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“Alright,” TK sighs as he walks into the firehouse kitchen. He walks over to the fridge, and begins maneuvering the assorted Tupperware. He finally finds his lunch and reaches for it as he finishes up the phone call. “Thanks, Cash. I’ll let you know.”
He gently tosses his phone onto the table before taking a seat. Paul and Marjan watch him; they notice he looks a little out of sorts. Marjan is the first one to approach it. “So that seemed like a not so great phone call.”
TK stabs his fork into a leafy green. “That was my friend, Cash. We’re having our high school reunion next month and one of the planning committee members dropped out last minute. He asked if I could fill in.”
“You’re going to your high school reunion?” Marjan asks, wiping her fingers on her napkin.
“You have a friend named Cash?” Paul is quick to follow up, both clearly focused on different things.
“Yeah.” TK wipes at his mouth while nodding. “He’s got a sister named Penny, too. And no, I have absolutely no desire to go to my high school reunion, let alone help plan it.”
“Really, how come?” Marjan asks, stirring her lemonade with her metal straw. “You’ve got a cool job, and even cooler co-workers. That’ll handle any type of menial, inevitable small talk. All the stories about how fantastic I am at fighting fires would buy you 20 minutes at least.”
“And all the stories about her humility could buy you an extra 30.” Paul jokes, dodging Marjan’s balled up napkin.
TK laughs, feeling at ease for the first time since Cash first called him. “I wish I could bring all of you with me. At least then I’d know I’d have fun.”
“Oh I’m sure you’d find a way to have fun.” Marjan counters. “Weren’t you voted prom king? I’m sure there’s a ton of people that would love to catch up and hang out.”
“Yeah,” TK narrows his eyes as he draws out the word. “I kind of think that was just because I was able to get alcohol for everyone after prom.” TK doesn’t say too much more about that. He tries not to think too much about high school, anyways. He’s slowly starting to feel a lingering sense of dread.
TK chooses to avert the topic by bringing it back to modern day. “Besides,” He shrugs. “I’d have to deal with buying a flight back to New York, finding a hotel, fitting it all into one weekend.”
“And all the stories about me will take more time than that, I get it.” Marjan nods, in mock sympathy. Both she and Paul can read the room and see that TK would like to drop the topic, at least for the time being.
TK laughs. “Never change Marjan.”
——
“Babe, are you sure?” Carlos asks as TK grabs his keys and wallet.
“Yeah, of course.” He gives Carlos a quick peck on the cheek. “It’s just around the corner, I’ll be back in 10.” He leaves to go the corner store, game night being put on a halt.
“Well,” Carlos looks at the game board sitting on the coffee table; the pieces untouched and all cards unturned. “I guess we can pick this back up in 10 minutes.”
“Fine with me,” Mateo grabs another handful of wasabi peas, much to Nancy’s chagrin.
“You know, for someone who hates wasabi peas, you sure do find a way to eat most of them.” Nancy says, moving the bowl closer to herself.
“I contain multitudes, baby.” Mateo says before throwing back another fistful.
They fill the time with swapping stories about the calls they had that week and how Paul’s definitely not going on a date.
“It’s definitely a date, Paul.” Marjan argues.
“It’s just two people grabbing dinner and then watching a movie after.” Paul disagrees, explaining it as if it’s obvious.
“What’s the movie?” Carlos asks as he grabs another mineral water.
Paul pauses before muttering, “You’ve Got Mail.”
“Paul!” They all exclaim.
“That’s definitely a date, dude.” Mateo grabs another handful of wasabi peas; pouring half into Nancy’s open palm.
They tease Paul, and ask him what he plans to wear to his “not date”. Eventually TK’s high school reunion comes up and Carlos looks confused.
“High school reunion?” Carlos asks, reaching for another cherry tomato. He dips it in ranch before asking. “TK’s high school reunion is coming up?”
“Yeah.” Nancy answers. “He was talking about it today; said he didn’t want to go.” Nancy shrugs, “Can’t say I blame him, can’t think of anything worse.”
“It’s because she’d spend all the time talking about me.” Mateo quips, putting his hand on his chest.
“Oh you know it, babe.” Nancy agrees.
“TK didn’t tell you?” Paul veers them back on topic. “He was talking to his friend Cash about it today. Apparently he’s got a sister named Penny. Well, Cash does, not, TK, obviously. Anyways,” Paul veers himself back on topic. “He probably just hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to you about it yet.”
“Yeah, and I mean, I didn’t go to my high school reunion,” Marjan adds. “I think that’s more common than most people think; especially in the social media age. I’m sure he’s got his reasons.”
“Yeah,” Mateo interjects. “I mean, I had a friend who didn’t go to hers, but that was mainly because she was embarrassed of the guy she was dating and didn’t want to introduce him to her high school friends.” Mateo adds, realizing how bad that sounds as soon as he says it.
“Not that that’s the case with you and TK obviously.” Mateo rushes out, smiling a little too hard. “I mean, TK’s the guy who would introduce himself to someone just to tell them how much he loves you.”
Carlos continues to just stare, not knowing how to process any of it. Mateo points to the kitchen island. “I’m going to go eat some more of those wasabi peas I hate.”
“Nice save, ‘Teo,” Nancy teases, but she follows him over.
TK is back from the store not too much longer after that and they pick up game night like it never paused. Carlos knows he can ask TK about the high school reunion later; but for now, he’s focused on kicking ass at Catan.
——
“So, the topic of high school reunions came up while you were out getting ice.” Carlos starts as he begins cleaning up the game pieces.
“My god,” TK mutters, loading the dishwasher. “That group holds water about as well as a colander.” Carlos can’t help but chuckle. TK continues. “Yeah, I got a call from my friend Cash during my shift today.”
“Brother of Penny.”
“And son of Nickel.”
Carlos eyes widen. “Really?”
“No, his mom’s name is Nicole, but wouldn’t that be funny? Anyways, he asked if I could help out, to which I told him no, but then he asked if I was going at all and, I don’t know.” TK grimaces “I don’t think I see the point. We live in the social media age, you know. It’s like a reunion every time I open Instagram.”
Carlos nods, he can understand that. “So you’re not embarrassed of me?”
TK turns and smiles, “Only when you ask for pineapple on pizza. Why’d you ask?”
“I guess, I was just wondering why you didn’t want to go?” Carlos teeters around the words, trying not to be too invasive. “I know most people tend to not want to relive those memories since it was hell, but I don’t know, it just seemed like everyone liked you.”
TK’s silent for a beat before saying, “Yeah, everyone except me.” TK exhales.
TK sees the confusion painted across Carlos’ face, so he continues and joins Carlos on the couch. “By the time high school was ending; everything, I don’t know, just started to fall apart.”
TK shakes his head, as if trying to rid himself of the memories. “I had fallen in with a bad crowd, and fallen out with both my mom and my dad. I was mad. Mad at the world, at my parents, at myself.” TK releases a heavy sigh. “I just, I became someone I don’t ever want to meet again.” He looks at Carlos. “I became someone I don’t ever want you to meet. Someone who would make you question why you even fell in love with me in the first place. I don’t want to risk being in the environment and slipping back into the person I once was.” He looks down, feeling that leering sense of dread again.
“TK,” Carlos grabs TK’s hands. He squeezes them, his way of asking TK to look up at him. “I will love you, always; in this life and the next.” He continues, “When I say I love you, I mean all of you. The past, the present and what’s to come. I’ll be right there with you, every step of the way. Okay?”
TK smiles softly. “Okay.” He squeezes Carlos’ hand, loving the way it holds onto his.
“That said,” Carlos continues. “If you don’t want to go, I understand completely and we can have the most fun together, not going.”
TK looks at Carlos and smiles because he feels like the luckiest man in the world. TK sits in the silence, thinking over everything.
“If I did decide to go, you’d come too?” TK asks and Carlos nods. “Of course, you didn’t even have to ask. I mean it, every step of the way; no matter how big or how small.”
TK considers it, weighs his options. Nothing’s concrete, or set in stone. “I don’t know, maybe I will go.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I mean, maybe I do have something that I want to show off.”
“Your cool job and your even cooler co-workers?” Carlos jokes.
TK laughs before pulling in Carlos for a kiss. “No, that I’m finally happy.”