all too well

something about it felt home, somehow

Oh Lord, save me my drug is my baby, I'll be using it for the rest of life, using it for the rest of my life, ooh-

I am not excusing myself for this behavior, this all started out as a joke, this document pretty much says that this thing is not a joke anymore. I did a crash course on their life stories, Dutch politics, read all the Resse fics a03 and wattpad has to offer (I learned a lot from those, and I screamed to a lot of them, specifically made a wattpad account for this joke-) and made Red Taylor's Version (specifically All Too Well, 10 minutes, From the Vault, Taylor's Version) my life aesthetic just for this story, what the actual fu-

Let it be a reminder that my knowledge on Dutch politics stems only on general information, what I can research from numerous articles, also, I have zero knowledge on the Dutch language, aside from what Duolingo teaches me (I studied Dutch because of Rob Jetten, I am done making excuses), so if there are any inaccuracies, please don't hesitate to point it out. Rules of rpf and all that (let this work stay here, and ONLY HERE), if someone knows me, no you don't, and we will all pretend this is just one big fever dream. This is just born out of me thinking, what if they met WAY earlier, while listening to Red Taylor's Version (it's all too well without the gaslighting and awkward age gaps!).

I dedicate this mess to Taylor Alison Swift, thank you for making music that will say those things I'll never have the courage and words to say out loud.

ps: Sjoerd, bestie, if you're reading this, please don't. I'm currently working on you and Rob's story, just stay tuned and read that one. Not this. Haha, please. Thanks!

***

Autumn, 2004

The air was crisp and cold, trees showing bright hues. The air hits Jesse's face as he pedals back from Waldorf School, back to his house, or something he and his grandparents tried to make a home.

Dwelling on past experiences has been a favourite pastime for Jesse, back then, when he was young. He always tends to dream of the could've beens, of how it would've turned out if his family was complete, if he had both his father and mother, and was not left alone to grow up too fast.

On turning eighteen, now an adult, Jesse thought it's now his responsibility to let go of his daydreamer younger self, and to focus on what the present has to offer. Focus on what he can bring to the table, and what the future holds. Being at school taught him a lot, and it made him realize that there is so much to be done, there's no space and time for daydreaming and asking the what ifs.

He then passed by the town square, and deciding that he might see Jolein again walking down from school with her friends, he skidded to a stop nearby, and waited.

He was waiting for Jolein's laughs and voice to fill the air, but his eyes landed on something else.

Something he hasn't seen before.

***

Rob slowly pedals, his father a few good meters ahead. He wants to catch up with him, but knows better than to go bicycling fast in an unfamiliar town.

They were supposed to go on a fishing trip with Rob's grandparents, but decided to have a stopover in this town. Rob will always hold a soft spot for Uden, but seeing the differing colors of the canopy, he can say that this town has something to brag about.

He craves for his mother's sandwiches, so he finally tried to pedal faster, and with a few movements, he managed to overtake his dad, his amused voice calling him over by his shoulder.