“Lucas, you got somebody waiting for you.” A coworker of mine said. I was just packing up and was surprised to hear that. I wasn’t expecting anybody. I finished up packing and right before I started to leave when another co-worker/drinking buddy/mate, in general, caught me.

“Yoo, Lucas you lucky bastard. Look who’s here to pick you up.”
“Who?”
“That rockstar of yours. Didn’t you two split? Looks like she’s already feeling lonely.”
“What?” I was genuinely surprised. Summer and I didn’t actually split on the warmest of terms. We still met when it was mutuals but other than that well..
“I mean from what I can tell. You two aren’t gonna last even a week but hey you get to hit that one last time. Go get 'em, buddy.”
“Piss off mate”
“You owe me frothy and a durry if it goes well. She’s a fine sheila don’t fuck it up.”

I ignore him and went straight outside and lo and behold she was actually there. Hair up to her neck, zebra-colored top, and two small earrings dangling from her ears. It was enough to almost make me fall for her again. Almost.

“Hey, Lucas.”
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“I’ll ask straight I could use your help a bit is all. Are you free on Sunday?”
“What's on Sunday?”
“I’m moving. Know a place in Brighton, I have to check it out first but I don’t wanna go alone. I would ask my folks but you know. If you're free, would you please tag along?”
Was she serious? She coudn’t have gotten anyone else. I mean obviously, she didn’t that's why she’s here but, was going alone to see the place was all that bad?
“Brighton isn’t the nicest of places you know.”
“I’ll have to manage somehow.”
“I-uh. Sure. As long as it isn’t going to take the whole day.” I say begrudgingly without much thought.
“Oh, thank you, thank you, Luke.” She sounded actually delighted.
“When and where?”
“Melbourne station. Will meet you at 9 ok?” She looks at her watch. and says ”I won’t take your time now. Have a good one kay?”
“Be seeing you,”

She leaves for the lift. She waves at me and I wave her back.

“Wow, boyo, that was short.” Suddenly the same mate of mine catches me from behind. “Don’t even get to get a beer? The hell did you do?”
“Piss off mate.”

2.

Standing on the station platform which felt like it was burning through his soul. Lucas started to second guess about coming here. Sunday morning is for sleeping till noon not for chauffeuring as Summer would say. Talk of the devil. She appears. With a sun hat and sunglasses on, with the same zebra top but now with three-quarter jeans. They jumped on the next train. It was 20 min ride from here.

Five minutes had already passed and Lucas was feeling uncomfortable by it. The chatter of the train did not musk his frustration. He knew her folks were outside the town. But she coudn’t have bought a friend for this?

“Thanks again you know. You're really helping me out here.”
“Its nothing.”
“Mhmm”

The heat was oppressive enough. But Lucas’s mind was even more pressed by benile thought. The train's AC was enough to cool down only one.

“So how are things with you?” She asks.
“Same old same old.” Lucas tries to give an expressionless reply.
“Nothing exciting on the new branch?”
“Not really. It’s tiring for one.”
“Well, you obviously got to earn that dough right?”
“That's all well and good but, for some reason, they have my ass so they feel like they can just shove anything on to me and I’d do it. And they are right.”
“Huh. Well, comes with the position I guess.”
“I.. guess so yah.”
“What? Are you unsatisfied?”
“It's just tiring. That's all, tiring.”
“Aww poor baby” Summer lightly pats Lucas’s head. He gives a poor smile.
“How about you? I listened to your last single. It was great”
“YOU DID! Thanks Luke. It isn’t making me anything though sadly. A flopper you could say.”
“That's a shame I really liked it.”
“You're just saying that.”
“I don’t have to say anything though.”
“Mhmm. I guess your right.”

They talked about this and that the whole way. None of it lasting more than a few minutes, but it felt good catching up. They both thought that way. Summer was concerned about bringing Luke here but he also trusted him enough. But seeing how normal things were going she felt maybe a tad too happy. She kept going for a straight face the whole way through. Luke could never really tell.

3.

Brington looked much cleaner than Lucas had anticipated. It looked less urban than he thought it was going to be. More like the road they were in was the last sign of urbanity. If you cross this road you’ll meet a river by the side and an open field with trees scattered beyond. It was the last leg of the town.

“Its just a few min from here,” Summer said.
“That's still 10 min walk to the station more or less. You sure wanna do that every day?” Luke replied.
“Why would I use the train every day though?”
“To go the studio?”
“Ohh. Yeah right right. Hm,” she took a brief pause probably grumbling over what she wanted to say.
“I don't have to go to the studio anymore. Going solo and all that jazz”
“Oh.” Lucas had a number of questions. But that is precisely why he decided not to ask any of them. Some of those questions may lead to uncomfortable topics. He mused how in the span of what felt not so long ago many things did change even if not for him.
“Holy shit. Look at that.” She pointed towards a vending machine.
“I thought they don't sell these anymore”
“They don’t. So those are definitely past the due date.
“And they are still here?”
“That's Brighton for ya”
“I already love it here” They bought the expired drink and sipped as they go.

Summer noticed how the taste of the drink is so familiar. It tasted just as she had expected it to. Even with the arbitrary number saying otherwise, the drink felt the same. She mused how things felt the same too, even if it wasn’t the same. She wonders if it feels the same, do the other arbitrary factors matter? Though she guesses things that are expired can’t ever be not expired again. There is no point in trying. It will have to a completely new can. Even in the same looking can with the different expiry date, it would be a completely different drink, even if it felt the same.

She shook her hand. She just realized her expired soda can relationship allegory was pretty stupid.

“What happened?” It was Lucas.
“Realized I am not as smart as I think.”
“You just realized that?”
“Shut up.”

They reached the apartment.

4.

“And if you open the window right there” the man opens the window, “you see this lovely view of the river. The wind is of plenty”
“That is nice,” Summer says.
“I’ll let you two have look then. I’ll be waiting outside.” The man left the room.

They both looked around for a while. It was an apartment with three rooms. A bedroom, a living room, and a bathroom.
“It's just enough for two,” Lucas said.
“Guess it is” Summer nonchalantly replies.
“You're looking to move in with someone?”
Summer looked at him and gave him a smug look. “Nah just me at the moment.”
“Is that so.”
“Look, have you been-”
“Seeing someone?”
“It's ok if you don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Then I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Summer wasn’t seeing someone at that moment. But she can’t help but tease the man. Though she had thought similar things too. But she woudn’t ask outright.

Standing in the middle of the living room, Summer suddenly plopped down on the floor.
“What are you doing?” Lucas asked laughing.
“Just seeing how it's gonna feel living here.” She lies there for a while. Then lies on her back and stretches out her arms and legs.
“How does it feel?”
“Like living usually does.” She says getting up.

While walking back to the station they noticed that they could get up on a boat to ride on the river. They both decided to hop on one. Lucas peddled it slowly towards the middle. The water was relatively clean and the absurd heat was subsided by the huge amount of air coming from the north. It felt really nice. The boat was small but Summer tried her best to lie down on the boat but that almost overturned it so Lucas scolded her. So she then just leaned on the front side of the boat put her hands out off the boat in a way that her fingers touched the water and looked at the sky straight up.
“Say Lucas” she says
“What?”
“…. nothing”
“Well, now you just gotta tell me”
“Mhm. Imagine this. You’re going home from school with your friend and his mom because your mom didn’t come to pick you up. Not that your mom would do that she is a lovely person”
“Yah she still asks about you now and then “
“I met her the other day in Sunrise mall.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah. Anyway. Imagine you three crossing the road and suddenly a truck is coming straight at you. You can only save one of them your friend or your friend's mother. Who would you save?
“That is most certainly not what you were going to ask.”
“Just humor me”
“Well. Save the friend obviously?
“Obviously?”
“I mean. The mom already lived a long and full-filling life while me and my friend are like 5 right? Or wait…”
“I guess it's nothing much to think about since there are no right answers. Pretty boring actually.”
“I mean if you look at the outcomes comparatively one has to be right. Right?”
“And who are you to decide which standards to compare with?”
“……Right. I give up.”
“Just messing with you.”
“You always do.”
“Ok but what if the kid is autistic?” Lucas stared at her with a dull expression on his face, then he put his hand down on the water and started to throw water at her. “What are you doing,” she says giggling. Lucas didn't stop until he was satisfied. He remembered how it was always like this when they were together. Summers eccentrics was of no rhyme nor reason. It was most definitely her most attractive thing about her to him, though it was never the only one. They both talked and laughed more until the sky turned purple until the watch on his hand started ring reminding them of the end of their joy ride.

5.

The purple sky made summer incredibly sad. So sad she can’t even begin to explain. It woudn’t make much sense to words. She scorned herself for calling herself a musician. Why’d she ever pursue this line of work? She had no talent for it to begin with.

While walking back to the station they noticed a pub. It would be a very non-aussie thing not to have a drink today.
“Let's grab a few? Lucas asked.
Summer's expression turned a bit worried.
“I enjoyed today a lot. I'd rather not get drunk with you now Lucas.”

Lucas nodded his head somewhat disappointed. They got into the Melbourne train without any trouble. The compartment they got was empty. With a couple of people who were all asleep or trying to fall asleep.
“So you sure about moving there?”
“Yep. Just a few things to get together then I’m off.” Lucas realized they didn’t talk about anything about themselves today. Even after spending a whole day they only know about them as much as they knew a couple of months back. Maybe that's why it all felt so great. Just be together and all. Lucas thought he was perfectly fine with it as summer was but he couldn't but say something.

“I met my dad one day after you left. The real one. I spent two hours with him. Those were the most horrible two hours I ever spent. I learned that I was so much like him and I hated that. It was infuriating. I also came more to terms with you leaving me. It was a strange, strange day. I hated it yet I don’t regret it. Funny how things work out like that.”

Summer didn't say anything. She mushed herself into the seat. She only felt sadder. How does everything going so well, still make her feel sad?
They didn’t talk the whole way back. As the train reached the station they walked out and stood outside the station. It was now dark out. The fluorescent street lamp was the only thing giving off light. For an important station like this, it was pretty poor.
“Well, guess I gotta get going. Thanks again for today Lucas,” Summer said with the crossroads ahead of them. Lucas facing her, held her hand, he felt a subtle gasp as he did.
“Can’t I walk you home tonight?” Summer looked at him and then on the ground. She slowly nodded her head.
“I still have some things to do.”
Lucas said nothing. He left her hand and pulled up her face, his hand warmly holding her cheek. He got up close and kissed her forehead. He then tucks her hair behind her ear.

“Be seeing you then” Lucas says retracting his hand.
She smiled and blushed a bit awkwardly.
“Be seeing you” She stood there as he walked along.
She waved at him. She waited until he wasn't there anymore. Summer took a long deep breath. Summer then walked along and stopped in front of a cafe. She entered it and sat down. A middle-aged black woman came to her. “What can I get for you sugar?”
She asked smiling. “Some donuts please.”
“What kind?” “Anything sweet. The sweetest you can get.”
“Looks like someone got some sweet teeth. Lucky you. Just hold on minute honey I’ll bring em right up.”
The woman left and brought back two donuts saying anything more and it will make you fat. Summer thanked her and started eating.
She ate under the warm goldish yellow lights of the cafe. It was the old kind of cafe. The type she liked. She thought about writing another song tonight. Maybe she’ll get a coffee to keep her awake. Maybe this time her CD will sell.