At Jessica’s Reunion Party

Jessica's 20-year class reunion was held at a fancy hotel.

When she arrived, she wasn't sure she was in the right place.

At first she didn't recognize anyone.

She felt a bit awkward and out of place.

But it wasn't long before a strange man came up to her.

"Don't you remember me?" he asked.

When she arrived at the hotel, she wasn't sure she was in the right place.

He was already losing his hair, and he was wearing thick glasses.

Jessica’s 20-year class reunion was going to be at a hotel near where their school used to be, like many other buildings, the school had been torn down.

When he said who he was, she barely remembered him, especially since he had changed so much.

Then he told her that he had always had a crush on her.

He said she looked beautiful and he immediately took a selfie of them, with his  arm tight around her waist.

This made her feel a bit strange.

She smiled at him and pretended to be happy to see him.

But in fact, she wasn't sure how to react, though he seemed nice.

Why didn't she remember him? He had changed a lot.

She finally excused herself and went to the ladies room.

She was beginning to regret having come to the reunion.

She had always been shy, and she still was.

What kind of person is she? She is shy.

When she returned to the party, Sharon invited her to sit at her table.

Dinner was going to be served soon, and some of the classmates were going to give speeches.

Sharon asked Jessica to say a few words too, because people were curious.

This was a surprise.

Jessica had never been very popular and she didn't think anyone had noticed her.

She had always felt like an outsider, with only a couple of close friends.

Still, she had been one of the best students, and people remembered her.

In this situation, "to say a few words" means ? to give a short speech

As the evening wore on Jessica began to really enjoy herself.

She talked with her old friends and was amazed by how some others had changed.

For example, Tom used to be good-looking and athletic.

He was one of the most popular students and a star basketball player.

His one problem was math.

He had had a hard time in math, especially in geometry.

This was because he wasn't a logical thinker.

Expect for basketball, he didn't want to do anything unless it was easy.

If something wasn't easy, he didn't want to do it,  except for basketball.

Tom was no longer good looking.

His nose, which had always been large, had grown even larger.

he had also gained a lot of weight.

His wife had left him, so for the first time ever, he was alone.

He looked lonely and depressed, not at all like he used to be.

Steve was a nobody in middle school.

People hardly noticed him.

He was small, quiet, and a bit ugly, with crooked teeth.

What he was good at was English.

His English was even better than their teacher's.

After graduating, he went to a low-ranked university and eventually dropped out.

For a while he worked as a tour guide.

Then, 10 years ago, he and some friends started a little company which is now a great success.

In fact, he had become a rich, generous man.

He had a nice, warm smile and his success hadn't gone to his head.

It was a pleasure to be around him.

Betty used to be the most beautiful girl in school.

She wasn't very smart, but she was a great singer.

She made a video of her singing, and it went viral.

She became famous overnight, but it only lasted for about two years.

After that, her fans lost interest in her.

She tried to become an actress, but she failed.

She had been too stiff and nervous in front of the camera.

Betty had a nice husband who seemed to adore her.

The one tragedy in her life happened about five years ago, when she lost her daughter to a rare form of cancer.

Because of that, her hair had begun to turn grey.

Jessica couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Betty had had such high hopes and tremendous energy as a girl, but things didn't work out.

What happened about 5 years ago ? Her daughter died from cancer.

And then there was John.

John used to be the school bully.

He had been big, strong and mean.

He hadn't been nice to anybody.

It seemed that he was always angry and ready to hit someone.

After graduating, he joined the army and went overseas to fight in a war.

He saw many people die and he grew to hate fighting of any kind.

Then one day he was nearly killed when the helicopter he was in was shot down.

He survived the crash, but he lost a leg and was hospitalized for nearly a year.

What happened to the helicopter he was in? It was shot down.

Now he had completely changed.

He had gentle, kind eyes, and a beautiful smile.

He was working for an organization that provides support for elderly people.

From jessica's point of view, John had turned out to be a wonderful surprise.

In the end, Jessica was glad she went to her reunion.

It was interesting to see how people had changed through the years.

Still, she was happy to get home and appreciate everything that she had.