Wish I May, Wish I Might

I was still dreading coming back to my old high school. My mother was there when I got the ten year reunion letter in the mail. She would not stop bugging me about it. It got to the point of me feeling guilty of not wanting to go. Me being the nice one, I gave into her, so here I am dressed in a tight black dress with baby blue details, higher heels on than I have ever worn in my life, and a baby blue mask that was so itchy all I wanted to do was go back home. The theme of the reunion was ‘Hiding from the Past.’ I’ll give them credit, it was pretty clever. When I walked inside my old high school gym all I saw were a whole bunch of people with different colors and masks on. Some I could tell who they were just by watching their movements. Others I knew didn’t even go to our school so they had to be spouses or something. I looked down at my bare fingers feeling even lonelier now that I came.

“Attention, everyone! Attention!” I looked up at the voice to see Brandon Hanson, our student body president from high school. All the chatter and laughter went silent to his commanding voice. “I’d like to let you know that it is now time for our awards!” Awards? I saw people looking side to side trying to see if this was a joke. “Yes, yes, I know that we didn’t mention anything about awards but we felt that since in our senior year we got awards on who had the most spirit or was most athletic, but we, the student council, thought that some awards might make this better. Some of these awards might even bring people back together because the thing is that the ones getting awards have to show themselves before midnight like we had said on the letter." Good lord, what I have gotten myself into? My class would be the one to do the most insane shit possible. “You have signed in so we know who is here to get their awards and who isn’t, and do you remember that RSVP you all had to fill out with your degrees, relationship status, and jobs now? That’s how we determined the awards! Let’s get started!” Brandon flew his fist in the air while some people cheered. Others, like me, cowered into their seats.

I didn’t really pay attention to most of the awards. I had sat down with my Corona and started thinking about ways to get my mom back. That was until I heard the announcer say something familiar.

“This woman graduated with an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice at Spartanburg Methodist College and a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice at USC Columbia. She is now an Air Force pilot for the US Military!” Kill me. I looked up at the stage to see the award name to be ‘Heroine Award.’ “Heather Newberry!” I heard a loud roar of my former classmates. All of them were looking around to see me stand. Just stand up, Heather! I stood up, putting my beer down, and straightening my shoulders. My mask still intact. I heard a gasp from the crowd. Yeah, yeah. I lost weight. That’s what you get with what I do. It felt like a lifetime before I got up on stage. Catherine Castro, little Miss Perfect, was up on stage handing me my award. I rolled my eyes inwardly. How ironic the person that got all the awards in high school to be giving them out. I nodded my thanks and shook her hand. When I was about to leave Brandon stood up in front of me.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Brandon yelled out in the microphone. “You have to take off your mask, but first we will recognize our ‘Hero Award.’ You stand here and wait so we can get a picture of both you together.” I debated on just running, but then I remembered I had heels on. I stood there like a good little solider, while Catherine gave the introduction to Mr. Hero. My head and my gut started to get a sick feeling when she started talking.

“This man graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at Morehead University.” Oh. Fuck. No. “He is now in the military and is one of the first ones they call to go into combat.” Please be someone else. “Will Conner!” Flash: Me calling out his name. The crowd goes wild again. He wouldn’t have come to this sort of thing. He didn’t even go to prom! I see someone stand in the crowd with determination. Flash: I see him standing up in the woods in our spot. As he walked up the stage steps his red hair burned behind his black mask. Flash: I see his smile when I cut his hair. My eyes connect with his piercing green ones. Flash: I see him staring at me from across the table, smiling. Telling me how gorgeous he thought I was. Will shakes Catherine’s hand thanking her for the award. Turning to stand beside me I see all of his emotions in his eyes even behind the mask. Flash: I see his eyes all red after telling me he loved me and knowing he was leaving. I smelt his cologne as he stood next to me. Flash: I see him spray his cologne on for his going away party.

“Now so we may see your heroic faces, take off the masks!” I stood there as Will revealed his handsome face to everyone and showing them all how masculine he turned out. I just looked at him, too shocked to even move. He looked down at me.

“Do you need help?” Will asked me in his musical deep voice. I stood there like an idiot. Some hero I am. Will, being the gentleman he was, went behind me and started taking off my mask. Flash: His hands tangled in my hair. I got a cold chill and some people in the audience noticed and chuckled. I heard Will’s sharp inhale when he finally got my mask off. The people in the audience gasped as well. I had no care in the world what the audience was thinking. All I cared about was what Will was thinking. He handed me my mask. I took it and our hands grazed each others. Flash: The feel of his thumb rubbing circles on my hand. I looked up at his familiar face.

“Give a big hand for our heroes!” Brandon’s voice took me out of my trance.