The Last Five Years

Poppy

The repeating sound of my pencil against my desk rang throughout my room. Homework took up the time I didn't spend time with Drew, my boyfriend of four years. He was one year older than me, and he was so excited for his future. Ever since the beginning of our relationship, he had talked about going to med school.

A part of me hoped he would go to a local school, but there was honestly nothing here in Raymond for him. He was far too smart to be stuck in this small town with these small people. I was so proud of how much he had grown in these years we had spent together.

My phone buzzed with a notification saying Drew was on his way over. I grinned to myself, going to stand on my old rundown porch to wait for him. A white pick up truck drove by, honking its horn. I waved my hand, assuming it was Drew's best friend, Peter.

Not a few moments later, Drew's car was pulling in the gravel driveway. I smiled as he stepped out of the car, giving me a lopsided smile. The more I looked at him, the more I realized he could do so much better than this town.

His sandy blond hair was tousling slightly in the light breeze, and his deep tan skin was glowing in the sun. The closer he got, the brighter his brown eyes twinkled.

A light blue, long sleeve shirt covered his torso, his sleeves pushed up to the elbows. His khakis were a little wrinkled, which was out of character for him.

"Hey, Poppyseed." He grinned, kissing me on the cheek. He pulled me over to the porch swing, and it creaked as we sat down.

"Hey." I smiled at him, trying to get a good look at his eyes, and noting how he was purposefully avoiding my gaze. He was chewing on his bottom lip, and fiddling with his fingers.

"I got into Duke." He blurted, looking over at his car.

I squealed, throwing my arms around his neck and planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "Congratulations! I knew you could do it!" I pulled away, but he wasn't smiling. There wasn't even a ghost of a smirk.

"What does this mean, Poppy?" Drew asked, finally looking at me. His chocolate eyes were darker than usual, seeming to match the mood that hung in the air.

"I don't really know what you mean, Drew." I said simply. "You'll go to Duke, I'll graduate and then come join you."

He shook his head. "I can't ask you to do that, Poppy." Suddenly, my heart nearly stopped. As he stood up and placed his hands on his hips, I felt my palms getting sweaty.

"Drew, what's going on?"

"I can't ask you to move across the United States for me. I can't even ask you to wait for me, Pop." He ran his hands through his hair. "This isn't fair."

Tears welled up in my eyes. "So, you made your decision without me then?" I could feel my lower lip trembling, but I couldn't stop it. He cast his eyes over to me, and they were filled with tears, too.

"I'm sorry, Poppy. You need a chance, too."

"I have nothing here, Drew!" I shouted. "All I have is you! I have been banking on you for the last four years, and you drop this bomb on me!"

One tear fell down his cheek as he stepped off my porch. "Duke is my dream."

"You're my dream!" I screamed at him, the tears coming like a waterfall. Drew took a step closer, trying to hug me. I placed my hands on his chest, and shoved him as hard as I could. "Don't touch me! Just go!" He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then turned around.

When his door slammed shut, the reality set in. His hands clenched the steering wheel before he started the engine. I couldn't help myself, and I snapped.

"Run away like you always do!" I yelled as he pulled out of the driveway, grabbing a handful of gravel and chunking it after the black car.

I don't know how long it was that I sat on the porch swing, staring at the spot Drew sat at not that long ago. I only looked up when I heard footsteps against the wood.

"Taking the news hard?" Peter asked, sitting next to me. When I started to cry again, he wrapped an arm around me and rubbed my back.

After a while, Peter dragged me in the house. He tucked me into bed, and I was so exhausted, I fell asleep and dreamed of far off places.