Mark, James, Eric, and Mike have been inseparable since childhood. Many people called them the four musketeers, supporting each other through thick and thin. As they grew older, life began to get a lot more complicated.

The first sign of conflict emerged when Mark, the most charismatic and ambitious member of the group, got accepted into an Ivy League schools in the city. In addition, he had gotten a side-job internship offer which paid well. This felt like a dream come true for him. He had always wished to create a better life for his family and had been studying tirelessly while in high school to secure a better future for himself and his family. Obviously, he had to move away.

James and Eric, however, were content with remaining in their small town. They couldn't fathom leaving the town they had always called home. Mike, the peacekeeper of the group, was torn between his loyalty to Mark and his desire to stay with his two lifelong friends.

Mark's departure created a void in the group, leaving them feeling incomplete. The friends tried to maintain their connection through occasional visits, phone calls, and social media, but it wasn't the same. Mark's absence began to sow seeds of jealousy and insecurity in his friends, who felt left behind.

One evening, during a rare get-together at their favourite local pub, tensions bubbled to the surface. James, who had been struggling with the feeling that Mark's success had eclipsed his own, couldn't help but take a jab at his friend.

"You think you're better than us now, Mark?" he blurted out after a few too many drinks. "You've got your fancy job, your fancy school, and your fancy friends in the city. You don't even need us anymore!"

Mark, shocked and hurt, didn't respond immediately. Eric, trying to mediate, attempted to smooth things over, but it was too late. The damage had been done.

The evening ended in a bitter argument, and Mark, feeling attacked and unappreciated, stormed out of the pub, leaving behind his three friends in turmoil.

The once inseparable quartet now found themselves in a state of disarray. Bitterness festered, and communication dwindled. They went their separate ways, rarely speaking or seeing each other, as the months turned into years.

Mike, who had watched his friends' relationship crumble, finally decided he couldn't stand idly by any longer. He reached out to each of his friends individually and convinced them to meet one last time, in the same pub where their friendship had unravelled.

Discussion questions

• How do you think this conversation would go? Would you have done what Mike did?
• Put yourself in Mike's shoes. What would you have done at each point of the interactions?
• Was James really at fault or wrong about what he said? Was the breakdown in the friendship partly or entirely Mark's fault?
• Which of the four ‘musketeers’ do you identify with most?