there she goes - jschlatt

epilogue

the sun streamed through the large windows of the studio, casting a warm glow on the group gathered around the table. the familiar hum of excitement filled the air as we prepared for another episode of our podcast, "late night talks." it had become a staple in our lives, a creative outlet that brought us all together and allowed us to share our thoughts, laughs, and, at times, our most embarrassing moments with our growing audience.

"are we ready?" ted asked, adjusting his microphone and shooting a grin at the rest of us. he had always been the organized one, the glue that held our chaotic group together.

"ready as we'll ever be," tucker replied, chuckling as he fiddled with his own setup. "just don't let schlatt talk about his conspiracy theories again. we lost half our listeners last time."

"hey, those theories are valid!" schlatt shot back, a playful smirk on his face as he leaned back in his chair. his confidence had grown alongside our friendship, and it was hard not to admire his passion.

i laughed, exchanging a glance with him that spoke volumes about how far we'd come. "let's not derail this episode before we even start. what's the topic today?"

"we're diving into relationships," ted announced, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "what works, what doesn't, and, of course, our experiences."

schlatt raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "so you're saying we'll be dissecting my relationship with char?"

i rolled my eyes playfully. "more like you're going to be revealing all your embarrassing moments with me."

"there's not much to be embarrassed about," he replied, leaning closer. "besides, you know you love my charm."

"that's debatable," i teased back, my heart fluttering at his confidence. it was moments like this—light, easy banter—that reminded me how happy i was to be part of this group.

"let's not forget about the time you tried to serenade her at that bonfire," tucker chimed in, laughing. "that was a solid 'what not to do' in relationships."

"okay, okay," schlatt said, waving his hands dramatically. "that was one time, and i thought it was a good idea!"

"it's a good thing we don't have any audio from that," ted added, shaking his head with a smile. "otherwise, we might be looking for new hosts."

as we settled into our recording, the laughter and camaraderie flowed easily. the chemistry we shared was undeniable, and it felt like we had built something truly special together. our podcast had not only given us a platform to share our thoughts with the world but had also strengthened our bond.

as the episode wrapped up, we all leaned back in our chairs, satisfaction spreading across our faces. the conversation had been lively and filled with genuine moments, and it was moments like these that made me appreciate our friendship even more.

"great episode, everyone," ted said, clapping his hands together. "we're really hitting our stride."

"can't wait to see what the listeners think," tucker added, grinning.

"just wait until they hear about the serenading," schlatt said, giving me a teasing look.

"oh no," I groaned, laughing. "please don't!"

"too late," he replied with a wink.

as we packed up our equipment, I felt a sense of contentment wash over me. we had all grown so much since those early days filled with uncertainty and tangled feelings. now, we were a tight-knit group, supporting each other through everything life threw our way.

"you know," I said, glancing around at my friends, "I'm really glad we started this podcast. it's brought us closer."

"for sure," tucker replied. "and who knew we'd be this successful?"

"just goes to show you that honesty and good friends can take you places," I said, my eyes meeting schlatt's. he smiled back, and in that moment, I knew we were all exactly where we were meant to be—together.

"here's to many more episodes and adventures," ted declared, raising an imaginary glass.

"cheers to that!" we all echoed, our voices merging in a chorus of laughter and camaraderie.

as I looked around at my friends, I felt a surge of happiness. life had its ups and downs, but we had navigated them all together. and as we moved forward, I knew that whatever came next, we would face it side by side, ready to embrace the future.