It was a hot and sticky summer night twelve years ago. Kelly’s 30th high school reunion. She took one last look in the mirror and thought, “Not bad, for an old broad.” Then she laughed at herself. “Where did that expression come from? It’s 2007, not 1937.” Kelly left the house chuckling, she was in a really good mood, expecting a fun night ahead.

She was in for a surprise.

The reunion was held in a private room at the Honeycomb, a restaurant near her house. Kelly never moved too far away from her hometown and she had only a ten minute drive until she got there. She pulled into a close parking spot grateful that she wouldn’t have to walk too far. After all, a girl wants to make a nice impression and she was wearing a new pair of heels.

In the parking lot she met Sandy. A guy from her bio class. They weren’t friends in high school but it was fun to see him after all these years. One hug in and she wasn’t even six feet from her car. Next she saw Debbie Danford getting out of her Dodge minivan.
“Soccer mom” she thought with a smile. Debbie was a total jock. Voted best female athlete in her class. She gave a friendly wave and walked into the Honeycomb. She was right on time and the place was filled already. Most faces were familiar and a few she didn’t recognize at all.

She stopped to check in and pick up her name badge complete with graduation picture. That’s when she saw three women very deliberately walking toward her.

Kelly knew Jill Ahren on the right and Becky Kole on the left, neither had changed much in thirty years. But she was drawing a blank when it came to the one in the middle. And it was her who stepped forward.

“Kelly, Kelly Cochran?” The question was more of a statement in a distinctively unfriendly tone. In fact she was downright hostile. Kelly leaned in close and saw from the name tag it was Sharon Shafton, a girl who lived two blocks down when she was growing up. In a quick assessment, she didn’t remember ever seeing Sharon in high school and certainly not since. Apparently that wasn’t the only thing she didn’t remember about Sharon.

“Remember the club you had in third grade? Remember how you wouldn’t let me be in it?” She asked accusingly.

Kelly responded. “Third grade? A club?”

“Yes. You and Nancy Graham had a club and you wouldn’t let me be in it.”

Sharon turned to Jill, and said “She doesn’t remember.” Then she turned to Becky and repeated “She doesn’t even remember!”

It was a planned ambush...READ MORE