college application

After submitting my college applications, I excitedly went to find Ethan.

Outside the pool hall, I heard someone exclaim, "You didn't apply to UCLA? What about Chloe?"

Ethan sank a shot, casually saying, "She can go by herself. I was just kidding her. I never planned to go to UCLA."

"That's our Ethan, so heartless he can deceive such a cute girl," someone else chimed in.

Ethan chuckled, "She was getting kinda clingy, honestly."

Outside the door, I felt like my heart had been pierced by a sword, the pain so intense it turned numb.

I squatted down and cried for almost half an hour before my emotions began to settle. From the initial sadness and heartbreak, to the later resentment and unwillingness, my feelings had been a rollercoaster. Now, I found myself strangely calm. The tumultuous emotions had receded like the tide, leaving behind a quiet stillness.

Wiping my tears and taking a few deep breaths, I walked into the pool hall.

Ethan had just finished a masterful game, and everyone was clapping. Seeing me, he put his cue down and waved me over.

"What are you doing out in this heat? I thought you hated the sun?"

I stared into his eyes and said seriously, "I just finished submitting my college application."

For a moment, I thought I saw guilt flicker in his eyes, but maybe I was imagining it.

Ethan coughed slightly, "Yeah, application day. I finished mine too."

I continued to stare at him. "You promised that if we got into the same college, we would…"

"Chloe, I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you something." Ethan looked away. "My mom doesn't want me to study medicine. She made me apply to NYU."

"But you said you wanted to be a doctor," I whispered.

He frowned, looking frustrated. "You know how pushy my mom is. She says being a doctor is too much work, thankless, and forced me to apply to NYU for finance."

I looked down, silent. So, this was his excuse. Ethan, did you really think anyone would believe that? Your mom can be strong-willed, but when has she ever truly won an argument with you? They always ended with her giving in.

I didn't voice any of my questions. I just looked up at him and calmly asked, "So, we won't be going to college together?"

"I’m sorry, Chloe." Ethan reached out to try and appease me. "Don’t be mad. I'll buy you some pizza tonight. Besides, it’s not like we'll lose touch. We can still call and video chat."

I didn't reply. I just turned and left. Ethan, there is no ‘later.’ I'm never talking to you again.

During the summer, Ethan invited me out a few times, but I always made excuses. After that, he stopped asking. However, he was active on social media, so I still saw his updates. He was completely letting loose, traveling all over the country with a group of friends. One week he was in California, the next he was in Montana.

Today, I saw pictures of him at the beach. There were six or seven people in his group, all familiar faces – classmates and childhood friends. Guys and girls. They took a lot of group phot...