And at that moment, I could see the future. I see me, staring out the window frame, looking at the same sky as the four of them are. I see a girl, messy hair and lit-up eyes, sitting by a tree, sketchbook in hand, drawing the world on paper the way she sees it. I see five friends, coming together once again, laughing like they just heard the world's funniest joke. I see a boy, my friend, looking through the lenses.

"Don't worry," I tell her. "It's going to be amazing."

Now

The Fassi's have a knack for interior design.

I think of this as I make my way up to Robbie's house. I haven't been to this house in a while – two years, I think, since we all went our separate ways. Of course, the inside of their house is nothing compared to the outside – garden gnomes, lamp posts, and a glossy crimson door at the centre.

Ding-dong.

Of course, I haven't seen Robbie in a long time either. I wonder if he still looks the same. Or maybe his eyes are all droopy and his face filled with pimples from taking up business management. That's a funny thought.

I wonder if he is still the same.

The door opens, and I see Robbie, looking the same way as he did when I last saw him – except now he has dark circles over his eyes and he looks even more tired than before.

"I, um -" I stutter.

"I saw you through the peephole," Robbie says, interrupting me.

Oh, did I mention the Fassi's have a peephole?

"How, um -" I say, trying to get the words out of me. How do you make conversation to a friend you haven't talked to in ages? "How's it been? How's college and everything?"

Oh, it's not like Robbie and I immediately stopped talking. We tried. Postcards, e-mails, skywriting – but with all that's happened and the distance, things just changed.

"It's good," Robbie says. "The professor likes me, he says I have a bright future and what not." So much banter, so little time.

"Well, that's awesome. Good for you."

"I know why you're here, you know," Robbie says, changing the tone of his voice. It was amazing how he could go from awkward small talk to serious conversation in a snap. "And I just want to know that you're going to have to do a lot of convincing before I'm in on it."

"Robbie, today is -"

"I know what today is!" Robbie says. "How could I not know what today is? The summer of 17, that's what we called it, right? It was supposed to be the best summer ever, seeing as how it would be the last summer we'd spend together." Robbie shook his head, chuckling. "Didn't realize how true that would become."

"Robbie," I say slowly, "Everybody's back here."

Robbie let out a gasp. "All of us are back here?"

"Robbie, yes," I say. "I checked. I wouldn't be doing this if we weren't all here together."

Robbie laughs. "Thompson, you better not be shitting me right now, I know how much you love a good prank." He leans against the door frame. "Let me see if I got this right. You're saying that all of us are in on it?"

"All five of us," I say firmly. "We can't do this without all five of us."

"All five of us," Robbie says in disbelief. He smiles. "Fine. You've convinced me. Or maybe not. Maybe I just wanna see if you can convince the others as well."

Robbie walks out of his gates and goes, "So, what is this, then? The summer of 19?"

I give him a smile. "Maybe."