We were there. During the days of our youth we would play under the bridge by the riverbank or race up the fire escape to reach the roof of the apartment complex. Back then we had nothing and everything to worry about, it was always the five of us on 98 Burlton Boulevard. We are here and this is us.

The rooftop hangout was transformed with banners, lights, and a banner saying: Welcome Back Diego! After three years, the fifth musketeer was returning home and his best friends were ready to greet him with a pie to the face.

"Rei stop looking at the photo album and come help us with Deigo's welcome back party."

Rei looked up from the photo album to see her best friend with one foot inside her apartment using both hands to push the window up to pop his head in. She was supposed to find some string to tie down the balloons when she got caught up in memories having found a photo album instead.

"Coming!"

"Del found some string but clearly that doesn't matter to you. Come on, he's supposed to be back soon."

"Sorry Ash."

"Can you check up on Isa? See if the cake is done."

Asher stepped out onto the fire escape and climbed up to his rooftop apartment where the welcome party was being held. Rei put the photo album back and headed down one floor by the fire escape to the second window from the corner.

"Isa?" Rei called and knocked on the window five times. When he didn't answer, she pushed up the window and stepped into his apartment.

She headed into the kitchen to find Isaac piping on the final details onto their welcome back cake.

"You done?" Isaac asked Rei, not looking up from his cake.

"Del found it first, I just need to check up on you."

"You want a cookie before everyone else."

"This is why you're my favourite friend."

"Should I tell Ash this?" Isaac said while teasing the freshly baked cookies before Rei.

"Then I'll tell Delancy about your crush on her sister. While I'm at it, I should tell Rosemond too." Isaac froze at Rei's words and the Japanese teen used it as an opportunity to get her cookie. "Just kidding, of course."

Isaac shot her a playful glare but quickly returned to finish the cake when he noticed the time. Upstairs on the roof Delancy and Asher were adding some last minute detail to their hangout. Asher was blowing the balloons while Delancy tied them and weighed them down with a rock.

*

Off in the distance, a Spanish teen with his chin rested on his hand stared out of the car window. His music blasted through his headphones as if he was trying to block out the world. The photo he held his is hand flew away, he tried to grab it but gave up. Looking outside, his eyes were unfazed by the similar yet different scenery.

If it was three years ago, the thought of returning to Iroko would have been everything he wished for. Now, after everything that happened, he wasn't so sure if he could return to such a place with the memories it contained.

"Diego," his father said. "Cheer up a bit. Your friends have been waiting for you for the past two months."

Diego turned towards his father and put on a smile, "Dear padre you didn't miss me?"

"Por supuesto lo hice." Of course I did.

The remaining length of the drive was in silence until they pulled up on her apartment complex. Diego was fumbling around with his phone in one hand and grabbing his bag with the other. He was just about to grab the next bag when two males pulled Diego back and dragged him up the stairs.

"We'll bring him back Mr. Alvadaro," Asher shouted. He and Isaac ushered Diego into Isaac's apartment then out through the window onto the fire escape.

When they reached the roof, Diego was greeted with party poppers curtesy of Delancy and whip cream to the face by Rei.

"Welcome back Diego!" the four friends shouted.

The worries Diego had earlier were washed away. Maybe what he needed after the rollercoaster ride he experienced for the past three years were some happy memories.

"I missed you guys," he said, pulling all of them into a hug and smearing the whip cream on his face onto theirs.

They cleaned up their faces and the five of them gathered around the food on the bench and began digging into their mini buffet.

"So, Diego," Asher asked, "which high school are you attending? Diana Cross, Dr. Sierra Conrad, Silverleaf or some other one?"

"Ya you idiot, how can he attend Rei's school? He doesn't fit in with the 'Academy for Girls' part in Diana Cross Academy for Girls." Isaac said while giving Asher a flick at the back of his head.

"You guys don't go to the same high school?" Diego asked. While they weren't always in the same class, ever since they met at the age of six, they were always in the same school.

"Well, with you traveling around the world, we didn't exactly have an address to mail our updates to you," Delancy said.

"Me and Del go to Silverleaf in Lilium, and Isaac goes to Dr. Sierra Conrad which is down the street. Rei decided to pick the high school with the snobby girls in in Balsam."

"You only think the girls are snobby 'cause none of them will go out with you," Isaac said throwing some popcorn at Asher.

"At least I can get a girlfriend Mr. Forever Alone." Asher threw a grape back at Isaac and the latter easily caught with his mouth.

"Dude," Diego said, "I've been gone for three years and nothing's changed in your relationship status?"

"Well, what about you? You get a girl while you've been gone?"

"There was one, we dated for a few months but then broke up." Diego said before quickly changing the subject. "What about you Del?"

"Oh, but how can I possibly date?" Rei said dramatically, mocking Delancy. "I have student council, and volleyball, and lacrosse, and art club, and yadi yadi yada."

"At least I have an excuse, what's yours?" Delancy said, pointing her chin at Rei.

"Rei has a good excuse," Asher jumped in to save his best friend. "Our precious Rei is like her name. Zero crushes, zero dates, zero boyfriends, zero, zero, zero."

"Well, it's better than not being able to keep a girlfriend for longer than three months, Mr. Forever a Second Lead."

"Dude," Diego jumped in, "still? Has he at least gotten into the triple digits?"

"He was close," Delancy said, taking a bite of her muffin. "Two minutes before the hundredth day the girl called him up and broke up."

"She went back to her boyfriend and he's been in eighteen failed relationships."

"I'm telling you my theory works. Girl's only date you to find their main lead. You're just the second lead who will never get the main girl." Rei had a joyful expression on her face, partially because of the cake and partially because of her burn.

"It's okay, Ash," Isaac jumped in for a double team, "everyone knows the second lead is much better than the main lead."

"Just not good enough to get the main girl," Delancy finished off.

"Why am I even friends with you guys? Half of the time you're the reason why we break up," Asher pointed his finger to Rei and Delancy.

"Why would they be worried?" Diego asked. "They have much higher standards than you." He finished off with a high five from Isaac.

"Dude not you too?"

"Sorry."

"No you're not." Diego tapped theoutside of his nose, agreeing with Asher's statement, and everyone broke out into laughter.

*

He was different than the Diego I remembered from middle school, his smile is fake now. He does that trick of squinting while faking a smile to make it more realistic, I should know because that's the trick I use every time I'm with my family -if I can even call them that.

"Rei, stop spacing out and let's go," Delancy called Rei as she prepared to go down the fire escape.

The boys had already gone ahead running towards the park. By the time the two arrived and sat on the swings, the boys were already taking turns to see who could last the longest on the roundabout.

"Is there something on Diego's face, Rei?" Delancy asked her friend. "You've been staring at him a lot today."

"Mmh? It's nothing. It's just weird seeing it again after so long." Rei said before jumping off the swings. "Come on, let's go save Isaac."

"Save Isaac?" Delancy asked as she jumped off. "I'd rather see him barf. Move over and let me help!"

Delancy ran towards the roundabout and Rei chased after her. Everyone, including Isaac, was laughing along with some cries for help.

With the five of us reunited, we were ready to conquer our senior year. However, we were going to find out that with us closer than ever just how apart we actually were.