes for a chic look, my glasses for contacts, and my braces for a flawless grin. I was enjoying my best life, having developed a successful profession in marketing.
I recognized a voice from the grocery store one evening when I was choosing avocados.
โEmma? Is that you?โ
I spun around to face Jason, who was still quite attractive despite appearing a little older. He was looking at me, astonished. He remarked,ย โWow, you look amazing,โย with wide eyes.
โJonathan? Hello! Itโs been a while,โย I answered, my heart pounding.
He grinned broadly. Yes, it has, in fact.ย โHow are you doing?โ
We caught up on each otherโs lives over a long conversation. I told him about my recent return to the area and about my profession.
โYouโre in marketing now, then? Thatโs impressive,โย nodded Jason.
โAnd you?โย Curious about his life after high school, I asked.
Laughing, he said,ย โMy work is interesting, but itโs not as glamorous as marketing,โย effectively sidestepping my inquiry. What made him do that? While I was still digesting his answer, he surprised me by making an unexpected offer.
โHey, how about we get together for dinner sometime? You know, appropriately catch up?โ
Without hesitation, I agreed. Jason was the one! And he was sending me a date invitation! Naturally, I repliedย โyes.โ
We got together at a classy downtown restaurant a few days later. I was impressed by his choice of restaurant; it was a classy establishment with excellent food. While we were placing our orders, Jason started talking about our time in high school.
โDo you recall when we were the football champions? Man, those were the good old days,โย he chuckled.ย โI still spend time with the teamโs guys. We meet once a month as part of a small custom.โ
Even while I listened courteously, I couldnโt help but feel a little disengaged. Jason seemed to be living in the past, but I had moved on from high school.
I forced a smile and said,ย โThat sounds nice.โ โDo you ever catch up with anyone else from school?โ
โNot really,โย he said with a shrug.ย โOnly the men. And you, what say? Do you have any treasured high school memories?โ
I said,ย โWell,โย not sure what to say,ย โI spend much of my time in the library. There arenโt many noteworthy stories there.โ
He chuckled.ย โI recall that you were constantly buried in a book. Funny how things change, isnโt that right?โ
As our dinner arrived, we carried on our conversation. As Jasonโs stories got monotonous, I saw that I was nodding off. When dessert arrived, I excused myself to use the bathroom.
When I got back, I saw Jason tinkering with something on my plate. He looked up with a naughty grin before I could ask him what he was doing.
He murmured,ย โWatch this,โย and put a hair on my dish.ย โIโm going to show you a trick.โ
As my eyes grew wide with shock, Jason beckoned the waitress over before I could object.
โI apologize, but there seems to be a hair in my friendโs food,โย he exclaimed in a loud enough tone to draw attention.ย โThis is unacceptable!โ
The waitress apologized a lot and was upset. She said she would bring us new dishes and take the old one back. But because of the inconvenience, Jason claimed that we shouldnโt have to pay for the meals.
Following some back and forth, the manager finally arrived and consented to reimburse us for our dinners, along with a complimentary dessert.
Jason had a huge smile on his face as we left the restaurant.ย โYou know how you deal with these locations. A negative experience should never have to be compensated for.โ
I forced a smile, my head still spinning from the previous events.ย โI CANโT BELIEVE you did that.โ
Jason gave a shrug.ย โYou know, I have to find ways to eat at these places and make ends meet because my job as a promoter doesnโt pay much. This trick is always effective.โ
Sponsor? Jason spent his high school summer breaks doing just that. It was astounding to me that he continued to work at the same job.ย โYouโre still promoting?โย I asked, attempting to maintain a steady tone.
โYes, itโs not glamorous, but it pays the bills,โย he remarked, disregarding my mounting unease.
โDonโt worry,โย he said, perceiving my discomfort.ย โIt will be much better the next time. However, because I took care of things tonight, you will have to pay.โ
I nodded and feigned another laugh.ย โYes, Jason. Iโm grateful for tonight.โ
I promised to give him a call as soon as possible, even though I knew I would never be able to. The cool, popular person I used to look up to was still living out of his glory days in high school, using shady tactics to get by. I couldnโt quit giggling at how ridiculous that was all on the way home.
I shook my head and banned his number as soon as I took out my phone, amazed at how much a person could change and still stay the same.
I awoke the following morning with a sense of empowerment and renewal. Even though I had a full day ahead of me, the events of the night before continued to consume me. Seeing how much I had changed and matured since high school made me feel good.
I was eager to inform my coworker and close friend Mia about the date when I got to my office.
She sensed something was off as soon as I stepped in.ย โEmma, provide the beans. How was the big date?โ
I laughed out loud.ย โYou wonโt believe it, Mia. In order to avoid having to pay for our dinner, Jason really stuck a hair in my dish and made a fuss.โ
Miaโs stunned eyes grew wider.ย โWhat did he do? Are you really real?โ
I laughed, nodding along.ย โItโs like seeing a subpar film. It amazes me that I once harbored such strong feelings for him.โ
Mia laughed too and shook her head.ย โWell, at least it resulted in a free dinner for you. And a nice tale to narrate.โ
โI grinned as I realized how accurate that was. Indeed, and a worthwhile lesson. The persons we look up to as children can occasionally turn out to be completely different from our expectations.โ
Still laughing, Mia sat back in her chair.ย โThere, you escaped a bullet. Is it possible for you to date someone who believes that kind of behavior is appropriate?โ
I shook my head, now more assured of my decisions.ย โIโm not able to, no. Iโm just appreciative of the opportunity. It demonstrated to me my growth and progress since high school.โ
I lost myself in my work for the remainder of the day, but I couldnโt help but notice how much had changed. I would never have imagined being where I am now, even in high school, and realizing that Jason was trapped in the past made me even more grateful for my journey.
I felt a feeling of closure later that night as I unwinded with a glass of wine on my couch. Though it had played a big role in my high school years, my crush on Jason was no longer able to control me.
I felt confident in who I had become and was free to appreciate the present and the future. I grinned to myself, eager to get back to work on my narrative, chapter by chapter.