"Ugh we so needed this." Tori said after taking a sip from her boba drink with Julianne by her side.

The two had just finished finals week at their high school. It was their junior year and the most stressful and hated year they had so far. The two had an ongoing tradition of getting boba after the end of finals week in each semesters since freshman year when they met.

For some reason, they also kept the tradition of getting the same drink. Julianne getting the honest frosty milk tea boba, Tori getting the matcha strawberry with extra boba.

The girls sipped their drinks as they walked towards the front of the movie theaters. The outlet was unsurprisingly packed considering it was a Friday afternoon at the beginning of June.

"Oh my gosh...Tristan!" Tori cried out as she sprinted away from Julianne. She looked up from her drink to see an all too familiar face hugging her best friend.

Tristan was a guy she had gone to elementary and middle school with. She didn't talk to him much since he was a quiet kid, but she still considered the two friends. He was also Keith's best friend. Which surprised Julianne because Tristan seemed to be standing alone.

"Hey what are you doing here?" Julianne herd Tori ask as the girl joined their sides. "Oh I just finished watching a movie." The two girls furrowed their eyes at him. "By yourself?" Julianne asked.

Tristan opened his mouth to answer when another body joined the group. "Hey dude the-" Julianne's head shot up at the voice. It was him.

Keith's eyes landed on Julianne. Seeing her familiar wide eyes made his stomach lurch. He couldn't believe she was there. At that exact moment. "What were you saying?" Tristan nudged his shoulder once more, grabbing Keith's eyes. He shook his head, "Oh nothing."

Tristan shrugged his shoulders at the boy and dove into a conversation with Tori, leaving Julianne and Keith to the side.

Julianne looked around at the floor, trying to avoid looking at Keith all together.

Meanwhile Keith looked at her, longing for her eyes to examine his. He wanted her to look at him the way he was looking at her now. With a scintilla of lust. Maybe even love he thought. He didn't know. But he was sure about the lust. He knew he liked Julianne. He has been ever since New Year's, just never told her. Now he thinks he missed his chance with her.

Julianne wanted to look up at Keith, to able to study his body and his face with her eyes. But she couldn't. She just can't. If she did, she knew her heart wouldn't be able to handle it this time.

She loved him, she knew that. With all her heart. And it pained her for them to drift away the second time. It hurt even more when she watched him walk away without a hello, nod or even a glance her way. Ever since then, she had stopped spending nights crying over him, reading through old texts and scrolling through their pictures and memories together, she promised herself she wouldn't go back. She pinky promised herself. And she'll never break another promise again.

But deep down in her heart, she wanted to know. She wanted to know why they had drifted apart. She wanted to know why he had ignored her that night. Julianne had so many questions and the one person who had the answers, she didn't have the guts to talk to.

Keith looked down at the girl, contemplating whether or not to make a move. A voice telling him to do it, another telling him don't. He didn't know what to do.

He watched as she fumbled with her fingers, knowing thats something she does when she's nervous. Why was she nervous he wondered. He's nervous that's for sure. His heart was doing flips inside his body every time he noticed something new and old about her.

Like the fact she wears rings and necklaces now, all silver. And that she still wears her beaded bracelet she made in the 5th grade. Her hair was dyed as well. A light shade of brown, her roots her natural dark, almost black, shade of brown. The way she wears oversized clothing now instead of her usual leggings and crop top. Taking notice that she wears air forces now, no creases and all white and clean. He was proud of her for that. She always complained whenever he would walk a funny way to avoid creasing his Jordan's. But now he knew she walks that funny way too.

He studied her for as long as he could until Tristan punched his shoulder. Pulling him from his thoughts, he had totally forgot the two people beside Julianne and him. "Ay man lets get going yeah?" Keith cleared his throat and nodded his head. He watched as his friend hugged Tori, giving Julianne a nod which she acknowledged with a smile. Julianne never looked in Keith's direction.

They group split and walked in opposite directions, away and away from each other.

Julianne turned her head slightly to look at the boy, but snapped her head back forward to follow Tori who managed to walk a lot further than the girl had.

Keith turned his head back and watched Julianne jog slightly to catch up to her friend. The familiar bounce of her long, silky dyed hair beaming with the rays from the sun. His heart hurt with pain as he realized he was late. He loved her too late. And she slipped through his grasp with no way of catching her once more.

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Hours Later...

Julianne sat at her desk, a fresh piece of paper sitting in front of her and a pen in her hand.

She had been sitting at her desk for almost an hour now. Multiple pieces of crumpled up papers at her feet to prove it.

She wanted it to be perfect she thought. She wanted her goodbye letter to be perfect so she wouldn't have to say goodbye again.

Then something in her head clicked, then she began to write.

My heart hurts. My heart hurts. The words I yell. The words I scream, yet no one hears me. The pain in my chest. The pain I bear, the pain I cannot compare. Me clutching my chest. My vision now blurry from the tears. The sour tears falling down my face. The sour tears that won't stop. I want it to stop. I beg for it to stop. But the only person who can stop it, he isn't here. He shattered me like a vase and left me. Left me to pick up the broken pieces of me that he had damaged. I'll just keep going, I told myself, ignoring the burning pain in my body. Months have passed and nothing changes. I am an eccedentesiast. Hiding the heart wrenching pain behind my fake smile. Though nothing will ever be okay again. My heart will keep hurting. My heart.

Julianne read over the letter as tears streamed slowly down her face.

She had finally let him go. She was saying goodbye.

She walked towards her closet and sat down, taking out a dusted covered box. With her name painted sloppy on the lid. Some tears fell on top of the lid as she opened it, revealing the trinkets she had collected over the years of friendship she had shared with the boy. Then taking one last look at the letter, she placed it into the box, hidden from her sight. And buried it deep back into the closet.

She took a deep breath. She was free. Free from the pain.

The two never crossed paths again.

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And that concludes the story of Julianne and Keith.
A story of the girl loving the guy too early as the guy loved the girl too late.