She laughed, pleased that I had asked, and casually listed the brutal nicknames from our high school hallways.
I knew them both because I had heard them whispered behind me in chemistry class and written across my locker.
Then she leaned in and confessed that she had actually looked up my successful company name after we matched.
She admitted she wanted to break into the industry and thought maybe I could help her with an exclusive interview.
I waited until she finished laughing before I quietly repeated those exact same nicknames back to her face.
The color completely drained from her face as recognition hit her in real time under the restaurant lights.
The kid she tormented spent twelve years rebuilding himself into someone who would never beg for her approval again.
I paid for my half, stepped outside into the cool night air, and realized she never had any power over me.
