✔️ | 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 ─ 𝒑𝒂𝒙𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝒉.𝒚

EIGHTEEN

Senior year baby. Let's fucking go.

Carly Tan had a great summer break. Her family, along with Eddie's family, spent a month exploring different cities in Italy.

Rome to Venice to Milan to Capri.

Overall it was a 3 months worth vacation condensed into a month.

Thanks dad for paying for it.

A lot has changed ever since the Paintball game. For one, Parker and Carly broke up. The girl could tell he was hiding something from her but she never asked him about it. Not to sound like an asshole or anything but the girl just didn't see anything long term with Parker. 

Especially since she was still hung up over Paxton. Yeah. Eddie could no count the amount of times he heard the girl cry outside the balcony. Carly regretted telling the boy she didn't still love him. Because we all know, it was quite the opposite. Carly Tan was still utterly in love with Paxton Hall Yoshida.

But thankfully, Eddie and even her older brother helped her through it. Distracting her with pasta, gelato, and Jason letting her try Limoncello even when she wasn't 18 yet. No one has to know.

The trip made Carly realize or at least come to terms with that she would be ok if she didn't go to UCLA. After her stellar junior year season, she was for sure she'll get a scholarship to UCLA. She didn't. Fuck UCLA for not wanting her. It's their lost. 

Her parents didn't seem too worry about where she'll commit to. They had trust in their daughter, she'll make the right decision of where she wanted to go. Because ultimately, it was up to Carly where she wanted to go to college. 

As the girl walked down the halls her senior year, she smiled at everyone. Something she never did. Her hair grew back to her natural hair color. Safe to say, she was not dying her hair ever again. Too much maintenance. And besides, she liked her brown hair.

"Happy senior year bitch!" Lily smiled, pulling the girl into a hug.

"Happy senior year."

"1 step closer to college." Eddie smiled.

"Let's not talk about college right now, please." Carly groaned. The girl couldn't help but wonder what school Lily was gonna commit too. They've talked about college here and there but even she wasn't certain where she was going.

The girl knew her friend got into Washington, her dream school. And no matter how much it hurts hearing she might be thousands and thousands away, she had to be happy for her.

She was not one to hold her friends back.

The girl laughed about something Eddie said, but her laughter died down when she saw an unpleasant sight. Walking down the hallway, hand in hand was Paxton Hall Yoshida and Phoebe Hayward.

Carly hated Phoebe. If it wasn't so obvious. They got into an argument when she caught Phoebe being a little too close to her ex boyfriend Jayden. This was freshman year. Haven't talked to her since.

So to see Paxton walk down with her, kiss her goodbye, made her sick to her stomach.

Literally. 

"Excuse me." Carly said, walking away and to the nearest bathroom. She threw up her pancakes she ate this morning. She slid down the wall, trying to control her breathing. She didn't realize she was crying when she heard her friend come in.

"Carls?" Lily asked. Once she saw her friend on the floor, she immediately pulled her into a hug.

"I'm fine."

"Carls. It's me."

And just like that Carly let out the tears she thought were pointless. This was pointless. She convinced herself all summer she was over Paxton. She was doing so well. But why was seeing him with another girl hurt?

It's all her fault. She's the one who said she didn't love him. They would have been together if she did.

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok to cry sometime."

"But this is stupid."

"Nothing is stupid to cry about."

Carly shook her head. "I did this to myself. Maybe if I told Paxton I love him then we'll be together."

"Things take time baby." Lily pushed some of the girl's hair out of her face. "Breakups are hard, even harder when it's someone you truly love."

"Yeah."

"Things will get better Carls. I know they will."

"Thanks Lils." Carly leaned her head on her shoulder as they sat on the floor of the girl's bathroom, leaving a very confused boy outside.