Play Pretend | ✓

00 | prologue

"What do you mean you're going away?"
I looked at Ty with wide eyes, threatening to tear up. What was he saying? This couldn't be true, or could it?

Tyler sighed. "I mean it, Liz. I've been noticed by AV Modelling Agency, and they want to sign me up as a budding model. I'll need to train and learn a lot, but it'll work out in the end and I'll be successful, and above all, I'll earn money."

"All this while I've struggled to earn properly, doing odd jobs here and there. I know I have college but I don't think I want to go, really. I think my priority right now is to be strong financially. And that's why I'm taking up this offer and moving to LA. I have to leave all this, leave you."

"And you're willing to make that sacrifice? For money?" I asked, my voice cracking.

Ty looked at me with hooded eyes. "Yes I am, Lizzy. I'm sorry, but that's how it is. You can't stop me."

I looked down at my Converse. A single teardrop splattered on the ground, at the thought of losing my best friend, the only boy I'd ever been able to tolerate, even though he could be a jerk sometimes. I looked up at him, swallowed my hurt and said, "That's okay, Ty, really. It's great. I'm happy for you. I know you'll do well in LA, considering you're such a charmer and all."

Ty laughed at that, and I smiled too, although it didn't quite reach my eyes. He'd always been insanely attractive, and left all the girls at our school pining for him. All this while I thought I'd never be one of them, but boy was I wrong. I'd slowly but surely developed feelings for Tyler. He was my best friend and we'd been through so much together that it was hard not to feel something for him. Very recently I'd realised I'd fallen hopelessly in love with him. But now I realised that's exactly what it was. Hopeless. I could never be with him or even get a chance to tell him everything if he was going to go away and leave me.

A sense of inexplicable hurt and grief washed over me. A bit of betrayal too. He was leaving me for money? That's it? How could he?

But I didn't let my face show all of that. Instead I said, "Promise me Ty, whenever you go, wherever you go, you'll always keep in touch with me. Always. We both have a phone and laptops, so it'll not be that hard. We can call, chat, Skype or Facetime. You may not always get time but just promise you won't cut off all contact with me."

Tyler looked at me with conviction and hugged me tight. "Promise, Lizzie. I'll never cut off contact with you. Never in a million, billion years."
At that, I still felt a sense of security and comfort.

Little did I know he did exactly what he promised he'd never do.