Sweater Guy and Cubicle Girl

Quarter-Life Crisis

"Corey, what are you watching??" You're crying!" I asked. It was early in the morning and Corey was still in bed watching something on his phone and absolutely bawling. "Are you hooked on those really sad IGTV news stories again?"

"No—its this 2010's music rewind."

"Youtube Rewind?"

"No! Ew. I'm watching this music mashup kinda thing it's a remix."

"Oh, can I see?" I asked. He put his AirPods away and showed me the video, I thought it was really cool but now Corey was just crying even more. "What's the matter? You don't like it?"

"No, it's beautiful. But so sad."

"Sad? It's just music from the past 10 years."

"Its not just music, Ella! I was 10 years old when the decade began, this music was legitimately my childhood, this music followed me into adulthood, this music has been with me throughout an entire half of my life—and the absolute PRIME of it! It's just such a shame it has to end... all these beautiful songs forever and always in the past... along with a portion of my life..."

"Oh boy, is this like a quarter-life crisis you're having right now?"

"A what?"

"Corey you're 19. You're too young for a mid-life crisis."

"It's not a mid-life crisis! You just don't understand. I listened to every one of these songs they helped me through everything! Anxieties, teen-hardships, and when I sang them I was brought out of my shell! Without Rolling in the Deep by Adele I wouldn't have gotten into the music program at my school! I played it on the piano and sang and fucking killed it and they loved me—"

"Wow Mr. Performer—"

"I WASN'T FINISHED!"

"Sorry sorry, go on."

"ANYWAYS! Somebody I Used to Know holds my deepest memories in its lyrics and melody... Shake it Off marks the transformation from gloomy dramatic Corey to cheerful happy-go-lucky Corey... We Found Love played at my first high school dance when I kissed my first boyfriend... Ella these songs are my life!"

"Well I mean... you can still listen to them all they're still on Youtube..."

"You just don't get it. The decade is ending... along with my youth."

"Geez you're not even 20 yet, Corey!"

"No no. I may as well just go by Constantín now. Corey is the name of a young boy... not an old man."

"Oh my gosh"

"Im gonna go take a fucking nap $%*# because %*$&@ these @&$#%*+=#% and #%*$&@ so $&%*"

"Woah dude first of all you just woke up and second, damn, calm the hell down!"

"Oh sorry, since I'm old now I'm going to cuss and nap all the time like old people do."

"You cussed and napped literally always way before you started pretending to be old."

"Tru tru... I'm still going to take a nap though."

"Alright."

I didn't know what to do about Corey's quarter-life crisis. He's always been youthful, enthusiastic, and energetic but he still hadn't even broke into song ONCE that morning! While he napped I brainstormed ways to help him feel better but nothing came to mind, I just couldn't help him. I texted Brooks for help and he told me "that's the dumbest thing i've ever heard, bring him over here so I can beat his ass" so I did. Once Corey woke up I told him that we were going to Brooks house to maybe help cheer him up and he agreed. When we got to Brooks house Corey sat depressingly on the sofa by the piano and just stared at nothing while I talked to Brooks.