“Hi Aaron! How are you mate? It’s funny running into you here.” the man said in one breath.

“Hi. Do we know each other?”

“Come on mate, don’t you remember me?”

“You do look familiar.”

“Come on. Think hard and out with it.”

“Umm...highschool?”

“BINGOOOOOO...” the man yelled “...your mate from highschool, the Magnificent Dan”.

“As I recall you were one year younger than me...”

“Yep, yep.”

“...and always followed me and my friends around.”

“Well...” Dan said looking a bit awkward “...you were the cool guys and i just wanted in the group.”

“So what are you doing here?” Aaron asked.

“Just started working here mate. My first day in fact.”

“Cool. Welcome aboard, I guess.”

“What do you say we go out for lunch? Eh mate? Catch up on things.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” said Aaron in a dismissive way. “Listen man, I have to get back to my desk. See you later.”

“Yeah, sure mate. I’ll see you around.”

Both men felt like they were back in highschool. Aaron felt chased and annoyed again and Dan rejected. It was the shitty old days all over again. Aaron felt like a prick. He thought we had matured and wasn’t a dick anymore but he kept acting towards Dan just like he had some 20 years ago. He told Dan he would go to lunch with him only to end the conversation with no real intention of doing so.

...to be continued...