4.

Tom:
I can't stop thinking about Sophie.
Seeing her after all these years left an impression on me.
Why did we stop talking? Why did we loose contact with each other after being so close? After everything we've been through?

After we left, we called and wrote to each other at first, but after a few months that stopped.
I don't really remember when or why.
Were we to busy? Or did we just forget about her?

"Bill?"
"Hm?" Bill mumbles, not looking up from his phone.
"How did we loose contact with Sophie?"
He looks up from his phone and looks at me.

"Uhm, I don't know. We were very busy and the only one we still had contact with was Andreas. Why?"
I shrug my shoulders. "I was just wondering. We were so close." Bill nods.
"Yes, that's true. But sometimes that's just how things go, I guess." Bill looks at his phone again and starts typing.

A deep sigh leaves my mouth.
"Don't you mind? That we so easily lost contact with someone we were so close with?"
Bill looks up from his phone again.
"Of course I do. But we just saw her again and we will meet her later. We can catch up on lost time. Why do you care so much suddenly?"

I shrug my shoulders again. I don't even know how to answer that.
Untill today I had barely thought about her. It feels like I forgot about her and it makes me feel guilty somehow. Did I really not have a few minutes of free time to write her a quick text?

Why didn't I? Why didn't Bill? Is it really as they say, out of sight our of heart?
"Bill, we don't even have her number! How will we let her know where we will go this evening?"

"We just go to her house. As far as I know she still lives with her parents."
"Isn't it rude? Just showing up at her door like that?"
"She pretty much invited us. It's fine."
I guess he has a point. She won't mind when we show up at her house, I hope.


I'm driving to Sophie's house. Bill is sitting next to me. For some reason I feel nervous.
It only takes a few minutes to get to her house and I park the car on the side of the street.

Bill gets out of the car and I do the same.
He rings the doorbell and her mom opens the door.
"Come inside guys. Sophie mentioned you might come over."
We follow her inside into the living room.
"Sophie, it's for you!" Her mom yells upstairs.

We hear footsteps coming down the stairs and a few seconds later she's standing in front of us.
"Hi guys!"
She's wearing a beautiful dress, which makes her figure come out even more perfect than it already is.

Bill stumps my arm. "Stop staring." he whispers and turns himself to Sophie.
"So, what are our plans?"
"We could go to the little café where we always hang out. You can meet Marco!"
"Who is Marco?" I ask her.
"My boyfriend!" She says with a smile on her face.

"Good idea!" Bill says enthusiastic.
I don't say anything. It feels like a big rock fell right into my stomach. She has a boyfriend? Somehow that makes me feel disappointed.

We walk to the car and drive to the little café. It's not far from here and I park my car next to the entrance.

We get out of the car and I follow Bill and Sophie inside. She walks to the guy who is standing at the high table and kisses him right on his mouth. She then turns to us.
"This is Bill and Tom. You know, my friends from high school. And this is Marco!"

Marco holds out his hand to us. Reluctantly I accept it. Bill on the other hand is as enthusiastic as always.
If I'm honest I would rather just go home.

I lean on the table and sip from my beer.
They are talking non-stop and I just sit here, quietly.
Bill seems to like this Marco guy, but everything he says just annoys me.

I couldn't care less about his fitness lifestyle! And even less about his job.
Bill looks at me a few times as he noticed that I'm uncomfortable. I shrug my shoulders and mumble that I'm fine. I couldn't even explain to him what's wrong anyway.