Cecelia Clark and Blake Foster had been together for five years. They started dating their freshman year of high school, when Blake officially asked her out at the beach. Every time she thought about that day, her stomach overflowed with butterflies. As they slowly approached the end of their senior year of high school, they had both been accepted into the University of North Carolina, just as they had planned. Their dreams of going to college together and getting married were slowly coming true, or so they thought.
It all started in early March of their senior year. After having planned on going to University of North Carolina for the past three years, Blake received a full ride soccer scholarship to UCLA. UCLA was over 2,000 miles away from UNC. Blake knew that the right thing for himself was to go to UCLA and achieve his goal of being a professional soccer player, but the right thing for Cecelia was to go to UNC and continue their relationship. As you can imagine, this was a huge decision for Blake to make, and he didn’t have much time.
“I just don’t know bro,” Blake said, holding his phone in one hand and throwing a nerf basketball into the tiny net hanging from his closet door with the other. “I mean, I really love her and all but I need to do what’s best for me too.”
“I would talk to her about it if I were you,” Blake’s best friend Zac replied “does Cecelia even know about the scholarship yet?”
“Um—no, I don’t have the heart to tell her. We have had plans of going to UNC since freshman year, I can’t just drop this on her all of a sudden!”
“Blake, you’ve got to tell her, she could help you out!”
“I really want her to know, I just don’t know how to tell her, or how she will react. I can’t have her getting mad at me right now.”
“Yeah well, I’ve got to go to practice, good luck.” Zac said, hanging up the phone.
“UGH!” Blake muttered to himself as he threw himself onto his bed. Blake knew that he had to tell Cecelia about his scholarship. He couldn’t have her finding out about it through other people and she was the only person who’s advice he knew he could trust. After all, he knew they could hold a long distance relationship, especially after all they’ve been through in the past four years. He picked up his phone to dial Cecelia, then put it back down on his nightstand and left his room.
The next day at school Cecelia was talking with her best friend Melanie. “Blake has been acting weird all week. The other day we were talking about college and he kept changing the subject. I don’t know what’s up with him.”
“Hmm… did you ask him about it?” Melanie replied, seeming very uninterested in what Cecelia had to say.
“Yeah, he said it was nothing though. I know he is lying to me!”

“Huh, maybe ask him again. So, about graduation, what’s the plan?” Melanie quickly changed the topic.
All of a sudden someone grabbed Cecelia’s arm and pulled her roughly to the side.
“Ouch what the hell!” She spat at whoever was gripping her arm.
“Hey Cece,” She heard a familiar voice say.
“Blake?!” She said, turning her head to look at him. “Jeez, you scared me!”
“Haha, sorry. Cecelia, I need to talk to you about something. Want to go to Izzy’s after school?”
“Um—yeah, sure. What’s this all about?” She asked very confused
“I’ll drive.” Blake quickly said and walked away.

Later that day, Blake and Cecelia walked into Izzy’s café, and sat at their usual table in the back. Blake was acting totally normal, which made this all seem even weirder.
“So… what did you want to talk to me about?” Cecelia asked hesitantly.
“Oh… um… yeah, about that. So the other day I got a letter in the mail from UCLA. They offered me a full ride soccer scholarship.”
“WHAT!? But I thought we were going to UNC, we had this all planned! Blake!” Cecelia screamed. She suddenly felt like the café was closing in on her. She noticed that everyone was staring at her and she needed to quiet down.
“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I haven’t accepted yet. I know that we were planning on UNC and I know that you already accepted and this would screw up everything, but what if we do go to UNC and we don’t end up together. I won’t be happy there, and we will have to see each other around campus. Do you know how hard that would be?”
“Are you saying you don’t think we can stay together? Seriously? After four years and now you are starting to second guess us?! I can’t believe this is happening! How long have you known?”

“I got the letter on Monday.” Blake was starting to regret telling her. He should have just gone to UNC and forgotten about this scholarship.
“THIS WHOLE WEEK? You have known about this all week and you didn’t think to tell me? This is a big deal Blake!”
“No, that’s the thing! I did think to tell you, I just couldn’t figure out how to!” Blake defended himself.
“Fine. Whatever. I’m leaving. Congrats on your stupid scholarship.” Cecelia stood up, throwing her napkin on the booth, and stormed out of the café. She walked all the way home and called Melanie.
“He ruined it. This is the last straw. I can’t take this anymore Mel! We have been dating for four years, does that mean nothing to him!?” Cecelia spat into the phone, pacing back and forth in her bedroom.
“Like, come on! College is a big deal! I can’t believe he would even say something like that. If he came to UNC, we would never break up, there’s no way!”
“Yeah, well I’m sorry Cece. Do you want to come over and talk about it?” Melanie offered, giving Cecelia all she had to offer.
“No, I’ve got stuff to do. Thanks though. I should probably go.” Cecelia muttered back to Melanie. She hung up the phone and lay down on her bed, letting out a huge sigh.

For the next three weeks, Blake and Cecelia passed each other in the hall every morning, and every afternoon, drove the same way to and from school, and hung out at the same spots on the weekends, but never spoke a single word. They would both try to show off when the other person walked past, and always had to be the loudest one in their groups.
Blake stood in the school’s gym with Zac “I’m doing it. She obviously doesn’t care that much, I’ve called and texted her, and she hasn’t answered. At this point, it’s all on her. I need to commit by tonight, so unless there is some miraculous rekindling in fourth period, we are going to different colleges.” Blake ranted about his falling out with Cecelia.
“Yeah, I mean if you guys are really meant to be, you will get back together after college, right? What is she so worried about anyway?”
“Exactly! If we can stay together through all of high school, we can do four years of long distance.”
That night, Blake committed to UCLA. He called Cecelia four times, but she never answered. He didn’t feel any more guilt about any of this. She was the one being stubborn and making this into a huge deal. He did everything in his power to let her know gently, but she still blew up about it.
“You guys still haven’t talked?” Melanie asked, sounding concerned.
“Not one word.” Cecelia didn’t even seem bothered by it.
“It’s been over a month Cecelia! You need to figure this out.”
“Trust me, I know. I can’t stop thinking about him. I just can’t figure out a good way to work it out. I need to apologize, this is all my fault.”
“Well, has he even tried to talk to you?”
“Um… I have 21 missed called and 30 missed texts. I have even ignored him in person a few times.”
“Cecelia! Are you serious?! Why are you doing this to him?” Melanie asked, shocked at Cecelia’s lack of effort.
“I know, you have got to help me think of something.”
That Friday night, Cecelia called Blake as Melanie sat on her bed, listening to every word.
“Hey, Blake. I’m so sorry. I overreacted, I know I shouldn’t have stormed out on you like that. If you think that UCLA is best for you, then go. I get it.”
“Wait, really?” Blake asked, shocked. “So if I were to tell you I already committed, you wouldn’t be mad?”
Cecelia felt her heart drop into her stomach. “Um… no. Why? Did you?” She asked, not sure if she really wanted to know.
“Yeah, look I’m sorry, but I tried to call you. You didn’t answer.”
Cecelia’s eyes started to fill with tears.
“Um, no, I get it. It’s fine. I’m so sorry.” And in that moment, everything began to fall apart.

For the rest of high school, Blake and Cecelia’s relationship was thriving. They hung out every weekend and never had another big argument. Of course they had their little fights, but they never truly argued about anything. The first year went great, they would visit each other every holiday, talk on the phone every night, and text constantly. This is why when Blake stopped returning Cecelia’s calls, she knew something was up. It was Christmas break of their sophomore year of college, Cecelia and Blake were both home in the small town of Nantahala. They had plans to meet at Izzy’s at two o’clock, and Cecelia was getting ready while Melanie talked her ear off.
“I mean, how could he just cut you off like that? He got what he wanted! The great soccer team at the great school, and the great girl! What more could he ask for?!”
“Yeah, well maybe I’m just overreacting. Maybe he was just…busy with homework or something!”
“Yeah, maybe. But what if he wasn’t? What if there is something more! You have to be prepared!”
“I am ready. Mel, we have been together for 5 years, he isn’t just going to end it like this. I need to go but thanks, you can hang out until I get back!”
“Alright, call me if you need anything!”
Cecelia walked into Izzy’s and looked around for Blake. He was not in their usual spot, so she assumed his text reading ‘I’m here’ really meant ‘I’ll be there in five minutes’. She sat in their booth in the back, then spotted a very familiar face two booths over.
“Blake! What are you doing over here?” She asked as she walked over to him. He slowly stood up and went in for a hug.
“Sorry, I just wanted to switch it up a little.” He said, sounding very upset about something.
“I’ve missed you!” Cecelia said enthusiastically
“Haha, yeah, me too. Let’s sit down.”
Cecelia sat down in the booth. She was thrilled to be with Blake again, but didn’t get the same vibes from him.
“So, um what’s up?” Cecelia muttered slowly, not sure how he would respond.
“Look, we need to talk. I think we should stop this.”
“Um, what? Stop what?” Cecelia was suddenly very concerned about what was happening. Her heart sunk into her stomach and her palms were soaked with nervous sweat.
“Us, it’s not working out. I think we should see other people.”
Cecelia’s eyes filled with tears and her heart was racing faster than ever.
“What the hell Blake! Where is this coming from?! I thought we had plans! This would never have happened if you had just come to UNC! What is this all about?”
“It’s just… you just… you deserve better than me Cecelia. There’s this girl at school, her name’s Amy. We were drinking, I just it was nothing big I just. Cecelia this is so hard for me to say. I just I really don’t think it’s going to work.”
Cecelia stood up and stormed out of the café just as she had done years before. She got in her car and shut the door, slamming on the gas. She thought about what would have happened if she had just ended things when he told her about UCLA. Her eyes filled with tears and she grabbed her phone to call Melanie. She heard honking of horns and looked up. The next thing she remembered, she was lying in a hospital bed, looking up at Blake.
“Where… what… what happened? Where am I?” Cecelia asked, confused and scared. 
“You were in a car accident. It’s nothing too serious. You have been out for a few days but the doctors say you should be fine by next month. We are at Beaumont.”
“Oh, um, is Melanie here?” she asked, wanting nothing more than to have to face the awkward conversation that was about to come.
“No, you just missed her.” He said, and sat down in the chair in the corner of the room.
They sat there in silence for what seemed like forever, until Cecelia worked up the courage to finally say something.
“So, about the other day. You know, at Izzy’s…”
“Yeah I know.” Blake said, cutting Cecelia off. “Look, I’m really sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“So, what does that mean? Are we done or what?”
“The past few days, I have sat in this hospital room thinking about whether or not what I did was the right thing, not just for me, but for the both of us. It reminded me of college. I couldn’t decide about whether I should do what’s right for me or what’s right for us. In the end, I did what was right for me, and this time I owe it to you to do what’s right for us. I don’t think we should call it off. After all that we have been through in the past five years, I am sure we can make it through this. Please Cecelia. I am so sorry, I won’t let this happen again. I promise.”
At this point, they were both crying. Cecelia didn’t know what to say.
“Blake, I love you so much. I can’t take not being with the person I love every day, and I definitely can’t take the person I love not loving me back.” Cecelia said. Her voice was shaky and warm tears were streaming down her face.
“What are you talking about? Cecelia?”
“Blake, tell me you love me and we can get back together. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you want to get married after college like we had planned.”
“I’m so sorry Cecelia. I have wasted so much of your time.”
Blake said, crying. He walked out of the room apologizing over and over again. After that, Blake and Cecelia never talked again. It is crazy how two people can separate so quickly after being together for so long.