Reunion by M. R. Joseph Page A

chairs across from the sofa and in between that was a coffee table with sports magazines spread across it. He had one wall that was exposed brick and a flat screen t.v. hung on it. He had a bookshelf on the same brick wall and on top were a few pictures of him and his mom and then one of his whole family. There was also a small picture of friends from his fraternity at LaSalle and one of him with all the guys from high school. His kitchen was small with just a small Ikea table off to the side of it. A bowl of fresh fruit sat on top of it. I looked down the small hall way off the kitchen. I knew one door was the bathroom and I figured the other two were bedrooms. I opened the one door cautiously and peeked in. It was a very small room with a twin bed, end table and a small desk with his laptop on it. The laptop was turned on and I could see images on it but I couldn’t make them out. I inched in closer to see what the pictures were flashing on the slide show. As I moved towards the laptop I gasped and realized that the slide show was pictures of us. Sam and I. Pictures from high school, pictures from college, our trip to Florida we took one spring break, at both of our college graduations and then the last one I saw was the last picture we took together five years ago. The night of our reunion. I quickly tip toed backwards out of the room. I pulled the door shut quietly and there he was standing behind me. I jumped when my back hit his chest.
    “Jesus Sam you scared the shit out of me. Don’t do that.” He let out a small laugh. I had a feeling he knew that I saw the slideshow. I walked back towards the living room.
    “So Savannah is there anything you would like to discuss? Oh I forgot to ask you how’s Dr. Becker? You two looked quite cozy out on the dance floor. It’s so nice to get reacquainted with old friends isn’t it? But I guess you are the one who got lucky. I mean he was the captain of the Lacrosse team our senior year and now he’s a doctor.” He started clapping his hands. “Bravo Savannah. Bravo. You landed yourself a good one. Did you set a date for the wedding? I’ll be invited right? That will look great. Savannah’s ex being invited to the wedding. Gee how did he ever let her get away? Inquiring minds want to know.”
    He took a long drink of his beer and finished it. He slammed the bottle on his coffee table. I could feel my blood pressure rise and my eyes began swelling with tears. I shook my head and he started towards the door.
    “So I guess there is nothing more to say then Savannah. I’m sure you and Jack will live happily ever after.” He began opening the door. I took my hand and slapped the door shut. “ You think you’re so smart don’t you jock. You think you know everything. Well you know jack shit. There is nothing going on between me and Jack Bender. I flirted with him to make you jealous. Just like you did with the skank of the year Christa. I saw right through your little plan. I can’t play these games anymore Sam. My heart can’t take it.”
    “See that’s the thing with you Savannah. Something goes wrong and not your way, you run. You are always running. Running away from your problems. You ran to Boston, you ran away from your family after your dad died. You are a runner.”
    I got into his face so close that I could feel him breathing on me. “ How could you say that to me about me. I tried to get here as often as I possibly could but I spent so much time here when he was sick, I needed to focus on me for a while. Besides Georgia was here. Where were you Sam? You weren’t there for me when he passed. You called my mom but you didn’t call me. I got your card and I read it then threw it away.”
    “I was in London when he died Savannah. I could not leave my job. I had to be there for a month. I was running the project. No one else was capable of doing it. I sent flowers to your mom. I went to see her when I got back from London. I cried when my mom called to tell