"Happy first anniversary!"
Caelum stood in front of me holding a cupcake with one slightly crooked candle jammed into the frosting. His grin was boyish, like he'd just pulled off some kind of heist.
I couldn't help but laugh. "I can't believe it's been a year already."
And honestly? I really couldn't. When we started dating, I thought we'd be like every other high school couple—two weeks of texting, a few awkward dates, one minor fight, and a "we should just be friends" text that ends everything. The kind of thing you laugh about in college.
But somehow, twelve months later, we were still here.
We'd argued, sure. We'd misunderstood each other. But we always talked things out. And not once—not once—had either of us pulled the "Maybe we should break up" card. We promised each other early on: we don't throw those words around unless we really mean them.
Maybe that's why it lasted.
"What's your plan for today?" Caelum asked, settling beside me on the bench just outside our school's plaza.
I flipped a page in my notes, trying not to lose my train of thought. "Uh, nothing? Exams, remember?"
He groaned like I'd just announced a pop quiz. "Figures. I had something planned, but, you know, the universe hates us."
"Tomorrow," I said, still scribbling bullet points. "We're free then."
He leaned back, smirk tugging at his lips. "Sea of Clouds?"
That made me look up. "Seriously? I was literally going to suggest that."
Sea of Clouds. The most Instagrammed hiking spot within a fifty-mile radius. An hour outside of town, with a trail that opened up to a horizon blanketed in mist—like standing above an ocean made of clouds. Everyone went there at least once. Somehow, I hadn't. Not with my whole group.
"Are your friends coming?" he asked.
"I'll ask," I said, capping my pen. "What about you?"
He shrugged, casual as always. "Maybe just us. If you're cool with that."
I gave him a look—half amused, half skeptical—but didn't answer right away. Sea of Clouds was gorgeous… but also a long drive, a long hike, and a sunrise worth waking up at 4 a.m. for. If we were going, I wanted backup.
Meanwhile, he was lounging against my shoulder like I wasn't on the brink of a study-induced breakdown.
"Why aren't you studying?" I asked, nudging him with my elbow.
He grinned, unbothered. "Because I'm Caelum. I find ways."
I groaned. "You're going to 'find ways' straight into summer school."
That was Caelum in a nutshell—never studies, somehow scrapes by. Not top of the class, not failing either. And honestly? I didn't really care. Grades weren't everything. What mattered was if you were actually learning… and some of the best lessons don't come from textbooks anyway.
Still, I poked his cheek. "You're going to college next year. You can't just wing it forever."
"I'll be serious," he said, suddenly softer. "For us."
I flicked his forehead. "Cornball. Be serious for yourself, not me."
He chuckled, rubbing his forehead like I'd actually hurt him. "Noted."
I slammed my notebook shut, immediately regretting it when my page marker fluttered to the ground. Great. There went my study flow.
Around us, the plaza buzzed with noise—scooters and motorcycles parking under the oak trees, kids in oversized hoodies balancing energy drinks and review sheets. Half of them didn't even have licenses, but apparently, the rules didn't exist here.
"Why don't you ride?" I asked as we stood to head for class.
"My brother takes it most days," he said, hands in his pockets. "He's still in school too, remember? We share."
I nodded. Fair enough.
The bell rang just as we hit the gates, and we split off toward our separate buildings with a quick kiss and a promise to survive exams.
When I got to class, Alcy was sprawled across two chairs, phone in one hand, iced coffee in the other.
"You studied, right?" she asked, raising a brow.
I snorted. "Barely. Marie's our real lifeline. Eve's… Eve."
Right on cue, Eve strolled in, twirling her earbuds like a lasso. "What about me?"
We all laughed. This was just how we survived finals week, teasing each other, swapping notes, collectively panicking, and somehow pulling through.
"Oh, by the way—SOC tomorrow. Everyone's in," I announced, grabbing a marker to doodle it on the whiteboard before anyone forgot.
Eve raised her brows. "SOC? Not, like, 'sex on chat,' right?"
I threw a crumpled sticky note at her. "Gross! No!"
She dodged, grinning. "Kidding!"
When Marie finally walked in, Alcy yelled, "SOC tomorrow! No excuses!"
"Four a.m.," I added, pointing at her like a drill sergeant. "Wear sneakers. We're hiking from the base road."
Marie blinked, tilting her head. "Did you just say SOC or…?"
All of us groaned in unison. "Sea. Of. Clouds!"
Why am I friends with these people again?
Exams were brutal but survivable. By the time Eve and I walked home, my brain felt like it had been wrung out like a dish sponge. All I could think about was the hike. The sunrise. The photos.
Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.
My alarm went off at 4 a.m., but I was already awake, staring at my ceiling like a kid on Christmas morning. The world outside my window was still pitch black, the street lamps casting ghostly glows on the pavement.
I threw on black leggings, a sports bra, my favorite sneakers, and a light windbreaker—not because it was cold, but because Instagram exists and I planned to look cute while pretending to be athletic while secretly freezing. December? Winter air. Sports bra and a light windbreaker equals to freezing while slaying.
Alcy rolled up on her car fifteen minutes later, engine purring like a beast. We grabbed Eve, met Marie near the old oak by Sely's house (though, per usual, Sely was a no-show—buried in city life now, chasing internships on his dad's company and ramen shops instead of cloud-covered trails).
The hike was brutal. Steep. Rocky. My calves screamed at me halfway up. But by the time we reached the peak, every ounce of sweat was worth it.
The horizon stretched out like a painting, clouds rolling beneath us like a pale ocean. The sun hovered just below the line, bleeding orange and gold into the sky.
We didn't speak at first. None of us did. We just stood there, taking it in.
Then, predictably, the phones came out.
"Everyone get in!" Eve yelled, snapping photos like she was auditioning for National Geographic.
We posed in every combination possible—group shots, solo shots, fake candid shots. I shrugged off my jacket for a few, letting the early light catch my skin just right.
"Caelum, come here!" I called, noticing he'd been quietly taking pictures from the sidelines like our personal photographer.
He slid an arm around my waist as Eve snapped another photo. I squealed, half-surprised, while Alcy and Marie groaned in mock disgust.
"Cringe!" Alcy muttered, like she hadn't posted twelve kissing photos with her last boyfriend in the span of a single week.
By 7 a.m., we started the trek back down. Caelum walked beside me, occasionally lifting his phone to sneak candid shots when he thought I wasn't looking.
"Ash, zip your jacket," he said suddenly. His voice was casual, but there was a protective edge to it. "Don't show too much skin. People are creeps. Plus it's freezing."
I rolled my eyes but zipped up anyway. Not at him—he wasn't wrong. The fact that women still have to think about this every second is exhausting. You could wear a parka and someone would still find a reason to make it weird.
Halfway down the trail, Caelum stopped walking.
His usual easy grin was gone, replaced by something heavier.
"Ash… can I tell you something?"
I froze, my stomach dipping. "What's wrong?"
He hesitated, eyes flicking to the trees before meeting mine. "After graduation… I'm moving to Cali."
The words hit like a cold gust of wind.
I forced a smile. "That's… good, right? Better schools. More opportunities."
He didn't answer. "It means we'll be… what, a thousand miles apart?"
I bit my lip. "Caelum… let's be real. We can't do long-distance. Even grown adults can't handle that. We're just… kids."
His jaw tightened. For a moment, he didn't say anything.
"We still have time," I added softly. "It's only January. Graduation's months away. Let's just… make the most of it."
He exhaled, shoulders loosening a little. After a long pause, he nodded. "Deal. But… if we ever meet again, and we're both single… can we try again?"
I smiled faintly, though it stung. "Yeah. If we're both single. Though, knowing you, California's full of gorgeous girls. You'll probably be taken first."
He laughed, sticking out his hand. "If I'm taken, I'll find you someone. If you're taken, you find me someone. Deal?"
I shook his hand, biting back the lump in my throat. "Deal."
Then, without warning, he pulled me in and kissed me. It was the kind of kiss that felt like both a promise and a goodbye. Sweet and heavy all at once.
Until—
"Ahem!"
We broke apart so fast you'd think we'd been caught committing a felony. Eve stood a few feet away, smirking like the cat that ate the canary.
The rest of the descent was pure chaos. Alcy and Eve serenaded us with dramatic ballads, belting "Please don't gooooo~" in fake boyband voices until even Caelum cracked a smile.
He just reached for my hand, fingers threading through mine. I squeezed back, silently wishing time would slow down.
But it didn't.
A few months later, I was standing in Caelum's backyard after his graduation party. The string lights above us swayed gently in the summer breeze, casting a warm glow over the grass.
His flight to California was tomorrow.
"I guess this is it," I said quietly.
He nodded, his eyes soft but steady. "I guess it is."
I tried to lighten the mood. "What, no dramatic Wattpad breakup speech?"
He chuckled. "Nah. I think we've said enough."
But I hadn't.
"Caelum… I need to tell you something."
He turned to me, waiting.
"When we first got together… I kind of used you. I was still heartbroken over Sergie, and you were just… there. Persistent. I didn't mean to, but… I think you deserve to know."
His lips curved into a knowing smile. "Ash… I already knew."
My jaw dropped. "You knew?!"
"I knew," he said simply. "I just didn't care. Because somewhere along the way… you stopped using me."
My chest tightened. "You're too good for me, you know that?"
He smirked faintly. "Maybe. But you're still my favorite headache."
We both laughed, even though it ached somewhere deep inside.
He drove me home that night, stopping at the curb instead of walking me in.
"Goodbye for now," he said softly.
"Goodbye," I echoed.
And that was it. My first boyfriend. My first kiss. My first heartbreak.
But at least we ended with closure—not as strangers, not as bitter exes, but as… something close to friends.
I'll miss him. I'll treasure the memories. And maybe, someday, if the world spins us back into each other's orbit, we'll see what happens.
Until then… friends.
Because love doesn't always last.
But sometimes… friendship does.