Back-Up Plan - Book 2 - S.E.

Epilogue: Break ups

"I'm sorry, you did what?"

Mike groaned when one of his jackets flew across the room and hit him in the head, before dangling in his hair for a moment and slipping to the ground. Turning to glare at Winnie, he noticed how she stood across from him in his room, arms crossed over her chest and lips pouted in disappointment.

Now, Mike was aware that this had probably not been the best moment to tell Winnie that he had broken up with Tina - not now that she was so kindly helping him pack his stuff for college - but what else could he possibly do? She had asked why Tina wasn't there to help. What would he say? That Tina didn't want to help? As if she would have believed that for a second.

"Oh, come on, Winnie..." Mike sighed. "It was for the best."

"Breaking up with Tina?" Winnie whined. "Why?"

"I'm gonna be in Chicago." Mike said. "That's like a four hour drive."

"There's a thing called long-distance relationship, did you know that?"

"Well, you broke up with Rory."

"Yes, because he'll be across the whole Atlantic Ocean from me."

"Well, same thing." Mike said, as Winnie sighed. "Besides... Tina wanted to break up as well."

"Tina wanted to break up with you?" Winnie repeated in disbelief. "Say that again and maybe I'll believe you."

"It was for the best, Winnie, you know that."

"I know." Winnie admitted, sitting down at the edge of Mike's bed as the older boy sighed and followed her lead, sitting beside her. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Mike shrugged. "I'm really gonna miss her."

"Well, if it's meant to be, you'll find your way to each other again."

"Well, that was romantic." Mike teased, bumping his shoulder with Winnie's as the girl scoffed. "Did Rory teach you that?"

"Shut up." She laughed. "I'm just practicing what I'm gonna say when a very upset Tina comes running into my arms after you leave for Chicago."

"Are you sure you are not going to be the one crying?" Mike teased, as Winnie rolled her eyes.

"Way to sound conceited, dude." She pushed him playfully, before turning to him with a smile when he laughed. "But if it makes it any better, I'll miss you loads."

"I'll miss you too." Mike nodded, throwing an arm over Winnie's shoulders and pulling her closer to him. "A lot."

"Well, you're not breaking up with me, are you?" Winnie teased as Mike rolled his eyes.

"I wanted to." He joked. "But I can never find the words to do it, somehow."

"Good." Winnie said, wiping a tear away as she turned to look at her best friend. "Keep it that way. Because you better never break up with me."

"I won't." Mike promised. "But could you, hum... Could you look after Tina for me, please?"

"I will." Winnie nodded. "I'll put up with all the ice cream pints and The Notebook marathons for you."

"You're awesome." Mike smiled.

"I try." She shrugged. "But you better invite me to your first dance recital or whatever. I'll find a way to be there even if I have to walk all the way over to Chicago."

"Would you do that for me?" Mike asked, as Winnie shrugged.

"Just the first time." She teased, laughing when he tickled her sides.

"You're awful." He laughed.

"I thought I was awesome."

"It really depends on the day, I guess."

Winnie laughed then, watching as Mike stood up again to walk toward his closet to shuffle through his clothes, before pulling out some shirts and throwing them beside Winnie on his bed.

"Here, fold them for me." He said. "I need to pack or my mom will have my head by dinner."

And, again, Winnie chuckled, starting to fold the clothes as requested and shaking her head fondly, a teasing response in the tip of her tongue already, but she decided to let that one slide because, yes, she realized, she would be missing Mike Chang a lot more than she thought she would.