- 14 hours ago
Welcome to Focal.Point. This is a Dailymotion channel dedicated to sharing Boy Love drama episodes and romantic short films. We focus on emotional storytelling, meaningful relationships, and beautifully crafted moments that explore love, connection, and youth. Whether you are a fan of BL series or romance stories, Focal.Point aims to be a place where heartfelt stories come into focus.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00The summer I turned 18, Asher made me cross a line I could never take back.
00:04I bit my lip through the ache, glowing secretly all night,
00:07convinced that six long years of loving him from a distance had finally, finally paid off.
00:12Then the next morning, I heard his friend laughing outside the classroom door.
00:16Okay, okay. Got the nerd to give it up, huh?
00:19My face burned, and I turned to slip away before anyone saw me.
00:23I'm trying to get with Chloe, but she'd think I was too inexperienced.
00:26So I'll use Stella to get some practice in first.
00:29I didn't say a single word.
00:30I just quietly changed my college application from NYU to a school thousand miles away in California.
00:36His words hit me like a thunderclap out of a cloudless summer sky.
00:40No warning at all. My mind went completely blank.
00:43It was a scorching July afternoon, but I felt like ice was spreading through every inch of my body.
00:48The guys inside kept talking, pausing only for a half second before someone else piped up.
00:54Classic Ashen, even Stella was just a warm-up for him.
00:57Everyone knows how hard it is to get into her pants.
01:03So what does that make her? Like, a practice dully?
01:07Asher just laughed it off.
01:10Relax. She got something out of it, too.
01:13I mean, Stella's cute and all, but compared to Chloe, yeah, no contest.
01:16Right.
01:17Asher threw a textbook at him to shut him up.
01:21It was just a vibe, okay? The moment happened, and honestly, she seemed like she was enjoying herself.
01:26The guys all exchanged knowing looks and started roasting him.
01:30Who knew the book bird was that freaky under all those cardigans?
01:33Bro, Asher's just built different. Why leave free food on the table, right?
01:37She's been chasing him for years. Technically, she got what she wanted.
01:42The laughter inside the room got noticeably louder.
01:44I pressed my teeth into my lower lips so hard I tasted copper.
01:48Both hands balled into white-knuckled fists.
01:50It took every single ounce of willpower I had to stay upright,
01:54to not just crumple right there in the doorway.
01:56Footsteps echoed down the hall toward me.
01:58I snapped back to reality and bolted, shoving my way blindly through the corridor.
02:03In my panic, I threw myself into the nearest bathroom stall and locked the door behind me.
02:11The tears came like a dam breaking, grief and humiliation pouring out all at once.
02:16Asher's words played on a loop inside my head.
02:19Every single syllable.
02:21They shredded what little self-worth I had left.
02:23If I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I never could have believed that the guy talking in there
02:28was the same one who had held me like I was something precious just last night.
02:32Turns out, you don't actually need to love someone to do that with them.
02:35Turns out, you can look a girl dead in the eyes, make her feel everything,
02:39and still be lying through every single second of it.
02:42The thing I thought was my happily ever after was just a punchline someone else got to laugh at.
02:47The more I cried, the worse it got.
02:50But I couldn't make a sound.
02:51My whole body was shaking so hard I could barely breathe.
02:55A long time passed.
02:56My phone buzzed.
02:57It was Asher.
02:58Just grab an Uber back.
03:00My cruise got a party tonight and it'd be awkward to bring you.
03:03I did reply.
03:04He sent a follow-up.
03:05Also, pick up a morning after pill yourself.
03:08I'm busy today.
03:09Don't forget to take it.
03:10Good girl.
03:10I stared at those two texts for a very, very long time without moving.
03:14From dusk until nearly sunrise, Asher had been relentless, like he had a queen to do.
03:20By the end, we were both completely wrecked.
03:22And right before he drifted off of his arms around me, he murdered the same thing twice.
03:27We weren't really prepared for the first time.
03:32Get you the pill first thing in the morning.
03:34He'd even given me this little lecture about how friends needed to take care of themselves.
03:39Said the morning after pill was really important and that skipping it could mess up my body.
03:44And I had actually thought, this is it.
03:46He's the one.
03:47He's being so responsible.
03:49I finally got my person.
03:51And now, the clarity hit me like a slap.
03:53I dug my nails into my own palm until the pain forced the tears to stop.
03:58I wiped my face, straightened my glasses, and walked out of that bathroom like nothing had happened.
04:03I was too embarrassed to go to a real pharmacy, so I ordered the pill online instead.
04:08When the delivery guy left the package at my door, I waited another long stretch before I could even bring
04:14myself to go get it.
04:15I swallowed it with a mouthful of my own tears.
04:17Then I just sat down on the floor, staring at nothing, completely empty.
04:25Ever since Asher's family had moved next door to mine, I trailed after the life shadow.
04:30That had been ten years of my life.
04:32I had genuinely never stopped to think about what a world without him would even look like.
04:37I couldn't picture it.
04:38But starting right now, I was going to have to figure it out alone.
04:41Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the neighborhood lights blinked on, one by one, and then off again.
04:47At some point, I really didn't know how long I'd been sitting there.
04:51Mia called me on FaceTime.
04:56Stella, why didn't you come to the party tonight with Ashler?
04:59That girl Chloe from the AP track is here, by the way.
05:01She has been all over him since you did the show.
05:04It's actually disgusting.
05:05In the dark corner of the VIP booth, Asher and Chloe were sitting so close together, their thighs were touching.
05:11Chloe had worn a crop top and a curve-hugging miniskirt.
05:14Long tan legs, tiny waist.
05:16Even the way they were talking looked more like whispering secrets than having a conversation.
05:22I could feel the charged energy between them through the screen.
05:25Something in my chest locked up.
05:27He'd only said he wanted to chase her this afternoon.
05:29And apparently, tonight was all the time he needed.
05:33The game switched to truth or dare.
05:35And Chloe drew a card that said...
05:39Do a push-up challenge with a guy hovering over me.
05:44Predictably, Asher ran out of tears before anyone else could open their mouth.
05:47Chloe blushed bright pink and lay back against the couch cushions.
05:51Asher planted his hands on either side of her.
05:54He was controlled the whole time, deliberately keeping his body from making contact with hers.
05:59Until the very last one.
06:01His arms gave out, and his entire weight came down directly on top of her.
06:05The room erupted.
06:07Everyone screaming so loud, the walls practically shook.
06:10Asher's and Chloe's faces went even redder.
06:13With the whole crowd going absolutely feral around them, Asher just tilted his head down and kissed her.
06:18Not a quick peck.
06:19A full, deep, for the whole room to see kiss.
06:23Three full minutes before they finally pulled apart.
06:25For all three of those minutes, I sat completely frozen.
06:28Eyes locked on the screen, barely remembering to breathe.
06:32I wanted to cry so badly.
06:34Oh my god, Stella, did you see that?
06:37He literally kissed her in front of everyone.
06:40He is so into her.
06:43Mia shook her head and stepped out of the booth, turning the camera as she went.
06:46Don't be mad at me.
06:47If I hadn't shown you, you never would have let yourself move on.
06:50I'm not mad at you.
06:52I'm only mad at myself for wasting so many years.
06:56I had always assumed that the spot beside Asher was mine.
06:59That it would always be mine.
07:00I am so done with him, Stella.
07:02Who does he think he is?
07:03Watching you love him for years, acting all innocent like he had no idea,
07:06just letting you fall deeper and deeper?
07:08You saw what I showed you.
07:10I'm not giving myself the chance.
07:12Mia, I've already decided I'm going to California with you.
07:16But you have to promise me you'll keep it quiet for now.
07:19Right after I said it, I flipped open my laptop right in front of her.
07:22Without a single second of hesitation, I changed my first choice school to the one in California.
07:28One minute before the deadline.
07:30Mia basically levitated off the ground.
07:32She'd been begging me for months to apply to the same school as her.
07:36But back when we started high school, Asher and I had made this pact.
07:39We'd work hard together and go to his dream school up in Boston after graduation.
07:44It had his aerospace engineering program, the one he'd been obsessed with since we were kids.
07:48So even though I didn't particularly love the idea of brutal winters,
07:52and even though that school was a technical institute that didn't even have my major,
07:57I'd spent three years treating it like my only option.
08:00Our families had lived next door to each other for so long
08:02that both sets of parents thought it was basically a done deal we'd end up at the same school.
08:07Everyone, including me, assumed Asher and I would just naturally become official once we got to college.
08:13But right now, I couldn't think of a single reason to still go to Boston.
08:16Because honestly, after today, if I kept following Asher around the way I always had,
08:22I would never be able to look myself in the mirror again.
08:25I just needed to go somewhere far away.
08:27It didn't even matter where, as long as he wasn't there.
08:30He was going east, so I was going west.
08:32Before bed, I filled the entire bathtub.
08:35I needed to scrub every inch of myself clean.
08:38But when I took off my clothes, the bruises on my skin were still so vivid, it made me flinch.
08:44The memories from last night rushed back before I could stop them.
08:48The burning heat of his skin pressed against mine.
08:51The sound of his breath ragged and warm against my ear.
08:55The ghost of it all still seemed to linger in the air around me.
08:58I shook my head hard, physically trying to shake myself free of it.
09:01Then, I grabbed the roughest loofah I owned and scrubbed myself raw, over and over,
09:07until my whole body was flushed pink and stinging.
09:11I was trying, clumsily, desperately, to erase what was officially the worst night of my entire life.
09:18The result was that the pain kept me awake the whole night anyway.
09:22Asher didn't text.
09:23For the first time in six years, ever since we both got phones, we didn't say goodnight to each other.
09:28That was fine.
09:29It was going to happen eventually anyway.
09:31Tonight was as good a time as any to start letting go.
09:34I didn't fall asleep until just before sunrise, drifting in and out of exhaustion.
09:39Early the next morning, while I was still buried in sleep,
09:42I felt, in that foggy space between dream and awake,
09:46the soft press of lips against my forehead.
09:49I jolted awake.
09:50The first thing my eyes landed on was a jaw I knew too well,
09:53and the soft dip of a throat right above me.
09:56The scent hit me next.
09:57Cedarwood.
09:58That cologne he always wore.
10:00And underneath it, the faintest trace of something new.
10:03Something citrusy that wasn't his.
10:05Right.
10:06I'd completely forgotten that Asher still knew my front door code.
10:09Seeing me awake, he shifted lower and tilted his face down toward my lips.
10:14I shoved him back with both hands and scrambled to the far edge of the bed.
10:17He blinked, then let out a short laugh like I'd surprised him.
10:23Since when are you shy?
10:25I didn't answer.
10:26I just yanked the blanket over my head and disappeared under it.
10:29Asher started talking.
10:33Stella, seriously.
10:34You didn't say goodnight, you turned your phone off,
10:36and now you're hiding under a blanket?
10:38Still avoiding me?
10:39Then he just lifted the blanket and slid himself right in.
10:45Hey, how many times have I told you?
10:47You can't skip breakfast.
10:49I ran half a mile to get you those croissants from your favorite place,
10:53and it stood in line forever.
10:55Want to get up and eat now?
10:57Or get eaten?
11:01Reality crashed back in, and I fought like my life depended on it.
11:05But I'm 5'2 in sneakers, and Asher is literally 6'2 of solid muscle.
11:09I honestly could not figure out what game he was playing.
11:12He had Chloe now, so what was he even doing in my bed?
11:15I tried to push him away, only to be held even tighter.
11:19Let go of me!
11:20After what felt like forever of thrashing around,
11:23I was panting and had accomplished nothing except being held even tighter.
11:27What's the tantrum about?
11:30You're mad because I didn't bring you to the party last night?
11:33Over something that small?
11:34I said nothing.
11:35He buried his face in the curve of my neck and actually laughed.
11:39Let me guess.
11:40Mia told you something?
11:42It was a party game, Stella.
11:44Is it really worth getting jealous over?
11:46You're doing that thing you always do.
11:48I get slightly close to another girl, and you go all silent and sulky.
11:53I was so furious, I couldn't even form a sentence.
11:56I dredged up something from a self-defense unit in gym class,
11:59snapped my knee up hard between us,
12:01and the second he doubled over, I launched myself out of that bed.
12:05Stella.
12:06Asher's jaw went tight, his whole face going red.
12:09I grabbed a hoodie off the floor and yanked it on over my pajamas.
12:13I did not want to be in any room with him, and especially not my bedroom.
12:27Hey, you took that pill yesterday, right?
12:29Because I really don't need that kind of drama,
12:31and I definitely don't want to have that conversation with your parents.
12:42Come on, be reasonable.
12:43Eat something before you pick a fight.
12:48You know your stomach's sensitive.
12:58What is actually going on?
13:01Stella, even a tantrum needs a reason.
13:03There have to be some limits here.
13:05I kept my voice ice cold and set it flat.
13:08I don't deserve to have any say.
13:11Asher snapped.
13:12He slammed the cup down on the coffee table so hard it cracked.
13:15The plastic split and the smoothie spilled out in a wave, soaking into the rug.
13:20What is that supposed to mean?
13:23Who do you think you are, Stella?
13:26Who do you think you are?
13:29We slept together once.
13:31It was consensual.
13:32And now you think you own me?
13:35Do you know how suffocating that is?
13:38His voice had a viciousness to it I had never heard before.
13:41The second he finished speaking, my eyes flooded.
13:44No warning.
13:45No buildup.
13:46Just instant tears.
13:48Yesterday's humiliation came crashing back, hitting me all over again like a fresh wound.
13:53Asher clearly hadn't expected me to cry this hard this fast.
13:56He looked genuinely thrown, scrambling for what to do.
13:59He crouched down and said he was sorry.
14:02I'm sorry.
14:03I drank too much last night and I was out of line just now.
14:06He reached out to wipe my face, but I twisted away, putting distance between us.
14:10His hand froze in midair, hovering there.
14:12He opened his mouth to keep trying, but his phone buzzed.
14:15He glanced at the screen once.
14:17And his entire expression shifted.
14:19And he stood up and moved toward the door.
14:21I've got something urgent.
14:22Take a minute to calm down.
14:24We're going to college soon.
14:26You can't keep throwing fits like a little kid.
14:29Who's going to put up with that?
14:36He hadn't been gone 30 minutes when Mia sent me a screenshot.
14:39Chloe's Instagram story just said, I'm hungry and breakfast appeared like magic.
14:44Pretty sure this is mutual now, with a little heart.
14:47The photo was of the exact same croissants that were sitting on my kitchen counter.
14:52I didn't respond.
14:53I just quietly wiped my eyes, got on my hands and knees, and started cleaning up the smoothie
14:58Asher had spilled.
14:59I scrubbed for a long time before I accepted, with a hollow feeling in my chest, that the
15:04stain had soaked all the way through the wool rug and wasn't coming out.
15:07So, I just threw the whole rug in the trash.
15:10It didn't matter anyway.
15:11That rug was something Asher and his parents had spent an entire afternoon picking out on
15:16a family trip.
15:17And he'd lugged it home in his carry-on himself.
15:19Then, I went through everything else.
15:21Every single thing Asher had ever left at my place.
15:24Every gift he'd given me over the years.
15:27Every photo of the two of us.
15:28Every small souvenir and keepsake.
15:30It took the rest of the day, but I packed every last bit of it up, and threw it all
15:35out.
15:38I doubted he'd want any of it back, anyway.
15:41After he left that day, the silence stretched.
15:44Days went by, and he didn't reach out at all.
15:46Things with Chloe were probably going great.
15:48Or maybe he was waiting for me to be the one who caved first.
15:51In every fight we'd ever had, I was always the one who broke first.
15:55Every single time.
15:56No exceptions.
15:57But this time, I didn't go looking for him.
15:59And I didn't have any reason to.
16:01I blocked him on everything.
16:03Texts, all social media, changed my front door code, and deleted every account he might
16:08use to find me.
16:09After that, I called my parents, who were both traveling, for work.
16:12I told them I wanted to spend the summer visiting my aunt on the other side of the country.
16:16My plan was to stay there until school started, then head straight to California with Mia instead
16:21of coming home.
16:22Other than Mia, no one else knew yet that I'd changed my application.
16:26This plan should work perfectly.
16:28There was basically zero chance I'd run into Asher if I pulled this off right.
16:32My mom actually laughed over the phone.
16:35Ha ha ha!
16:36Ooh, so you and Ashler are taking a vacation together?
16:39I made up a quick excuse and didn't go into detail.
16:42I just told her I wanted to visit my aunt and grandma.
16:45I begged my dad to book me the first available flight, and I was ready to leave that same
16:49night.
16:50Of course, because the universe has no chill, I ran into Asher's mom right at our front
16:55door on my way out.
16:56She grabbed my arm warmly and started chattering.
17:00Stella, honey, where's Asher?
17:02He's not going to pick you up?
17:03Didn't he say he was taking you on that ski trip?
17:07Go have fun.
17:09I am 100% behind you two.
17:12I was confused.
17:13I had mentioned once during senior year that I'd always wanted to try skiing in Colorado,
17:19just offhand.
17:20But given everything that had happened between us, the idea of going on a trip together seemed
17:24completely impossible.
17:26I was running out of time though, so I said something vague and noncommittal and slipped
17:30away.
17:31What I never expected was that at the airport, I would come face to face with Asher.
17:38He was with a group of friends.
17:40Chloe was there too.
17:40Asher had her designer bag in one hand, and his other arms slung around her shoulder.
17:45They were trailing at the back of the group.
17:47Every so often, Chloe would lean her head toward him to say something.
17:51And every single time, without any hesitation, he would bend down to listen.
17:55He never did that with me.
17:57Asher had always been taller than me, and the gap had only gotten bigger over the years.
18:01When it was the two of us, I was always the one bouncing on my toes, craning my neck
18:06up just to catch his eyes.
18:07Turns out, for the right person, he would be the one who bends.
18:11I breathed in slowly.
18:13I told myself I needed to have some dignity about this.
18:16Whatever he did was none of my business.
18:18If I let myself overthink it, I deserved to be slapped.
18:22But there seemed to be only one path to the gate.
18:24All I could do was stay far enough behind that he wouldn't notice me.
18:28By some miracle, we eventually reached a fork in the terminal where the path split.
18:33Asher seemed to get distracted around then.
18:35He made a bunch of calls, none of which seemed to go through, and then spent a long time staring
18:39at his phone.
18:40Eventually, he borrowed someone else's phone, his face dark and unreadable, and disappeared
18:45into a nearby bathroom.
18:47A moment later, my phone rang.
18:49Unknown number.
18:51So you've got a real attitude on you this time.
18:53You're just not going to come to me first?
18:56You actually blocked me?
18:59Fine, keep it up.
19:00See how great you do when we're both in Boston, and you don't know anyone, and there's no
19:04one to look out for you.
19:05Asher came out swinging, rattling off complaints in one long, irritated breath.
19:10I had absolutely nothing to say to any of that, but Asher seemed to get angrier at my silence.
19:16I'm done talking about this.
19:17Just unblock me.
19:19I'm heading out of the country for a couple days with some friends.
19:22Probably won't have great reception.
19:26Don't get all weepy about it.
19:28I couldn't even be bothered to say a single word back.
19:31I hung up and turned my phone off.
19:33From across the terminal, I watched Asher stalk back to his group, his expression stormy.
19:38He grabbed Chloe's hand, didn't hesitate for a second, and walked toward the left gate.
19:43I let out a long breath, turned around, and headed right.
19:47With my family, I performed happiness, and honestly, I got pretty good at it.
19:52I deliberately kept myself slammed with plans, filling every gap in the day so I had no room
19:58to spiral.
19:58I definitely didn't add Asher back the way he demanded.
20:02But Mia and some others kept me updated on his life anyway.
20:05Asher and his friends had apparently been swimming in Colorado for days.
20:09For some reason, he was suddenly posting on social media every single day, which was completely
20:14unlike the version of him who used to go months without posting anything.
20:18Sometimes it was slow motion clips of him carving down the slopes.
20:22Sometimes it was food and late night parties.
20:24But mostly it was big group shots of everyone clowning around in the snow.
20:28Even though I genuinely didn't want to see it.
20:30Somehow people kept sending it to me unprompted.
20:33Everyone was very casually curious about why I hadn't gone with Asher.
20:37I didn't know what to say, so I just told people I had family stuff going on.
20:41Mia was the only one who openly called him a trash human.
20:45Everyone else around me seemed to be constantly stopping themselves from saying something.
20:49I knew, they'd probably figured out something was wrong.
20:53In every single group photo Asher posted, he and Chloe were glued together, inseparable.
20:58But that spot beside him had been mine for years, just mine.
21:01Every time I saw one of those photos, my face stayed completely neutral.
21:05But something deep in my chest would clench.
21:08He was the first person I ever fell for.
21:10Someone I had genuinely, completely, embarrassingly loved for such a long time.
21:15In the middle of the night, alone, I would fall apart a little.
21:18And sometimes I felt this stubborn, stupid feeling that I wasn't ready to let go.
21:23But every time that feeling started rising, I'd replay his words and give myself a mental slap.
21:28I'd repeat it to myself over and over.
21:30Stella, don't be pathetic.
21:32That's the fastest way to make yourself even less worth respecting.
21:36Just hold on a little longer.
21:37Once the detox period was over, everything would be fine.
21:40We went a full month without any contact.
21:43The longest we'd ever gone since the day we met.
21:45Distance and time turned out to be the best medicine.
21:48I ground through the worst of it and came out the other side.
21:51Just when I'd reached the point where I didn't think about him every hour of every day,
21:55he switched to a new number and called me from across the country.
22:01So you're just that bold?
22:03Running off without me and staying this long?
22:06Summer's almost over, Stella.
22:09Did you forget you promised to go on a trip with me?
22:12Maybe it was because we'd gone so long without talking.
22:15But underneath all the complaints, his voice had this edge to it.
22:19Almost careful.
22:19I still didn't want to talk to him.
22:21I was about to hang up when his mom snatched the phone.
22:24Stella!
22:25Sweetheart!
22:26Are you having fun out there?
22:28This boy won't tell me anything.
22:30I only just found out you two had a fight.
22:33Don't be too hard on him, honey.
22:35When you come back, I'll make him apologize to your face.
22:39Oh, and Ashler just got his acceptance letter today.
22:42Yours should come soon, too.
22:44Have you thought about when you'll come home for your going away party?
22:47I've got a little surprise planned.
22:50Asher's mom had been like a second family to me since I was little.
22:53I couldn't bring myself to hang up on her, so I stayed on and let her talk.
22:57I'm not really planning to have a party.
22:59My parents are always traveling, and honestly, we can just do a video call thing with family.
23:04I probably won't be back before school starts anyway.
23:07I'll just come home right before move in.
23:09I didn't even finish the sentence before Asher took the phone back.
23:12His breathing was heavy.
23:13I could feel the anger coming through from 3,000 miles away.
23:19Stella, I'm literally the one reaching out first here.
23:22How much longer are you going to keep this up?
23:25If you don't come back, don't expect me to wait for you.
23:28I'll head to Boston without you.
23:30He delivered the threat in this cold, flat voice.
23:33Waited and waited without getting the answer he wanted.
23:37My acceptance letter had already arrived at home.
23:39When they saw the school name on the letter, my parents finally found out I'd changed my application.
23:45My mom video called me.
23:46Hi, baby.
23:47Why didn't you talk to us before changing your application?
23:51Does Asher know?
23:52His mom called this morning, asking if your letter had come yet.
23:56I had no words.
24:01Baby, how are we supposed to feel okay about you going all the way to California alone?
24:04Aren't you the kid who's terrified of bugs and can't handle heat?
24:09You really think you can manage?
24:11Don't call me to come deal with it for you.
24:13That school has a lot to offer.
24:15And Mia will be going there too.
24:17You don't have to worry.
24:18Is this about a fight with Asher?
24:21Because that's not a reason to switch schools across the country.
24:26What if you change your mind in a week and want him back?
24:29Then what?
24:30It's hard at your caption.
24:32I just decided to say it straight.
24:35Asher has a girlfriend.
24:37Mom, Dad, I have my own life.
24:40And I don't want to just orbit around his forever.
24:44So please support my choice.
24:46And please keep it between us for now.
24:49My parents looked at each other for a long time without speaking.
24:53The only thing they asked was that I come home sooner rather than later.
24:57School was starting soon and they wanted time with me.
25:00My mom mentioned that Asher had gone off on another trip with friends the very next day after getting his
25:05acceptance letter.
25:06He'd been gone for days.
25:07His mom was apparently calling my mom regularly, asking when I was flying back.
25:12On the day I landed, my parents showed up at the airport, dressed like they were going somewhere formal.
25:17I woke up from my nap on the drive.
25:19I realized they'd pulled up to a five-star hotel.
25:22I was still half asleep when my mom grabbed my arm and steered me through the lobby.
25:27And right there, standing in the middle of it, was Asher, who I hadn't seen in months.
25:32My feet stopped moving on their own.
25:35Asher was in a perfectly fitted black suit, leaning casually beside the lobby fountain, like something out of a magazine
25:41spread.
25:42Just one summer was all it took.
25:44The boyish edge had faded, and he looked exactly like the version of him I used to imagine when I
25:49tried to picture him grown up.
25:50Something complicated twisted in my chest.
25:53I'd avoided this moment for months, and now here it was, sprung on me with no warning.
25:58Stella, it's Asher's going away party.
26:01We figured we'd pick you up and bring you straight here.
26:04You said you didn't want a party of your own, right?
26:07Asher asked his parents to set the date for the day you got back, so you can kind of both
26:11celebrate together.
26:12Asher seemed to sense something, because right then, he casually glanced over, and his gaze landed directly on mine.
26:19My heart lurched sideways, still felt like the floor dropped out.
26:23But Asher moved first.
26:25He took one step toward us, and then Chloe appeared out of nowhere and slipped her arm through his.
26:30She pulled him along with her, smiling wide, and walked right over to us.
26:34Oh my gosh, Stella, you're back!
26:38I've been wanting to properly meet you forever.
26:41I always saw you around with Asher.
26:44I'm from the AP track, so we never officially met, and I'm genuinely sad about that.
26:52Yeah, Asher looked vaguely uncomfortable.
26:55Why would you want to get to know her?
26:57She's just a drama queen who throws fits.
27:00I honestly thought she'd stayed in her aunt's state forever.
27:03The world will keep on turning, and your name will be forgotten.
27:07I had nothing to say to that.
27:08There was genuinely no response.
27:10Chloe's silver bodycon dress was covered in tiny crystals that caught every bit of light in the room.
27:16I glanced down at myself.
27:17White tea, jeans, sneakers, hair that still had a slight slept-on wave from the plane.
27:22I looked like I'd made a wrong turn on the way to a convenience store.
27:25I brought a dress for you, baby.
27:27You can go change in the powder room.
27:28I nodded, then shook my head.
27:30There was no point.
27:31This wasn't my party.
27:33Asher kept staring at me with this unreadable expression.
27:36Chloe's eyes kept flicking back and forth between the two of us.
27:39Luckily, a few more guests arrived just then, and Chloe immediately pulled Asher over to greet them.
27:44Like she was already the hostess.
27:46Mom, let's go in.
27:47I'm a little hungry.
27:50It was a small gathering.
27:52Asher had only invited close family and a handful of friends.
27:55Every single person I knew looked visibly shocked when they saw me walk in.
27:59I just smiled and said hello and acted like I didn't notice.
28:03But nobody was subtle about their curiosity.
28:05The people watching energy was off the charts.
28:09I slipped out to the terrace for some air and could immediately hear a small group in
28:14the hallway cornering Asher for the gossip.
28:18Wait, didn't Stella fall out with you over the Chloe thing?
28:21Why is she here?
28:22Did she come crawling back?
28:24She's just quick-tempered and in a mood.
28:26She always comes around after a couple of days.
28:28We've known each other our whole lives.
28:29She's not actually going to cut me off.
28:30I mean, Stella's genuinely great.
28:32She's been ride or died for you for years.
28:34All of us are low-key jealous of how she treats you.
28:36But like, one is your childhood best friend.
28:38Honestly, Stella's amazing.
28:40But it also feels kind of limiting.
28:43I'm young.
28:44I don't want to only ever have one person.
28:46That's too predictable.
28:47I need to see what else is out there.
28:49But that doesn't mean anything has to end.
28:51As long as I know there's always a light on at home for me.
28:54You're such a player.
28:55I'd heard enough.
28:57I backed away as quietly as I could.
28:59The evening breeze hit my face and I felt my eyes go hot.
29:02I just hated myself for spending so many years being blind to who he actually was.
29:08I was in absolutely the worst mood of the entire summer.
29:13But Asher's mom was thrilled to see me and spent most of dinner doting on me,
29:17refusing to let go of my hand.
29:19Stella, Boston can get really dry in winter.
29:21Let Asher take you shopping tomorrow and stock up on some good moisturizers.
29:26Oh, it's fine.
29:27There are plenty of shops out there and online shopping is so easy.
29:30She nodded warmly and turned to my mom.
29:32I already picked out all the bedding for the dorms.
29:35Got a set for Asher and one for Stella at the same time, all four seasons covered.
29:39Boston winters are brutal.
29:41I went with really thick comforters and got a few winter coats for Stella too.
29:45Don't you worry about a thing.
29:47My mom made a face like she'd swallowed something.
29:49All of that would be completely useless in California.
29:52But she didn't want to embarrass anyone, so she thanked her graciously.
29:56Chloe, sitting nearby, looked like she was biting through her own cheek.
30:00Asher's mom didn't seem to notice.
30:01She kept right on talking, addressing both of us.
30:05Once you're both in Boston, you'll be each other's family.
30:08Asher, you better take good care of Stella and stop making her upset.
30:12You hear me?
30:13Asher threw a glance my way with zero expression.
30:16She doesn't need anyone to look after her.
30:18She's perfectly capable of flying on her own.
30:21The table got a little stiff, and that's when Chloe smoothly cut in.
30:24Oh, don't worry.
30:25My school is in Boston too.
30:26I'll be there to look after Asher.
30:28And Stella will be all the way in California anyway, so it's not really practical.
30:33Before she even finished the sentence, Asher and his parents' faces changed.
30:38California?
30:39Every single one of them looked at me and asked it at the same time.
30:44Asher, you didn't know?
30:46It's been on the school's honor board.
30:48Oh wait, you haven't been back to campus.
30:50Every pair of eyes at the table swiveled to me.
30:53Under the weight of all that attention, I quietly nodded.
30:56My mom stepped in to explain.
30:59Stella made a last-minute decision to change her application.
31:03She's going to a great school in California, and it's actually the perfect program for her.
31:09Asher didn't believe it.
31:10He grabbed my hand and made me look at him.
31:13Stella, I literally watched you fill out that application.
31:17We were going to the same school.
31:19His grip was tight enough to actually hurt, and it pushed me over the edge.
31:23Yeah, I changed it.
31:24What does it have to do with you?
31:26Asher looked stunned for a second, then started laughing like I'd said something ridiculous.
31:31You're joking.
31:32You're literally the girl who jumps onto my back at the sight of a bug, and you're moving
31:36to California?
31:38And you're moving to California?
31:40I pulled out my phone, found the crystal clear photo of my acceptance letter, and held
31:45it up in his face.
31:46Asher took the phone, zoomed in, zoomed out, read it over and over, and finally let out a
31:52laugh that had no humor in it at all.
31:54In the middle of everyone's gasps, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the dining room.
32:01He pulled me into a side room and locked the door behind us.
32:04Asher planted himself against it, cutting off any escape, and came at me hard.
32:08Stella, I cannot believe you.
32:10You're so mad that you just forget our whole plan, go behind my back, and commit Mitt to
32:15a school across the country.
32:16I lifted my head.
32:17I took a breath and made myself look him straight in the eye.
32:20I have my own plans.
32:22Since when do I have to build my entire future around what you want?
32:26Asher, be honest with yourself.
32:28Are you actually upset about the plan?
32:31Or are you upset because I'm not available to be your fallback girl anymore?
32:35The color drained from his face.
32:36What is that supposed to mean?
32:38Could you not phrase things like that?
32:40We're adults.
32:41That night was completely mutual.
32:43Are you seriously still bringing that up?
32:45I was embarrassed, but I held his gaze anyway.
32:47Asher, if you like someone else, you could have just said so.
32:50I'm not so shameless that I would have kept throwing myself at you.
32:53But you knew you didn't like me back, and you just watched me walk straight into the
32:56flame.
32:57That was fun for you, wasn't it?
32:58Even now, he still didn't get it.
33:00People don't say goodbye until they've completely run out of hope.
33:03He flushed.
33:04Something in what I said hit.
33:05His face went from white to red, and he visibly swayed.
33:09What do you even...
33:10Listen to what you're saying, you...
33:12He couldn't finish the sentence.
33:15Stella, we've known each other since we were eight years old, and we're 18 now.
33:19If you're choosing to walk away from what we have, then we don't have to be friends either.
33:24And with just that, he turned and walked out of the hotel.
33:34From that day until the day I left for school, I never saw Asher again.
33:38Mia sent me a screenshot of his official couple's post with Chloe.
33:42I deleted it without even opening it.
33:44Every mutual friend connected to him, I blocked.
33:47There was genuinely no point in following any of it anymore.
33:53The only exception was the day I flew out to California.
33:56Of course, because the universe has a terrible sense of humor,
33:59I walked straight into Asher at the airport again, with Chloe still glued to his side.
34:04When we passed each other, he said a stiff hello to my parents and kept walking,
34:08clearly still angry.
34:10He didn't look at me once.
34:11We scattered in different directions, and neither of us looked back.
34:14Right before I got to the security line,
34:16I glanced over and caught Asher at his gate, about to board.
34:20He gave me one cold, flat look, and then disappeared through the door without turning around.
34:25The person who had been part of every chapter of my growing up.
34:28We were finally completely done.
34:30Different destinations at last, and I hope yours goes well.
34:34I said it only to myself.
34:36After that, a long, long time passed without either of us hearing a single thing about the other.
34:41I specifically asked my parents not to bring up anything related to Asher or his family in front of me.
34:47Over New Year's break, a girl from our high school came to visit.
34:50He's nothing like that cold, focused, straight-A guy he was in high school.
34:55He's completely different.
34:59Honestly, if you ran into him now, you might not even recognize him.
35:04I didn't say anything.
35:05Mia kicked her under the table and smoothly changed the subject, and the girl dropped it.
35:09We did the New Year's countdown by the water, and Mia told me to make a wish.
35:14Hope New Year, Syria Parent Healthy, cankeeting under the world.
35:17I realized it was the first wish I'd ever made that had absolutely nothing to do with him.
35:22For a full six years of my life, every single wish I made had involved Asher in some way.
35:29Mia, Happy New Year!
35:31I felt genuinely happy.
35:33I knew I had finally, actually, completely let go.
35:37The first winter break of college, I missed my parents so badly I couldn't stand it.
35:42The second my last exam was done, I was on the first flight home.
35:46What I didn't expect was that Asher had come to the airport with my parents to pick me up.
35:51After half a year apart, we had both changed.
35:54He was thinner, had dyed his hair, but was still, honestly, annoyingly good-looking.
35:59I've always had terrible judgment about people, but my taste has never been the problem.
36:04Why else would I have been trailing after him since we were five?
36:07Hey there, big bro Asher.
36:08He stared at me like I'd spoken a different language.
36:11We ran into him outside.
36:13He insisted on coming along to help.
36:15I smiled and waved her off.
36:17It was fine.
36:20In the car, I immediately launched into all the funny things that had happened at school,
36:24and my parents were the whole ride.
36:26No one was paying any attention to Asher.
36:30You've worked hard.
36:31Please send our regards to your parents.
36:33He seemed like he wanted to come inside when we got home, but all three of us politely turned
36:37him down together.
36:38My grandma and my aunt had both come back to celebrate the holidays that year.
36:42New Year's Eve was loud and packed with family.
36:45After the big dinner, the older relatives parked themselves in front of the TV, while the rest
36:49of us were teaching each other card games.
36:51That's when Asher showed up at the door with his parents, arms full of bags.
36:55Our house is too quiet tonight.
36:57Hope you don't mind us crashing your game.
37:03Our house is too quiet tonight.
37:05Hope you don't mind us crashing your game.
37:06Asher's mom laughed as she walked in.
37:08Every year growing up, the two families had spent the holiday together.
37:12This year, because of everything that had happened, my mom had turned down the invitation to share
37:17the big dinner.
37:18But you can't exactly turn people away once they're at your door.
37:22Asher settled himself naturally.
37:23My cousins had no idea about any of the drama and kept teasing us like they always had.
37:28I laughed it off.
37:30It's not what you think.
37:32Asher's expression went a little flat.
37:34When midnight came and we all went outside for sparklers, he caught my arm and looked like
37:40he was working up to say something.
37:42My phone rang.
37:43My face went a little warm.
37:44It was a guy from one of my clubs at school.
37:48Hi, Stella.
37:49I'm just a bit bored and wanted to say Happy New Year to you.
37:52A local California boy named Jake.
37:55He was good looking too.
37:56Not in that cold, aloof way, more like the guy who's always laughing at everything and
38:01making you laugh right along with him.
38:03He never ran out of things to say and he had a way of making me completely lose it at
38:07the
38:07most random things.
38:09We talked for a while longer and when he finally hung up, Asher was standing right behind me
38:13with a face like a thundercloud.
38:17Boyfriend?
38:19Not yet, I guess.
38:23Not yet, I guess.
38:25I thought about it and answered honestly.
38:27I assumed he was done, but then he spoke again.
38:30Long distance guys aren't always reliable.
38:32You should find someone local, someone you actually know.
38:38I nodded.
38:39Something in that seemed to land somewhere tender.
38:41You're right.
38:42You really can't tell with people.
38:43I'll keep my guard up.
38:45Asher went quiet for a very long time.
38:48I assumed he was done.
38:49I didn't think too hard about it.
38:52Thanks for the advice, big bro.
38:54You should figure out your own situation too.
38:56He'd always been unpredictable like that.
38:58After that, I spent the rest of break bouncing around visiting relatives with my grandma and
39:03parents.
39:03And then we did a little road trip.
39:05I was barely home.
39:06I didn't run into Asher once.
39:08The break was short and soon enough I was back at school.
39:11But the very next day after I arrived, Asher was standing outside my campus gate.
39:17Asher, what are you doing here?
39:19I wanted to see what your school looks like and check if you're actually doing okay out
39:24here.
39:26Really well, actually.
39:27The food here is amazing.
39:28You should look up some spots and try them.
39:30Stella, can't you come eat with me just once?
39:37Sorry about that, man.
39:38I've already got Stella booked.
39:39You'll have to get in line.
39:42Stella, you came back to school this early for him?
39:47Sorry, Asher.
39:48We're heading out to eat.
39:50I'll see you.
39:51Let's go.
39:52Didn't you say the place was far?
39:53Stop standing there.
39:54Asher was still standing at the campus gate watching us.
39:57And under the shadow of the trees, he looked incredibly alone.
40:01He suddenly started showing up in my world constantly.
40:05I never found out what excuse he gave his school.
40:07But he kept appearing in California out of nowhere.
40:10He started showing up with gifts.
40:11Flowers, bags, jewelry.
40:13And I turned every single one down.
40:15When there was nothing else to do, he'd just sit outside my dorm building and refuse to
40:20leave no matter how many times I asked.
40:22Whenever he managed to catch me, he'd fallen to step beside me to every single class, then
40:27follow me to the dining hall.
40:29Jake was visibly miserable about the whole thing.
40:31Asher's mom had been calling and messaging me from multiple angles.
40:35She begged me to please talk some sense into him.
40:37I was beyond done.
40:38I genuinely could not figure out what Asher thought he was doing.
40:44Stella, why does Jake get to pursue you but I don't?
40:47Son of a whitest ass.
40:50He's known you for what, a few months?
40:52How many years have I known you?
40:55No one in this world understands you the way I do.
40:58Not even your parents.
40:59And no one is better for you than me.
41:07Ashler, do you genuinely not remember what you did?
41:11Ask yourself honestly.
41:13Did you ever actually treat my feelings like they mattered?
41:18You just liked the ego boost of having me chase after you.
41:22You knew no matter what you did, I wouldn't leave.
41:24So you just did whatever you felt like with my heart.
41:28Yeah, I did some things wrong back then.
41:31I was young.
41:32I thought the whole world was waiting for me.
41:34And I didn't want to feel like I was tied to any one person.
41:37I owe you a real apology, Stella.
41:39Stella, I'm sorry.
41:41But even if you treat me like a stranger,
41:43can I at least have the chance to start over and earn it back?
41:46After you left, I realized I don't know how to live without you in it.
41:50I can't imagine going forward and not having anyone to share everything with.
41:54Honestly, since leaving you,
41:56I figured out that real, mutual feelings don't require you to shrink yourself down to nothing.
42:01I can just be myself.
42:03My mood doesn't have to orbit around someone else's.
42:05And when I realized that,
42:07I started to wonder if what I felt back then was ever real love,
42:11or just something a younger, more naive version of me invented.
42:17But...
42:18But...
42:20We made promises.
42:23We said we'd go to college together,
42:25study abroad together,
42:26travel the whole world together.
42:28Are you going to walk away from all of that too?
42:30Stella, are you going to leave all this behind too?
42:33You broke the promises first.
42:36And I've already found someone I want to do all of those things with.
42:42Stop, Stella, please.
42:43Just stop.
42:49Maybe you're not actually in love with me.
42:51Maybe you just can't stand the idea of losing.
42:54Asher, honestly,
42:56it's time for you to move on too.
43:01I didn't wait for a response.
43:02Jake had been waiting across the street for a while.
43:05I jogged over,
43:06and he immediately reached down and took my hand.
43:10Finally shook the X?
43:13Did you tell him I've got full bug patrol rights now?
43:16He doesn't get a single one.
43:19Everyone is going through their own goodbyes.
43:21As for us,
43:23it's finally completely over.
43:26Fading away like the rain.
43:28Everyone in the middle of their own goodbye.
43:30And just like that,
43:31the two of us were finally,
43:33completely over.
43:34Scattered like rain.
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