A Touch of Heaven (13 page)

After primping and getting each hair in
place, the girls made their way to the Country Club. From the looks
they got from everyone milling around, their efforts would be
rewarded.

"Man, I didn't think there would be this
many people here," Courtney said from the back seat.

"Well, it is classmates and spouses," Amy
told her. "It's going to be more than just who we went to school
with."

"Are we ready ladies?" Heather asked,
opening her door and climbing out.

Paige exited the car last. She watched the
others make their way to the building before looking at her
reflection in the windows of her car, smoothing her shirt down over
her slacks and fussing with her hair.

Her mind once again shifted
to Simon. Him knowing her still confused her but not nearly as much
at the thoughts of her
date
did. Was he setting her up for something or was
she just being paranoid?

The look on his face inside the bathroom
puzzled her the most. He looked almost scared when he asked her
out, but why? The more she thought about it, the more confused she
became. She had a date with him and was nearly ready to bust from
wanting to tell someone. She knew Meg could help her think things
through and she wouldn't say anything if she told her not to, but
she felt stupid for wanting to see him again considering everything
that had happened. She frowned as she thought about it before
glancing over at Meg. After all the fuss, why would she even
consider a date with him?

Because he's hot and you like him.

"What's with the frown?"

"Nothing," Paige said, looking at Meg before
she smiled back at her.

She shook her head, grabbing her friend by
the arm and walking toward the building where the others were
waiting. They all smiled before entering. Two girls seated at the
"welcome" table in the entranceway immediately greeted them.

"Oh my God! Heather!" The blonde behind the
table screamed when they all entered. "We were all hoping you would
come."

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world,"
Heather said, flashing her million-watt smile.

"Well, you are the only one in the
graduating class that is now a household name," the blonde told her
smiling. "Here, just sign in and Tracy will help you find your
badge."

"Badge?" Kim asked, walking toward the table
and glancing up at Tracy. Kim remembered teasing her
relentlessly.

"Yes, it's a name tag, with your senior
picture on it," the blonde proudly boasted, pointing towards her
own. "In case you have trouble figuring out who anyone is."

"Oh, how... cute," Kim said, rolling her
eyes before scanning through the badges with Tracy until she found
hers. "God, did I actually wear my hair like that!" she yelled,
holding her nametag up and looking at it. "Why the hell didn't one
of you slap some sense into me?"

They all laughed, signing in and giving
their ticket to Melissa, who they barely recognized, but remembered
being the most annoying person on the planet. Finding their badges,
the six girls ventured down the hall to the reception area.

"Wow!" Megan said happily. "This place looks
great."

"I know," Courtney replied, looking around
the large room.

There were tables lining the four walls,
each holding photos of their high schools days, blown up and
displayed for the classmates to reminisce and take the opportunity
to remember days gone by.

Paige walked toward her right, the others
scattering in separate directions, looking at photos or speaking to
someone they hadn't seen in years. The room looked full to capacity
already, most of them congregating in the center of the room,
talking to old friends, while others scanned the photos lining the
tables.

Paige stopped to talk to a few old
classmates who said hello to her. It felt so much nicer to actually
talk to these people rather than turning her nose up to them.

She’d been terrible in school. She knew it.
Her friends expected her to be. They were snobs. All of them.
Herself included. Of course, the others weren't around at the
moment for her to put a front up for. She always hated that the
most. Pretending to be someone she just didn't want to be.

She sighed thinking of her old high school
self. No matter what she wanted or thought, the "girls" were the
ones who dictated how Paige thought and felt. If they didn't like
someone, Paige felt obligated to feel the same way. She wasn't a
leader… she was a follower.

Even though she loved her friends like
sisters, she didn't always believe in the same things they did, but
felt she had no other choice but to agree with what they said. It
took her years to come to grips with the thought that she actually
had a say-so in things. It felt nice to finally be able to say yes
when she knew her friends wouldn't approve.

But now, looking across the room to her
friends, she knew if they wanted to destroy everyone in the room,
she'd be powerless to stop them. She'd stand by and watch. It's
just what she did. She felt inferior to her friends. She always
had.

Turning back to the table of photos, Paige
walked slowly and scanned the pictures. Most were candid shots,
taken during classes and at lunch as students mingled in the quad.
It brought back memories of youth. The only care then was if she'd
be able to convince her mother to increase her allowance and what
to wear for her date on Friday night.

"Find anything interesting?" Kim asked when
she stopped by Paige.

"No, not yet, you?"

"Oh yeah," Kim said grinning, grabbing
Paige's arm. "Come on."

Kim led Paige over to the others, where they
all stood staring toward the pictures lining the table on the far
wall, whispering to each other.

Paige once again found herself staring at
photos. She saw a photo of her and her friends sitting in the quad,
their faces alight with laughter before her eyes landed on a large
picture of her.

She looked at the young girl staring back at
her, her eyes shining and a happy smile gracing her face.

"Ah, to be young and carefree."

Paige turned and looked at Megan when she
spoke before saying, "I can barely even remember being that
young."

"It wasn't that long ago," Megan told her,
looking at the photo.

"No, but it seems like forever." Paige
turned back to the photo. "I mean, I didn't even have wrinkles
then."

Megan laughed, shaking her head. "You don't
have any wrinkles now, you goof."

"Well, maybe not, but they're hiding there,
just under the surface. I can feel them," Paige laughed studying
her photo.

"Do you see it, Paige?" Kim asked, butting
in-between Paige and Megan. Kim let out a slow laugh before she
shook her head. "Its kind of ironic, don't you think?"

"Yes and I still can't believe how young I
was," she smiled. She stared at the photo, Kim's snickers causing
her head to turn and look at her curiously. "What is so funny, Kim?
Have you already found the bar or something?"

"No, I just think it's kind of hilarious, is
all," she said staring at the photo.

"What?"

Kim turned, looking at Paige before looking
back at the photo. "Uh, that!" she said loudly, pointing to the
picture.

Paige bit back a remark before pointing to
the badge on Kim’s shirt. "And like that isn’t?"

Kim looked at Paige before
giggling louder. "Geez Paige, do you
not
see him!"

"See who?"

"Your stalker!" Kim stated loudly, pointing
to the boy in the picture before laughing and walking off.

Paige turned back to the photo, looking at
the others who were slightly out of focus before she finally saw
whom Kim was talking about. Sitting in the row over from where
Paige sat in the photo, was Colin.

She smiled while looking at him. He had to
have been the shyest person she'd ever known. The day he had asked
her to the prom was the first time he'd ever said anything to her
other than his daily "Hello Paige."

She instantly wondered if he were there and
found herself looking around the room, scanning the faces of her
old classmates. She shook her head, finding the action silly,
before looking back at the photo.

Paige leaned her head to the side, looking
closely at the boy in the photo. Colin looked different than she
remembered. She wasn't sure what it was at first, but on closer
examination, she realized his glasses were in his hand, not on his
face. She couldn't remember ever seeing him with them off.

She smiled thinking he really wasn't as bad
looking as everyone made him out to be, especially with the glasses
off. Sure his clothes were a little on the dorky side and his hair
was… well, unmanageable, but other than the exterior, he wasn't
bad.

She studied his features, trying to imagine
what he would look like now. Most everyone looked the same, other
than a few extra pounds here and there and she pictured the man he
would be today.

She imagined his hair different. The unruly
curls finally managed and away from his face so everyone could see
him. The blue in his eyes were bright and the longer she stared at
him the more familiar the face became. The smile on her face slowly
fell away as she took in his features.

The hair that curled wildly on top his head
seemed to pull away from the sharp lines of his cheekbones she'd
never really paid much attention to before. His lips were full, the
bottom much thicker than the top and she leaned in, looking into
the photo and her heart seemed to quicken in her chest when she
looked at his eyes. He was looking directly at the camera, almost
as if he were looking at her. His eyes looked familiar, like one's
she'd seen recently.

Suddenly a set of shocking blue eyes
registered in her mind and her mouth gaped open. She stared at the
photo before she shook her head. "That's impossible," she mumbled
to herself, staring in disbelief at Colin. "It can't be."

Paige blinked. She shook her head, trying to
clear it before looking back at the photo.

When the Class President announced dinner
was being served Paige never moved. She stood there, staring at the
photo. She barely acknowledged her peers moving about the room and
heading for the dining hall.

"You ready, Paige?" Megan asked, coming to
stand over by her friend.

Paige stood stock still, her breaths
quickening, still staring at the photo.

"You know, if you like that photo so much, I
bet they'll let you have it." Megan said, grinning. "What has you
so intrigued with it anyway?"

"Colin," Paige said, flatly.

"Colin?"

"Right there in living color," Paige said,
pointing him out.

"Wow. I bet he'd be tickled shitless if he
knew he actually had a picture with you and him in it."

"Oh, I bet he would," Paige said harshly.
She continued to stare at the blue eyes she felt herself drown in
every time she looked into them. She could see it so clearly
now.

She knew why Simon knew her name. He knew
her.

"Well, come on," Megan said, taking Paige's
arm and pulling her towards the door.

* * *

Simon took a long draw from his smoke,
staring at the building and trying to build enough nerve up to
actually get off his bike and go inside. He knew Paige was in
there, waiting just inside the door somewhere, and the moment of
truth was close at hand.

He'd been sitting in the parking lot for
over ten minutes trying to go over exactly what he would say when
he saw her. He knew she wasn't going to be happy at first, but
hoped after a little explanation of why he hadn't told her who he
was from the beginning; she would see things from his perspective
and not castrate him on sight.

Sighing heavily, he stood, throwing his
cigarette to the ground before he straightened his shoulders and
walked confidently toward the building. The nervous feelings in his
gut churned slightly when he reached the door before grabbing the
handle and pulling it open.

"Hi, welcome to Riverdale Highs class
reunion. Would you please sign in and find your badge," Melissa
said cheerfully when Simon walked through the door.

Simon looked over at her before he reached
into his pocket, pulling his ticket out and tossed it on the table
as he walked by.

"Hey, wait a minute, you need to sign in!"
Melissa yelled, standing from her seat. She watched his retreating
form before glancing at Tracy.

"Who the hell is that?" Tracy asked, a huge
smile on her face as she watched the black clad figure walk down
the hall.

"I don't know. He didn't look familiar."

"I'll say," Tracy said, grinning, "I sure as
hell would have remembered him."

Melissa sat back down, her eyes still
riveted on Simon before he rounded the corner and was out of
sight.

"Hurry, look and see who hasn't shown up
yet. Maybe we can figure out who he is," she said giggling before
she and Tracy dove into the remaining name badges, trying to find
the classmate they hadn't recognized.

***

Simon walked slowly down the hall, stopping
at the large easel sat up to hold all the information on the
planned events. He scanned the schedule, seeing they were to first
report to the lobby, where they would meet till everyone was
accounted for before they would enter the dining room. He noted the
time and saw that the meet and greet was over before glancing at
the printed floor plan.

Looking down the hall and turning, he headed
for the dining area and to the woman who would probably hate him
forever.

* * *

Paige allowed herself to be led down the
hall, her mind going a thousand miles a minute while she tried to
process the information in her head. Her logical self kept saying
it wasn't possible, but the reasonable side, kept seeing the sharp
features that graced his face, the full lips she still had trouble
forgetting and the piercing blue eyes that seemed to pull her into
a place made for her and her alone.