Call It What You Want

In December 2018, Sloane Hart wakes hungover in her New York City bedroom. In a flashback, Ethan Brady ends their undefined, two-year relationship. She drops her favorite wineglass, which shatters and cuts her hand, but she is too shocked to feel the pain. Ethan calls an Uber for an emergency room visit while Sloane thinks of him as an “ex-almost.” Sloane reflects on their time together, struggling with the unresolved feelings that persist.

In August 2016, on the first day of senior year, Sloane Hart, an aspiring writer, rushes from her apartment to catch the campus shuttle. A man holds the door for her and introduces himself as Ethan Brady, a communications major who lives in her building. They talk about his Yankees T-shirt, which sparks a conversation about her New York ambitions, and they realize they are neighbors.

Sloane returns home and tells her roommates—best friend, Lauren Ellis, and Jordan Coleman—about meeting Ethan. She flashes back to her parents’ divorce and a past relationship with an ex-boyfriend, Carter. The roommates speculate about the chemistry between Sloane and Ethan before getting ready for a night out at Jerry’s, a local bar.