lycheepearlmilktea

They were best of friends once, years ago. Still are, perhaps. But it’s been a while.
Elise Ashton: stubborn yet determined, a brilliant aspiring astrophysicist with her head in the stars. Aiden Carter: caring and friendly, a talented musician who always has his friends and family at heart.
When a twist of fate brings these two longtime childhood friends to vacation destination Silverstone Beach as teenagers, cool-headed logic meets ardent emotions as they struggle to understand each other—and themselves. After all these years, what’s changed…and what’s stayed the same?

Constellations and Harmonies

This silence extends for what seems like hours. Oh, frick. Oh, frick. Oh, frick. It plays on a loop in Aiden's head.


Is it her? Of course it's her. Who else would it be?


Elise doesn't seem to understand straightway. "Why would you lie about the portrait, then? Why'd you draw me? Why do you even have this random Polaroid of me anyway?"


A long pause. "Remember when we were taking pictures on the beach? Like one of the first few days we got here, and Adelaide wanted an Instagram post or whatever. One of the photos, I took it to this printing store they have in town."


Elise's trying to process. "But…why?"


Because I can't get you out of my mind. Because you're so beautiful in that picture—not even that, but that moment, you were so happy, it was radiating, and I wanted to capture a piece of that.  


He doesn't want to voice his thoughts, but he's run out of excuses at this point. Finally he settles for a simple "Why not?", smiling meekly. 


"Elise, I—"  like you. I've liked you since the last summer we were at Silverstone Beach, four years ago. There were times when I finally thought I'd gotten over you and moved on, but I'd hear your voice again and I'd be falling, falling again. It's you. It's always you. It's only you. "Elise…I like you."


Elise instinctively steps back, draws in a deep breath, lets it out, closes her eyes. Aiden had thought of a million different reactions Elise might have to this statement, but panic wasn't one of them.


"Aiden, I—I'm sorry. This can't—you can't—we can't—we're best friends."


Elise's heart shatters at the look in his eyes, and she wishes, wishes desperately that this was a different situation, wishes she can take back what she said, but she can't.


"I'm sorry, I can't—I can't—Please just—please don't make this any harder than it is already." The last sentence is a whisper, and the desperation in her voice is tangible. She can't look him in the eyes. Head spinning, she steps back quickly, then turns around and flees the room.


Elise finds her way onto the beach, and takes a seat alone on the stone wall overlooking the water. 


She's never cried over a boy before. They've affected her mood, certainly, but not to the degree that she's shed actual tears.


Now, she's finding that to be a little bit more difficult to maintain.


As much as she'd entertained the thought of him liking her back, she'd known it couldn't happen. She wouldn't risk their friendship. She couldn't risk their friendship.


So it was easier, in a sense, when she'd thought he fancied someone else. Painful, but ultimately easier. Because then it didn't make her wants so much closer to reality.


Lost in her thoughts, she watches the waves crashing onto the sand. That rhythm, that certainty. It could calm her. It would calm her.


Panic