{irl, social media, imessage}

-

"All i'm saying is that motherfucker was not real. In no way, shape, or form" Nick shouts from the phone propped up by a box "Because how did she always 'accidentally' do the same exact thing as you. Every. Single. Time!"

Nick was back home in Boston for a friend's birthday celebration, while Matt and Chris were still in Los Angeles. He was getting ready for the day when he decided to call Iris.

Iris laughs, fiddling with the material inside the box. She decided to finally put away her luggage and set up her new room, but not without the company of Nick on FaceTime. They started to reminisce about high school and the old days.

"You're telling me. Like take my name while you're at it" Iris remarks, rolling her eyes at the mere thought of high school drama. Thank God those days are over.

matt 🦕
wyd today?

goo 🧐
well i'm currently on ft w nick
i planned to stay home and unpack
what do u have in mind 🙈

matt 🦕
me and chris come help you
and thennnn movie night?

goo 🧐
say less
hurry up

-

While waiting for their arrival, Iris got off the phone and listened to music while hanging up her clothes. Lost in the tunes, she was startled to turn around and find the two friendly, familiar figures.

"Fuck" Iris yelps, shocked at the surprise "Scared the shit out of me"

Matt and Chris fall into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Matt covers his face as the laughs spill from his mouth, while Chris crosses his arms over his chest in the same humor.

"Scared much?" Chris jokes

"Better be glad i'm not taking my key back" Iris says

The laughter ends but a friendly and warm vibe fills the room. Soon enough Blake enters the room as they all begin setting things up, going through each box.

"Oh my God!" Matt exclaims "Our stuff!"

The box he chose to open was from their childhood, all the way up until Matt, Chris, and Nick left for Los Angeles. At first glimpse it looked like random heaps of nothing, but when looking further it was so their entire friendship in a box.

Notes they would write each other while grounded, old papers from the game Clue that would get played every Friday night, friendship necklaces, a portrait Iris painted of the Sturniolo household, and so much more.

"This is literally from the first promise we ever made" Matt says, holding up a black and white beaded bracelets "We promised to have each others back always"

"I remember those. Still keeping that promise" Iris winks, sliding the black bracelet on her wrist and handing Matt the white to do the same.

"I just can't believe you still have those after all these years" Chris says, getting a closer look at the friendship promise bracelets now placed on their wrists

"Are you kidding? She used to hit me because I tried to take it" Blake laughs

Iris smiles, remembering Boston fondly.
Matt, Chris, and Nick were next door neighbors with Iris and Blake from the age of eight until nineteen. The group was always together, whether it was nerf gunning other neighborhood kids or if it was riding scooters in the driveway. Finding comfort in the similarities, Iris and Matt were especially close. They made several promises, surprisingly never breaking one.
The promise to defend the other always.
The promise to marry if still single at 30.
The promise to always tell the other the truth.
Many promises.
Iris loved her sister and had a special bond with her, but she always felt Matt understood her best. While Matt was inseparable from his brothers, he also felt the same connection to Iris.

They always saw each other for who they really were.

When they moved away, Iris was devastated, but she knew that is what was best for them. It's hard to spend everyday with your best friends and then none at all.
Everyday contact turned into here and there.
But, what's meant to be will be. Now they live only fifteen minutes apart.

The group continued to move through boxes, eventually finishing the entire room. It was so perfectly Iris. Posters of Star Wars, The Smiths, and vintage Aubrey Hepburn. Canvas after canvas on the walls. Empty easels waiting to be assigned a story. Photos posted of the group and her family. Somehow, her vanity was already a mess, but that makes it feel more like home.

"We can't have a movie night without snacks" Chris complains "I want Pepsi. And popcorn! And skittles" They all look at him and lightly chuckle "I just want snacks"

"Seeing as Matt is the only one here who can drive..... Looks like he's going" Iris says

"You two go, I'll text you what we want, Chris and I will stay here and find a movie to rent. Might even throw a pizza in the oven" Blake says "Sausage and pineapple"

Matt grabs his keys as he and Iris head towards the apartment stairs.

"Don't put fucking fruit on my pizza" Chris says before the door closes

As Matt and Iris get in the car, she immediately grabs the aux cord. Cudi Zone by Kid Cudi starts playing, a song she knows Matt loves. The whole ride was full of singing along to his favorite songs and laughing together.

Finally at Target, they immediately rush to the snack aisle. Matt reaches out to grab sour gummy worms, earning a gasp from Iris.

"So damn good. Possibly my favorite ever" She exclaims. Matt laughs and puts three more packs in the basket. They buy every request of snack and head towards the car. 

Matt walks around to the passenger side and opens the door for Iris before grabbing his own door.

"I still can't believe you're this close to me again" Matt smiled as they pull off, his playlist beginning in the back with Name in the Sand by Lil Skies, one of Matt's favorite composers

"Im so glad to be here. Everything sucked without you. I know I had Blake and my dad, but they weren't you. You were the one I missed" she sheepishly smiles, playing with the white bracelet on his right wrist while the left clutches the wheel

"Making me feel all gushy" Matt jokes

As they get home, they walk inside to see the television set up on The Breakfast Club. A pineapple pizza with two slices already missing was in the kitchen. To get comfy, Iris quickly goes to her room and changes into a sweatpants set and returns to everyone prepared for the night.

Iris distributes the snacks and lays next to Matt on the couch, resting her head on his shoulder. He looks at her with a smile, realizing he would not be moving much for the night if it meant staying in this position with her.

She felt at total peace in the exact moment she was in, especially with Matt.

@IRIZZ (private account) made a new post!

tagged ;; @undercovertrip

tagged ;; @undercovertrip

@IRIZZ: someone plz explain to me how he went from wide awake to asleep in two minutes
liked by @nicktootired, @ilovepepsi, and 67 others
view all 20 comments

@nicktootired:  why did this make me miss you guys what the fuck
↳irizz:  come home. the kids miss you ☹️

@undercovertrip:  tbh still surprised you lifted me
↳ irizz:  strong gal 💪🏼

@user: goodbye 😭

@livlaughluv: my turn next
↳ilovepepsi: i called dibs
↳irizz:  there's enough of me to go around

@user2: i need more iris and matt content

@user3:  this is so me

@BLAKELY made a new post!

tagged ;; @irislilly @matthew.sturniolo

@BLAKELY:  cutie pies 💋👼🏻🤍
liked by @christophersturniolo, @nicolassturniolo, and 438,620 others
view all 7,912 comments

@user1:  HUH??????
↳user2:  ^^^

@user3:  is that his gf?
↳ user4: i've never seen her before

@christophersturniolo: alexa play front desk by hotel ugly
↳ matthew.sturniolo: YOU SHOULD BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR 🎶

@irislilly: my best friend 🖤
↳matthew.sturniolo: 🖤🖤

@user5: kinda living for this....

@user6:  why is she a private account??
↳ user7: private person lol

@nicolassturniolo: ok definitely catching the next flight home ✈️

@IRISLILLY •1h