The last Time
Chapter 1: The Last Time
The bell rang, signaling the end of another monotonous day at Westwood High. Students flooded the hallways, eager to escape the confines of classrooms and the relentless ticking of the clock. But Erica didn't move. She stayed seated in the back of the classroom, her eyes glued to the paper in front of her, though she wasn't actually reading.
Her thoughts were elsewhere—frozen in a moment from two years ago.
Nicole.
The memory of her face, her laugh, and the way she used to hold Erica's hand like it was the most natural thing in the world, flooded her mind. It felt like it had happened just yesterday, even though it had been months since their breakup.
Erica's fingers stroked the edge of the notebook, almost as if she could still feel the touch of Nicole's skin. They had been inseparable, best friends that were something more—until everything changed in the blink of an eye.
The breakup had been sudden, brutal, and without any real closure. Nicole had simply pulled away, no explanation, no warning. One moment they were laughing together in the school courtyard, and the next, Erica was left alone, trying to piece together the fragments of a love that seemed to evaporate without a trace.
"Erica, you okay?" A voice pulled her from her thoughts.
It was Risha, her best friend since grade6 high school, standing beside her desk with a concerned look on her face. Risha was a force of nature, always full of energy and optimism, the perfect counterbalance to Erica's quiet, introspective demeanor.
Erica forced a smile. "Yeah, just tired."
"You've been 'just tired' for the last two years," Risha said, her tone playful but with an edge of seriousness. "You've got to stop torturing yourself over her, Er. It's high school, for crying out loud. You can't keep living in the past."
Erica's smile wavered as she gazed out the window, watching the crowd of students pour out of the school gates. And there she was—Nicole. Standing by the entrance with her usual group of friends, laughing and joking with them as if she hadn't shattered Erica's heart only months before.
"She seems fine," Erica murmured, her voice barely audible.
Risha followed the gaze and exhaled. "She's fine. Always been fine. You, though. You need to get over that. Move on."
"I don't know," Erica said to herself softly instead of to Risha. "Not when it feels like I still have her here." Her hand rested across her chest because it still hurts from the loss of Nicole there. "I still love her."
Risha's face softened, but she didn't push it. "You know you deserve better than someone who leaves without a word. You need to let go."
But Erica couldn't. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
---
After school, Erica walked slowly down the hallway toward her locker. Her footsteps echoed in the otherwise empty corridor. She passed by the art room, and there was Nicole sitting with a group of friends, sketching in her notebook with that focused expression Erica knew so well.
It had been tough to evade Nicole. They had so many classes together, and no matter how many times Erica made efforts to get away from her, Nicole remained somewhere close to her, just out of reach. It was as if the universe was cruelly reminding her of what she had lost.
Erica stopped in front of her locker, the shaking of her fingers making it harder to set the combination lock dial. She could not resist peeking around to see who it was; there stood Nicole looking right at her. The moment their gazes met for an instant, everything froze for Erica.
It wasn't the same, not like before; there was no warmth in Nicole's look. But something was there, a flicker of recognition perhaps. Of regret? Or was it just memories they shared?
Erica felt her breath hitch. She wanted to go to Nicole, to ask her why—why she'd left in such a rush, why she hadn't fought for them at all.
But she didn't. Instead, she turned her back and shut the door to her locker, stomping out the side entrance as her heart raced inside her.
---
Erica walked home with the bitter cold of the wind slicing against her face, the image of Nicole imprinted on her brain, not from a pain she was carrying about something in the past but rather for realizing nothing ever again could be the same between them.
No matter how hard Erica tried to move on, a part of her would always be tethered to the girl she had once loved. And as much as she hated herself for it, she couldn't help but wonder: what would it take to fix everything?