Hourglass
Two years from now, Shawn will pack up everything he owns and leave Santa Barbara. He will climb on his bike and just drive. He will cross hundreds of towns and cities until he comes across a small family owned comic book store. Only then will he pull over and cry. Shawn will cry because he will realize that his best friend is gone and it's time to finally let go.
Twenty-two months from now, Shawn will find a note from Gus. It's old, probably decades old, but still neat and legible. Shawn will read it and remember that in eighth grade they had to write a report on someone they admire. The note is simple and nowhere near the final draft, but Shawn will read it anyway. The note will surprise him. It will say, among other things, "I admire Shawn Spencer" and Shawn's hands will tremble. He will pocket the note, leave Gus's apartment, and promise himself that he won't let Gus down. He will go home, get everything in order, and live like the Shawn Spencer Gus always expected him to be.
Sixteen months from now, they will find a car. It will be a small blue car, sometimes referred to as the blueberry. There will be nothing inside, save for some CDs, and no evidence of foul play. Shawn will stay exactly two feet away from the car, looking everywhere for clues even when the chief tells him to stay back. The police will continue scouring the area for Gus, but will inevitably come back empty handed. For the first time, Shawn will lose complete faith in everything, including himself.
One year from now, Shawn will find out how much it hurts to be lied to. He will make a call and realize everything he has been told has been a mistake, a lie. Gus was never there, he never made it there. Shawn will throw his phone against a wall and think for the first time that he may never get his friend back.
Five months from now, Shawn will become tired. He will spend all day at Psych trying to piece together clues and all night at his best friend's apartment trying to feel closer to Gus. He won't sleep, not really. He will take a nap here or there, but he will never sleep in a bed. Sleeping in a bed will provoke dreams, and Shawn knows he will die if he dreams of Gus only to wake and find himself utterly alone.
One month from now, the chief will order Shawn off the most important case. He is too involved and it's becoming too personal. Shawn will yell like he's never yelled before. He will tell everyone that they are incapable and incompetent. He will tell them that he is the only one who can solve it. Things will become worse when Lassiter yells, "If you're so good, why haven't you found him yet?" Lassiter will walk around for a week with a bruised jaw while Shawn will walk around for years with a bruised heart.
One week from now, Shawn will enter the Santa Barbara police station in a frenzy, crying out that Gus is missing. Those distantly familiar with his antics will look on, some annoyed, some amused. Those closely familiar with his antics will order him to calm down and gather a statement from the agitated man. The officers will be coldly professional at first but when Shawn says it's been five days of silence, they will realize that they have a case and it suddenly becomes a race against time.
Two days from now, Gus will leave for a conference in Palo Alto. He will pack his car up with everything he will need and tell Shawn that he'll be back in two weeks. They will look at each other and realize that this will be the longest they've been apart in years. They won't mention it out loud but Gus will tell Shawn not to destroy his apartment and Shawn will say he'll have pineapple upside down cake waiting. After a fist bump, Gus will walk out of his apartment and never return. Shawn will sit on the couch, turn on the television, and not realize that the last thing he ever spoke to Gus was goodbye.