He continued his journey to the gym with a nostalgic smile.
As he approached the door, the smile faded. The sound of loud music banged against his eardrums. With a heavy sigh, he opened the door.
Neon lights flashed. Fake smiles were everywhere. The air was thick with the overwhelming mix of colognes and perfumes.
"Yooo, look what the vibe dragged in!" Jimmy appeared from the crowd, red cup in hand and a wild grin on his face. "My lil brodi, Jake!"
"Hey, Jimmy! Wow, you've changed a lot," Jake said, sarcasm heavy in his voice.
Jimmy chuckled. "You overstepping your boundaries, brah."
Both paused, locking eyes for a moment.
"Damn, I've missed you so much," Jake finally said, breaking the silence.
"Oh my blud, we ain't seen each other since like… the last blue moon," Jimmy replied, tears of joy welling up as he pulled Jake into a rough hug.
"Ah, jeez… not a hugger, remember?" Jake muttered, his tone tight with discomfort.
"Oh—my bad, blud," Jimmy said quickly, pulling back and wiping his tears.
Jake chuckled. "Still the crybaby from high school, huh?"
"What you talkin' about? I ain't no—"
Before Jimmy could finish, Jake pulled him into a hug.
Jimmy smiled softly as Jake pulled away from the hug. Jake took a quick glance around the crowded gym.
"Wow, everyone really came," he said, a hint of surprise in his voice.
Jimmy nodded, grinning wide. "Oh yes, brother, everyone's here."
"Let's go grab us a drink, huh?" Jimmy said, pulling Jake toward the refreshment table.
Jake raised a brow. "You've already got a cup in your hand."
Jimmy chuckled. "Oh, I forgot to mention—SHE'S also here," he added with a weird, overly dramatic wink.
Jake froze for a second. "…She?" he asked cautiously.
Jimmy sipped from his cup, smirking. "Yup, SHE," he replied.
Jake suddenly felt a shift in the air, like someone was watching him.
He turned around.
"Hey, handsome," a sweet female voice said. "Remember me?"
"Jocelyn..." he muttered, forcing a smile.
Just the person I wanted to see, hethoughtsarcastically.
"How would I forget," Jake said, his voice tight with forced warmth—polite, but hollow. "You still have those same piercing eyes... and that curly blonde hair."
She chuckled. "Guess I can't say the same for you," she said, giving him a slow once-over. "I like the dreads—definitely better than those… braids."
"Whoa, the air's getting tense. I'mma leave you two lovebirds to it," Jimmy said, backing away with a grin. As he passed Jake, he leaned in and whispered, "Have fun," followed by a soft chuckle.
Jimmy!!! Jakeyelled internally, frustration boiling beneath his forced calm.
"Let's go grab a seat," Jocelyn said, already tugging at his arm. "The others are dying to see you." She smirked.
"What others?" he asked nervously.
No, no, no... please don't tell me they're all here, the whole squad is here?!, he thought, his stomach tightening.