𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐭 || 𝐙𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐧 [𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝]

4- 12:01

Hayden, 17 years & 11 months old

November 2, 2018

Tomorrow is finally my eighteenth birthday. I am so happy because my seventeenth year alive was a long one. Most of it was taken up by school and that one trip to New York over the summer.

For my birthday, I was going to have a small party. My family, the Herron's, and Cole were the only ones who I wanted to celebrate my coming-of-age.

I only invited the Herron's because they were like my second family. Myta was basically my second mother and Josh, Reese, and Ryan were practically my family too. I told Myta to ask Zach to come, but he indirectly said he was too busy with his music career. Just like always.

I would have invited Livy but we stopped being friends as soon as I started dating Cole. Not that she was angry that I was dating him, over the years we just stopped talking to each other. We fell out of line. But since I was that unsocial kid in school, she talked to me sometimes. Then once Cole came around, I finally had someone else in my corner. That was Livy's cue to leave. Now she's super popular and hangs out with the girls basketball team. She doesn't even play basketball.

It was in the evening, I was sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by my family. We were eating dinner, a plate of lasagna in front of each of us. Mom was telling stories of when I was a baby to reminisce the last day before I became an adult.

Then suddenly the doorbell rang. My eight year old brother, Caleb, got up from his seat and ran to the front door.

"Hayden! You're boyfriend is here!" He shouted back to the kitchen. I excused myself from the table and exchanged places with my brother.

"Cole! What are you doing here?" I asked stepping closer to the door.

"Can we talk? Outside?" He had a sad look in his eyes and his smile was turned upside down.

I stepped outside into the porch and closed the door behind me. "What's up?"

"Happy birthday," he said softly, no smile.

"Are you sure?" I asked, slightly laughing.

"I need to tell you something," Cole said. His eyes started watering and he was very tense.

I cocked my head at him, completely confused.

"I can't do this anymore. We need to break up."

"What?"

"I can't be with you anymore. I'm sorry."

"I don't understand." I could feel my heart break slowly.

"Hayden, you are such a special girl and I'm so happy to have you in my life. You were my first real love. We started dating when we were fifteen. Now you're about to be eighteen and I feel like we need to move on from each other."

"Move on from each other? I thought you loved me?" My voice cracked.

"I did love you, a lot. But I've moved on, Hayden. I'm sorry."

"And you couldn't have waited until after my birthday to break up with me? Pathetic. Hope you treat your next girlfriend better than breaking her heart right before the happiest time in her life."

I stormed inside and slammed the door behind me. I was sobbing. I ran upstairs to my room before my family could see me. From my room, I watched Cole get in his car and drive away. I cried again.

Cole was special to me. He was my first boyfriend and we lasted so long. By now I thought we'd be together forever. But I guess your first love never really does last.

Mom and Dad came up to check on my after I slammed my door closed. They caught me sobbing on my bed. I told them what happened and how it was insensitive that Cole broke up with me the day before my birthday.

Then right before I fell asleep, my mind wandered back to Zach and our memories together. After four years, I finally realized why Zach warned me to stay away from Cole. My mind also went back to when I was seven, sitting on that park bench with who I thought would be my best friend forever. Zach promised to be my best friend and told me he'd tell me that he loves me as more than just a best friend when we were eighteen.

12:01. And now I'm eighteen.

Happy birthday to me.