7 Minutes ✧ Syndisparklez

A New Kind of Normal

"You all packed up?" Jordan asked me as I crossed the dining room, placing my backpack on the table.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure what for," I chuckled. "Tom was kinda vague about this little vacation you both planned."

"It's a surprise!" Tom said, pouring some tea into a thermos for Alice and himself.

"Well this surprise better include a deep-tissue massage," Alice groaned.

"You're going to be sorely disappointed," Tom replied. "Are we all set to go?"

"Go where?"

"You'll see, come on!"

~~A Vacation~~
An extended period of recreation, especially one spent away from home or in traveling.
The past three morning-after-therapy-breakfast-dates Tom and Jordan had gone on were spent planning a little vacation for the whole group.

"Okay, we're sure we have everything?" Tom asked aloud to those in the kitchen.

"How do we know if we have everything if you guys won't even tell us where we're going?" Alice hissed.

"Does everyone have sunscreen?" Tom asked.

"Sunscreen? We're going outside?"

"I have sunscreen, Tom," Jordan interrupted. "We can share it, what else?"

"You have your pills, right?" Tom asked the brunette, his fingers gently brushing against his love's hand.

"Yep, I've got 'em," he said, proudly dangling a fanny-pack in his hands.

~~A Prescription~~
Antidepressants
Medication that can help relieve symptoms of depression, social anxiety disorder, anxiety disorders, seasonal affective disorder, and dysthymia, or mild chronic depression, as well as other conditions.

"So... We're going outside, with no massages. Any other hints?" I mumbled, tossing my backpack over my shoulder. I packed fairly light, assuming this surprise trip wouldn't last too long.

"No! No more hints, just get in the car. Jordan, remember the breakfast, please," Tom cooed, hurrying toward the front door.

"Ooo, what's for breakfast?" Alice asked, following Jordan closely as he grabbed a brown paper sack.

"Egg sandwich with English Muffins as the bread," Jordan smiled. "Ro sent me a recipe. I made them from scratch."

"Ro, coming in clutch!" Alice exclaimed, following him out the door.

I glanced around at the empty house. Quiet, empty, but peaceful. Everything seemed alright.

A few weeks ago I would've been terrified to leave the house like this. It's truly amazing how a month of regularly scheduled therapy appointments can make such a drastic difference; in a positive way, of course.

"Ingrid, we're wasting gas out here!"

"Sorry, I'm coming!" I yelled back, locking the door behind me. "Alright-" I sighed, climbing in the backseat of the car beside Alice. Jordan tossed a breakfast sandwich into my hands.

Jordan grabbed the AUX chord, and turned on some "bops." His words, not mine.

We drove for a while, casually chatting while music softly hummed in the background of our conversations. I pressed my face against the cool glass of the window, watching as the rural roads gradually turned into faraway highways, hidden by long stretches of forestry.

The sky was clear, besides a few stray, fluffy clouds every now and again.

Time seemed to fly by, despite the never ending tar road.

"Hey, guys-" Alice sheepishly interrupted the murmur of conversation in the car. "Could we pull over, I don't feel so good."

"Pull over?" Tom asked.

"I feel car-sick, Tom, and unless you want me to vomit on your leather seats-"

"Alright! I'm pulling over, Jesus!" Tom said in defense, carefully leading the car to the curb.

Alice flung her seatbelt off, rushing toward a patch of grass in a ditch off the highway; I followed suit.

"Car-sick, huh?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. Alice ignored me, emptying her breakfast Jordan had so thoughtfully made for her.

"I haven't told them yet..." Alice groaned, before hurling once more. I brushed sweaty strands of hair away from her face, securing it in a ponytail.

"Are you going to tell them soon?"

"No, I don't think so..."

"But, you're starting to show," I mentioned. Alice had started wearing larger t-shirts to hide her protruding belly. She wasn't huge; however there was a small, but visible, baby bump there.

"I know, that's why I'm wearing my finest extra-large shirts," Alice grinned sarcastically. "The doctor says she's healthy, though. I honestly find that amazing, considering I can't keep a god damn thing down. But she'll be alright."

I glanced back at the car. Jordan looked worried, but Tom was giggling and taking videos.

"Ready to head back?" I asked.

"Yeah... I'm fucking hungry," Alice laughed at herself, wiping away saliva from her mouth.

"I'm sure I have a granola bar or something for you. Come on," I smiled, helping her back to the car.

"A little bit of motion sickness too much for ya, Neighbor Alice?" Tom asked, holding his vlog camera.

I have to admit, I was a little shocked. After we found Jordan and started the trial, both Tom and Jordan completely logged off of Youtube. They haven't even attempted to upload since then. In fact, they've been completely offline on all sources of social media.

But now both Tom and Jordan were giggling at the camera, pointing to pictures on Instagram, and reading aloud the funniest tweets they've seen during our drive.

Do I think things can ever return to the way they were before? No.

Do I think we're on track to find a new kind of normal? A fresh start in a foreign life? Yes. This foreign life will be different, but some aspects may seem familiar.

I think we'll be just fine in this new life we've created for ourselves.

The tires rumbled as the car shifted back onto the stretch of endless road.