A collection of short scenes and stories

A bit to drink over

My friend group was small in my senior years of school, not that it was ever big the years before, but still small. No more than 8 people, but I guess that contributed to the inevitable separation of it. We were all close, as good friends are, so I guess we would know what would upset another. Oh boy, did someone get upset, a major conflict had happened. It left the rest of us not directly involved to pick and choose. Some picked one side, others went another way, and some, like me, were left on the fence. I didn't want this to happen, but I should have noticed, it was obvious we were starting to change. The people around me now felt distant, despite them not much changing as people. It seemed like we just didn't talk much anymore. Well, all but one. His name was Ryder. Before we would sit there and talk about games, food, life or any other subject that we were currently interested in, we could talk for ages. After all that had happened, we still hit off conversations easily. We could still talk for just as long. 

Not too long after my friend group had dispanded, I had moved away with my family. It left life in an odd spot for me. In my senior years, going into adulthood. Losing my friends, not just by moving. A new neighbourhood, a new start. 

I had tried to keep up with all my friends but that didn't quite turn out. Some I choose to stop talking to, others I couldn't contact and some who couldn't keep up the whole long-distance thing. Ryder and I still talked though. Sending memes and talking about games, like we usually do, at first. Later we started texted longer and even joined voice calls. When we had the time and space, we even joined a video call. We were busy though, so I was patient with him. All that over 2 years, we had both changed a lot. Our faces, our attitudes, what we studied and who we saw in our day to day lives.

It was late one night on a video call, where I mentioned my plans to come down for a visit. I lived 3 hours away, I thought it would be a fun break from work and school life, after all, I had the time. A week off. 

"I'll probably get a hotel, or a motel. I'm too tired to remember the difference." I shrugged.

"You don't have a place in mind yet?" He asked

"No, not really, I only had the idea the other day."

"I finished decorating my home." He seemed to comment out of nowhere. I had a feeling he was making his place available, but I didn't push it. 

"Sweet! Cost a lot?"

"Yeah, but I expected as much. Better than a last-minute motel." He said as he raised an eyebrow

"Ok, I get it." I giggled. "You got the time off though? Don't want to stay at your place and you not be there."

"2 weeks, that's the time I got off. No schoolwork, no work. Completely free. Even at the same time you have your 1 week off."

I thought about it for a second, the silence was almost jarring. I took up his offer and we sorted out the details from there.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was setting when I parked the car and made my way up to the front door. I felt anxious, I had felt it the while drive and before I had left. What if it was the wrong house? What if things became awkward after being physically around each other again? What if had turned into an asshole, or saw me as one for thinking so?

The sharp sound of the door opening snapped my right back to reality. 

"Did you mean to just stand there, or where you going to press the doorbell?"

And there he was, standing there pointing in the direction of the bell. His voice was deeper, as I expected it would be and he had grown taller. His hairstyle was similar to the one I remember him having 2 years ago. His eyes were as green and distinct as ever, maybe even more.