Below is a list of the characters, of course and their parents. Yes, yes I know the names of the parents don't match up to the show but it doesn't matter. The parents are not the main characters and will be barely mentioned through out the story. I needed them for the first phase however and did not want to confuse some as I probably normally do. My grammar and such has not improved since my long vacation away - I know this and I warned you so I won't lose sleep tonight.
Tai/Kari = Zack, Emma
Tk/Matt = Nancy, Malcolm
Sora = Beth/Vince
Joe = Nathan/Sarah
Izzy = Janice /Jack
Mimi =Mary/Todd
Davis/Jun =Even/ Lilia
It all started about dreaming of the future. About the ideas and the plans. They would never grow old; always feel as young as they are now. More in love then they are now and closer then they will be in the years of the future. They were to stay together, be together forever. As lovers, as friends, as brothers and sisters. Their world would never shatter.
Forever, a simple word. So easy to say. It puts a smile on young lovers' lips. It warms the body and the soul and fills the mind with dreams of happily ever after...
Malcolm smiled down as his future wife as she smiled back into his eyes. He placed a strong arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to his tall lengthy frame.
"So, everyone is in agreement?" Zack looked around his friends with a serious face. They stood within the light of the campfire. Zack with his back against the flicking flames and his friends in a close circle facing him. "Every year we meet back at this cabin. This reunion will not be broken. We'll do this…well forever. Agree?"
"What if this cabin burns or…" Nathan spoke up looking around a bit worried.
"Then we'll meet at the one that will replace this one." Zack grinned, placing an easy hand on top of his friend, giving his hair a slight teasing so it stuck up. "Come on guys, we are going to be friends forever. We need to stay connected."
"Forever friends!" Sarah held up her wine designed glass that held nothing but pure water. Three weeks late, she would not be taking any chances.
"Forever." Nancy held up her glass as well.
"Forever." Malcolm kissed the top of Nancy's head as he touched her glass with his own.
"Forever." Todd gave a sheepish grin and raised his glass, "Who knows what our future will bring but this, yeah I can do this."
"I'm in it forever." Mary hooked her arms around Todd's waist. "I'll make sure he follows through."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Vince rested his arm on his girlfriend's shoulder. "We are going separate ways to college, a meeting ground sounds rational." He looked down at Beth's rusty eyes. "What'd you think?"
Beth held up her glass, "The future awaits and we don't know what it will bring but I'll be here."
"I hate making plans, they never turn out the way I want them too." Janice gave a slight frown.
"We'll make it work doll." Jack winked at her and held up his glass. "Forever."
"Forever," Janice gave in with a sigh.
"I got nothing to lose." Even raised his glass, touching his friends. "I'm sure Lila will agree as well as soon as the morning stickiness passes."
"I can't believe we are going to have a baby at the same time!" Sarah smiled with excitement.
Forever…it's a strong word that gives people hope and promises. It binds people to an emotional contract. It gives them something to look forward to as the day ends and the night begins.
Eight Years after Forever….
"They're fighting again." Emma leaned against her husband of ten years, placing her head against his upper arm. She felt Zack nod his head and she felt the heavy gloom holding him there, watching his two friends at the lake's water edge.
"I thought they'd be together forever." Zack whispered, slipping his arm from her hold so he could place it around her. He drew her close to him. "I wish you could had seen them eight years ago when we were all young. The way they looked at each other, it was amazing. I wanted that. I wanted to have someone to love like that." He grinned down at her. "Guess I got my wish."
Emma smiled back. She came into this group of friends later, when they were all in their early twenties. She loved them immediate and the feeling seem to be mutual. "Maybe they'll work through it."
"Just wish I can help them, you know? Find out what's going on but neither of them will talk about it." Zack turned his eyes back towards Malcolm and Nancy who was now waving her arms around. They were at a distant, which no words could be heard but their body language said what their voices could not carry.
A young seven year old Tai glanced up from his mud pie watching as Matt leaned heavily against an oak tree that shield them from the sun and their parent's view. Tai quickly glanced at Sora, who flopped a round, pie looking patty down on an old tree stump.
She gave Tai a shrug of her slim shoulders but stood up when he did, wiping off the mud on her bright yellow shirt. They passed the sandbox where little Tk , Davis and Kari played. Izzy was sitting on a pinic table bench watch them approach.
"What's up?" He asked, closing his laptop and scramble from the table and followed them.
This time Tai shrugged his shoulders but they continue their little steps to a friend. They were lucky that their parents all lived pretty close to each other when they married and settled down. Now their parents' friendship had passed down to them. They were growing up together, like an extended family.
Tai leaned against the other side of the oak tree and looked down at the embankment where Matt's eyes locked.
"My parents fight too." Tai whispered. "Like mom would yell at dad for not taking the trash out and dad would yell back that he's watching a program. Or Mom wouldn't fill up the gas tank on the car."
"My mom and dad fight over their plans." Sora piped in. "What we are doing for vacation or over the bills and Dad's 'toys'." Sora shrugged.
"Yeah, my parents fight too." Izzy nodded his head and crunched up his face. "Though I don't know what about because they always fight in their bedroom."
"I know." Matt whispered and gave a heavy sigh. "All parents fight." He repeated their words but they were empty to him. He knew that his parents were fighting over something much more then the trash or television set. He took a deep breath and grabbed the soccer ball from the ground. Turning, giving his friends the best fake smile he could pull up from his inner core, "let's play some ball."
"Yeah!" Tai howled and ran to the field with Sora close behind. Izzy slowly chugged behind them.
"You are going to be okay?" Joe asked from the hammock near the spot the group had just gathered.
"Right as rain." Matt smiled at the oldest in their group, the corner of his lips quivering slightly.
Joe nodded his head, not believing him but not wanting to push him either. It would be something he would come to regret.
Matt jogged after them, pausing a moment at his four year old brother rambling on to Tai's little sister about his bulldozer. Kari gave a giggle and stuck a tree stem down the center of her large sand mound. Davis dumped his bottled water into a hole he had made and pushed his cars through it.
"Come on!" Tai yelled at Matt. "You got the ball!"
A slight breeze picked up enough to roll Davis' empty bottle to the other side of the sandbox. It causes a slight stir of milkweed puffs to float into the air around the laughing children in the field who now kicked the soccer ball. Strong enough to chase the butterfly Mimi tried to capture back into the sky. Strong enough to whisper to the lake's crystal clear water an order of ripples towards the edge of the lake. It was just so slight but enough to know a change was coming.
Forever…it is a deceiving word. When you strip it down you get a word that really gives one false hope and false future, of false plans and false promises. For everyone knows when the mood settles, the light dims and tomorrow comes, nothing is ever truly forever.
