the line we crossed

a transmedia story project inspired by fine lines between friendship and something more

[theline-wecrossed]

the line we crossed

table of contents and order of reading

1) the line 

poem reblog

the line story

2) i fold 

post reblog

quote reblog

i fold story

3) news worthy

news worthy story

quote reblog

[climbedrightbackupthecliff]

I’d live and die for moments that we stole, on begged and borrowed time

“ivy” by Taylor Swift (via climbedrightbackupthecliff)

news worthy

[psyche-tips-the-candle]

And I think

This silence

Burns worse than any insult

Ever could

Your absence

Is gaping

A tangible presence apart from me

And it burns

[theline-wecrossed]

the line

[theline-wecrossed]

news worthy

Sawyer Sokolov (20) and Dylan Sheridan (19) did not expect to be stuck in the middle of the desert in the middle of their road trip through Death Valley National Park, but when their car broke down in the middle of Jubilee Pass at sundown on February 4th, with no cell service, they had no choice but to wait for help. The pair were taking the scenic route to drop off Solokov at University of Nevada Reno where he is an Environmental Science major, but when stalled by engine trouble they had no choice but to kill time until a kind stranger could lend them a hand, or a tow. Solokov and Sheridan did not see another soul for 48 hours, until Death Valley National Park Ranger, Carter Meritt (62) passed by on his way to his shift at the Furnace Creek Visitor’s Centre. “Well- you see I was heading to work on the 6th at around 8am, and saw a lonesome car on the shoulder of the road. I thought that was kind of weird, because it wasn’t near a designated lookout point or anything. I mean the flowers were out, which always brings visitors stopping to take photos, but the sun had barely risen and we don’t usually get tourists stopping this early…” Merrit claimed, when asked to comment on the event. “... So I slowed down and I saw the driver asleep, his head on the passenger’s shoulder, and I honked. Because yunno, I wanted to make sure they were ok.  And oh boy did I scare the living daylights out of them. But they were so happy to see someone when they had been stuck for so long, so it all was right in the end.”  Merrit called them an emergency tow, and drove them back to the Furnace Creek Visitor Centre, “ … To get them a coffee, damn after sitting alone in a car for two days, they must have been bored out of their minds” Merritt said. While Solokov was unavailable for comment, we reached out to Sheridan on February 8th about the aftermath of the stranding. “Oh yeah Sawyer made it to school in time, he was only home for the weekend and after that ranger found us, and his jeep got fixed we made it to Reno.” When asked how they spent their 48 hours stranded, Sheridan laughed. “Oh you know. We talked. IWe looked at the mountains, I mean there wasn’t much we could do. Things come out, dynamics change and you don’t even know it until you cross that line.” When asked to elaborate, Sheridan only chuckled.

Well there you have it! This is a warning to our readers to make sure your car is in tip top shape when traveling through our very own Death Valley National Park, especially when the summer months hit and the temperatures begin to climb! See page 15 for more tips when traveling in extreme weather from Park Ranger Correspondent Susie Clarke.

[hwhwgwhnwnwbwbwg-deactivated202]

“There seemed to be something tragic in a friendship so coloured by romance.”

-Oscar Wilde

[theline-wecrossed]

i fold

[cerleansky]

The legacies people leave behind in you.

My handwriting is the same style as the teacher’s who I had when I was nine. I’m now twenty one and he’s been dead eight years but my i’s still curve the same way as his.

I watched the last season of a TV show recently but I started it with my friend in high school. We haven’t spoken in four years.

I make lentil soup through the recipe my gran gave me.

I curl my hair the way my best friend showed me.

I learned to love books because my father loved them first.

How terrifying, how excruciatingly painful to acknowledge this. That I am a jigsaw puzzle of everyone I have briefly known and loved. I carry them on with me even if I don’t know it. How beautiful.

~Edit~

Yikes guys I didn’t expect this post to blow up.

I’m grateful it did though. Looking at all the comments and tags really takes a stab at my heart because it just shows how wired we are for connection. If life has any meaning, then it’s that.

This concept really sunk its teeth into me as it reassures the notion that no one is ever truly gone. Parts of them just change into you.

That teacher I talked about inspired me to become a teacher myself. This was my first year teaching. Here’s to a new generation of curved i’s.

[theline-wecrossed]

i fold

[theline-wecrossed]

i fold

“It’s Nice To Have A Friend” by Taylor Swift

https://open.spotify.com/track/1SmiQ65iSAbPto6gPFlBYm?si=76b41ba4af644052

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don’t know how I feel.

Well.

I know how I feel. How I’ve always felt. How I’ve felt since I met you.

When did I meet you Dylan? I don't remember. That was so long ago, you kind of just appeared. I remember playing in a playgroup as kids. Hot wheels races and sweet iced tea. Coloring books on picnic tables. Fairy and toad hunting. Rock collecting. Dad called us inside after hours in the sun. Chasing after your dark tangled hair, shouting with laughter.  And then you were gone. I think it was July, because Mom left us around the same time. You know what? Maybe it was that house party. That's when we saw each other again. I had never really been a social person. I left Ridgecrest after graduation and was planning on never looking back. And then I came home over the summer, because I didn’t get into that research seminar. Damn I’m still pissed about that.

“Hey you look like you need a drink” you had said, handing me a red solo cup. And you know what. I did . I did need a drink. That semester was the worst. I don’t think I had left my dorm for weeks. I couldn't even bring myself to get out of bed. I had stopped taking my meds. Your hair was shorter than when we were kids. Messy black and wavy. You don’t anymore but you loved to wear your thick black eyeliner. You looked at me so intensely, your green eyes were like, like piercing my soul. Whoa okay that was cringey as hell. I didn’t know it then but you always do that when you get super drunk. You make the most unsettling eye contact and then you would read me like a book. You always get myself out of my own head. It’s like my anxiety floats away when I’m with you. You did that at that party, I remember you grabbed my arm and dragged me out of whoever’s dingy basement we were in. I think it was Cora’s. You dragged me up the stairs and out the front door onto Cora’s porch. Wait no it was Sylvie’s  because Sylvie’s parents had that green porch swing. I could hear the bass of whatever shitty song was playing, thumping from underneath my beat up chuck taylors as we climbed up the stairs. It was so hot that day. “ It’s so loud in there. It's so much better up here” you said, sipping your drink, slurring a little. “I think I remember you. I- I would play in your yard alllll the time…” you trailed off, head certainly in another realm, as you collapsed onto the porch swing, hand still gripping my wrist. And that was it. We talked for hours. I don’t even know what we talked about. I don’t even remember. The only thing I remember was wishing that you would never let go of my wrist. Your animated eyes that made me laugh for the first time in months. How we spent the entire summer together. How I couldn’t stop thinking about you when I had to leave again in the fall. Every time I come back again and leave I have to pretend it's fine. And now I’m leaving again. I can’t believe she feels the same.

So why did I not tell her? It was right there. She is right there.

Sawyer glanced over at the passenger seat where Dylan was sitting, restless. The stars were out now, and no signs of life for miles around.

Well I know how I feel but I don’t want to fuck this up. 

“Dylan, what if we let this happen and everything is ruined. I can’t lose you. I can’t risk losing this, losing us.”

Shit. Did I say that out loud? I guess I’m doing this.

Grabbing Sawyer’s hand Dylan chuckled.

“I’m not worried about it Sawyer, you need to stop worrying so much”

[theline-wecrossed]

the line

“Fine Line” by Harry Styles

https://open.spotify.com/track/6VzcQuzTNTMFnJ6rBSaLH9?si=bd0bc450bd4d49e2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The air was sickly sweet, and warm. Death Valley in the dead of winter sported colorful wildflowers, carpeting the valley floor with soft pink and yellow dots. I had opened the car window to get some fresh air, but was met with a consistent wall of dry heat, as we carved our way through the sloping road in your beat up electric blue jeep. Your hands gripped the wheel, I could feel your eyes glancing at me, and then back at the barren road ahead, riveting back and forth as if you were watching a particularly intense tennis match. We have been driving for hours now. Uncomfortable silence.

“I shouldn’t have said anything”

“No. No, don't say that…” you muttered.

“No, no it's fine I made things weird now just forget I said anything”. I avoided your gaze, wishing I had kept my mouth shut. A line had been crossed. I can’t go back now. 

“Dylan, can we just talk about this?” you spoke a little louder now, pleading.

The sun had crept low, leaving an expanse of pink and orange clouds in its wake as it began to dip below the sepia mountain peaks. Your words hung in the air. I gave no response. The silence was thick and suffocating, only the hum and sputter of the engine occupied the car. The soft sputtering turned into a knocking, and smoke began to pour out of the corners of the hood. “Whoah, what the fuck?”. Pulling over to the gravel shoulder,  the car gave a sigh of exhaustion. Opening the door you went to investigate.

“Well fuck. The engines shot. What are we gonna do now?” Panic had started to set in your eyes, as you climbed back into the driver’s seat. We had no cell service. We were stuck in the middle of the desert, with about half a bottle of water and a bag of gummy worms as provisions, and more pressing, I just poured my heart out and I had no way to escape.

You stared out of the window, the beige mountain summits crowning the sky, the crescent moon emerging from her hiding spot. They look so much more ominous as the daylight slowly faded away. Holding out the open bag of candy, we sat there for a long time. 

“Look I didn't…” 

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” I interjected, getting defensive now. You looked at me incredulously, nervously tapping your fingers on the leather of the gear shift, like you always do. 

“Dylan what if…” I sighed.

“Sawyer. Listen to me. No you know what never mind, I just want to pretend this never happened.”

“But I don’t!”