The boy inside the matrix box

8

If I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world ?

Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol

Slumped on the sofa in the living room, Nataniel follows absently the TV show that Coline is watching. His phone screen lights up, announcing a Snapchat by Paul. It's a video of Nessie talking to her horse, commented with a "Should we start worrying about her?" Paul's parents are the owners of the town's equestrian centre, and as a young girl from a good and self-respecting family, Nessie owns two horses there. The Lagardère family helped Paul's family finance the construction of the riding school a generation earlier. Since then, Lagardère and Arbeit have been two friendly families, the kind to invite each other for Sunday dinner. And, because he lives there, Paul is often the spectator of Nessie's riding sessions. Sometimes the girl even manages to convince him to get into the saddle and they go for a ride.

There is something almost unpleasant about knowing that two close friends only share things with each other. But Nataniel is the first to isolate himself with Nessie, and he can no longer count the days they have spent at each other's house without Paul or Sam. Yet when the situation is reversed, when you become the one benched, it immediately becomes less pleasant. But a group of friends probably can't last by always being together. Because some members have things in common that they don't share with others, and we can't all love the same things and hate the same things. We can't all have the same activities, the same interests. So, we take turns passing the members of the group around. And you pass from hand to hand. With each one, a different conversation, a particular activity. And we try not to die of jealousy by thinking that we might be missing something, all because we haven't been included in a subgroup of the gang.

After all, we're always missing something, aren't we? At least, that's what on Nataniel's mind.

"Coline?"

"Yes?"

"Life is all about missed opportunities."

"All the more reason to do whatever you want as quickly as possible, Nat."

"What if I can't do it all at once?"

"Then just follow your desires. And let it happen. Don't force everything. Force yourself, but don't force things."

"You are very wise, Coline."

"Nah. I've only learned that kind of thing watching TV."

She gives him a knowing look and they start laughing together. It's so good to live with Coline and Bart, they are knowledgeable and easy-going, always make themselves available to listen and advise Nataniel and, above all, they are fun. Nataniel never used to have fun, in his previous house...

Seven:

"[...] and I understood that, whatever you do, deep down, you're wasting your time, so you might as well go crazy."

20h05

Seven :

"Excellent, Kerouac, excellent."

20h05

Nat :

"I told you so!"

20h08

Seven :

"Adorable, the Post-its, by the way! I must admit that I find a bit of my philosophy in them... I may have been Kerouac in a previous life!"