The Missing Years - a kissing booth fan fiction

Just Fine

Author's Note: Okay, we made it through the worst part and now we're in (mostly) brand new territory. Thanks for braving the heartbreak with me, I hope you enjoy the first "missing chapter". Bit of a gear change here because we're shifting to Elle's POV for the first time.

Elle

I'd be lying if I said the week after Lee left for college was easy. Other than a few family holidays over the years and an unfortunate case of gastro when we were 10, I had pretty much seen my bestie every single day since we were born. We'd been there for each other for every high and low in our lives and now we were faced with what felt like permanent separation at a time when we were both heartbroken.

That first week apart though, we both had exciting distractions. Lee was getting ready to start college at Berkeley and I had an interview with USC's Interactive Games and Media Division to prepare for. Lee was settling into his dorm and Ashton was showing him around campus. I was still working at Dunes, the constant LA sunshine drawing crowds to the beach and the seaside cafe that had become my refuge. Melvin and the college kids who had worked there over the summer had left, so I was getting more shifts than ever, regularly pulling doubles and arriving home late each night, exhausted.

The night before my interview at USC, I was at home in my room after May had given me the night off. I'd had dinner and watched tv with my dad and Brad, and was pottering around, folding and putting away my clean laundry. I was getting dangerously close to having free time on my hands, something I had carefully avoided since.....nope, I refused to even think his name, let alone what had happened.

The bestie connection seemed to be going strong however, because just then the telltale sound of a FaceTime call sounded from my laptop and Lee's smiling face appeared.

"Hey you," I said, grateful for the timely intervention.

"Are you ready?" Lee jumped straight in.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I grinned.

"Good. You're gonna kill it. Now, after all that time I spent as your personal chauffeur, I know how terrible you are at getting up and ready in the morning."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I am an absolute freakin' delight in the morning," I lied.

"Elle, I am willing to indulge this little delusion you are having but I want you to check your phone anyway."

I opened my phone and there was a message from Lee, a customized ringtone. I looked back up at the image of his grinning face on my laptop. "What is it?"

"A little gift from me to you. Save it as your alarm for tomorrow."

"Okay, this is all very mysterious, but I'm willing to play along with this little intrigue you have going."

"Trust me, it'll be worth it."

I paused then, reveling in the awesomeness that was my friendship with Lee. "Have I told you how much I freakin' love you, man?"

His grin got wider then. "Yeah but you can tell me again if you want."

"Ooh, if you were here I'd shove you outta your chair."
We both sobered, mindful of the fact that we were no longer walking distance apart.

"Love you, Shelly."

"Love you too, Lee."

"Get some sleep, huh?"

"You too, man."

Closing my laptop, I got ready for bed, setting my mystery alarm to give me plenty of time to snooze in the morning.