Prompt: "Don't listen to them. Don't you EVER listen to them."

Point of View: Lucas'

The slam of the door echoed in my ears. There were tears streaming down her face and her cheeks were flushed pink, as if she had been crying for more than just a few minutes.

"Riley, what's wrong?"

She wiped her tears away quickly, trying her best to regain her composure.

"Lucas. What are you doing here?"

I was sitting in her family's living room, my homework spread out amongst the couch and coffee table as I waited for her to get home from cheerleading practice.

"Your dad let me in. Riley, why are you crying?" I stood up and walked over to her, but before I could reach her she turned away quickly and headed towards the kitchen.

"Nothing, I just stubbed my toe on one of the steps on the way up. You know how clumsy I am." She reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a water bottle.

"Riley, I know you. This is more than just a stubbed toe. What happened?" I pressed, hurrying to meet her in front of the kitchen table.

She opened the drawer that held the utensils and started rearranging spoons and forks, anything to avoid my gaze. I appeared beside her and gently touched her arm.

"Look at me," I whispered.

Slowly, her gaze met mine and I could see how hurt she was. The light in her eyes that could fill an entire football stadium on a normal day had fizzled out entirely. Now they were just empty.

"They don't think I'm good enough to be with you," her voice, barely audible, broke as these words sputtered out.

"What? Who?" I wanted to know. She spun around and headed towards her bedroom. I hurried behind her, struggling to catch up. "Riley!"

"It really doesn't matter. They just... don't think we should be together," Riley revealed, as she walked over to the bay window to sit down.

"I'm really confused, Riley. We've been together for over a year. We're happy," I reminded her, hoping she still felt the same way.

"They said that I would just hold you back from being who you're supposed to be. And maybe they're right. Maybe I'm too clumsy and strange. Maybe my inability to be good at anything isn't going to compare to your success as an athlete. Or your dreams of being a veterinarian. Maybe we're going in two separate directions, and it's finally catching up to us," she was calmer now, her voice more steady.

"Riley, this doesn't sound like you," I sat down next to her and she turned to look at me. "Who was it?" She smiled at me sadly and took my hands in hers.

"I don't want to hold you back from following your dreams. Your parents don't want that either. So maybe it's best if we end things now before we go to college and-"

"No! My parents said that to you?" I yanked my hands away and stood up quickly, my eyes blazing and my head fuming. "Don't listen to them, don't you EVER listen to them! We're us, we do what we do remember? We decide what our future holds. We decide what we can and can't handle. And I'm not going to let you break up with me because my parents, who had no right to say anything to you, gave an unfair opinion about our relationship."

"But-"

"Riley, I love you," I walked back over to her and grabbed her hands. "Do you love me?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Of course I love you." I smiled slightly and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Riley, you don't hold me back, you make me better. You bring out the very best in me and I don't think I'd be who I am without you."

"Lucas..."

"Riley, we're meant to be together. I feel it. And I know you feel it too. So if you believe anything you hear today, believe these words. Whatever we do, wherever we end up, we're going to do it together. Do you understand? It's you and me, no matter what."

She pressed her forehead against mine and breathed in deep, tears falling onto both of our laps.

"No matter what."