The waves of Rockaway Beach in Jamaica Queens, New York crashed against the sandy beach. Summer was almost over, and the nights were slowly becoming cooler. For Tim 'Speed' Speedle and his childhood friend and longtime girlfriend, Lauren Carry, it would be their last summer night together.

The following morning she, along with her mother and father would be leaving for England; she would be attending Oxford University. None of this had been in the couple's plans, but it wasn't their choice. Their dream of going to Columbia University was no longer realistic. Lauren's father had been given a job opportunity overseas, and he decided to take it without consulting his now, eighteen year old daughter.

Neither of them knew what life would bring after they parted ways, but what they hoped for one to find each other again.

"What's going to happen to us?" Lauren asked, tears streaming down her cheeks. She held onto her boyfriend tight, never wanting to let him go. "We've never really been apart from each other," she added wiping the tears away.

Speed found it hard to speak. His throat felt like it was closing up, but he said, "I hope nothing will, baby girl. I hope nothing will. I love you." Tears now fell down his face too.

Neither Speed nor Lauren wanted to say the words that needed to be said; ending their relationship would be the best decision. They didn't know if they would ever see each other again, and there was no point in waiting for one or the other to come back. "Lauren-"

"Please Timmy, I know what you're going to say," Lauren said as she closed her eyes. "I don't want that, but I know it needs to happen. We can't just sit around waiting for each other even though that's what we want." She began to sob in his lap.

"I know baby, I know." He began to cry a little harder.

Morning came all too quickly for Lauren and Speed. Lauren hadn't gotten much sleep that night. All she could think about was finding a way to get out of moving far away from the life she loved. After all she was a legal adult, but that didn't matter. Her parents were controlling and strict; the total opposite of Speed's parents. The truth was she was afraid to ask her parents if she could stay. She didn't know why, because she had no problem standing up to everyone else. She guessed it was because they were her parents.

Tears began to fall from her eyes again as she felt Speed's arm wrap around her waist; they had spent their last night together at his parents' place. She intertwined her fingers with his, and he pulled her closer to his body. "I don't want to go, Timmy. I don't want to leave!" she cried out.

"Then don't… stay here. You can stay with me and my parents," he said.

Lauren shook her head. "I can't. I have to go. You know my parents. If they found out I would be staying with you…" she trailed off.

Lauren's parents never liked Speed. She never understood why; they never told her their reasons. In fact Lauren didn't even know why they cared, because they would act, sometimes like she wasn't even there. Lauren sometimes felt like she was born into the wrong family.

"Screw your parents. They don't care about you. Please, Lauren… don't leave me." Speed cried out.

"I can't Timmy… t-t-they'll d-drag me outta here. You know that," she stuttered.

A soft knock hit Speed's bedroom door followed by the voice of his mother. "Honey, Lauren's parents are here. It's time to go," Mrs. Speedle said with great sadness.

Lauren moved to get out of bed and get dressed, but Speed held her tight against his body. "Timmy… I-I need to get dressed," Lauren said quietly. He kissed her shoulder softly and let her go. She grabbed her jeans and t-shirt and slipped them on; he did the same. Speed then went on to help Lauren gather up her things before heading outside.

Darrell Carry, her father, grabbed his daughter's things and threw them in the trunk of their waiting cab. Lauren's mother, Regina Carry, had been sitting in the car waiting. "Let's go Lauren! We don't want to be late!" he shouted from the car.

"No, dad please I don't want to go. Please let me stay here," Lauren pleaded.

"You don't have a choice missy. Say your goodbyes and let's go!"

Lauren's bottom lip started to quiver. "Daddy, you don't understand. I can't just say goodbye!"

Darrell clenched his jaw and stomped up to his daughter, grabbed her by the arm, and started pulling her toward the cab. "Let go of me… stop you're hurting me." Lauren wiggled her arm back and forth until it was free. She immediately ran back to a tear stricken Speed, who was having a hard time keeping himself composed.

Lauren wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, and held onto him tight and cried. "I don't want to leave," was all she could say. Speed rested his head in the nape of her neck and cried.

"You listen to me right now young lady! If you are not over here in two minutes…"

"ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT!" Lauren shouted. She turned back to Speed and looked up into his sad brown eyes.

He cupped both sides of her face and leaned forward to kiss her one last time. "I love you, you know that." Lauren nodded. "I want you to move on and not wait… be-because…" He couldn't speak anymore. It was too hard. He soon found his voice again. "Just remember that I love you very much, and that… that love will find a way. Don't give up, but in the meantime try and have some fun. Do what you need to do, and if it means dating another guy then do it… okay?"

Lauren nodded and said, "You too and I love you, please don't forget me. I hope love will find its way."

With that, they let go as Darrell grabbed Lauren by her arm again and dragged her off to a whole new world. Speed was at a loss of words. Life as he knew it had changed. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to think. The love of his life had been torn from him. The only thing he had left of her was the strawberry flavored lip gloss she had left on his lip when she kissed him goodbye.