Part 2They Booked Their Reunion At My Hotel

December 21st, 5 PM.

I stood outside The Haven Hotel, exhaling a plume of white breath. I hadn't driven my own car, opting for a taxi. My attire was modest: a grey down jacket over a black turtleneck. My hair was tied in a low ponytail, and my face wore only a thin layer of tinted moisturizer.

Pushing through the revolving doors, the warm air of the lobby enveloped me. The young woman at the front desk started to speak when she saw me, but a glance from me silenced her. She lowered her head, pretending to organize documents.

I bypassed the front desk and walked towards the banquet hall. At the end of the corridor, the entrance to Hall B was already laid with a red carpet. On either side of the carpet were roll-up banners, emblazoned with "Sophomore Class 3 Tenth Anniversary Reunion," with a smaller line below: "Grateful for our meeting, cherishing our youth."

I stared at that line for three seconds.

"Evelyn?"

A voice came from behind me. I turned to see Novak standing there, dressed in a dark blue suit, holding a stack of name tags. He looked me up and down, an awkward smile on his face. "Whoa, long time no see. You… doing alright?"

"I'm fine."

"What are you doing for work now?"

"Running a small business."

Novak said "oh," but didn't press further. He shuffled through the name tags, pulling one out and handing it to me. It read "Evelyn Howard," listed last. "Claire arranged the seating. You're… at table three."

I took the name tag, glancing at the hall. Three round tables in total. Table one was closest to the stage, table two in the middle, and table three in the corner, right next to the kitchen entrance. Sitting by the serving area.

I nodded, walked over, and sat down. There were a few other name tags on table three: David Hardin, Patrick Bratton, Jane Mantel… all the least noticeable people in the class back then.

At exactly 6 PM, people started arriving. Claire walked in, teetering on ten-centimeter heels, in a wine-red dress, a gold necklace around her neck.

A necklace. I lowered my eyes.

Felicity followed her, in an off-white coat, carrying a Chanel chain bag. Their eyes swept across the hall, finally landing on me in the corner. Claire’s lips curved upwards slightly. Felicity, however, hurried over, her face beaming with surprise as she grabbed my hand. "Evelyn! Oh my goodness, it really has been a long time!"

Her hand was soft, her nails manicured in a French style, and a small diamond ring glittered on her ring finger. I looked into her eyes. These were the same eyes that, ten years ago, had declared to the entire class: "I saw Evelyn going through Claire’s bag with my own eyes."

"You look great," Felicity said, releasing my hand, looking me up and down. "Where did you buy this down jacket? It must be quite warm, right?" Her tone was gentle, but her eyes had already appraised me from head to toe. After her assessment, her smile grew even brighter. "I'll take you shopping sometime; I know a few really good value stores."

Value.

I smiled. "Sure."

She turned and went back to table one, sitting next to a tall man. Kyle Brown. He was a bit thinner, his hair cut short, wearing a grey cardigan. He looked more than ten years older than he had a decade ago. He glanced my way, then quickly looked away. This boy, who had once captivated all the girls in class, was now attentively pouring water for Felicity. The watch on his wrist was genuine, but not particularly expensive.

Table one was filled with the "inner circle" from back then: Claire, Felicity, Kyle Brown, and a few other girls who had followed Claire. Table two was the middle tier, the kind who got along with everyone.

Table three.

I looked around. David Hardin sat across from me, nodding. Jane Mantel sat next to me, head bowed, looking at her phone. The people in the corner, as expected, weren’t talkative.

Novak stood on the stage, picking up the microphone. "To all our old classmates—" The lights dimmed slightly. "Welcome home."