Homecoming

This is an entry in the Halloween Story Contest 2022. Please vote!

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Leo Brown was surprised when he got the email. He didn't realize that it had been so long since he graduated high school. But, here it was his twenty year high school reunion. Would he go back or not? It was a long way back to the States from his current home here in Ireland. He had work and a life here. Not much of a life but still a life, so to speak.

Why were they having it in fall too? Shit, they probably wanted some donation from him. Laramie East always needed money for their sports teams. The jocks "needed" new uniforms, scoreboards...all the shit that the asked for in some hope that their sucky football team would miraculously get better. The football team had been asking for donations since he'd gone their. All the donations had never bought them a better team.

Besides.why should he leave his home? What was there for him at Laramie East High school. But, still he wanted to see everyone...well not everyone, he hated nearly everyone. He just wanted Laurie to see Laurie.

There had been alot of jerks and assholes in his class. But, Laurie was his high school sweetheart. He wanted to talk to her and see her again before he got any older. He didn't want to talk to her online either. He wanted to talk to her face to face and in person like they used to twenty years ago. Leo wanted to be with Laurie physically..well not physically physically. He wanted to be in the same room as her. Leo wanted to find his happiness.

Leo had several Guinesses as well as some fish and chips for lunch so he fell asleep at his desk. He was a manager at a Call Center in Cork and between robocalls and the telemarketers, the place mostly took care of itself. So Leo was able to take it easy. Leo fell asleep at his desk and dreamed.

He dreamed he was back in high school. His locker was right next to Laurie Greysmith's, if her locker hadn't been next to his they probably would have never met. His entire high school only had 300 students but she was a popular girl and a lawyer's daughter. She lived on the opposite side of town. Leo lived on the "wrong side of the tracks''. Leo and Laurie ran in different circles.

Still on the first day of school freshman year, he had been polite and introduced himself as she put on cherry flavored chapstick in her locker mirror. Leo had thought she was so pretty with her hair done up in a ponytail. This girl was definitely out of his league. Still Leo thought he might as well go for it. What did he have to lose? Leo asked her name. She had told him that her name was Laurie.

"Are you a Laura or a Lauren?" asked Leo. He didn't want her to stop talking. She was so entrancing in that way that only young high school girls can be. At the time he didn't realize it but he was as shy and trying to hard as only young high school boys could be.

Laurie said that she was a Lauren but hated that name so everyone called her Laurie. She wanted to know if Leo was short for anything. Leo told her that he was just Leo. Leo was disappointed that they had no classes together. They would just have to make small talk about nothing at their lockers. So Laurie and Leo talked about how much Algebra sucked and what the cafeteria had for lunch that day. Their friendship never really progressed beyond that. Until, Laurie told him she was joining the debate team.

Leo figured that would be a good way to spend more time with Laurie so he tried out for the debate team too. His father told him that the debate team was for losers and fags. No son of his was going to be a loser or a fag. Father and son didn't speak for three months. But, Leo didn't care what his alcoholic father said or did. Even though he was just a teenager, Leo knew that his father was a loser, it was why his mother had left. Leo wanted to be with Laurie. So he tried out and won a place on the team. Leo thanked God. Leo knew he was totally unqualified and no good at debate.

Still he, Laurie and the rest of the high school team, debated things that seemed important then but ultimately never mattered. High schoolers had no say in elections, or world decisions. Three years went by with just friendly chats about nothing between the two and time on the debate team.

Leo woke up from his dream. He wondered if dreams were lies to yourself or if it was something worse, a delusion perhaps. Either way, Leo decided to head back to Wyoming for his class reunion. After all, what was the worst that could happen? Perhaps something good might even happen for once. TPS reports at his office could wait.

So two months later, Leo found himself on a plane back to the United States. A mere twenty-four hours after that, on a cold autumn day, he found himself in Larmie. He had forgotten how flat it was. You could bowl on Main Street.

He was also shocked at how much it had stayed the same. He was sure it would have expanded in the thirty odd years he'd been gone. But, Laramie had basically stayed the same size. New restaurants had come in place of old ones, there was even a Mexican restaurant now. Although he couldn't imagine, someone native Wyoming-ite ordering something as exoctic as a taco. It would be to spicey and ethnic.

Later that night Leo found himself at Laramie East High School. He had brought a tux. Leo had brought it along because he felt like it was what you were supposed to do. He didn't like wearing it. As soon as he walked in, he knew he had made a mistake. Almost everyone else was wearing California casual type of clothes.

They all turned and stared at him. Murmurs started up all around the room. His entire high school class was trying to figure out who he was. Everyone but him had basically stayed in the area and hung out at each other's houses since high school. They didn't remember him. But, none of what his former classmates thought mattered. He had spotted Laurie.

Leo rapidly strode across the room to talk to her. She was one of the few people in formal attire. Leo thought she looked beautiful. She wore a silver sparkle dress, high heels and had an updo. Laurie carried a martini glass in her hand. She was talking to another former classmate that Leo couldn't recall.

Their eyes met at the same time. Laurie glided across the room to him. She tossed her arms around him and hugged him.

"Leo...it's been SO long. I didn't know if you were going to come...all the way from Ireland. I'm so glad you're here. You know I will never forget that summer we were together. It was amazing." Laurie said as she hugged Leo closer. Leo loved the smell of the perfume she wore. It was still the same as that summer in high school.

Leo was still a shy man and didn't know how to converse with a woman he hadn't seen in twenty years. So he talked about what he knew.

"Where's Mike? I don't see him." he asked.

"Oh...Mike....he's old news and he's not here. He's probably working at the garage. Apart from dropping Jordan off at his house I don't see him anymore. We're divorced you know. It was probably a mistake to get married right out of high school." Laurie said with a regretful and bitter laugh.

"You had such a crush on him though. We were dating one day and then...snap a week later...you were with Mike." said Leo mournfully.

"What can I say Leo? We were just kids...18 and seniors in high school. Mike was 21, he could buy beer. He had his camero...Mike always used to tune it up in his driveway. He'd stand there washing it all shirtless and just in jeans. He was just SO hot. I was only 18 what did I know? I really liked you. We had wonderful passionate times together. But, Mike was hot with a camaro and I figured you were a good guy who'd always be there. You'd forgive me no matter what. So I went for a fling with Mike. Then we got pregnant with Jordan and I had to stay with him. This is Larmie not an excotic place like NYC or LA. I guess I always thought you'd be there. You were the good guy...the safe bet. " Laurie said sadly.

"Well, I got that scholarship to the University of Illinois and I went there. You stayed here with Mike. Then I took a semester abroad in Ireland, loved it and never came back to the University of Illinois even. I'm happy...enough with my life. It's a life.I really only came back to see you." said Leo contemplatively.

"I'm going to get something to drink...can I get you anything Laurie?" Leo was still shy around the girl he'd dated that one summer twenty odd years ago. He needed some liquid courage.

"Sure, I'll take an appletini." said Laurie. Leo got himself a beer, beer in Wyoming sucked. It was nothing like beer in Ireland and got Laurie's appletini. Several other former classmates tried to talk to him, but he didn't want to talk to them. All the people in the Days' Inn reception room could go to hell. He just wanted Laurie.

Leo went back to Laurie and handed her the drink.

"God, I hate these things. Everybody's talking to each other and pretending they had a wonderful time in high school. We see each other all the time here. You and a handful of other people are the only ones who live out of state. Don't believe anyone when they tell you how successful they are, they're all lying assholes." said Laurie angerily.

Leo could tell Laurie was getting a bit tipsy so he decided it was time to play his cards. "Well, I only came to see you. There's no one else I care about here. You're still as pretty as you we're in high school." Leo said.

Laurie laughed. "I've had three kids since then, so I know you're lying. But I'll always remember the night that summer we went down to the lake. It was so much fun. I wish I had the chutzpah to do that again."

"You looked so pretty in the moonlight. I loved how the water dripped off your breasts when you swam naked with me in the water. I just remember how warm and soft you felt when I pinned you against that sandy bank. I remember working my fingers in and out of you...making you SO wet and horny. Then you struggling with putting the condom on, like any niave and stupid eighteen year old. We were so intense that summer, Laurie. It was one of, if not the best times in my entire life.

"Leo, you're making me blush in front of our entire class! That night at the lake was fun but I preferred those other times in my bedroom worrying that my mother was going to come in on us. I just loved how you got down between my legs and ate me out, no one has done that as well since. You had that special method where you sucked on my clit and then circled your tongue on my inner thighs. It just drove me crazy." Laurie stood under the lights remembering her time long ago with Leo. She pondered how much her life sucked now and how she hated this "party". Laurie wanted to have fun again.

"Leo I have an idea---my kids are with my Mom, you're here for the week. Let's just run away up to the mountains. It's a few hours away but let's Hhave a fling. How does that sound?" said Laurie as she lowered her hands to his waist. She couldn't belive that she was suggesting something so naughty. She really wanted to do it...but she wasn't that kind of woman...was she?

"Let's go. Let's get the fuck out of here and away from these assholes." Leo pulled Laurie out of the Days Inn reception room and ran out to his car with Laurie.

The couple jumped into his crummy rented car and drove out to the mountains. It took awhile to get out there and it took even longer for Leo and Laurie to find a hotel. But, they found one. It even had a hot tub available.

Neither Laurie or Leo had a swimsuit but it didn't matter. The couple stripped each other out of their clothes and climbed into the hot tub anyways. Both of their bodies had gotten older since high school, they weren't as nubile as they had been that magical summer so long ago. Still, Leo and Laurie fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

He pinned her up against the edge of the hot tub, the bubbles foamed all around her breasts. Leo began fiercely kissing her. Laurie kissed him back deeply. The couple rubbed up against each other and Leo began thrusting in and out of her.

Leo and Laurie's entire week wasn't spent in the bedroom. What kind of week would that be? They still managed to get it on a couple times a day, they weren't teenagers any more. So they took walks and bike rides up in the mountains.

Laurie had promised to meet Leo at the airport. They were going to run away together. Laurie and Leo would have a future as a couple. The time came for Leo's plane to leave and still Laurie hadn't arrived. He checked his phone. There was a voice message from Laurie.

"Leo, I had an amazing week with you. I'll never forget it. You satisfied me in ways I could never imagine. I'd love nothing more than to run off with you. We could do everything you and I always wanted. But, I have three kids, I have a life here in Laramie. This is mine and their hometown. Sure we'd have fun running around for a couple weeks, maybe a month. I'm sure the sex would be fantastic in every way. You'd treat me like a princess.

But, sooner or later our problems would catch up with us. I don't think you could put up with my kids and they have school...moving to another country would not be good for them. It was amazing but we're going to have to leave it as a roll-in-the-hay affair. I have a life here and you have a life in Ireland. I'm not sorry we did this, I'm happy. You'll always be mine! Goodbye"

With that Leo hung up his phone, it was time to board his plane and head home. There was nothing left between him and Laurie. Just fond memories, maybe sometime from now they could be together again. Maybe. A word that had so much hope and so much disappointment. Some may have thought his high school reunion had been full of despair, but for him it had been happy. He was with his Laurie.

(I love to hear from my readers. Please rate and comment. I know it doesn't have a happy ending. Don't hold it against me. I only told Leo and Laurie's story. Life doesn't have a happy ending either.)

This is an entry in the Halloween Story Contest 2022. Please vote!