Catching the Last High

^{A fiction tale that follows a group of lifelong friends in their late twenties who reunite for one last summer adventure before life pulls them in different directions.}

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Chapter 1: The Invitation

The town of Maple Falls was the kind of place where everyone knew your name, where the streets were lined with century-old maple trees that exploded into a riot of colors every autumn. Nestled between rolling hills and a lake that mirrored the sky, Maple Falls had once been a thriving community, the kind of town where people stayed to raise families and put down roots. But like so many small towns, it had seen better days. The younger generation had left for the cities, and those who remained held on to what was left, watching as time slowly eroded the edges of their once-vibrant home.

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Tom Unger stared out the window of his nondescript apartment in Greenfield, a city that was more functional than beautiful. The kind of place where people passed through on their way to somewhere more interesting. Tom had been in Greenfield for three years, and in that time, he’d managed to climb the corporate ladder at Perry Sharp’s Haberdashery, a chain of men’s clothing stores that catered to the business class. It wasn’t glamorous, but it paid well, and Tom was good at it. Too good, maybe, because now they were promoting him again, this time to a regional manager position that would take him even further from Maple Falls, and from the friends who still called it home.

The email from his boss sat open on the screen, the subject line glaring at him: Congratulations on Your Promotion. Tom’s finger hovered over the mouse, hesitating as if clicking would make it all too real. The promotion meant more responsibility, more hours, and another move to a new city, one that was just as temporary as Greenfield. It should have felt like a victory, but all Tom could feel was a nagging sense of loss.

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze shifting to the window. The view was nothing special—just the grey sprawl of Greenfield stretching out beneath a sky that seemed perpetually overcast. But tonight, it felt particularly oppressive, as if the city itself was closing in on him.

On impulse, Tom reached for his phone and opened a group chat that had been silent for far too long. He typed a message quickly, not giving himself time to second-guess it: One last weekend at the cabin?

His thumb hesitated over the send button for just a moment before he tapped it. The message went out, and with it, a flood of memories—long summer days spent by Cedar Lake, nights around the fire with his best friends, the freedom they all thought would last forever. But things change, people drift apart, and the cabin by Cedar Lake has become more of a relic than a destination.

Tom stood and walked to the window, his phone heavy in his hand. The city buzzed with life below, but it felt distant, disconnected from the life he once knew. The decision to reach out had come from a place he hadn’t visited in years, a place where hope still existed that something of the past could be reclaimed.

The first reply came almost immediately.

Jesse: Hell yeah, man. It’s been too long. I’ll bring the beer.

Tom smiled despite himself. Jesse Parker was always quick to jump on board, the reliable one who could be counted on to say yes to anything that brought them back together. Jesse still lived in Maple Falls, running the family auto shop, a business that had seen better days but was still hanging on, much like the town itself.

A few minutes later, another message popped up.

Sara: I could use a break from this circus. Count me in.

Sara Morales was always the ambitious one, the one who seemed to have everything together, even if it cost her more than she let on. She had moved to Texas for her career, working as a news segment producer at a mid-size channel, but Tom knew she missed the simplicity of Maple Falls. He knew she needed this as much as he did, though she’d never admit it.

Finally, the last message arrived, fashionably late, as always.

Mike: I’m in. Might have to leave early, though. Got a flight to catch.

Tom chuckled. Mike Davis was the wanderer, always with one foot out the door. He was the Senior Editor for Amplified, a music magazine based in New York, a job that took him all over the world. But if Mike was willing to come, even for a little while, maybe they could all find what they were looking for.

Tom set his phone down on the desk, the weight in his chest lifting slightly. The weekend ahead felt like an opportunity—a chance to reconnect, to ground himself before the whirlwind of change swept him away once more. He knew they were all facing their own challenges, but maybe, just maybe, they could find something they’d all lost.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Tom felt a flicker of excitement, a spark of something he hadn’t felt in years. It wasn’t just nostalgia; it was the possibility that this weekend could be more than just a trip down memory lane. It could be a reminder that some things are worth holding onto.

And maybe, in the process, they could each figure out what they needed to move forward.

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Next Friday:

As Tom set down his phone, a sense of anticipation settled over him. But as he stared out at the fading light, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this weekend wouldn’t be just about reliving the past. There was something more at stake—something unspoken that had been building for years.

In the quiet of his apartment, Tom couldn’t help but wonder: What secrets were they all bringing with them to the cabin? And would their friendships survive the truths that might come out?

Next week on Catching the Last High: The friends arrive at the cabin, and old memories resurface, but not all of them are welcome.

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