Try to make it work

I thought about all the rational, intelligent reasons we were breaking up, but as I tried to mouth the words, I realized they weren’t my own. So instead, I surprised us both by saying, “Then we won’t.”

Elizabeth looked up at me with wet, confused eyes.

“I don’t want to do this either,” I continued, the air around me suddenly breathable once more. “I don’t want to lose you, even if it means trying to do this thing long-distance. We’ll figure it out. Somehow, we’ll make it work.”

She brightened at my words, laughing through her tears. “Okay,” she finally managed. Then she hugged me and kissed me and helped me finish packing. A sudden surge of giddiness lifted us off the ground, just as surely as it we’d been filled with helium.

I tore off her shirt and we made passionate love one last time before I had to leave.

···

The plane sat on the tarmac for 25 minutes, during which time a million thoughts raced through my head. That’s like 40,000 thoughts per minute. More than I could handle.

What if I don’t go to MIT at all? What if I just got off the plane right now? What if I ran back through the gate and scooped Elizabeth up in my arms and asked her to marry me? That’s what would happen if I was in a romantic comedy! That’s what I would do.

That’s what I would do if this wasn’t real life.

The plane’s wheels left the ground and I was shocked back into the moment. It was really, finally over. My life, as I knew it. The last remnants of the old me, left behind on that tarmac. I was on my way to college.

I swore to myself I would do whatever it took to make things work out with Elizabeth, no matter how hard it would be. She was worth it. We were worth it. If we both got decent part-time jobs, and scrimped and saved every penny for air fare… maybe we might just pull it off.

Maybe we could beat the odds that tormented at every long-distance relationship.

Twelve months ago, I would have been scared to even talk to a girl like Elizabeth. Now, I couldn’t help but think about the future I hoped to share with her. I was a new man. All thanks to my girls.

Corrine…

Talia…

Stephanie…

Amy…

And Elizabeth.

I knew I would see them again, many times. But things between the six of us would never be quite the same as they had been our senior year.

The year I met my best friends.

My bosom buddies.