July 2085: in between days, part 4

Ezra Dunning is 26, Hilary Monif is 20, Lola Franco is 24.

Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure

Thursday, July 27, 2085: 10:00 pm


Now, the girl in blue came inside carrying the weight of a fight—Ezra knew what that was like, the tension that dragged you down when you only wanted to come out and have a good time. Lola had just gone home. He’d been neglecting her, she said. He’d been distant and sketchy, she said. She was tired of his bullshit, she said. To be honest, he was tired of it too.

The girl in blue shook herself off and perked up, sighing off whatever it was that brought her down, and moved across the room like she danced, smoothly. He followed her. He’d seen her the other night, and seeing her again now, she just seemed like something bright and resilient he needed in his life. He just needed to try to talk to her, just for a minute, and if she wanted him to fuck off, then he would.

July 2085: in between days, part 2

Natty and Hilary are 20. 

Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure

Thursday, July 27, 2085: 8:30 pm


Dance like nobody’s watching, even if you forget the moves. That's what people say, isn't it?

Natty used to dance. She used to dance even if she wasn’t good at it, and she didn’t care who saw her, or what they thought, or how she looked. She just danced. And she loved the hell out of it.

At some point she stopped dancing, and she doesn’t remember when or why. She never imagined it meant anything was wrong. People get busy, working jobs, going to college. Who even had time for dancing anymore? Losing yourself in the frenzy of so many warm bodies and all that music? Natty was trying to find herself, not lose herself.

July 2085: in between days, part 1

Natty and Hilary are 20. 

Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure

Thursday, July 27, 2085: 2:30 pm

Having Hilary back made Natty feel fifteen again for a minute, and she thought that was everything she'd wanted, for things to be back the way they used to be. It was just like old times, the way the two of them would sun themselves on her parents beach when her dad would drag Charlie and Isaiah to an air show because he had no sons of his own. Natty could almost pretend they were back there again. Almost. If she pretended really hard.

It was Hilary's idea that Natty probably shouldn't call Charlie while she was here. "You need to experience being your own person for just once."

"I am my own person," Natty said.

"Not really," Hilary told her. "You're Charlie's girlfriend. But who are you? Who are you without him? Don't you want to find out?"

Natty had told herself that exact thing five weeks ago, and now it sounded like a load of bullshit. Like she was going to magically turn into some new and exciting person with a magic haircut and instant personality change? Was it supposed to unveil something profound about her life? All she'd discovered was that she didn't really like her hair short. She couldn't wait for it to grow back again.

Natty had expected all of this to feel different. She expected something to happen here. That maybe some cogs would click into place and she would reach enlightenment, or at least she'd have a little bit of fun. Instead she felt nothing, except anxious that too much nostalgia was making her lose grip on her whole life. This was not her life.

July 2085: everybody loves Ezra

Ezra Dunning is 26.


Everybody loves Ezra, which is a phenomenon he finds quite honestly baffling, since for the first quarter-century of his life, he was nothing but a tall geek with unruly red hair, immature and sometimes lazy, decidedly not charming, and he hadn’t had an actual girlfriend since high school. And then he moved to Sunrise Shores and met Lola, who was beautiful, sweet, and sexy. This is not Lola though. This is her roommate Joelle, and Joelle loves Ezra too.

the Guthrie/Monif family

Bradley Guthrie
age: 49
birthday: August 25, Virgo
LTW:
TS2 aspiration:
TS3 traits: no sense of humor, disciplined, family-oriented, easily impressed, computer whiz
hobbies/likes:
hates:
education:
occupation:
family: daughter Abby Guthrie
BFF:
romantic: engaged to Hailey Monif, dating since November 1979
romantic history: Holly Miller-Guthrie (married 8 years, divorced)

Hailey Monif
age: 44
birthday: June 24, Cancer
LTW:
TS2 aspiration: family
TS3 traits: perfectionist, family-oriented, hopeless romantic, snob, charismatic
hobbies/likes:
hates:
education:
occupation: romance novelist/elementary school teacher
family: daughter Hilary Monif
BFF:
romantic: engaged to Bradley Guthrie, dating since November 1979
romantic history: divorced

Hilary Monif
age: 20
birthday: March 28, Aries
LTW:
TS2 aspiration: popularity
TS3 traits: good sense of humor, slob, commitment issues, flirty, friendly, party animal, perceptive, athletic, charismatic
hobbies/likes: shopping, loud music, games
hates: being bored
education:
occupation:
family:
BFF: Natty Deppiesse
romantic: single
romantic history: Isaiah Gavigan (dated, 1 year), Jonah West (casual, 1 month)

Abby Guthrie
age: 16
birthday: May 29, Gemini
LTW:
TS2 aspiration:
TS3 traits: couch potato, dramatic, good, schmoozer
hobbies/likes:
hates:
education:
occupation:
family:
BFF:
romantic:
romantic history:

Holly Miller-Guthrie
age: 55
birthday: April 10, Aries
LTW:
TS2 aspiration: fortune
TS3 traits: adventurous, great kisser, genius, heavy sleeper, ambitious
hobbies/likes:
hates:
education:
occupation:
family: daughter Abby Guthrie
BFF:
romantic:
romantic history: Bradley Guthrie (married 8 years, divorced)