Epilogue

                                5 Years Later: Age 22

                Dear Riley,

                                I came back to town two weeks ago and went over to your house. Your mother answered the door and said that you weren’t there. She also told me that you transferred colleges during your second year. You finally did it, Riley; you got into the college of your dreams. Congrats. Although I was really hoping to see you, I know that you’re following your dreams of becoming a writer, and Brown University is just the place for you to do that.

                                I also heard from your mom that you are coming back really soon- for Aerial and Alex’s wedding. My family was invited, as well. I’m really hoping to see you there. The last time I saw you was at graduation, and the last time I spoke to you was halfway through our freshman year in college. I know things didn’t end well between us, but I miss you.

                                                                                                                                                See you soon,

                                                                                                                                                     Everett

                I gulped, staring down at the letter written in fine ink in my palms. The edges of the sheet were crumpled- most likely because I was clutching onto the letter with such force. My lips were parted and I was pretty much speechless. This was the first time I’ve had any sort of communication with Everett since I ended our relationship during our second semester in university. Things just weren’t working out for us. He was studying in California and I was across the country in Rhode Island. We were in different time zones, making it hard for us to call each other. I remember that I had to go through three whole weeks without speaking to Everett. I called him every so often within that period of time, but every single time I dialed him, he wouldn’t answer. Occasionally, I’d get a text from him telling me that he was busy, and he’d promise to call back. But, he never did. It was then when I finally realized that it just wasn’t going to work out for us.

                It was a Saturday evening, nearly midnight. While my two roommates left campus to go clubbing downtown, I was studying for my midterm. My head was aching and the words on the textbook had started to become blurry from me trying to memorize them for three hours straight. I rubbed my forehead with exhaustion, rubbing my tired eyes. Just as I was about to close my textbook, my phone buzzed right beside it. Everett’s name came flashing on the screen, surprising me. This was the first time he’d tried to reach out to me in the past three weeks.

                I sighed, debating on whether or not to answer his call. Part of me was telling me no, mostly because I was extremely overwhelmed. But, the other part of me was shouting yes, because I missed him, a lot.

                I finally made up my mind and reached for my phone, pressing the green answer button before holding it up to my left ear. “Hello?” I softly said, leaning my elbow against my desk.

                There was a still silence on the other line before Everett spoke up. “Riley, hey.” He paused. “Are you up? You sound pretty tired.”

                I groaned, bowing my head down. “I am.” I muttered. “I’ve been studying all night.”

                “That’s completely like you.” Everett said. “It’s a Saturday night, though. Shouldn’t you be out with your friends instead?”

                “No, midterms are coming up this week and I actually care about my grades. I’m going to have to keep them up if I’m looking to transfer out of here.” I explained.

                “Right.” Everett said.

                There was a long, aching pause. It was as if we’d run out of things to talk about- which was so unlike us. It was that feeling you got, when you haven’t spoken or seen someone for so long, and there was just nothing to talk about anymore. I hated that feeling, and I especially hated it because I was receiving that feeling at the moment with Everett. “Everett,” I started, taking in a deep breath, “where have you been these past three weeks?”

                “What do you mean?” Everett asked with uncertainty.

                “I’ve tried calling you and you never picked up once or called me back.” I sighed. “Did you even begin to wonder how worried I was?”

                Everett grumbled on the other line. “I’m sorry, Riley.” He breathed. “It’s just been really stressful lately. I’ve been trying to balance out studying and being in a relationship at the same time and it’s just not working.”

                My breathing stopped as I bit down on my lower lip. Everett just bluntly admitted to me that it was hard for him to have an education and a girlfriend at the same time. I released a ragged breath, knowing exactly what I had to do next. “We should break up.”

                There was a deadly silence between us, and for a second, all I could hear was my heart pounding against my chest. I knew what I was doing wouldn’t make me happy, but it would make him happy.

                “W-what?” Everett asked, baffled. “What do you mean?”

                I closed my eyes, feeling tears well up in my eyes. I angrily brushed them away with the back of my hand, breathing in slowly. “Everett, things haven’t been going too well and you know it just as well as I do.” I began. “We live three thousand miles away from each other. You even said it yourself; you aren’t able to balance out school and being in a relationship at the same time. It’s just better if we break up now than later.”

                “Riley, I didn’t mean what I said about-.”

                “I’ll still be here, Everett.” I whispered, a hot trail of tears slipping down my cheeks. “I’ll still be here when you come back. As of now, we both need to focus on school.”

                This was it. It was over between us. Somehow, letting him go felt so hard, much more pain than I would’ve expected from a five minute phone call.

                “Okay.” Everett finally agreed.

               My chest was heaving uncontrollably now, and all I could think of was how this would be the best for the both of us. “I’ll see you soon.”

                Then we hung up. That was the last time I heard from Everett.

*

                Maria and Jared lasted through their second year of college together, but they broke up eventually. Although they both agreed mutually that they’d take a break from each other while Christmas vacation lasted, Maria didn’t take it too well when she found out that Jared slept with some sorority girl in Cancun. Jared tried reaching out to Maria, constantly calling her and trying to get to her through Cassandra and I, but he eventually gave up with Maria made it clear that she never wanted to speak to him ever again. Maria was lonely for a few months after their breakup, but since then, she’s been seeing other men. She’s currently dating Lucas, some guy who goes to the same college as she does on a scholarship for basketball. Although she’s finally happy now, I could tell that at times, she misses Jared.

                Cassandra and Max are still together, and they were fortunate enough to land a spot in the same university, not too far from where I am now, actually. We meet up occasionally in town, keeping in close contact. In fact, the three of us plan to drive back down to New York together to attend Aerial and Alex’s wedding. The two were approximately two or three years older than us, and attended the same high school as we did. Aerial actually went to Brown as well, but by the time I got there, she already graduated. Our group of friends met them through a party between our families- turns out that our parents and their parents are very closely knit.

                “Did you buy any gummy worms?” I asked from the backseat as Max returned to the car from the store in the gas station.

                Max slid into his seat, buckling on his seatbelt before digging into the plastic bag and grabbing out some gummy worms. Tossing it towards me, he grinned, “How could I forget?”

                Cassandra had a navigation system in her palms, playing around with the touch screen. “Well troopers, we’re all in luck because it seems as if we have less than an hour until we get back home!”

                I was told by my mother the night before that when we all got home, we were all supposed to head straight to the Rosenfeld’s house for dinner. Supposedly, everyone was coming back at the same time from college and the Rosenfeld’s couldn’t pass up the opportunity to host another infamous gathering, especially since they haven’t seen their beloved son, Everett, and daughter, Maria, for the longest time. Personally, I was extremely excited to see Maria- the last time I saw her was nearly six months ago when she flew up to Rhode Island to visit us. But, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw Everett. We hadn’t seen each other for years, and things we left untouched between us.

                “Does anybody wonder if Jared is going to be there?” Cassandra asked, looking up from her phone.

                “What do you mean?” I frowned. “At the dinner or at the wedding?”

                Cassandra shrugged, kicking her feet up to the dashboard. “I don’t know,” she muttered, “both?”

                “Why would he be there, anyways?” I asked. “People should know that he and Maria didn’t exactly end things on a good term.”

                “Right,” Cassandra nodded, “but he’s still considered a family friend.”

                “Well, I’d hate to be the one to tell Maria this,” Max paused, “but I talked to Jared last night. He’s coming to both.”

*

                The first person I saw was my mother.

                We’d just pulled up to the Rosenfeld’s residence, parking the car on the driveway. My mother was standing on the front steps of the Rosenfeld’s house, a wide smile stretched across her rose colored lips as she spotted me. I hadn’t seen my mother since the start of my last year in college. I was supposed to fly back down to New York during Christmas break, but my flight was cancelled because of the harsh weather conditions that snowed us in. “Mom!” I squealed like a child, running into my mother’s arms as she held my tightly.

                I missed my mother, and quite frankly, I’m able to admit that without the least bit of shame. I buried my face into her shoulder, taking in her honey scented fragrance that she always wore. My mother ran her fingers through my hair soothingly, smiling down at me. “Riley, I’ve missed you so much.” She said softly, glancing over my shoulder. “Max and Cassandra, you two have grown up so much since I’ve last seen you!”

                “And may I add, Ms. Monroe, you look visibly more beautiful.” Max grinned.

                My mother chuckled, giving each of them a tight embrace. “Max, you’ve always been a charmer.” My mother paused, opening the door for us. “Come inside, I’m sure everyone would love to see you guys.”

                We stepped inside, welcomed by the warm aroma of oven roasted turkey and cornbread. Beside me, Cassandra rubbed her stomach, breathing in the smell. “God, I didn’t even know how hungry I was until I stepped in here.” She muttered under her breath, kicking off her shoes by the front entrance.

                While Max and Cassandra spotted their families in the living room, I went over to the kitchen to greet Mrs. Lopez, who was busy cooking. She was mixing a wooden spoon in a saucepan with one hand while checking on the grilled pork on the other. I cleared my throat, catching Mrs. Lopez’s attention as she turned around, her lips parting from surprise. When she saw that it was just me, she relaxed immediately, a warm smile appearing on her face. She lowered the fire on the stove, taking off her apron as she approached me. “Riley, is that you?” she gushed, wrapping her arms around me. “Oh honey, I haven’t seen you since your high school graduation!” 

                I laughed just as she pulled away. “It’s really good to be back, Mrs. Lopez.”

                Mrs. Lopez had her hands gripped on my shoulders as she inspected my face carefully, frowning. “Have they been feeding you in university, dear?” she asked. “You look so much thinner then I last remembered!”

                I blushed, tucking a strand of my loose hair behind my ear. “Well, of course nothing like a meal cooked by you could ever beat cafeteria food.”

                Mrs. Lopez laughed, her dark eyes glistening with amusement. “Thank you, Riley.” She smiled, glancing over at the clock that was hung over the wall behind me. “Dinner should be ready in approximately ten minutes. Why don’t you go settle down with everyone in the living room while I get prepared?”

                I nodded, but I didn’t leave just yet. “Do you need any help?”

                Mrs. Lopez gave me a soft smile, shaking her head gently. “No, it’s fine. Thank you for offering, though.” She paused momentarily, taking the time to study my face with caution. “I don’t know what happened between you and Everett, but I sure as hell know that he’s missing out. You’re such a good girl, Riley.”

                I was in a brief state of shock. What struck me the most was that someone was actually audacious enough to bring up Everett. Ever since we broke up, no one dared to speak about Everett to me. I guess it kind of sucked because every now and then, I wanted to know how he was doing. I cleared my throat before nodding. “Thanks.” I quietly said before exiting the kitchen.

                Upon entering the living room, a pair of arms immediately threw themselves around my neck, pulling me into a bone crushing hug. “Oh my God, Riley!” a familiar voice beamed.

                Glancing over, I finally came to realization that it was Maria who was hugging me. I immediately hugged her back, grinning as we pulled apart from one another. I quickly noticed that she’d snipped off her previously long, dark locks. Her hair was now just below her chin- styled into a bob. “Maria, your hair!” I squealed.

                Maria laughed, biting her lip from excitement. “Do you like it?” she asked. “I just cut it off a week ago.”

                I slapped her arm playfully. “And you didn’t bother to send me any pictures?” I asked. “You look great!”

                “Thanks.” Maria smiled, tugging on my arm. “Listen Riley, I brought my boyfriend back from college just for this weekend. You have to come meet him.”

                I instantly remembered Maria telling me about her new boyfriend, the one she starting dating just a few weeks ago. His name was Lucas, I believe, and he was a part of their college’s basketball team- widely acclaimed, may I add. But, just as I was about to agree to meet him, another thought came to my mind. I should probably warn Maria about Jared and his family coming over tonight before she found out the harder way. “Sure, but Maria, there’s something I need to tell you.” I quickly spoke, hoping to speed up this awkward process.

                Maria tilted her head to the side, giving me an uneasy smile. “Sure?” she said uncertainly. “What is it?”

                I took in a deep breath of air before telling her, “Max told me that-.”

                There was a sudden, deadly silence from everyone as they turned to look at the door that had just opened. Standing near the front entrance was none other than Jared himself.

*

                “What the actual fuck is Jared doing here?!” Maria hissed, trying her best not to strangle her hands around someone’s neck and choke them- and I must admit that I was deathly afraid that the person, at the moment, could possibly be me. After Jared and his family made a sudden appearance, Maria froze up beside me. Before Jared got to see Maria, however, I quickly grasped onto her wrist and dragged her to the nearest empty bathroom. The two of us have locked ourselves in here for nearly ten minutes already, all while Maria cursed and verbally expressed her anger. I decided to allow Maria to let out all of her emotions before I tried to calm her down. “The nerve he has to show his face at my house just because he and his parents have a shitload of money. I mean sure his parents are welcomed here whenever they want to stop by, but did they have to drag the cat here, as well? Who the fuck invited him anyways?!” 

                Maria paused to take a breath of air while I took this golden opportunity to finally shut her up. “Are you done?” I asked patiently, raising an eyebrow at the clearly shaken up Maria.

                Maria shot daggers at me with her eyes, groaning. “How could you be so calm right now, Riley?”

                “I knew he was going to be here.” I simply told Maria, whose jaw dropped as a flash of betrayal ran across her eyes. But before I let her jump to conclusions, I spoke up once again. “I was going to tell you, right before he walked in.”

                Maria’s features immediately softened as her shoulders went limp. She leaned herself against the sink counter, dropping her head low. “I just don’t understand why he would do this to me.” She whispered. “I’m finally happy now and he just has to ruin it.”

                “He’s sorry, Maria.” I tried to explain. “Maybe you would’ve gotten a heads up if you picked up his calls instead of ignoring them all.”

                “What, are you taking his side now?” Maria snapped, making me flinch. Maria’s eyes immediately darkened with regret as she sighed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m just really not one for surprises, that’s all.”

                I nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be fine, Maria. You don’t have to look at him or even talk to him.” I soothed. “You said your boyfriend’s here, right? Maybe you could take your mind off Jared by talking to him. I’ll try to stall Jared if he even comes close to you, okay?”

                Maria took in a deep breath of air, nodding slowly. “Okay.” She muttered. “Thanks, Riley.”

                I shrugged. “No problem.” I realized that we’ve been in the bathroom for over fifteen minutes. “We should get back out there before anyone has suspicions.”

                Maria managed to give me a chuckle, agreeing with me. “Right.” Before I twisted the doorknob, though, Maria’s hand reached out to stop me. “Before we leave, though, I should tell you something, too.”

                I frowned. “What is it?”

                “Everett’s going to be here in five minutes.” She said quietly. “He would’ve been here when you arrived, but he left earlier to pick up someone.”

                I blinked, tilting my head to the side. “I’m not sure where you’re going with this, Maria.”

                Maria sighed, shaking her head. “I’m getting to the point.” She whispered. “He went to pick up his date.”

                My lips parted as I stared at Maria blankly. For some odd