Teenage life is one of the most difficult times in one's life, and I, like many others, did not have a good time. I went to school every day, but the classes were not very interesting, and although I had friends, to me they were just like insurance against being alone in class.
Now I can only remember the names of two of my classmates in my third year of middle school. One was a boy who, for some reason, always cared about me, and come to think of it, probably liked me. The other was a girl who had the same last name as me. Anyway, I think I spent the year hoping that something would change when I started high school.
In my class that would soon be graduating, there was talk of going bowling after the ceremony. At that time, the most exciting place to go out with a group was not karaoke or purikura (photo booth), but bowling. I was of course just listening to these plans, but for some reason I got invited. I was a little nervous about meeting them in plain clothes because I wore a uniform at school, and I was nervous about whether I would act well since the members of the group were girls and boys I had never hung out with before, but I think the bowling itself was fun. I still remember my outfit at the time: a black sweater, short checkered pant skirt, and red coral earrings I borrowed from my mother. It was my favorite outfit back then.
One day, decades later, I received a call on my cell phone from an unknown number. I answered the phone, and it was a call inviting me to our middle school reunion. Apparently, my mother gave my cell phone number to a former classmate, and since then I have been receiving invitations to reunions from time to time. The girl who called me asked, “Do you remember my name?” I couldn't remember her name or face at all, and without much small talk, I politely told her that I couldn't go to the reunion.
Maybe I behaved better in middle school than I thought. I felt like a failure at everything anyway, but I'm sure I was good enough to get invited to go bowling. I remembered that when hearing her cheerful voice on the phone.