THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY ONE SHOTS

COAST TO COAST

Im at the airport with conrad right now saying goodbye, as hes about to go off on a plane, thatll take him far away. "Im gonna miss you like hell. Itll be torture to not see you. Ill come home as often as i can. Maybe you can come to cali for spring break. I love you, more than anything. I know this will be hard, but we can do it" conrad says strong.

"Im gonna miss you too. I love you more. I know we can. Well call every night, and ill text you in the morning. We can facetime on weekends" i cry out. He peppers my face with kisses, and then starts kissing my lips for a long, long, time.

"What should i do with the rover? Do i leave it at your dads? or the beach house?" i ask.

"Keep it. Its yours. You love this car as much as i do. It holds a lot of cherished memories for us. Take care of it. Besides, i hid a bunch of notes and pictures in it for you to find." He tells me, and im so touched. "Im gonna get another one in cali, so itll feel like im with you" he adds.

I kiss him again, til he has to leave. I cry the whole way home. I hope he finds himself in california.

The first time i found one of his little notes, i was looking in the center console for a hair tie, it was a wednesday in september.

"Dear belly,
Now that i know you need to hear words. This is me trying(at least im trying). Bet you liked the TS reference i snuck in. i love you more than words can say, and i love that you never lost your child like sense of wonder. You have a certain innocence, and theres not a lot left in the world" it read.

Jeremiah and steven came up for columbus day weekend. It was a blast, we went to the teen club and danced. We went camping in the yard and roasted smores. I made them go apple picking and on the hay ride. I really missed conrad though. It felt incomplete without him.

On our anniversary weekend, we spent it apart, but we mailed each other gifts. I got us long dinstance bracelets, i saw on tiktoc. He complained about it, but i know he never takes it off. I also got him a wallet with a sweet message.

Conrad though, he got me plaques of what the night sky looked like on important nights and one square of land somewhere in scotland so that i can officially be a dutchless like in my favorite show reign. We opened our gifts while on facetime. He also sent me candy.

On actual halloween, i drove to jeremiahs for the weekend after school. We dressed as thing one and thing 2, from the cat and the hat. Our childhood favorite book. Conrad loved the pictures we sent. We got drunk and san karoke together, it much needed fun. I helped jeremiah get a girls number. He went to her dorm, while i went to his.  his roommate was out of town. The frat house dorms are nice. Everybodys got their own room in the dorm. Theres 4 boys to one dorm.

Its the middle of november now. Hot cocoa weather. its cold out, which i hate. November means one thing though thanksgiving, and that means conrad will be back.

"I booked my flights- um ill be arriving tuesday night to boston," conrad tells me on the phone.

"And not philly, rude" i tease him.

"I promise for winter break, ill fly into philly" he replies.

"Youd better fisher" i say back.

I found a poloroid in the trunk, when i was putting all my volleyball gear in it. It was taken from that goodbye house party we had. Im staring at the camera with my big grin, but conrads eyes are locked on mine. "For infinity" it said on the back. I cried at how much i missed him.

When conrad landed in boston, it was 11pm and i was tired, but i answered. "Hey isabel, i made it to the east side. Its fucking freezing here. In cali its still in the 40s" he tells me.