The Reunion

Otto

Maya, Charlotte, Felix, and Eleanor. We used to all be so close. But, after graduating high school in 1999, we never really talked again. Sure, we tried to stay in touch; but as time passed, we just drifted and did our own things. 

Felix and I were always close. After high school, we both went into medicine, both into surgery, and he eventually ended up in my practice. So I see him almost every day. 

Felix and Eleanor have arrived so far. They’re always punctual and always have been since high school. Maya and Charlotte, on the other hand, have always been wild; they used to throw the craziest parties and birthday bashes. They were this duo that refused to be separated. Our friend group had a good balance, a mix of personalities that blended surprisingly well together.

“Hey, it’s all good on the promotion. Let’s just forget about it.” Felix says as he hands me a glass of champagne. 

“Yeah, it’s out of my control. I’m sorry.” I reply, genuinely sorry that I couldn’t help my long-time friend.

“No, it is in your control. It’s your practice. But don’t worry, I get it.” Felix snaps back at me.

He had approached me earlier today for a promotion at my practice, but I had to deny it for favoritism. It wouldn't seem fair if I had given my high school best friend a big promotion when he had done nothing worthy. 

Felix turns away from me and looks over at Eleanor. He’s had a few drinks, and there’s little hope to help him when he gets drunk. Felix and Eleanor were together all of high school and after too, but things fizzled out when Felix became a surgeon, and it didn’t end well. They haven’t talked to each other for a year, and this is their first time seeing each other again. 

Felix

I don’t want to be here right now. Not everyone has arrived yet, and I just got turned down for a promotion at O’s practice. So the only other people here right now are Otto and Eleanor. And I didn’t need to see Eleanor today. I miss her. We broke up five years ago when I had to go to California for my surgery residency. We lived in New York then, so the distance was too much for us. Now, I’m back in New York for Otto’s practice, and there’s not much I can do to avoid her. 

Otto opened a practice in New York and invited me to start alongside him. I initially declined, scared of all the risks, and decided to be employed instead of owning it—big mistake. Otto can now afford a huge multi-story townhouse in Manhattan while I am still in my closet-size studio flat in Jersey. 

“We’re here!” Charlotte and Maya exclaim as they walk through Otto’s townhouse door. The two of them were always the life of the party, doing the craziest things. One time, I saw Charlotte and Maya steal a car from the police and then subsequently get the police officers too drunk to catch them. I will never be surprised anymore. 

Charlotte

I’ve always had a reputation for being the “wild one” of the friend group. I have just been promoted to my new cooperate job in the city, and I’ve been working on settling down. In fact, I haven’t had a drink in a year. I’ve been really working on myself. I’ve stayed in touch with Otto and Maya over the years, we’ve always stayed in the city, and both of them are successful. Maya, though, never really got a job…

Maya

Otto’s place is gigantic. I need to make so many different Snapchat and Instagram stories, my followers would absolutely love this place. I started working as an influencer recently, and I absolutely love it. I can just live my life and document the process but still make a lot of money. 

I’ve stayed in touch with Charlotte over the years; we were always such close friends, but we never do anything meaningful together. Maybe, we’ll do something tonight? 

Otto

Now that everyone has arrived, I’m going to start handing out drinks and food. This is a party, after all. I call for the servers to bring the alcohol and feast to the table. We’re all still a little awkward with each other, as this is the first time we’re seeing each other in many years. But I’m hoping if everyone gets drunk enough, we’ll have a good time. 

From the corner of my eye, I see Eleanor eyeing Felix. When are those two going to get over it? Clearly, they still have feelings for each other; they both just feel so betrayed that they refuse to speak to each other. Let's see if I can do something about that… 

Eleanor

I hate Felix. 5 years ago, Felix and I broke up, and he left without saying goodbye. I deserve at least a goodbye after being together for almost all of our lives. But no, we had a fight the night before he left over a job he was going to take in California, and the next day, all his clothes were packed, and he vanished. I had to hear from Otto to know that Felix had already gone to California. Just looking at him makes me sick; I wish he were dead. 

Glasses of cocktails and liqueur start to flow out throughout Otto’s townhouse, and I take the opportunity to down a couple. I’m gonna need some liquid courage to get through the night… 

Otto

After the alcohol flowed throughout the house, everyone got along much better. Even Eleanor and Felix started to avoid each other less. I do notice that Charlotte has been refusing drinks this entire night, very uncharacteristic of her.

“Charlotte, what’s with the face?” I asked her, trying to understand why she was choosing to be sober tonight.

“Just trying to enjoy life without the pleasure of alcohol. You should try it sometime.” Charlotte replies.

“Sure, but not tonight. Take my drink; let's bring back that wild Charlotte from the old times!” I exclaimed.

“Fine, but just one drink. I’m not wild anymore, I’m working in a corporate job, and I’m really trying to make a name for myself.” Charlotte proclaims.

“Well, that’s definitely something to cheers to.” I smile. 

We clink our glasses together and swallow the fiery liquid down our throats. A party is not a party if Charlotte is not having fun. 

Further into the night, everyone got very drunk. Charlotte had 10 glasses of whatever she had, and she was sound asleep first. Felix and Eleanor snuck off somewhere, I’m assuming, into one of the bedrooms. Maya then knocked out on the couch, no phone in sight. And I went to bed around 3 AM. 

Maya

I open my eyes and blink at the bright sun shining on my face. What even happened yesterday? I can’t seem to remember anything. From all the drinking last night, I am very thirsty. So I sit up reluctantly from the comfort of my couch and walk towards the kitchen, looking for a glass of water. As I walked into the kitchen, I was met with a horrid scene. 

A knife was jabbed into Felix. Blood was spilling down the side of his body. His eyes were terrorized and frozen. I hear someone scream. Screaming for help, screaming for someone else to find this. I was the one screaming. 

Otto

I hear the most heart-wrenching scream from downstairs. I rub my eyes; what time is it? I walk down the stairs and find Maya screaming in the kitchen, facing a dead body. Felix’s body. My body freezes in fear, and I’m not sure what to do. Do I call the cops? Do I try to figure out who did it? Is it one of us who did it? 

I call the police, and all of us are woken up to be questioned. Who could have done this? There was no sign of forced entry, nor was there anyone else who was involved. After 10 PM, all of the staff were sent home, and Felix was still alive and partying at that time. Everyone’s a suspect.

Maya

  I didn’t kill Felix. But I did wake up first, so that makes me a suspect…

Eleanor

I didn’t kill Felix. I would never kill Felix. I’ve just gotten back together with Felix, and now, I’ve lost him again. However, I did want him dead at the beginning of the day, so that makes me a suspect…

Charlotte

I killed Felix. I’m sure nobody would be able to find out, as I was the first one asleep and nobody saw me. It wasn’t planned; it was purely an accident. Last night, around 4 AM, I felt thirsty from the night before, so I went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. In the kitchen was Felix, also grabbing a cup of water. We started to talk about him and Eleanor. He talked about how he regretted the way he ended the relationship and decided that he was going to try and fix it. I was genuinely happy for him… We then started to make fun of Otto, how he’s now this big doctor and can afford anything. I then picked up one of Otto’s knives and started to swing it around carelessly. 

We were laughing when it happened. The knife slipped out of my hand and in front of me. I didn’t think the knife would actually kill him… It was so sharp that it cut through his clothes and straight into his stomach. The knife slid in deep, and Felix’s expression hardened. 

“Charlotte… What did you just do.” Felix croaked out.

“Felix, I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to. Let me call an ambulance; you need help now.” I frantically respond as I try to keep his wound from seeping more blood.

“Charlotte, there’s not much you can do now. The only thing you need to do is to make sure you are not caught. This was an accident. I know that. Now, clean the fingerprints off of this knife, and go back to bed quietly. Make sure nobody hears you, and there is no residual evidence.” Felix strains his voice to reply. 

I am unsure what to say. I’ve just stabbed a man, and he is trying to help me cover up his own murder. But I nod to his instructions and begin to carry everything out.

Even fifteen years later, I never got caught.