Page 10 of After All This Time

The king of all assholes.

God, I can’t stand him.

I told myself I was done with him. I thought I’d never see or speak to him again.

Five years ago, my mom planned the day before my high school graduation. I didn’t know what she had up her sleeve. All I knew was that we were going to the Kaplan’s house, which I dreaded because there was a good chance I’d run into Noah. When Mom told me there’d be chocolate cake from Marina’s Diner, I couldn’t resist because I love that damn cake.

That all changed when Laura suggested we should have a final game night.

“I figured we’d have one last family game night. What do we think?”

Laura is sitting in between my mom and her husband, Ben, on the sofa in the living room inside the Kaplan family’s house.

Lizzie is sitting next to me on the chair bed.

Noah is sitting by himself on the plush chair across from Lizzie and I.

I’ve tried everything I could to avoid Noah since sophomore year, but somehow our parents thought it’d be a good idea to put us in a room together after everything that happened.

“Have you guys prepared your arguments for what game we’re going to play tonight?” Ben asks, looking at Noah and shifting his attention to me.

I shake my head. “Well, considering I had no idea we were even doing this, no I didn’t prepare my argument. In fact, I have no interest in taking part in any of this.”

“Dani Girl, will you please stay? For old time’s sake?” Laura pleads, her pupils dilating the longer she keeps staring at me. “This isn’t spontaneous. I planned this. Noah didn’t tell you?”

I grunt. “No, he didn’t.”

Lizzie’s breath is on the edge of my ear. “Don’t worry, I’m here if you need me as backup to whoop Noah’s ass.”

“I heard that,” Noah says.

“You were meant to, dickhead.” Lizzie flips him off, rolling her eyes.

My eyes lock with Noah’s.

There’s nobody who brings out my anger like he does, even more so now than before.

I can feel a fire starting in the pit of my stomach, desperately trying to escape and torching the shit out of him.

He gets up off the chair, standing in front of all of us.

Noah’s eyes land on me. “I did prepare my argument, but there’s no sense in me presenting since I don’t have anyone to compete against.” He licks his lips. “I mean you think a smart person like Dani would’ve figured out we’d have a final family game night before we go off to college. I guess she’s not as smart as you all thought she was.”

I’m staring at the wall and attempting my best to keep cool.

“Maybe that’s because she never was smart.” He pauses. “Maybe it’s all a bullshit persona she conjured up in her head.”

“That’s enough son,” Ben says.

It was hard enough to be in the same room before, but it’s more intense now. My feelings towards him have intensified. My feelings of hatred and irritation, to be specific.

“That’s funny.” I pause. “Tell me something, Kaplan. Do you get off on being a prick or does it just come naturally to you?” I tell him all this without making contact until I say the last few words.

He marches over to me. “Get up.”

“Fuck you,” I say.

“You want to make a scene in front of our families? Or are you going to listen to me like the good girl I know you can be?”

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