This Time I Remained Silent

I went to our high school reunion last weekend. It was supposed to be a reunion, but it felt more like a casual gathering for dinner, where we caught up and talked about our high school days. However, conversations often drifted into gossip about so-and-so’s current affairs.

Moreover, there were only twelve of us. It was disconcerting and disappointing. I couldn’t understand the point of this so-called reunion.

However, there was a surprise. She was there too — the girl who was always the subject of rumors in high school. Or should I say, the girl who was unjustly targeted by those rumors. But she wasn’t the same girl anymore. She had changed a lot, becoming a confident and gorgeous woman.

I’d seen her on social media, but seeing her in person was different. She looked even better in person.

She sat across from me, her legs crossed, wearing a black dress and heels. She looked stunning like she belonged to a fancy party. But then, my attention was pulled back to reality by the guy sitting next to her, chatting with her excitedly. I’d never been fond of him since high school.

Her thick hair fell over her shoulders. In contrast, the guy sitting next to her was almost bald. He looked tired and stressed out, as if life had hit him hard. But she seemed untouched by it all. She looked like a movie star, with her white skin and red lips.

She caught my gaze unexpectedly with a gentle glance. She nodded at me with a smile. Her shy and warm smile was as bright as the sun. But then, I wondered how she remembered me. We barely talked in high school, except for that one time.

I remember she wasn’t a straight-A student nor was she a cold, aloof girl with gorgeous looks. Instead, she was an average student, with average grades and average appearance. However, she did stand out by choosing clothing that was somewhat revealing for a high schooler.

Back then, I didn’t know much about her life. I tended to keep to myself, focusing on my studies. But I did hear various rumors about her, about her family, about her relationships, and so on.

These rumors ranged from her parent’s divorce to her living situation with her grandfather. There were even speculations that her mother had an affair, leading to her parents’ divorce. It seemed like many stories were circulating about her personal life, including claims about her virginity and more.

I didn’t know what to believe. However, considering her choice of revealing clothing, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was some truth to the rumors. That only changed after our first interactions.

We first interacted during choir practice. I found she wasn’t as horrible as people made her out to be. She was just casual and didn’t care much about other people’s attention. But a lot of people didn’t like her. They made fun of her and even tried to get her kicked out of the choir.

It was unfair. They blamed her for things she didn’t do. Eventually, she was asked to leave the choir.

One day, a classmate asked me about the rumors circulating in the choir. I defended her, insisting that she was the victim. However, he didn’t believe me and even made things worse for me. Soon, rumors began spreading about me as well. People started saying that I had confirmed the girl’s problematic behavior in the choir.

I felt terrible. I had never experienced that kind of slander before. What’s worse, I was worried that she might believe the rumors and be disappointed in me. So, I decided to confront the classmate who started it all. However, he flat-out denied it. At that moment, I realized how stressful and irritating rumors and gossip could be.

I made up my mind to tell her myself since I had nothing to hide. Despite my stress and worries, she was surprisingly calm. After I explained the situation to her, she shrugged it off, and said, “I know it wasn’t you. It’s okay. I’m leaving anyway. I’m done with school.”

“Why though? Just because of what they said?” I asked, surprised.

“Nah, I couldn’t care less,” she replied with a smile.

We never talked again after that. I heard she left school and got a job. Some said she became a prostitute, but who knows?

People forgot about her eventually, moving on to gossip about someone else.

She walked towards me, holding a wine glass, and settled beside me.

“I remember you were the one spreading the rumors,” she said, with a mischievous smile on her lips.

“No, no, no. I was not. Have you forgotten? I explained it to you,” I hurriedly replied, setting down my wine glass and gesturing with my hand in explanation.

“Hahaha, look how nervous you are. I remember. I was just teasing you. After all these years, you’re still so serious,” she said calmly, taking a sip of wine and leaning back.

“And you’re still so naughty,” I responded with a sigh.

“Thank you for standing up for me,” she suddenly looked into my eyes tenderly and said.

I had only spoken the truth, but I hadn’t realized it meant so much to her. It dawned on me how isolated and vulnerable she must had felt back then.

I nodded silently.

Our conversation was soon interrupted by others, and she left early. As she left, rumors began swirling once more. Some said she was a kept woman, while others claimed she still worked as a prostitute. I couldn’t help but wonder, was I the only one aware of her successful career and happy family? And everything about her life was readily available on her social media account. Did you not see it, or did you just not believe it?

I took a sip of wine, my mouth trembling as if trying to form words. But this time, I remained silent. There was no point in arguing. Some people simply refuse to listen, no matter what. Let it be, just like her. I believed she wouldn’t care less about these rumors either.