CHAPTER 10 "The final score for game 7 of this series is a little disappointing for anyone who is a Freeland Bears fan. These boys played a hard series and a hard year but have been defeated and most will be heading back home." The announcer said over the PA System at the final game in early March. "I can't believe they are gone. I can't think of not coming every Friday to the games what are we going to do with our time now." I said. I didn't want to say it but what was going to happen now. Was Drew going to go home and leave me here? Would we try the long distance relationship? I was not sure if I really wanted to bring that up once we met up after the game. "I know. We will see you on Monday Jess, we all know you have to meet up with him." "Yes, I'll see you girls later." "Hey you!" I said to him while I headed for the door. "Hey babe!" he said replying. "Sorry about you're losing the game." "That's ok. But just to let you know I'm not going home. I want to take you to Prom in April. That is as long as you will go with me?" "Of course I will go with you. Will you be graduating with me?" "Yes I will stay until graduation."
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One month before prom. The girls and I decided that we better get a jump start on buying our prom dresses. We figured that we wanted to get them before it was too late. "What colour should I choose, Blue or green?" I asked Liz while we were picking out dresses for the prom. "The blue one, you look so beautiful." She said, as I stood before her in the blue dress. "Then the blue one it is." We grabbed our dresses and headed for the cashier.
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The night of the Prom "Hey you!" I said walking over to her. "You look so beautiful tonight just like you do every night." "Thank you babe." She said giving me a kiss. "Liz and the others should be here soon." "Alright." I said. We were sitting in my car now. I wondered if it was a good time to bring this up. "Baby I think we might need to talk." "Can it wait till after the prom please? I just want to have a good night." "I think I need to tell you this now." "What is it?" She said sounding surprised and looking a little concerned. "I think we need to break up." I said calmly. "WHAT? Why are you doing this to me? Why now?" "Listen slow down." "No you listen Andrew." Ok she is very pissed she has never called me Andrew I don't think. This might have been a mistake. "No listen to me just let me talk ok? I think tonight should be it. We can go and have a good time make it the prom of your dreams. When the night is over we will go our separate ways and just be friends. I don't want to leave and it be difficult for you to say goodbye. We have a month left of school and I think it would be good to just be friends for that month. So then when I leave for the summer it will be hard but not as hard as it would have been. Do you understand me?" I ask I'm not sure what her reaction will be. Will she agree? Will she hate me for doing this to her? I just don't know. "You know what Drew? I am not even going to argue with you if that's what you want fine. But I am not spending the evening with you." At that she got out of the car and went running. I jumped out of the car. "Jess please. Come back." "Good bye Andrew, have a good life." "No Jess please." I said running up and grabbing her arm. She tried to fight and get away but as soon as I leaned in and kissed her that was it she didn't try to break free. "Oh Drew. Why? That kiss was just as it was the first time in the park. I love you and I don't want you to go. I know you have to go. Let's just spend the evening together and forget we ever talked about this." "No Jess. After tonight this is it." "No Drew no. Stop saying that. It's not it!" She's crying now. I pull her into my arms and let her cry on my shoulder. I knew it would be hard for her but I never expected it to be this hard. "No.No.We can't end it like this." She mumbles softly into my shirt. "We have to. It's the only way. I don't want you to be even more hurt if we stay together until I leave. It wouldn't be fair to you or me. It's so hard to go through this. We can't let it go on any longer." "I love you so much Drew. I don't want you to go." "I know, I love you too Jess, but its time. We both eventually will have to move on." "I don't think I will ever move on." "Yes you will. At first I thought I wouldn't either. But I know it will take time but I will move on just as you will. And whoever it is that you find, i'm sure he will love you alot, in a different way than I have loved you." "Can we still keep in touch?" She asked me softly. "Of course we can." I said wiping her tears away and giving her a hug. "No matter how far away we are we will always stay in touch." "You know that a huge part of me will always love you." She says shedding a few more tears. "You were my first love and for that there will always be a place for you in my heart." "And you in mine." I replied. "Let's go inside and have a good time." She said to me taking my hand. "Whatever you want gorgeous." I replied smiling.
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10 YEARS LATER
"Melissa get back here." I yelled to my 4 year old in the supermarket. "Get back here this minute!" "No mommy I want to run around the supermarket." "I'm going to put you in the cart if you don't get--" But before I could finish my sentence I ran into someone. Someone familiar. "Oh sorry." I said. "Have I seen you somewhere before?" He asked me. I looked at him a little closer. "Andrew? Andrew Wood?" "Jessica? Wow you look great!." "Thanks, you too." I said smiling. My old high school boyfriend, I never would have dreamed of this. "Mommy who's this man?" Melissa wandered over and was tugging at my pants. "Just a old friend sweetie." I said looking down at her. "I take it this your daughter?" He asked looking at her. "Yes this is Melissa." I said. "Can you say "hi" Melissa?" "Hi mommies friend." She says. "My name is Andrew. Melissa is a pretty name." "Thank you Andrew." "So, can I ask if you're married?" He asked me. "I was. I am divorced now and have full custody of Melissa. My ex has full custody of her older brother Andrew. He is 7. She is 4." "Wow. So another question, are you seeing anyone?" He asked this with a bit of curiosity in his voice. "Actually no I'm not. Listen do you want to go come over to our apartment and we can catch up." "Sure that'd be great. I don't have any plans tonight." "Great. Melissa honey can you go get in the cart for me." I said to her. "If you just want to wait for about 10 minutes we will be done shopping and you can follow us home. I'll put her to bed and we can talk." "Sure that'd be good."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "So, how long after high school did you get married?" He asked me after we got to the apartment and I finally got Melissa to bed. "About 3 years. I met my ex in college we went out for about 6months got married after we graduated and about a year later I was 6months pregnant with Andrew." I replied smiling. I knew he would ask. I knew he would want to know how long it had taken for me to get over him. "Andrew. Why Andrew?" "That night at prom I told you that you would always be in my heart. After we lost contact the beginning of my second year in college and I met my ex as soon as I found out that I was going to be having a boy I knew that I would name him Andrew." "Well thank you. I am sure if he ever finds out who he was named after he will cherish it." "Trouble started to happen after he was born between me and my ex. Things settled down after Andrew became older and I got pregnant again this time with Melissa." "How long have you been divorced?" He asked. I think he was kind of moving around the question, he might have thought I didn't want to talk about it." "Officially, about a year now. I kicked him out a year and half ago though." "May I ask why?" "He cheated on me." I replied, making it sound like he did it all the time. "Was it the first time?" He looked me in the eye. I knew I could trust him. "No. It was about the fifth time. He didn't know that I knew he was cheating on me until one night I brought it up after the kids went to bed. We got into an argument and he tried to hit me I kicked him out. We battled over the kids in court he got Andrew, I got Melissa." "Wow." "You can say that again." "I can imagine what that was like on the kids. Being separated like that." "It was difficult for sure. Andrew spends every other weekend with us and Melissa goes to see her father on Monday night's because she is so much younger." "I know this probably isn't the time to ask you this but would you consider going out to dinner with me?" He says to me as he is sitting beside me on the couch. I lean in just a little bit enough to feel that spark I did when I was in the 12 th grade, as I lean in he leans in enough to make our lips meet just like they did in the park that day. We break off from the kiss and I ask, "Does that answer your question?" He replies with a smile and a nod as he leans in to kiss me once again.
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1 year later "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." "I love you Jessica." I whispered. "I love you Drew and I always will." She whispered back to me as I leaned in to kiss her. Who would have thought that I would marry the girl I fell in love with in a strange town 500km away from home.

AUTHORS NOTE!!

Thank you to everyone who has read and given me the suggestions. You helped me a lot with my first story! Many Many More to come! Thanks Sarah