Urban Legend

I was late. 
So, of course, this meant my ex-boyfriend Ben was there. 
My friends had texted earlier, asking if I was interested in going bowling.  I'm an okay bowler, but the only time I ever go is when this group of friends calls me.  So I said yes. 
I wasn't expecting to be late, but, among other things, it took me longer to get ready.  At the last minute, I decided to put some makeup on.  And now, standing in front of my ex-boyfriend, I was grateful I had. 
Ben and I dated what seems like a Millennium ago, but was really more like seven or eight years ago.  We had both gone on to separate schools and he had recently gotten married. Shannon, his new wife, was there too. 
Ben and I talked.  He was amicable, which was not always true in my memory.  He asked where I had gone to school.  He asked if I had dated a particular school mate.  I had, but it had ended three and a half years ago, and I told him so.  I was surprised that anyone had heard about it. 
"Well, everyone talked about it."
My stomach fell a little.  I didn't really want everyone to be talking about it.  Part of me wanted to forget about, and I certainly didn't like the idea of everyone else talking about it. 
Since I had seen Adam about a month ago, I knew that Ben was living in North Carolina, working as a teacher.  He said he was just up for a visit. 
"You're teaching history then?" I said.  He had always loved history. 
"Well, more like social studies.  I'm teaching fourth grade."
Oh.  I was surprised to hear that, as Ben had never really liked children.  He had once told me that he knew the two of us were going to be teachers, but that he would teach high school and I would be a professor.  Sometimes I think the predication is going to turn out right, other times I think it's going to be wrong.  I didn't voice my surprise. 
I congratulated him on getting married to Shannon, and was about to turn to greet her, but she went off to bowl.  She looked the same as she always had.  I was grateful that I looked passable. 
And then I ended the conversation.  I figured that Ben and Shannon wanted to get back to what they were doing, and they didn't want to interrupted by me.  
I sat down with my friends.  We got talking about a conversation we had the night before, about a man that was an urban legend, but that I was certain was very real.  One of Madison's college friends has an encounter with him, and I told her all about the stories I had heard over the years. 
"I want to find this guy," Madison said.
"I don't.  This guy apparently used a shotgun on himself and missed.  I don't want to know what kind of damage he could do if he was aiming it at someone else," I said.
Tori asked after my Grandma, which was very sweet.  I asked her about her cousin, who is coming all the way from Italy to visit her and her family.  (We are thinking of hanging out with him a little, just so he can hang with some people closer to his age.)  
We got talking about other things.  Eventually, Ben and Shannon and the rest of their party left.