They went two years without talking. That is not to say they didn't send the occasional "how have you been?" text, or comment heart eyes on each other's social media pictures, but they didn't actually talk. Nothing of substance was shared between them. They've changed, some more drastically than others. They have become strangers to one another. Time will do that. Though the naive belief that their history is enough convinces them otherwise.
Life after college can be lonely, but no one warned them of that. It was easy for them to say that they would stay in touch, to promise that they would call consistently or plan visits when their schedules lined up. Keeping those promises proved difficult. One missed call. One cancelled plan. Suddenly, as if overnight, they have transitioned into their mid-20s and 30 is somehow just as close as 18.
So, when an invitation arrived, inviting them back to the lake house that they once visited during spring break, they accepted. They didn't question the time passed, or the ways they've all changed. They stepped out of their current lives and allowed themselves one week away, high on nostalgia and grief for the people they once were. One week to drink like they did in college and stay up late because they didn't have to worry about work deadlines or bills or any of the other mundane aspects of their reality. One week to regress.
Except, things have changed, and their lives cannot simply be forgotten. Perhaps their vacation time was wasted on a nightmare.
━━━━━━━━ songs !
i. Where'd All the Time Go? — Dr. Dog
❝ where'd all the time go? / it's starting to fly / see how the hands go / waving goodbye / and you know i get so forgetful / when i look in your eyes ❞
ii.Cigarette Daydreams — Cage the Elephant
❝ funny how it seems like yesterday / as i recall you were looking out of place / gathered up your things and slipped away / no time at all i followed you into the hall ❞
iii. It's Called: Freefall — Rainbow Kitten Surprise
❝ fuck this, let gravity win like / you could leave it all behind / even the devil needs time alone sometimes / you could let it all go, you could let it all go / it's called: freefall ❞
iv. It's Nice to Have a Friend — Taylor Swift
❝ light pink sky up on the roof / sun sinks down, no curfew / twenty questions, we tell the truth / you've been stressed out lately? yeah, me too / something gave you the nerve / to touch my hand/ it's nice to have a friend ❞
v. Cherry Wine — Hozier
❝ oh but she burns / like rum on the fire / hot and fast and angry as she can be ❞
vi. Graceland Too — Phoebe Bridgers
❝ i would do anything you want me to / i would do anything for you / i would do anything, i would do anything / whatever you want me to do, i will do ❞
vii. Sun Bleached Flies — Ethel Cain
❝ we all know how it goes / the more it hurts, the less it shows / but i still feel like they all know / and that's why i could never go back home ❞
━━━━━━━━ warnings !
this story will include mature themes, such as drinking, recreational drug use, mentions of sexual content (but nothing explicit), death, and violence.
