On My Way • Why Don't We | ✓

sixteen

July 1, 2017 ; Chicago, Illinois
Nova

I stare at my phone numbly. My thumb hovers over the screen while my eyes scan the message again and again.

"Nove?" Evelyn asks quietly as she steps out of the bathroom, toweling off her hair, "Nova, are you okay?"

I steady myself, "He texted me. He wants to meet up."

"Who?" I watch as she mentally scans through a list of people, but a thought suddenly hits, "Oh."

"You don't have to go. You don't need it face that again, or we can face that together. I'll come with you. No, bad idea. Just don't go. Unless you want to, of course. That wouldn't be a bad thing. But, if you don't want to you really . . ." Her thoughts run freely out of her mouth. She slows down, trailing off.

"Evelyn, it's okay," I breathe slowly, "I'm going. Alone. I just need the closure. I need to see him once and for all. Like a final goodbye."

She looks at me worriedly. A questioning look crosses her face, but she never verbalizes her thought out of fear of hurting me. In response, I shake my head, "I'm over it, I promise. I can't even imagine myself continuing a friendship or anything with him, but this is the end of us. I need to have proper closure."

"Okay," She exhales quietly, her face etched with worry, "Just do what's best for you. I'm always here, okay?"

"Yeah," I close my eyes for a second, "Okay."

Today 8:46 PM

Nova
brad! i can hang
out tomorrow night. what
time?

Bradley
6? i can pick you
up from your hotel

Nova
ok thank you. i'll
text you my hotel
shortly

Bradley
great! :)
read 8:52 pm

. . .

July 2, 2017 ; Chicago, Illinois
Nova

"You sure you're okay?" Evelyn's voice is laced with worry.

I place a brave smile on my face and turn away from the mirror, "I promise."

She nods uneasily, "Okay," Her voice is breathy as she lets out a sigh, "Have fun."

My heart pounds as I press the white button. My heart pounds as the elevator door closes in front of me. My heart pounds as I stare at my maroon vans on the trip down. My heart pounds as the elevator doors open, revealing the boy I loved so long ago.

"Rose," His voice is quiet. The familiar nickname causes blood to rush to my cheeks. I laugh awkwardly.

Bradley first started calling me Rose in sixth grade. He thought it was funny that my favorite flower was a rose commenting how I'm beautiful but not something to be messed with or else you'll get pricked by a thorn. The nickname stuck all the way through middle school.

"Hey, Brad," He still looks the same, maybe a bit older. He wears a black hoodie and khaki joggers, classic Bradley Lewis.

"Wow," He shakes his head, "This is crazy. When was the last time I saw you?"

My voices chokes in my throat, "I don't know," We start out of the lobby, and he continues acting as if nothing changed, like he didn't completely drop me from his life, like we didn't ever love each other.

"How have you been? Still into skating and adventuring?" He asks as we wander down the streets.

I laugh, "Of course. I started doing photography seriously a year or so ago. What about you? You found new friends to go skating with?"