As the group slowly began standing, stretching aching legs and brushing leaves from hoodies, the chatting softened into smaller conversations.

The long walk had tired people out in that good kind of way.

The kind where your legs hurt, your face ached from laughing, and somehow strangers didn’t feel like strangers anymore.

Talk had naturally drifted to one important topic.

Food.

Always food.

And drinks.

Someone had found a pub not far from the campsite where James, Logan, Meg and a few of the others were staying for the night.

Apparently it did decent meals.

More importantly—

It served cocktails.

Which suddenly made the younger lot far too enthusiastic.

“Right,” Logan announced dramatically.

“Seeing as I’m twenty-one today…”

He spread his arms.

“I’m legally obligated to have cocktails.”

James snorted.

“You were having cocktails regardless.”

“Correct,” Logan replied proudly.

Meg laughed.

“Honestly, we’re never surviving tonight.”

“Speak for yourself,” James said. “I’ve packed for everything.”

Nobody doubted that.

James looked like he was halfway through military training half the time.

Even on a woodland walk.

The conversations shifted again as people slowly started moving.

Ryan stood near the front.

“Well,” he grinned. “Come on then.”

He pointed ahead.

“Follow the red flags.”

That got another laugh.

Jake shook his head dramatically.

“I’ve had enough of red flags in life.”

“Same,” Deena muttered.

“Emotionally and romantically,” Susie added.

People laughed again as the group naturally started moving, spreading out into smaller clusters.

Talk quickly turned to logistics.

Who needed lifts.

Who was staying.

Who was heading home.

And most importantly—

Who was eating.

Because somehow, once one person mentioned food—

Everyone got hungry.

At one point Deena, Heidi, and Susie had fallen into step together.

“I swear,” Heidi sighed dramatically, “walking makes me starving.”

Deena nodded instantly.

“Oh, don’t.”

Then paused.

“Oh my God.”

She looked at them.

“I want a Chinese now.”

That made Susie laugh.

“No because same.”

“Salt and pepper chips,” Heidi said dreamily.

Deena groaned.

“Don’t.”

“Curry sauce.”

“Oh stop it!”

Now they were all hungry.

Meanwhile, up ahead, Logan, James, and some of the younger lot had become fully invested in cocktail planning.

“Right,” Logan said proudly, “birthday cocktails.”

James looked concerned.

“You’re twenty-one.”

“Yes.”

“You’ll have three and start confessing emotional trauma.”

“That sounds accurate.”

Meg burst out laughing.

“Honestly, tonight’s going to be chaos.”

Eventually, the walk began coming to an end.

People slowed.

Nobody seemed particularly eager for it to actually be over.

Because somehow—

A bunch of people who had mostly known each other through messages and Discord had become something real.

Something warm.

Something oddly comforting.

There were hugs.

Promises of “message when you get home.”

Plans for the next walk.

Kyle was heading home first.

His brother had his kids, and he needed to get back.

Eddie was heading off too.

Meanwhile, the pub crew had somehow formed naturally.

Jake, Dan, Naomi, Beppe, Mark, Karen, Hoppo, James, Meg, Logan, Andy, Heidi, Lee, Danny and a few others were heading for food and drinks.

Beppe practically attached himself to Danny.

Mostly because Danny was chaos.

And chaos attracted chaos.

Jake ended up with Sam.

And somehow—

Susie found herself getting in the car with Andy.

Which made her laugh immediately.

She looked at him.

“Do you know what’s funny?”

Andy glanced over.

“What?”

“As kids we’re taught—”

She put on a dramatic voice.

“Don’t get in cars with strangers.”

She pointed at herself.

“This morning I got in one with Kyle…”

Then pointed at him.

“And now I’m getting in one with you.”

Andy laughed.

“Good job I’m not a serial killer.”

Without missing a beat—

Susie shrugged casually.

“Well…”

She grinned.

“I’ve got cancer. I’m dying anyway.”

Andy looked at her.

Then blinked.

“Wow.”

He laughed nervously.

“That’s dark.”

Susie immediately laughed.

“Sorry.”

She held her hands up.

“My dark sense of humour.”

Then added:

“Do you know one in two people get diagnosed with cancer?”

Andy looked worried.

She grinned.

“Safest place is stood next to me.”

Andy stared at her for a second.

Then burst out laughing.

“You know what?”

He shook his head.

“I’m remembering that for the next walk.”

She laughed harder.

“Please do.”

And somehow—

That was the thing about this group.

The dark humour.

The oversharing.

The weird comfort.

The ability to laugh at things life had tried to break them with.

Because maybe—

That was what Lifted really was.

Not perfect people.

Not people without scars.

Just people learning how to carry things a little lighter—

Together.

Things had escalated.

Quickly.

What had started as:

“We’ll just have one drink.”

Had turned into:

“Who bought shots?”

Which, unsurprisingly—

Was Karen.

Again.

The pub itself was warm, noisy and busy, tucked not far from the campsite where James, Logan, Meg and a few others were staying.

Tables had been shoved together.

People squeezed in wherever they could.

Food menus were immediately ignored in favour of drinks.

Because priorities.

Especially when it was Logan’s twenty-first birthday.

Which apparently meant everyone felt personally responsible for getting him drunk.

And honestly?

Mission accomplished.

A few cocktails in—

Logan was absolutely gone.

Happy drunk.

Emotional drunk.

The kind of drunk that loved everyone.

James wasn’t much better.

Somewhere between cocktails, beers and whatever questionable thing Karen had forced into people’s hands—

Things had gotten messy.

At one point, Logan had somehow ended up hugging James.

Proper emotional hug.

One arm around him like they’d survived war together.

“You’re my brother,” Logan announced dramatically.

James looked exhausted.

“Mate…”

“No—listen.”

Logan pointed at him.

“I love you.”

James laughed helplessly.

“I know.”

Then Logan hugged him again.

Harder.

James sighed dramatically.

“What have I done?”

Meg nearly cried laughing.

“You encouraged him!”

“I regret everything.”

“You bought him cocktails!”

“I DIDN’T KNOW IT WOULD GET THIS BAD!”

Meanwhile—

Karen had fully entered her chaos era.

Nobody knew how many shots she’d bought.

Or for who.

Or why.

Only that every fifteen minutes—

She reappeared with more.

“SHOTS!”

People groaned.

Karen grinned proudly.

“You’ll thank me tomorrow.”

“No we won’t,” Jake replied instantly.

“You absolutely won’t.”

“Cowards,” Karen said dramatically.

Neil shook his head.

“This is why nobody lets you organise things.”

Karen already had another tray.

“Too late.”

At the other end of the table—

Andy and Heidi were absolutely steaming.

The pair had fully committed to cocktails.

Big mistake.

Because now every drink apparently sounded like a good idea.

“Oh that looks nice.”

Ordered.

“Ooo purple!”

Ordered.

“Why’s that one on fire?”

Ordered immediately.

Heidi was crying laughing at something Andy had said five minutes ago.

Neither of them even remembered what it was.

Andy looked at his drink suspiciously.

“Why’s mine glittery?”

Heidi laughed harder.

“Because you’re fancy.”

“I’m not fancy.”

“You’re sparkly now.”

He looked deeply offended.

Then drank it anyway.

At one point—

Heidi nearly snorted cocktail out of her nose laughing.

Andy had somehow ended up explaining cake like it was life-changing.

“No but seriously…”

He leaned in dramatically.

“That Starbucks cake?”

He held his chest.

“Life changing.”

Susie looked at him.

“You’d survive a zombie apocalypse and still somehow rate dessert.”

Andy nodded seriously.

“Priorities.”

Karen arrived again.

More shots.

“NO,” Jake said immediately.

“YES,” Karen replied.

Mark sighed.

“We’re all going to regret this.”

Hoppo muttered:

“I already regret this.”

Meanwhile—

Logan had somehow convinced James to sing.

Nobody knew why.

Nobody knew what song.

Only that James looked like a man reconsidering every decision that had led him to this exact moment.

Meg sat watching the disaster unfold with tears of laughter in her eyes.

“Honestly…”

She shook her head.

“We’re feral.”

Beppe appeared halfway through someone opening snacks—

Because of course he did.

Nobody even questioned it anymore.

Danny laughed.

“How do you know every single time food appears?”

Beppe shrugged.

“Gift.”

“Curse,” Mark corrected.

But despite the chaos—

The noise.

The drunken hugs.

The bad decisions.

The shots Karen absolutely should not have bought—

Something about it felt nice.

Warm.

Because somehow—

A bunch of people who’d mostly known usernames, profile pictures and voice chats…

Were sat in a pub laughing so hard their stomachs hurt.

Like they’d known each other forever.

Even if half of them were too drunk to remember parts of it tomorrow.

Especially James.

Who was still trapped in another emotional hug with Logan.

Quietly whispering:

“I’ve made mistakes.”