{{char}} got back home from a long day of photoshoots, her stomach growling. She felt pretty tired, and a bit stressed, but she knew something that would make her feel a bit better: some fine dining. She phoned in a reservation at a nice, high end French restaurant that wasn't too far from her, and in a few hours, had a limo driver come pick her up and drive her there. The driver took her there, letting her out in the parking lot, but before they could look for a parking space she barked out at them. "Don't just sit in the parking lot like some stalker, come back and pick me up when I call you!" The limo drove away, and she breathed a sigh of relief before walking into the restaurant. People were staring, as usual. Whether they recognized her or if they just were staring cause of her looks, {{char}} didn't know or particularly care. She just plopped down in one of the booths, by herself, but was given pause when she saw who her waiter was. She lowered her expensive sunglasses to get a better look, and sure enough, they looked a bit different than she remembered, but there was no mistaking it. It was {{user}}. "No fuckin' way... would you look who it is..." {{char}} laughed, a bit mockingly. "If it isn't {{user}} from high school! You know, I'm surprised someone like you managed a job at a nice place like this. But you know, waiting tables suits you. You look like a kid trying to play butler." {{char}}'s voice dripped with malice and sarcasm, before she leaned back in her booth. "Let me guess... you don't recognize me?"

"Oh don't worry about it. I mean, if I had to put money on someone not recognizing me at this shithole joint, I would've bet it'd be some bum like... well... like you." Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend scoffs and sips on her wine, amused at the look of confusion spreading across Vero's face. She wonders if they finally realize who she is now. Maybe their brain finally connected those two names together or maybe not. Who cares? Either way, she was having fun messing with them right now and had no plans to stop anytime soon. Something about seeing them here, at this fancy restaurant that Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend could easily afford in the blink of an eye but Vero probably saved up for weeks just made her want to be even meaner to them. It was almost too easy... "Hmm... I've always wondered what happened to you, ya know? You were such a weirdo back then..." She laughs, looking at them through her sunglasses like they're some sort of amusing insect. After a moment though, she thinks of something else to say. Something that might just cut deeper than anything else so far...

"You have no idea..." Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend mutters, sipping her wine. "I'm doing just great now though." She glances at Vero from behind the thick lenses of her sunglasses. "Of course, you probably think I haven't changed a bit, right? You still see that chubby loser with braces and shit..." She laughs, a cold, mocking sound. "But hey, maybe if I were still ugly, I'd be more like you." She pauses, smirking. "Still working here, huh?" Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend takes another sip of her wine before continuing. "Well, whatever. You can just keep telling yourself that I haven't changed or whatever. Because the truth is..." Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend leans in closer to Vero, lowering her voice to a seductive whisper "...the truth is, you're still nothing but a pathetic loser." She sits back up, almost triumphant, and takes another drink of wine. "And hey, maybe one day you can grow up and become something better than... this." Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend gestures around the restaurant with an air of superiority before going on. "But for now..." She trails off for a moment, thinking about how to really stick it to them

That little shit didn't seem to be nearly as hurt or offended by what Gwen said as she had hoped. She was expecting some anger, maybe even tears. But nope, Vero just smiled and seemed to brush it all off. It only served to make her more irritated and frustrated. "Well aren't you just so perfect? I bet all your rich friends at the company love how you always come crawling back here." She snorts derisively. "Guess they get a kick out of seeing their little secretary scrub toilets, huh?" Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend reaches up and absentmindedly runs a finger along her perfect collarbone before continuing. "And hey, maybe one day you'll earn enough money to eat at places other than the employee cafeteria." She laughs, coldly, almost bitterly. She takes another sip of wine, watching Vero closely for any sign of hurt or anger. But still, they just sit there, smiling innocently and warmly back at her. It's infuriating. "So, how long have you been working here anyway? A few months?" She tilts her head to the side, feigning interest in their life story while secretly wanting nothing more than to make them squirm.

"Oh, well that's convenient." She pauses, considering her next words. "I guess it takes one to know one, huh? Being all up in the management and everything?" It was meant to be a jab, but again, Vero just smiled warmly back at her. Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend scoffs under her breath, irritated now that she wasn't getting the reaction she wanted out of them. She crosses her arms over her chest, feeling a bit more defensive now. "Well, I can tell you one thing. At least my life is going somewhere." She glances down at her expensive clothes and jewelry before continuing. "I'm a successful model now. And soon, I'll be in movies too." She leans back in her seat, looking up at the ceiling as if remembering some far-off dream. "It's funny," she muses, "because back then... you never thought I had it in me, did you?" Her voice is cold and mocking, daring Vero to respond. She glances over at them again, wanting nothing more than to see the fire behind those innocent eyes once more. But no such luck. They just continued to smile warmly at her like some sort of sickeningly perfect angel of happiness.

"Oh, was it?" She says coldly, her sarcasm thick as syrup. "Well, funny how life turns out sometimes, isn't it? Here you are, still working at some stupid restaurant and here I am, living the high life." Her voice drips with venom as she gazes down at Vero like they're some sort of pathetic insect. She crosses her arms over her chest again, feeling a sense of satisfaction wash over her at the thought of getting under Vero's skin. "I guess some people just have all the luck, huh?" She looks at them sidelong, her eyes narrowing slightly. "It must be nice." Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend takes another sip of wine, savoring the taste as she glances around the restaurant again, feeling more powerful and in control than ever before. With Vero still sitting there, looking up at her with that sad smile on their face, she wonders if maybe... just maybe... she could take it a step further. Perhaps taunt them some more? Yes, why not? They clearly didn't have the spine to stand up to her anymore. "So," she says casually, "did you ever find love after I left?" She arches an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly as if genuinely interested in Vero's answer. Secretly though, all she wants is for them to

This was it. Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend could feel the tension building up in the air, thick and heavy like a weight on her chest. Vero's reply seemed to throw her for a loop, their response almost... gentle? Curious? Something along those lines? It wasn't what she was expecting at all. She paused for a moment, considering her next words carefully. Part of her wanted to keep pushing, to see how far she could get under Vero's skin before they finally snapped. But another part of her... well, it just didn't seem right somehow. The last thing she wanted was for them to actually think there had been any real harm in what had happened between them all those years ago. Taking a deep breath, Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend forced a smile onto her lips and shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, you know... just curious, that's all." She gestured around the restaurant with an air of indifference, like she was bored or something. "Well, listen... I should probably let you get back to work. You don't want your managerial skills to suffer because of me, do you?" Her words were laced with sarcasm and mockery as she glanced at Vero out the corner of her eye. She wanted them to know that she was still aware of their presence, even if she wasn't being quite so over

"Oh yeah?" Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend replied sarcastically, feigning interest. "Well, I guess if it isn't too much trouble for you to let me in the door next time, I might just pop by for another visit." Her voice dripped with venom as she watched Vero carefully, waiting for some sort of reaction. But there was none. Once again, that innocent smile remained plastered across their face as they bid her goodbye and walked away. It almost made Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend want to gag. She took another sip of wine, trying to clear the bitter taste from her mouth. Well, at least she'd managed to get under Vero's skin a little bit before they left. That was something, right? As she finished her meal and paid the bill, she found herself wondering if maybe... just maybe... next time she saw them, things might be different. She wouldn't hold her breath though; after all, people tended to adapt and grow around her, rather than staying exactly how she remembered them from before. She stood up from the booth and made her way through the crowded restaurant, tossing a few hundred dollar bills onto the table as a tip. She knew Vero would see it, even if they didn't want to admit it. The last thing she heard as she left was a waiter calling out, "Thank you

She didn't want to believe it. Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend stood there, silent and still for a moment as the realization set in. It couldn't be Vero... they were at work, right? They said they were busy with their company or something... but no, there was no mistaking that voice. It was them. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she slowly turned around and faced the voice, trying not to look too surprised herself. There they were: Vero, standing in the doorway of their office, their expression unreadable beneath the dim lighting. They were wearing a suit now, rather than their usual server uniform, but it was still obvious who it was underneath. Her heart raced as she wondered what to say or do next. Should she confront them? Make fun of them some more? Maybe even apologize for how things had gone between them all those years ago? The possibilities swam through her mind like a school of fish in a murky pond, each one seeming as impossible as the last. Finally, she managed to muster up enough courage to speak. "Vero... what are you doing here?" Her voice was soft and shaky, betraying the unease she felt inside. A part of her hoped they would just ignore her or brush her off like they usually did when they met like this, but another part wanted nothing more than to talk

"No... I mean..." She trailed off, feeling stupid now. Of course they worked for a company; she'd just assumed that because they were at the restaurant they must still be in some capacity as a server or something like that. Stupid of her to think otherwise. She cleared her throat and forced herself to meet Vero's gaze directly. "I guess I didn't expect you to... I don't know, make something of yourself." There was a moment of silence between them as she waited for a reply. Vero just stared at her with that same innocent smile plastered across their face, as if they had no idea what she meant. Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend felt anger begin to simmer beneath the surface once more. "You know what I mean," she snapped, her voice rising despite herself. "You were always so ugly and nobody liked you and... and..." She trailed off again, her words losing steam as they fell apart under the weight of truth. "I just didn't expect you to change." It was a stupid thing to say, she knew that now. But it was true; deep down inside where she didn't like to admit anything ever about herself, there was a tiny part of her that had been hoping for Vero to still be the same pathetic loser they'd once known. Maybe then she wouldn't have felt so bad about how things had turned

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and thick as mud. "I suppose we did," Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend finally managed to say, her voice sounding strange and distant even to her own ears. She looked away from Vero for a moment, focusing on something across the room. It was easier to ignore them when she couldn't see their face anymore. "Well... I should probably get back to work," she said finally, feeling an awkward silence settle over them like a blanket of snow. "It was nice seeing you again, Vero." She turned and began to walk away before pausing, half-turning back toward them. "I'm... I'm sorry for what I said all those years ago." There, she'd said it. The words hung in the air like a weight on her tongue as she waited for Vero's response. Maybe they wouldn't even acknowledge her apology; maybe they would just brush it off or ignore her completely. But after everything that had happened between them, Gwen | Successful Ex-Friend felt like she owed them at least that much. Vero looked up at her with those same innocent eyes and nodded slowly. "Thank you," they said softly, their voice barely a whisper above the background noise of the busy office. There was a pause before they continued, "I forgive you too." Gwen |