Farewell
"Meet me at the altar in your white dress"
Girls night was in full swing, the playlist was fire and as soon as that song comes on the girls erupted into choruses of "eeyyyyyys"
Girls night, college farewell. Same thing. The girls aren't focused on the latter and neither will we.
Kara, Alex, Kelly, Imani, Ryan, Sara, Iris, Anissa, Grace, Felicity, Sophie, Mary, Lena and Kory. They always joked that their group was never small enough to make cute names but was certainly big enough to form their own sorority.
They all met freshman year of college. Paths kept crossing one way or another and months down the line they'd all ended up inviting each other to a small get together Anissa planned. It's safe to say it wasn't so "small" after all.
They all clicked, some more than others but it was rare to find a group of women who just clicked. They value and respect their friendships, their foundation was solid. The rest? Well, they're here, right now, in Mary's mansion like college house, enjoying each other's company for what may be the last time they'll be together like this. Carefree, a little immature, only tainted by the hardship of college life. Not yet haggard down by the reality of living in a cold dark world. Hearts broken by their peers, not stifled by the hurt and pain dished out by humans who are sick and warped. Not yet broken down by hurt people who hurt people.
They're happy, actually happy. And light, actually light. Their smiles stretch from ear to ear, their laughter loud and joyful like music travelling on the back of air. They've been bruised one way or another but never been broken. Like the time they decided to look into their ancestors and family history and found Ryan’s adoption file under classified documents. At Ryan’s request, Luke and Sophie managed to unseal the files, covering their tracks of course.
Ryan’s whole world crumbled and almost took her into the deepest black hole. But the harder she pushed, the more her friends loved on her and held her down. Barry had a breakdown half way through their Sophomore year. He witnessed the murder of his mother when he was eleven. According to his Dr’s he was never going to be a stable enough human. They never thought he would mentally recover but he did, with the help of family friends who took him in. They worried even more for him when he decided to attend college. When he had a mental relapse his friends were there for him. They sat with him when he was too afraid to be alone, made sure he ate when hunger wouldn’t register. Iris was his light at the end of a very dark tunnel, his friends too. They all came with baggage, but none judged the other for what they carried. They got each other up and through every time.
——————
Mary throws her hand in the air, a half filled shot glass in hand, "THROW THOSE DRINKS UP LADIEESS. ONE TIME FOR THE LAST TIME!!!"
Shot glasses join Mary's at the centre of the room. They all take a moment to look around, to save this very moment in time. Being with each other, having fun. Pocketing the sound of everyone's laughter mixed together, saving each other's smiles to memory.
The night was a success and as it wound down they did their usual, semi drunk deep conversations that usually make absolutely no sense.
Mary's words are slurred, yet still coherent. "Okay okay, lissssten. I'm gonna miss you guys so much"
Kory lifts her cup in the air, "Me too, yall were okay. I suppose"
Everyone looks at her, speechless. Then a chorus of laughter echoes throughout the living room.
Anissa: Thats messed up Koko
Felicity: Honestly….
The door opens and in comes the boys, men. Their group is complete
Barry: You guys realise we could hear this fiasco from the top of the street right?
Alex: If you can't beat um, join them. You joining?
Barry rolls his eyes and heads over to Iris and everyone else files in
Mary: LUUKKEEEE!! Hey baabeee
Luke: You guys let her get this drunk?
Sophie: Have you ever tried to keep an eye on Mary around alcohol?
Ryan: I call her shot ninja
Sophie: What does that make you then?
Ryan: Anyone hear something?
Grace: Ryan!
Ryan: WHAT?!
Imani: So chaotic
Chester: Really don't know how we did this for three years
Sara: Shut up, you love us
Chaos, a natural part of their connection. So many personalities in one group, they’ve clashed many a times but their foundations held them together.
No going to bed angry at one another. Always try to understand one another and Always respect each other. The three golden rules of their friendship. The no dating friends went out the window with Iris and Barry.
They take a moment to reminisce, looking around the room, filing their happy places in their memories again, for good.
Anissa: Ah shit. I’m gonna miss you guys
Felicity: A pact. We can never grow apart. No matter how near or far. We have to keep in contact with each other. That group chat is never to be deleted
Kelly: Agreed.
Lena: Mhm and if anyone finds themselves single and lonely at forty, Come find me
“What?”, they all erupt into laughter
Lena: I’m serious
Mary: Soph, that's for you
Lena and Sophie reply in unison, “absolutely not”
Sophie: Shut up Mary. Ryan’s more my type anyway
Silence descends on the room as Ryan chokes on her drink
Iris: I thought you're straight?
Sophie: Oh I am. It’s just that in the extremely unlikely event, I'm less likely to kill Ryan
Lena points to Sophie, “she gets it”
Oliver: You guys bicker, like all the time though?
Oliver holds a confused expression
Mary’s eyes widened, “ You’ve thought about it?”
Sophie: Mary, quit it
Mary gasps, “You have, haven’t you!”
Anissa: OHH I SEE YOU MOORE!!, you argue but that make up sex would be fire!!
Grace: Anissa!!
Anissa: What?
Ryans yet to conjure the words to reply to everything she’s hearing and Sophie thanks God when the subject quickly changes because she was struggling to keep the building heat in her chest from reaching her face, she was struggling to keep her composure.
Ryan steels her features, her confidence creeps back in and she settles next to Sophie without anyone noticing.
Ryan: For what it’s worth, I don't think I would kill you either and I think makeup sex would totally hit
Sophie opens her mouth to speak but when she looks at Ryan and sees her mischievous grin she gets the hint
Sophie: Shut up Wilder
They both let out light chuckles
Ryan holds her fist up between them, “marriage at forty buddies?”
Sophie bumps her fist, “You got it….buddy”