When they were young, they were friends. A group, the four of them, enjoying life and each other. The freedom of having their whole lives ahead of them. Little did they know that one of them had an affinity for playing with fire. Little did they know that they would be ripped apart in a mere second. In the space of time it takes to pick an ashtray up and swing it, four lives became three. And only pain and fear came after.
When they were older, but still young, they were enemies. The children who played together grew apart, and only bitter anger and pain was left. The days blended together, a minuet of sarcasm and hurtful lies. A surrounding coldness, that only memories could thaw, even just for a moment.
And then they were together again. In a different way, but back to the beginning, when things were right between the two of them. When things were happy. But only for a moment. A minute out of the long years of their lives.
Time went by.
They became different people, only to reunite again, finally after so much time. This time things were better, for a while. This time things made more sense. This time they were happy. But only for a moment. The snipe became slammed doors. The mis-trust became misery. The arguments became the end.
Time went by.
She saw him from time to time, across the quad, across the room, across the long distance they'd put between them. He never looked up, and she walked on. Without him.
Time went by.
And finally, finally, they became one again. A night of catching up became two nights. A day of spending time together became a week, until they were back where they always were. Back in the loop they're trapped in. Back in the relationship that never seems to be over, not really. There were days she stared out the window, wondering how long this time would last. How long they'd be happy. Because something would happen. There was a trigger hidden somewhere inside them that's just waiting to be hit. She knew eventually the time would come when they would have to walk away forever, or they'd rip each other open, and never recover. But right now, they would enjoy this moment. Just this one moment.