***

Ellie had never had a worse week. She hadn't met Luke at all after she had run off the week before and he had made no move to come to her and apologise. Ellie refused to talk about it at all, the more they talked about Luke, the more hurt she became that her life would never be the same again. Ellie went back to her little shell that she had learned to build around herself and no amount of coaxing would bring her out of it.

Ellie woke up on her birthday with a glum expression. She had watched Luke scurry about the day before, too busy to even spare a glance at her. He also looked more radiant than she had ever seen him. After a small birthday breakfast, she told her mother that she was going out somewhere. Anywhere where she didn't have to stare at a happy Luke that didn't have an Ellie by his side. Mrs. Allen did not say anything, trying to gain an insight to how such a close friendship had become so complicated.

_

Luke on the other hand had had a busy week. Ellie's eighteenth birthday must be the best of them all, no doubt. He went about fixing decorations and ordering cake and hanging up every photograph of their fun times together. So, while Ellie moped about, Luke didn't even notice.

On the day, Luke set out carrying a small present, convincing himself that she would love it. He rang her doorbell only to find an angry Mrs. Allen. She told him that Ellie had left the house to go somewhere and that she was hurt so badly that she would not even celebrate her own birthday. Luke, surprised and sorrowful, explained what he had been doing all week. Mrs. Allen, however, did not know where Ellie had gone and told him to return later in the evening.

When Luke came back after a few hours, Ellie had still not returned. Apparently, she had come in just for lunch and then left again. Luke decided he needed to search for her himself if he was ever going to give her her present on time.

But even though he searched the whole area, he still couldn't find her. He searched all places from her garage to the supermarket but she was no where to be found. Dejected, he trudged all the way to the park, where he'd arranged to cheer her up in the most unique way possible. He sat down on a chair and looked up at the sky, murmuring to the chilly breeze of how bad his luck was.

That was when he caught a movement near one of the trees from the corner of his left eye. He turned to find Ellie sitting against a tree, breathing deeply and shivering slightly. He left his seat and walked towards her. When he was close enough for Ellie to notice him, she turned her back to him, stood up and walked off.