YOUTH ~ Benny Rodriguez

Prologue

Stranger - Olivia Rodrigo

"i cried a million rivers for
you but that's over now
you're just a stranger i
know everything about"

As the rain poured down, drenching the empty field, Adelaide stood with her arms wrapped around herself, shivering not just from the cold but from the weight of the words she wanted to say. There were so many thoughts running through her mind, she had no clue what to say next. Phillips, his wet hair plastered to his forehead, stared at her with a mixture of confusion and hurt.

"This isn't how I wanted it to end," Phillips whispered, his voice barely audible over the relentless patter of the rain.

Adelaide took a deep breath, trying to steady her trembling voice.

"Phillips, I lost the feelings I once had," she said, her words cutting through the rain like a knife. Phillips clenched his fists, his heart pounding as he searched her eyes for any hint of doubt. But all he found was a resolute sadness. The storm around them seemed to echo the turmoil in their hearts, each drop a tiny reminder of the love that was slipping away.

Phillips felt his world shatter with those words, his breath catching in his throat.

"Please, Adelaide, don't do this," he pleaded. "We can work through this, I know we can." Adelaide reached out, to comfort him, but then hesitated, her hand dropping back to her side. The distance between them felt insurmountable now, a chasm that no words could bridge.

"It's over. I'm sorry," Adelaide said, finalizing her decision. "My mom's here, if you want her to drive you home."

Phillips stared at the floor, no response.

"Adelaide please—"

"I'm really sorry. But I can't be with you if I don't feel the same anymore."

He kicked the stand off his bike, hopping on.

Adelaide and Phillips were from two seperate middle schools, but when they became freshmen, Adelaide fell for him. The two had many classes together, and Adelaide couldn't help but notice Phillips' charming smile and quick wit.

They often found themselves paired up for group projects, which led to countless late-night study sessions and shared laughter. Despite a few initial misunderstandings, such as Adelaide thinking Phillips was uninterested due to his aloof demeanor, she eventually discovered the feelings were mutual. And then on, the two began to date.

But Adelaide began to notice, as kind as Phillips was to her, he had bad morals. He was a bully to others and often made fun of his classmates behind their backs.

Adelaide struggled with her feelings, torn between her affection of Phillips and her disapproval of his behavior.

He only got worse. As he got more comfortable within their relationship, his true colors showed. As the weeks passed by, Adelaide almost completely lost her initial admiration for him. She knew making the decision to break up with him would be best for her own integrity and future.

The rain started to stop. Phillips' bike's tires squelched through the muddy ground, each rotation creating a wet, sucking sound as they struggled for traction.

As his bike picked up speed, the mud splattered noisily, leaving a trail of messy imprints behind. Adelaide stood in the middle of the field, the sound of the bike fading into the distance, replaced by the final drops of rain pattering on to the field.

"Adelaide, come on, we have to get home," her mother yelled in the distance. Adelaide looked towards the sound of her mothers car beeping, the windshield wipers moving back and forth.

"Coming!" she shouted, cautiously jogging over to her mom. She felt her socks getting wetter and wetter with every step she took.

Adelaide climbed into her mother's car, the familiar and comforting scent of lavender and leather flashing with the rain outside. As the door closed and engine hummed to life, the weight of the breakup finally hit her. A lump formed in her throat. She stared out the window, watching the world begin to blur as tears formed in her eyes.

The tears came slowly at first, then in a steady stream, each one a release of pain she'd been holding in. Her mother reached over and squeezed her hand, a silent reminder that she wasn't alone, even in her heartbreak.