I Feel Our Memories Fade With Time.

The four of us were on a plane headed to LA in the middle of September. We already had the living arrangements settled, and most of the stuff moved out there. Once the plane landed, we all headed to get our bags, then outside. It was a lot different than New Jersey, but this was home now. We took a taxi to the apartment building where we would be living. Kyle and Katie had dorm rooms at their college, and Steph and I had the apartment. It felt good being on my own, but I felt old.

“This is so weird,” I said.

“How?”

“We’re alone. In our own apartment.”

“Oh? Alone eh?,” she said with a giggle.

“Oh shush.” I rolled my eyes.

“Well, we are alone,” she said, grabbing on to my side and arm.

I looked down at her, and just laughed at the puppy dog look in her eyes. I knew she was kidding anyways. Then I grabbed her and planted a kiss on her lips without warning.

“Damn Tyler,” Steph said, then she paused. “Can we do that again?”

“Maybe later,” I said going to the refrigerator and getting something to eat.

“I’m taking you up on that. We better do something later,” she said as she hugged me from behind.

“I thought you wanted to wait till marriage?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

“No fair! Meanie.” She pretended to be mad and walk away.

Again, I knew she was kidding. After we ate something, we started to unpack, then we had time to chill. We put a movie in and started watching it. I sat with my feet propped up on the coffee table, and she was against my side, leaning on me. Just like all couples sit. Jet lag set in quickly, and before the movie was half over, I was sound asleep.

“Tyler?” a sleepy voice asked beside me.

I opened my eyes and looked at Steph. Her sleepy eyes looked around, as did mine. I saw it was almost two in the morning. The room was dark, other than the TV glowing with a DVD movie menu.

“I think the bed would be more comfortable?” I asked.

“Mmmhmm,” Steph mumbled, getting up and walking to our bedroom.

I turned off the TV and headed back there myself. Steph was already under the covers, asleep. I crawled in beside her, and soon fell back to sleep myself.

In the morning, we had to get registered and start on our college paper work. We did just that, and then we walked around in downtown LA for a while, waiting for Kyle and Katie to get done with what they needed to do. All four of us managed to meet up for lunch.

“So, how’s the dorm room?” I asked.

“Yeah, did you rock it around last night?” Steph asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Haha, no we didn’t. It was ok though. Small, but still comfortable,” Kyle said.

“So, when are you gonna get jiggy in there?” Steph asked, purposely being perverted.

“When you and Tyler do,” Katie said.

“Oh, so you’re gonna watch us?” I asked, stifling a giggle.

“Maybe we will,” Kyle said. “Maybe we’ll have a-”

“Foursome!” Steph interrupted Kyle.

“Okay, you all are nuts,” I said, laughing. “What are you two doing tonight?”

“Nothing.”

“Well, we aren’t, wanna hang with us?”

“And why wouldn’t we?”

“Cause you don’t like us?” I cocked an eyebrow.

“Yeah, we hate you guys. Why the hell would we wanna hang with you?”

I shook my head and laughed. After lunch, we walked around more, window shopping and stuff, until early evening. We went back to the apartment and started watching movies. Kyle volunteered, or he was volunteered, to get pizzas for us, and we filled up on pizza and pop. That’s when a burping contest started, which Steph won, totally murdering us out.

“That’s Steph, my little piggy, and I totally mean that in a good way,” I said, hugging Steph.

“Moo, I’m a piggy,” she said, burping again.

We all laughed and went back to another movie. Since we were hyper, we watched a comedy. I had a feeling this was going to be life now, and I couldn’t argue against it. Halfway through the movie, the phone rang. I grumbled as I got up to get it.

“Hi, dad,” I said, slightly rolling my eyes.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing.”

“How is it out there?”

“It’s good. Comfortable, and stuff. Registered for classes today, and now we’re hanging out here. All four of us.”

“That’s good. So when do you start school?”

“Next week.”

“Cool, cool. You know, your mother would be so proud of you.”

“I know, Dad.”

“Well, I just wanted to call and say hi. I’ll let you go back to your friends. Just don’t go crazy.”

“I know, we won’t,” I said. “Bye, dad.”

“Bye, Ty. I’ll talk to you later.”

I hung up the phone and went back to the couch, jumping down and pulling Steph back into my arms. We watched the rest of the movie, and put in another. Halfway through that, I dozed off. It was one of those again where I woke up, saw everyone else asleep, basking in the glow of the TV. I turned it off with the remote next to me, and leaned back on Steph’s shoulder and fell back to sleep.