Pam thought the reunion of high school friends would be a simple trip down memory lane. But when an old prom tape emerged, her curiosity deepened. As the tape began to play, the grainy footage revealed something that left Pam questioning everything she thought she knew about those close to her.
Caleb and I stood at the front door, the crisp evening air brushing against my face. My heart thudded with excitement and nerves. I glanced at Caleb, whose indifference was evident.
“You could at least pretend to be excited,” I said, irritation creeping into my voice.
“Pam, not now,” Caleb muttered, rolling his eyes. “Can we not start this here?”
I sighed. “If hanging out at the pub means more to you than our high school reunion, you might as well go.”
Caleb groaned, “School reunion? There’d only be three of us!”
The door creaked open, and Connor’s warm smile greeted us. “Pam! Caleb! You made it!”
I beamed, handing him the cake I’d spent the afternoon baking. “Look, I brought a cake!”
Connor’s surprise was palpable. “Wow, Pam, that’s amazing!”
Caleb just groaned and slouched onto the couch, flipping through channels.
“Can you not watch the game later?” I asked.
Caleb didn’t respond, focused on the screen. I shifted my attention to a box of old memories in the corner, pulling out a photo album. The nostalgia hit me immediately.
“Caleb, look! Remember this trip?” I called, but he didn’t respond.
Connor walked in, carrying plates of cake. “You found the old photos?”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“I think my mom would’ve loved this reunion,” I said, laughing.
Then, I found it—a VHS tape labeled “PROM.”
“You have prom footage?” I asked, holding it up.
Connor hesitated. “It’s ancient. Doesn’t even work, probably.”
But my curiosity won out. “We can try!”
“Fine,” Caleb muttered, uninterested.
I led Connor to his room, where I plugged in the VCR. The screen flickered to life, showing young Connor, awkward in his prom suit, his mom filming.
“Connor, smile! It’s prom night!” she cheered behind the camera.
Connor’s voice came through, groaning. “Mom, stop filming.”
I laughed. “You weren’t kidding. She really said that.”
Connor didn’t seem amused. “Let’s just stop this.”
Ignoring him, I leaned in as the footage transitioned to a car ride. Young Connor pointed out the window. “It’s Pam. She’s crying.”
The camera swung to me sitting on my porch, heartbroken, convinced Caleb wouldn’t show up.
“I’ll go ask her to prom,” Connor said softly. “I’m ready to tell her.”
Before he could reach me, another car pulled up—Caleb.
I ran to Caleb, joy on my face, leaving Connor standing alone in the driveway. The camera caught it all—my happiness, Caleb’s smug grin, and Connor’s heart breaking.
I froze the frame. “Connor… you were going to ask me to prom?”
His gaze was pained. “Of course I was. But you were happy with Caleb.”
Tears welled up. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He shrugged, his voice soft. “Because you were already where you wanted to be.”
The room felt heavy. I sat next to him, feeling the weight of years of unspoken feelings.
“Maybe in another life,” he whispered.
That night, I lay awake, torn between Caleb’s familiarity and the quiet love Connor had always shown me. The prom tape revealed more than just memories—it revealed what could have been.