Chapter 128 Familiar yet Unfamiliar Classmates

The class president was a girl, and during high school, she'd been helpful to him. Eric was indeed grateful to her then.

...

The day of the high school reunion arrived quickly.

At four in the afternoon, Eric drove his Lamborghini to the address given by the class president.

Elite Grand Hotel, a three-star establishment in New York, was today's class reunion venue.
After Eric Phillips parked in the lot, he made a beeline for the hotel.

Class president Stella stood by the reception on the ground floor, greeting arriving classmates.

"Hey, Stella." Eric greeted her with a smile.

Three years had passed, and Eric noticed Stella had changed quite a bit. She had a plain Jane look in high school and never bothered with makeup or fancy hairdos. But now, Stella looked polished and mature, her hair styled into soft curls, her makeup impeccable — a stark contrast to the girl from high school.

"Eric Phillips, is that you? You missed the last get-together, but I'm glad you could make it this time," Stella said with a smile.

"Hey, President, how have you been these past few years?" Eric asked.

"Oh, you know, the same old grind at college," Stella laughed.

After a brief pause, Stella continued, "Go to the third floor, take a left, walk to the end—our table is there. Most of our classmates are already there. Catch up with them first."

"Sure thing!" Eric nodded and headed toward the elevator.

Inside the private room at the end of the third floor

Over thirty classmates had already gathered, huddled in lively groups. Eric strolled in, his gaze sweeping over familiar faces, though some classmates now sported looks that rendered them nearly unrecognizable.

"Eric Phillips."

Just as he entered, a sweet voice called out from behind him. He turned to see a girl with brown wavy hair, a sleek frame, and striking features.

It was Aria, the high school beauty queen who had been the dream girl for many guys in their class. She used to sit in front of Eric and would turn to him for help with tricky questions because of his good grades. This interaction between them led to some bad blood with a few of the roughnecks in class, who hassled Eric, unsettling him and even causing his grades to slip.

After three years, Aria seemed even more stunning with her stylish makeover, though the innocence and naivety that once clung to her were gone.

"Eric Phillips, it's you! I didn't expect to see you at this reunion, especially since you skipped the last one," Aria remarked.
"Mm-hmm," Eric Phillips replied with a smile.

"Aria, if I remember correctly, you got into the state's art school. How's that going?" Eric asked.

"It's going okay. What about you?" Aria responded.

Before Eric could reply, a boisterous voice cut through the air.

"Of course, he's still living a crappy life. The other day, Lincoln and I saw this guy handing out flyers at Power Mansion Plaza!"

Turning around, Eric saw Mateo speaking, who walked in alongside Lincoln and Cody.

Those two old classmates, Mateo and Lincoln, were the ones Eric had bumped into at Power Mansion Plaza while distributing flyers.

As for Cody, who was leading the other two, a chill passed through Eric's eyes upon seeing him. In high school, Cody was the ringleader of the troublemakers, with Mateo and Lincoln as his flunkies. Eric could still vividly remember Cody as the one who headed the pack that bullied him. Back then, Eric had despised Cody with every fiber of his being, and even now, the sight of him rekindled that old hatred.

Back in high school, Cody had always been after Aria, who never gave in to his advances.

Now, striding over with Mateo and Lincoln, Cody stopped before Eric and Aria. Cody was dressed in a light blue suit, sunglasses perched on his face, carrying himself with the same swagger from their school days.

"Dude, I heard you've stooped to handing out flyers at the plaza. How the mighty have fallen, huh?" Cody sneered.

"What's it to you? Got a problem with that?" Eric retorted calmly.

"Man, as an old classmate, I'm just embarrassed for you. If you're strapped for cash, you could come to work at my company. Out of camaraderie, I'd make sure you're well taken care of," Cody boasted.

"Do you own a company now?" Aria asked, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Yeah, I started a collections agency last year. We're raking in a few million annually. See, Mateo and Lincoln work for me; I even hooked them up with BMWs," Cody bragged with unmistakable pride.

As Cody gushed about his success, Mateo couldn't help but interject loudly, "Remember the last class meetup we had at some no-name restaurant? Do you know why we picked a three-star hotel this time? Because today's feast is all on Cody!"
Mateo's voice filled the room.
The classmates at the table turned their heads to look at them.
"I already heard from the class president that today's dinner was on Cody's tab. I heard he's doing pretty well for himself."
"Who would've thought Cody's made it so big?! He's gotta be the most successful in our class now, huh?"
...
Murmurs spread among the classmates.
Seeing the looks of admiration and awe directed at him, Cody couldn't help but bask in the attention.
Then, an unexpected voice pierced through the festive atmosphere.
"Is making a couple of million a year supposed to be impressive?"
The speaker was Eric Phillips.
Cody turned to Eric, sneering, "A couple of million a year is a big deal compared to some flyer-distributing loser like you. Or don't you have a clue?"
"Sorry, but I don't see the big deal. A couple of million is just pocket change to me," Eric retorted nonchalantly.
"Ha!"
Laughter erupted from Cody and his buddies, Mateo and Zack, followed by chuckles from many classmates. They found Eric's claim ludicrous.
"Kid, you hand out flyers and have the nerve to make such grand statements? How shameless can you be?" Cody pointed at Eric, his laughter unfettered.
That's when Mateo added with a chuckle, "Cody, I remember the last time we bumped into this guy at Power Mansion Plaza; guess what he said?"
"What did he say?" Cody inquired.
All the classmates leaned in, eager to hear what Mateo had to say.
"He claimed he drove a Lamborghini Bull," Mateo laughed.
"What? A Lamborghini Bull? Haha!" Cody laughed even harder.
The rest joined in the laughter; Eric's claim was utterly unbelievable to them.
"Is that something you said?" Cody asked with a grin.
"It is, and my car is indeed a Lamborghini Bull," Eric stated calmly.
"If you're driving a Lamborghini Bull, I guess beggars might be driving them too. Aren't you embarrassed to be making such tall tales?" Cody chuckled.
"Exactly! This guy is making up stories without even trying. How embarrassing to spout such obvious lies," whispered another classmate.
Hearing Eric's statement, Aria, the class beauty, couldn't help but shake her head, thinking Eric was full of it.
Just then, the class president, Stella, walked in.
"I could hear the laughter from outside. What's going on, everyone?" Stella asked.
Cody snickered, "Class president, we were just listening to Eric Phillips here puffing up his chest, claiming he drives a Lambo."

Stella gave Eric Phillips a surprised look before saying, "No kidding? Since when did Eric become a bragger?"

"If you don't believe it, prez, just ask around. He just said he drives a Lamborghini," Cody laughed.

Eric Phillips said, "You're right; I did mention I drive a Lambo, but it wasn't a boast."

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