It’s funny the things you remember, Amelia thought. High school yearbooks would have you thinking high school was all drama club and football games broken up with frozen laughter. But Amelia’s strongest memory of Dennington High was the fresh painted cinder block walls kissing the shiny linoleum floors. Her Pop Pop used to say, butter bean you tend to see what you look for. Meaning what? she thought.A rattling from another catering trolley shook Amelia from her grandpa philosophy and back to the banquet hall.

Coldplay was screaming in the speakers. Behind steaming half trays of rice pilaf and haricot verts, Amelia pushed her trolley to the buffet. Javier, who was manning the turkey carving station, air fist bumped Amelia as she passed. She smiled in spite of herself. It was impossible not to smile around Javier. She donned her plastic serving gloves.

Good thing they were not understaffed tonight. High school reunions were always hard. Not as bad as weddings those were living nightmares. Amelia pasted on a polite smile as the partygoers lined up for sides. Laughing two women came up to her station. Amelia looked up and then away. The pair headed for the carving station.

Dancing to Nicki Minaj the guests were getting louder. Amelia watched them hugging and kissing trying to catch up over the driving bass. Tommy brought over the last of the fresh trays. He offered to give her a break but Amelia sent him off to help the bartenders. Amelia checked her watch.

“Excuse me Amelia.”

Surprised Amelia looked up from the chafing dish.

“Sorry to startle you Miss but where is the little girls’ room?” Monica said.

Amelia gave directions and watched the former cheer captain teeter to the facilities. Scrubbing at her tired face with her forearm, Amelia slipped her name tag in her pant’s pocket. She wondered why she spent so much time looking down while the world whirled by.

Amelia pushed the catering trolley towards the back of house. The DJ was spinning more slow jams. Couples swayed. Javier sang

Sam Smith over the drumsticks. Small groups clumped round random tables chatting. It was time to start breaking down and coffee set up.

As she passed Amelia studied the table of missing alumni. There was Amelia’s high school photo amongst the missing. Quickly Amelia looked left and right. She grabbed her photo and headed for the kitchen.