Old Friends
Wrenly
I was finally reunited with all my favorite things. At one time, I had an apartment in Oklahoma City, but when I got the Scorpions assignment, I gave it up and took all my things home to my parents. They stored it all in my childhood bedroom and I sold all my furniture. I also bought a few new things when I was in Oklahoma City.
Just because I was a Marine didn’t mean I wasn’t a girl that didn’t like beautiful things. I loved wearing summer dresses in warm weather, and I always kept a little black dress on hand.
I reached out to some old friends and was going to meet up with them at a local watering hole. I had been with my parents for several days and they kept me very busy. On my second night we had dinner with Paula Wells, Travis’s so called mother who now all the sudden wanted to find the other son. She had regrets, and wanted to let Travis know that his father passed away two years ago. He also lost his grandparents since he left town, and nobody knew if he was even aware. Hell, we didn’t even know if he was aware that Paula had a daughter and Robert had another son. They never found Bobby, and they never stopped looking, but after Travis disappeared there were some regrets and a lot of reflecting. My dad never gave his mom his address. They had an agreement, and Travis never wanted to hear from either of his parents again. That was for good reason in my opinion. They always abandoned him, but the abandonment after the car crash was the cruelest of them all.
The next night, my dad took me to have dinner with my mom’s parents. They were okay, but I didn’t know them all that well.
Yesterday, we had lunch with my dad’s parents and Heather’s together. Tonight was my first free night, and I wanted to have a little fun.
I was looking through my walk in closet when I came across a very large preservation garment bag hanging in the very back. A smile formed on my face, because in that bag were a lot of memories, including my four prom dresses. Yes, I attended every prom in high school. It was all my formal dresses, so I took it out and laid it on my bed. I was excited as I unzipped it and saw my first prom dress. It was gorgeous and that night was a lot of fun. The next one didn’t strike me the same, it was bittersweet seeing it again. I pulled it from the bag and held it against me in the mirror. It wasn’t a prom dress, but it was the dress I wore to my very first high school dance.
Fifteen years ago
I had been a mess all week long. I hadn’t seen Travis outside of school since I walked in on him with that girl. He wouldn’t even look at me when I passed him in the hall. He was always walking the halls with that witch, Stacy. She was sixteen and it was totally gross that she was dating a fourteen year old. There should have been laws against it. I never would have dated a guy two years ahead of me as a freshman.
But I meant what I said. I was going to put my new dress on and wait for him. My dad took me to the salon, and I had my hair done in a beautiful braid that fell over my shoulder. The woman also did my makeup, and it was funny when dad saw me. He wasn’t too happy that I looked older than fourteen. I was almost fifteen, so he needed to get over it.
When I got home my friends met me there and I changed into the most beautiful dress I could find. I wanted Travis to see that I was just as developed and beautiful as Stacy.
He didn’t know how she set us up that night. I thought Stacy was my friend, but she sent me a text that night and told me to come over and hang out with everyone. She said there were other kids that rode with her and my dad said it was okay as long as I wasn’t alone with Travis, and I had to be home in two hours. When I walked in, they were all over each other and alone. That hurt so much, and it didn’t feel any better all week, but I’d show him when he saw me all dressed up and ready to go to our very first high school dance.
My dress was red, with sequence on the bodice and it was short, really short. It had spaghetti straps and fit my body like a glove. I even had my first pair of stilettos. They were red and I found them at the mall when I got my dress. I went shopping with all my friends and Jill’s older sister drove us.
It was exactly six o’clock when all the guys showed up. All together there was me, six girls and seven guys. Out of all them, only three were couples. My dad was downstairs entertaining the girls moms, but when I walked downstairs, my dad had a meltdown. One that was so severe, it took three moms to help him settle down. They even had him doing breathing exercises to keep him calm. Then he cried because I was growing up and all the women swooned over the big baby.
We took pictures inside, then we braved the cold and took some outside, but we really needed our coats. Every minute that went by broke my heart. The moms and my dad had food for us and punch as like a pregame to our dance. I waited and waited and that knock on the door never came.
Eventually, I sent everyone on ahead, but one person decided to stay. That was Matt Trenton, our future quarterback. He refused to get into any of the cars and sat with me in the living room. I fought my tears the entire time. My dad knew how heartbroken I was and was very disappointed in Travis. Dad gave us space, but patted Matt’s back and said he was a good kid before he went upstairs and left us alone, which was awkward. We sat in the awkward silence until Matt finally spoke up after messing around and texting on his phone.
“Fuck it and fuck Travis.” Matt stood and held his hand out for me.
“What do you mean?” I looked up at him and he flashed me that handsome smile.
“Let’s be fashionably late for our first date. I just text my brother and he’s on his way to pick us up.”
“Are you serious?” I asked as I placed my hand in his. I was still a mess and tremendously hurt by Travis.
“Starting right now, you’re my girl, at least for tonight.” He gave me a wink and I smiled through my heartache.
I was actually surprised he showed up without a date. I thought for sure he would have asked Tia to the dance, but she ended up going with Kyle. Tia said Matt never asked like most of us predicted. None of us would have guessed he didn’t ask her. She had a crush on him, and we thought he would like her too.
That was exactly what happened. My dad was fine with me going in the car for one night with his brother who was a senior, and we were fashionably late. We had our picture taken together by the photographer the school hired, and I sat with all my friends. It did ease my pain a little, and I plastered a smile on my face and tried to have fun. Matt was tall, muscular like Travis, with dark hair and really pretty hazel eyes. He was the most popular boy in our freshman class. He was also funny, kind, and really smart. He got really good grades and had a lot of friends. He wasn’t a judgmental prick like a lot of guys. He also never said an unkind word about Travis. He was known for being extra good at football, but he was also known as the most adorable guy in the school. He had a sister a year older than us with down syndrome and he was really protective of her. He even helped out with her special Olympics meets. He walked her to class every morning, and whenever she got upset during school, she cried for Matt, and they would pull him out of class. He took her everywhere with him. To the movies, the mall, the skating rink, and even some of his practices if his parents didn’t get off work on time to pick her up from school.
There I was, sitting with one of the best guys in our class. I had a broken heart because the boy I loved didn’t love me in return. Then my knight in shining armor saved the day and took me to the dance.
Matt asked me to dance our first slow dance, and I accepted. Being close to him didn’t feel as wrong as I thought, but it still didn’t feel like it did with Travis.
“You’re the prettiest, smartest and best female athlete in the school, Wrenly.” Matt smiled as he looked down at me.
“Thank you for doing this tonight, Matt. You could be hanging out with all your friends instead of trying to make me feel better.”
He lowered his head and whispered in my ear. “Can I tell you a secret?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“I knew you were coming with Travis, and I didn’t want a date unless it was with you. That’s why I was going stag. Travis is a nice guy, so I wouldn’t have asked unless he wasn’t bringing you. All my friends said you were coming with him, so I didn’t ask you or anyone else.”
I blushed and didn’t know what to say. So, it took me a minute to reply. “I can’t say I mind at all. You’re so nice to me and I really needed it tonight.”
As we slow danced, I saw a blond with curly hair dancing with a boy that was facing away from me. It was Stacy, and she blew me a kiss before she smiled and waved at me. My heart once again crumbled because that boy was Travis.
She whispered something to him, and he went to look at me, but I turned my head away from them. I was hurt and couldn’t even cry because I was surrounded by people. I bit back my tears, because that was the moment it finally set in. Travis didn’t love me the same way I loved him. It was time to give up all my hopes and dreams and focus on my own life.
When the song ended, my friends pulled me away from Matt and got me out to fast dance. I may have acted like I was having fun, but I was dying on the inside. I didn’t see Travis anywhere, but Matt was sitting with his friends watching me with a smile on his face.
As I smiled back at Matt, a familiar feeling hit me, and I could feel the goosebumps before a set of arms wrapped around me from behind. I shivered when I felt a hot breath against my ear. “I knew you’d find someone better. I’m glad it’s Matt and not some prick. I still love you, but this is what’s best for you.”
Travis was gone as fast as he came, and I didn’t see him again that night.
Present Day
The dress brought back bittersweet memories, because I may have gotten my heart broken that night, but it was also one of the best nights of my life.
Matt and I started out as friends. He took me to his sisters Special Olympics events, we went for burgers after school a lot, and he was responsible for all my prom dresses. Since prom was for Juniors and Seniors, neither one of us planned to go until a few upper classmen asked us for dates. I went with Brian my freshman year and Joey my Sophomore year. Matt went with Tabby our freshman year and then Alexis his sophomore year. They were both juniors that didn’t have dates, but they did have disabilities and participated in Special Olympics. Matt and I had so much fun, but then started dating our sophomore year. Matt might not have been the first boy I loved, but he was a guy I did eventually love very deeply. He was my first everything. My first date, my first kiss, and my first lover. He was also the father of the baby I lost the summer after graduation.
We were set to go to college together, but after I had the miscarriage I lost a part of myself. He went to college, and I ran away to the Marines.
I put the dress away and wiped away a tear. When I was over in the sandbox, Matt graduated college and was drafted to the Kansas City Chiefs. I was so proud of him, but ever seeing him again would be incredibly painful. I loved our baby more than anything and that loss was the greatest pain I ever felt.
I put the dresses away then picked out an outfit for the evening. I chose jeans, a sweater, and cowgirl boots. My hair was left down in messy waves, and I did my makeup so my eyes would pop.
Heather let me borrow her car, and I arrived just in time at the bar. In the parking lot, a group of familiar faces were waiting for me. I was excited and quickly jumped out of the car to hug my old friends. It was Jill, Tia, Amberley, Brianna, and Sloan. Of course, all eyes were on us as we squealed and hugged all over each other. We then paid the cover charge and ordered our first round of beer.
Amberley married Steve and they had two kids, Sloan married Derrick, and they just had their first child over the summer. Jill married a man she met in college, and they didn’t have kids yet. Brianna and Tia were still just as single as me.
Cotton Eye Joe came on and of course we had to run out to the dance floor. We danced and laughed then danced some more. Yes, we were approached by a few cowboys, but our night wasn’t about any men. It was about catching up and having fun.
That was until I was walking toward the bathroom and my eyes met a familiar pair of hazel ones looking back at me. Eyes I dreamed about when I wondered if our baby would have the same color.