The Good Old Days

April 1995 (Friendcation)

Another school year came and was nearing an end. Graduation was approaching fast and with it, the end of high school as a whole. George was searching the halls for Cathy right after school. He had to talk to her, and he had to do it now. Finally, he spotted her walking toward the door with Melissa and Jed, and he ran to catch up to them.

"Cath," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn around, "Can I talk to you?"

"I'll meet you guys at the car," Cathy said to them. She followed George outside and they split off from where everyone else was mingling. They walked off to the side, around the side of the building.

"Whatcha need to say?" She asked.

George took a hold of her hands, and he sighed, "Cath, yesterday in the mail, I got back responses from the colleges I applied to."

"You did?" She asked, "And?"

"The one I wanted most accepted me," he said, "has the best program in the country for my major."

"Really!?" Cathy exclaimed happily, hugging him, "That's awesome!"

However, she noticed he didn't return the hug, and wasn't looking directly at her.

"What's wrong?" She asked, "Isn't it what you wanted?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "But Cathy... It's in California... it's California Institute of the Arts"

"O-oh..." She said, feeling a pit in her stomach form, "W-well you'll still email me, right? We'll stay in touch."

"I could..." He said, "But... I'll be away for so long... I won't be around for nearly a year. I don't know how we can do this."

"It's just long distance," she said, "We can make it work! Until you get back..."

"I want to think we can..." He admitted, "But we'd barely be seeing each other at all for four years, so much can happen in that time. I... don't want you to wait for me... I'd feel awful knowing you're missing me all the time... and we'd be meeting new people, experiencing new things... who knows what would happen?"

Catherine felt a tightness in her chest and tears starting to form as she tried to keep them in. She knew where he was going with this.

"You're going to college too," he said, "You'll be busy, meet new people, and start making a future for yourself... It's not fair to you if I delay that for you. Our futures may not be with each other."

Cathy started crying and threw herself into him, hugging him as tight as she could.

"W-we won't fall for other people.." Cathy whimpered, heartbroken by the implications.

"I'm not saying we definitely will, but... " He paused for a moment, trying to find the right words to say, "I'd just hate for us to be apart that long... I'll miss you way too much, it'll be like torture for both of us, can't you understand?"

"I-I love y-you..." She sobbed, "P-please... I-It can work..."

"And if it doesn't?" He asked, "If we're meant to be together... It'll happen... But until then, it just wouldn't be fair for us to never see each other... for us to miss each other that much for four years of school..."

Cathy sniffed and began sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder, which in turn caused him to begin crying as well. He hugged her tight, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I haven't s-stopped loving you..." he whispered to her, "S-so please d-don't think that... It's just gonna be what's best for us..."

She looked up at him with her tear-soaked face, "C-can we just h-have one more s-summer?"