It had been years since they had last seen or even spoken to anyone from high school, yet, strangely, one of their old friends invites them to a bonfire with other “old friends.”

The bonfire inspires hope. Maybe they will be invited into the friend group.

At the bonfire, smiles all around. They tell jokes and make people laugh. Later, hugs and disdainful inflections from previous bullies. Doesn’t matter. Let’s do this again.

Weeks later, they meet up with one of the old friends. She smiles and nods throughout dinner. She provides lots of friendly, polite conversation. Nothing to reflect the years-long friendship they shared before college.

They never speak to her again. Or, rather, she never speaks to them again.

There has not been another bonfire, at least to their knowledge.

Months later, they receive a text message from a college acquaintance. The college acquaintance only wants intel on a job site they are supposedly familiar with. They aren’t.

They have not heard from the college acquaintance since.

Weeks later, they walk their beagle down the street in the morning. As they return home, the teenager next door loudly scorns, “FUCK that dog.” They beg their partner to walk the dog from then on.

Time to grocery shop. They only need a few things, so they use self-checkout. They accidentally scan the can of black beans twice, and an employee assists.

They scan the new pasta brand they want to try. Barcode not recognized.

They finish paying and return home. They will only order groceries for delivery from now on.

Days pass. They reach out to their mom, someone they intentionally grew distant from, just to ask how she is doing.

“Good.”

They don’t bother.

Weeks pass. They try to bring their dog to the town parklands. As they squat down to pick up after the dog, a man walks by, and the dog’s collar comes off.

The dog barks and runs near the man, clearly excited to meet a new person. He kicks toward the dog. The dog whimpers.

He shouts, “What is wrong with you, lady?” and threatens them both with a pepper spray can as he backs away.

They gently hug the beagle and tell the man, “This was not supposed to happen,” and slide the dog’s collar back on. They quickly exit the parklands and hyperventilate as they drive home.

They collapse on the stairs as the dog begs to play tug.

Weeks pass.

They ask their partner to help them complete a task while they are out.

“What was that?”

They repeat their request. Their partner accepts, and they leave the apartment.

They return hours later, the task not yet started.

“I didn’t have time.”

They complete it themself.

Months pass.

They go to a retail store, but drop their keys under their sedan. An older man walks by and shouts, “What do you think you are, a mechanic?” They sheepishly point out they had simply dropped their keys and quickly return to their vehicle.

No shopping today.

Years pass. Scrolling through Instagram, they see some of those old friends, from the bonfire, dressed in luxury clothing in the city. The friends took a vacation together.

They wrap themself in their favorite Snoopy blanket and slink to the floor.

The others wonder how there were never any signs.