When Best Friends Become Strangers

a blur of graduation rehear

, not for UCLA,

Textbooks for courses Olivia and Ma

, this secre

und me sorting through

lue Yale hoodie I' d bought on a family trip years ago. "Yo

med, lik

e. Just making sure

e important stuff. Like our dorm room assignments. Ol

adn't even looked at

playing the sympathy

he showed up at Olivia' s hous

d, his voice trembling. "Something about needing t

o vulnerabl

immediately sp

poor thing!" Ol

. "You can stay with one of us. My parents have that g

via offered. "We h

ining with unshed tears. "You gu

st imperceptible smirk playing

aw

ew I

the doorframe, watch

to fuel their protectiv

t care

have thei

charit

ir

e starting to notice the

g, "are you sure about UCLA? You seem.

nds for so long. It' s a big change, going t

d. I could see i

t know the

"UCLA is a great school."

pressed. "That pact you kids made...

aid, trying to keep my vo

er, Liam' s manipulations, their blindness. I told them about the

heir expressions

out and took my hand. "Oh, Ethan

dad said, his voice firm, "then Yale

handed me a small, be

for your new adventu

and-new, top-of

m said. "Yale has a great

through my chest. Real

ation

utonniere Olivia and Maya had ordere

or them, a bl

up from Olivia' s

red. "Ethan, dear, Olivia and Maya a

he living room, f

, holding a damp cloth to

re was nowhe

ppened?"

tight with concern. "He said he hasn' t bee

and he didn' t want to impose," Maya added,

d. "Where' s m

him up. He loved the blue iris, said it reminded him of his mother' s favo

nniere. Pinned to the lapel o

ile. "Hope you don' t mind, Etha

at him.

auda

nniere?" I asked, my v

Olivia hissed. "It' s just a

it?" I r

I just thought... it was such

lled in

done, Ethan!" Maya snap

ething sna

m, for the flowe

Olivia

ding up his hands

he boutonniere.

s a ripp

torn, its petals scatte

g his lapel. "My suit

visible snag. But he act