Like Clockwork

four

It's been about a week since we found out we were going to be spending our last summer all together on Lake Michigan. It truly hadn't hit us up until the birth of this trip that once we get back, we'll all be getting ready to start our lives, and that means we'll no longer all be in the same place. We always knew this was bound to happen, and we've already made a promise a while back that so long as nothing big prevents it, we will do an annual trip where we all meet up in the same place. But our individual futures are always going to be unknown, so who's to say that it'll actually happen.

Cynthia has a job set up in New York City at Vogue after interning with them for the past two years, and is set to ship out almost immediately upon our return. Naturally, Venice planned on following her, and with a stroke of luck, happened to get a job in the city as an Environmental Consultant. James signed a lease for an apartment in Chicago and is planning on moving there to be a contract photographer. He already has clients and venues who are in constant contact with him, so he'll do well. Markus had applied to our university's medical school and got in, so he'll be staying here for a few more years to pursue his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon. Lastly, Harry got offered a job in LA as an executive assistant at a record label and he took it, so I decided that I'm going to move out there with him and just work while pushing my music – hopefully to his record label in due time.

He and I have signed a lease on a tiny two bedroom, one bath apartment that just met our maximum we were willing to pay. While I know he and I will each be good roommates within our own right, neither of us have denied that it might turn out to be a mess. The tension between us is stronger than ever, and it sounds almost impossible to have both of us in such close quarters in a new city by ourselves, and not have something happen. But, that's a bridge we'll cross later on. I think the two of us silently agreed on trying to remain in the present and not worry about the future quite yet.

Tonight is the eve of us leaving for our two-month-long last hurrah trip and we're all gathered in our living room, buzzing in excitement and anticipation.

"Alright, let's go over the plan one last time, yeah?" Cynthia taps her Apple Pen on the coffee table to get our attention, "So V and Jame? You're coming in my car with me, and then Lace and Markus will go with Harry, like always?"

All of us nod in agreement.

"Perfect! Again, it's about a five hour drive, so we're gonna meet here at 9:30 and try to head out by 10. That way we can have a minute to just settle in and relax for a bit before dinner! My uncle made reservations for us at this really nice restaurant on the water at 7:30 to celebrate our first night. Apparently he's tight with the owners and he let them know that we just graduated, so I genuinely don't know what to expect... But! After tomorrow's tentative schedule, we can literally do whatever we want! Does that sound okay to everybody?"

She looks up from her iPad at us all expectantly with a smile.

"That sounds perfect Cynth!" I exclaim, putting my hand on her leg momentarily, "I'm so excited, thank you!"

The boys nod and James says, "Yeah, thank you Cynth! I couldn't think of a better way to end our college career together."

She chuckles, "Oh please, this was all my uncle's doing. But I'm glad I could be the bridge between us and a mansion on the lake!"

"So... The most important question..." Markus smirks, "What booze did we request to have stocked up?"

"Yeahhhh!" Harry hollers while grabbing Markus' shoulders in excitement simultaneously to me smacking him with a grin.

I then glance over at Cynthia, "You know what? I retract my smack. Markus is right, that's a very important question."

"Thank you!" He calls out in an over-exaggerated manner.