"So you told me what happened with Spinelli, what about the others?"

Together, Gretchen found herself with TJ and the twins out at night, along with other families and amateur astronomers, watching the shooting stars. The small group of kids there were sitting around in a small circle where all the parents could keep an eye on them.

"The others?" TJ paused, thinking. "We'll, Vince went to college on a basketball scholarship, and played for two years until he injured his knee. It was messed up pretty bad and took a long tinm to recover, and he told me it wasn't the same after, so he couldn't play anymore. Not professionally anyway."

"That's terrible! That was his dream."

"I know, and it hit him pretty hard. He dropped out of college after that. But then he went to culinary school. He was a great cook, remember? Still just as great. Now he owns, I think two restaurants? Yeah, two. We still keep in contact. He's married, got three kids."

"Gus? We'll, Gus went into the military, but not as you're thinking. He went to college for engineering, now he's building stuff for the military now. I haven't talked to him years, though. Last time I saw him, he and Theresa were dating. I wish I could tell you more, but we kinda broke apart through middle school. Same thing with Mikey, haven't heard from him in years, I don't have a clue."

"Middle school? What happened in middle school?"

"You know, typical stuff. Different clubs and teams, different kids to hang around with, and suddenly we went weeks without talking to each other, and it was too awkward for anyone to try, and the social hierarchy made it impossible." He paused, taking a drink. "There wasn't a fight or anything, just drifted."

"Well, that's good, at least. No hard feelings," She said. "So what about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. What group did you fall into?" She asked.

"Ah. . .well. . .I sort of went with the pale kids and became kind of a nerd," said TJ. "I already was into comic books and video games, so it sort of just came naturally, I guess. DnD, robotics, sci fi and fantasy, that sort of thing, all related and I just got involved with that crowd."

"You're lying," Gretchen said in disbelief. "You, TJ Detweiler, became a nerd of all things?" He nodded. "I wish I could've seen it."

"I have a picture, if you don't believe me." TJ reached in his back pocket for his wallet. "I keep it for a laugh sometimes."

With the phone flashlight, Gretchen looked at the picture. It was him, his hat having been replaced with a red beanie that covered his slightly longer hair, a green open button up replacing his jacket, and-

"You got braces?!" She shouted. "And glasses?! When? Why?!"

"Smashed my teeth against the cement when I fell off my bike one day, really fucked them up and I had to get them for a few years,even after surgery. The glasses, I guess I played too many video games too close to the TV," he said. "I wore those through high school, then I switched to contact lenses."

"Wow. It's amazing how things change. . ." She laughed. "Nerd."

"What about you?"

"Well, my braces came off before 8th grade, and I tried contact lenses for a bit, but I suppose I got so used to my face with glasses that I preferred them," she said. "I went to a specialized high school, became student body president, joined the mathletes, I really don't think it was anything special. Except. . . '

"Except?"

"Back at Third Street, I was the smartest student in school, that was my thing, but going to a school full of brilliant students, I didn't stand out as much, or at all, really. Don't get me wrong, discussing theories and inventions with someone who understood what you were saying is nice, but it was a shock, I suppose."

The two of them settled into silence, enjoying the sight of shooting stars above them. The twins ran over to them, joining them on the bench. Between lecturing, grading papers, and her own projects, there weren't many moments for Gretchen to just sit back and enjoy the wonders of the universe, especially with someone else.

It was nice.

"I wish we stayed in contact back then," Gretchen said. "It was too easy to getting absorbed in everything around me and to forget about you guys."

"It's alright. You didn't hesitate because we were splintering. We didn't last together for long in middle school, anyways," said TJ. "By high school it was like we we're never friends at all. The only reason me and Spinelli got close enough to date again was because we had an art class together, but that didn't last because, you know. Us going separate ways was just meant to happen."

"I suppose so," she said. Slowly, the number of shooting stars lowered until there was no more in the sky. By now, the twins had fallen asleep. They carried them to the car, packed up, and headed back.