Spencer's POV

Sandusky, Ohio

10AM Saturday July 14

Ok Spence, you can do this. You have to do this. Okay, deep breath.

Somehow I managed to find the doorbell through the tears even though I basically couldn't see. I hear someone running to the door and try to force myself to stop crying. She doesn't need to see me like this.

"Spencer! Baby? What's wrong?" Laurie, my best friend, pulls me in and wraps me up in her arms, my head finding that perfect spot in the crook of her neck. And just standing there in her arms it feels perfect. Everything goes away and I momentarily forget the reason I'm there. I could hug this girl forever. We just fit together. But then I feel her shift and she pulls back a little. She gently turns my face up to look at her and places a soft kiss on both of my eyelids. "Don't cry baby, come on let's go inside." Of course this only sets me off again. Kissing away each other's tears was our thing. And now the worst has happened and I have a feeling that I'll be crying myself to sleep every day for the rest of my life and she won't be there to make the tears stop.

She grabs my hand I slowly follow her into her house as if in a daze. She sits down on her bed and pulls me next to her, never letting go of my hand.

"Baby what happened?" I can't even look at her. I promised her that I would never hurt her, that I would never leave her, but it's not my choice.

I manage to choke out the words "We're moving to LA" before I completely break down again. Only now she's crying too. And we just sit there holding each other for what seems like an hour before she calms down enough to respond.

"When?"

"Friday. Mom wants to give us time to get adjusted to the area before school starts."

"She can't do this. She can't take you away from me Spence. Why? Why do you have to go?"

"My mom's kind of suspected that something was going on between us, so last week when I was staying over here, she went snooping in my room and found the letter that I was going to give you for our anniversary. When I got home she confronted me about it and I couldn't lie to her, I told her that I'm in love with you and that we're together." At this, Laurie managed a half smile and gave my hand a squeeze, although the tears were still streaming down her face. "She slapped me and started yelling about how I shouldn't let you influence me and it's not right and blah blah blah. Then she just got all quiet and sat back on the couch and she said that its not too late and that she wasn't going to let me ever see you again and that we were moving to California."

Laurie just sat there in silence, looking down at our hands. I used my other hand to lift up her chin so I was looking in her eyes. "Baby I tried to reason with her but she wouldn't listen to me, she just grounded me until the move."

"How are you here then?" The look on her face broke my heart all over again.

"If she thinks that she can honestly keep me from you, she's kidding herself. I love you baby."

"I love you, too."

"Do you want to talk about it right now?"

She's quiet for a minute. "Can you just hold me for a while?" She looks so scared, so vulnerable. I just lie back on the bed and pull her into me. We stay that way, eventually falling asleep, only waking up when her mom gets home at three. She gently strokes the side of my face and pulls me in for a short gentle kiss.

"I'll never stop loving you Spencer. No matter if you're on the other side of the country or the other side of the world. You'll always be right here," she said as she placed our hands over her heart.

"I know baby. I don't think I could ever get over you." You never get over your first love. Everyone knows that.

See Laurie has been my best friend since our first day of high school when I barreled through a door, late for class, and hit her in the face. It was about three months after we had started hanging out that she kissed me. We had just been hanging out, same as always, and when my dad showed up to pick up me up, instead of the kiss on the forehead that she gave all of her friends, I got a peck on the lips. My first kiss. I spent a week contemplating the meaning of that half-second. Did she mean to? Was it an accident? Did she want to? Did I want her to? Did I like it? What did it mean? The next time we hung out, we put a movie on and she sat there in silence and I could tell something was up. When I pressed her about it, she kissed me again, this time with passion. That was about a year and a half ago, and our relationship has only gotten stronger since then. I know I'm only sixteen, but I know what it's like to fall in love, and the reason is lying right next to me, equally as broken as I am right now.

She looks up at me earnestly, "Will you promise me something Spence?"

I pull her hand up to my mouth and give it a brief kiss. "Anything baby."

"I want you to move on when you get there." She pauses, probably because I'm looking at her like she's fucking insane. Which she may well be. Is she kidding? Move on? "I just want you to be happy baby and I'm not saying right away. Honestly I'd be a little offended if I was that easy to get over." She smiles, and I can't help but smile back. God she always makes the worst situations easier to deal with. "But I don't want you to dwell on it, we really can't do anything about it and who knows, maybe some day we can be together again, but I don't want you to miss out on the best years of your life because you're sitting in your room."

"Honestly I think the best years of my life would be any that were spent with you." She smiles, and I can't imagine what it's going to be like when she's not there anymore. "And I can't make any promises. But I'll try. I'll try for you baby." I lean in for another sweet kiss.

"And I mean, hey, it probably won't be as hard as you think, I mean who is your mom kidding? LA? She may as well drop you off at a gay club herself." See what I mean? She can always make me laugh. I don't know what I'm going to do without her. She's still giggling at her own humor, so I grab her shirt and pull her in for a heated kiss, only to be interrupted by the Jaws theme song…

"Shit, it's my mom, her shift ended at 4, she probably just realized I'm not home. I gotta go baby. I'll call you okay? I love you."

She walks me to the door. "I love you too Spencer. I always will."

I give her one last hug and then find my way down her walkway before the tears spill over again. I will never forgive my mother for this.

Burke Lakefront Airport

Cleveland, Ohio

2PM Friday July 20

Great, we still have an hour until our flight leaves. I know I'm sulking, sitting by myself in a row of seats looking out over the lake, but I don't care. I still can't believe my mother is going to such excessive lengths to separate me from Laurie. It's not like it's Laurie's fault, and it's not like I'm going to change just because I'm in a different time zone. I sigh. I guess she doesn't get that yet.

The past week has been hell. Packing up our life and saying goodbye to everyone I've ever known. We even had to send the moving van on ahead of us so it will be there when we arrive, so we spent our last day in Ohio with no furniture and only the clothes and belongings that fit in our suitcases.

"You okay, pez?" My brother Clay breaks me out of my trance. I pause my Ipod and pull the buds out of my ears. Oh, and don't worry, none of our nicknames make sense.

"As okay as I can be, I guess." I love Clay, of my two brothers, he is the only one who understands what it's like to be different. Glen has never had that problem. He's always been the most popular kid in school, star of both the basketball and baseball teams. He can be alright sometimes, but when we're at school he doesn't really talk to Clay and I. Or acknowledge us for that matter.

"It'll all work out Spence. I know it sucks now, but eventually it really will be ok." He puts his arm around me reassuringly and pulls me in for a much needed hug.

"I know C-man, at least I still have you." Sometimes Clay is more like one of my best friends than my brother. So I guess it's a good thing we're stuck with each other.

"Yup and I'll always be here whenever you need me. We'll get through this together." I forgot that Clay was leaving behind his first girlfriend as well. I guess I was so caught up in my own drama, mainly because I know I'm the cause for the move. I'm just glad he doesn't blame me or hate me. But Clay's always known about Laurie and I and he was so supportive and kept our secret and loved us both just the same. He really is the best brother you could ask for. I give his hand a quick squeeze.

"Flight 238 to LAX, now boarding." The intercom startles us both and Clay gives a quick chuckle.

"Okay well I guess that's us Spence. Here I'll grab your bag." He takes both of our carry-ons and starts making his way towards the gate. I put my earbuds back in and turn my Ipod on.

Well, here goes nothing