by Denise Calaman

Created on: August 21, 2009   Last Updated: September 19, 2010

I walked into the dimly lit gymnasium cautiously. I wanted to see all of them before they noticed me and called me out. I had not seen most of my high school friends for over 15 years and really didn't care to see them now but my best friend desperately wanted to attend our 15 year high school reunion. She had just divorced and didn't have a date. My husband and I reluctantly agreed to go with her. Just as we entered the gymnasium, Guns n Roses "Welcome to the Jungle" started blaring throughout the gym.

"Now that's fitting," I thought to myself. My husband couldn't help himself and started doing his best "headbanging" ever. No sooner had he began thrashing his Navy crew cut special, looking like a true moron, a huge spotlight came out of nowhere, spotlighting the new arrivals. Us. "Oh, now that's REALLY fitting," I said out loud.

"What? I can't hear you!" My best friend shouted as and my husband put his tongue in his mouth, ran his fingers through his hair and meandered to an area somewhere safely behind us out of the spotlight. The entire fire hall of reunionettes locked eyes on us. At that very moment most of my senses were on overload. I was blinded by the spotlight, my nose was picking up an overpowering, yet overly familiar scent of something illegal wafting into the hall from the men's room outside, my taste buds were starting to pick up on my nervous stomach and all I could hear was Axel Rose screaming, "You know where you are? You're in the jungle baby. . .". At least that's all I thought I could hear.

My hearing must be the strongest of my five senses because even with Axel Rose screaming at me I still heard, "Oh I don't believe it! Look who finally showed up at a reunion!" And there she was. Her voice I heard over the screechiest heavy metal band of the 80's. SHE was Suzanne Botz.

 I had not seen her in over 15 years and it was intentional avoidance. In high school Suzanne Botz was my worst nightmare. You know the type. Miss goody two shoes, tennis playing, daddy's got money, my first car was a Volkswagen Cabriolet convertible driving, I'm soooo fake and I don't care who knows it, but I'm still easy, kind of girl. It was nice to see after all these years she has changed. Suzanne Botz was now a 50 pounds heavier, LL Bean sandal wearing, chubby cheeked mother. And I just knew by the looks of her that she had a bumper sticker on the back of her car that said, "My kid is an honor roll student at . . ." This woman who was at one time the snottiest

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