July 2085: in between days, part 5.5

Charlie Roseland is 20. Ingrid Thompson is 22. Laney Thompson is 26. 

Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure

Thursday, July 27, 2085: 11:30 pm


Ingrid left two car-loads of people downstairs and went to see if her sister liked the idea of having company. Seeing as how Laney wasn’t even dressed, it didn't look promising.

“You okay? Are you sick or something?”

Laney moved, finally, to resituate her head on the pages of her book. “No, I'm okay.”

“Did something happen at work?”

“No, nothing ever happens at work.”

“Then what are you doing? Reading through osmosis?”

Ingrid snickered at her own joke, but Laney just stared on, blank and unconcerned, occupied and sort of dazed.

July 2085: in between days, part 5

Charlie Roseland is 20. Sophia Nelson is 21. Ingrid Thompson and Benny Winters are 22. 

Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure

Thursday, July 27, 2085: 5:30 pm


"It's the last day for the summer fair, Charlie. Five hours is not even enough time. Carpe diem. Let's seize the fucking day."

Charlie didn't stop home after work. He threw his gear into the dusty crevice behind the front seat of his truck and drove over to the county fairgrounds. Ingrid waited in the center of the midway with his friends, like they were already her friends now too, like she'd transplanted herself into the middle of his whole universe so she wouldn't be missed or forgotten. Her lips curved into a pleased smile.

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 3.5

Ingrid Thompson is 22, Charlie Roseland is 20.

Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure

Thursday, July 27, 2085: 11:30 am


“Charlie! I feel like I haven’t seen you in three months and eighteen days!”

“You saw me twelve hours ago.”

July 2085: in between days, part 3

Natty is 20. Ashley is 50.

Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure

Thursday, July 27, 2085: 10:00 pm


Natty called Charlie from home again when she got there, but that was silly. It had only been five minutes since the last time she tried. She called Benny next, but there was no answer there either. It was too late to call Gabby again. Gabby would probably be in bed by now anyway, and Natty didn’t want to lose favor with Charlie’s parents any more than she already had.

Natty didn’t know what else to do, so she picked up some dinner plates and took them to the sink.

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.