Eighteen-year-old high school graduate Caitlin Snow watched as Iris and Barry kissed with a pang in her heart. How she wished it was her being able to be the one who kissed him. She had been in love with him for the better part of four years – when they started out as Freshman at Central City high together. He was one out of two of her best friends and her other friend, Cisco Ramon watched her reaction sadly. He knew. He always knew. "You'll be okay, Caitlin."

She offered up as much of a smile as she could muster. "I know. Congratulations on graduating today. I'm looking forward to college in the fall."

"So am I," Cisco agreed. "I'm just sad you're moving away."

Caitlin smiled. "We'll still talk on the phone. Besides. I need to get away from…everything."

"I know," Cisco replied. Just then she felt someone's hand drop down on her shoulder and peered behind her in time to see Barry smiling at her with his pearly-white teeth and her heart skipped a beat.

"Congratulations, you guys!" Barry enthused and Caitlin couldn't help the genuine laugh that bubbled up out of her. She knew her best friends were both happy to have this chapter on their stories closed. "Do you want to go out to dinner with Iris and Joe and myself?"

Caitlin felt her heart drop into her stomach and smiled as much as she could once more. "That's okay. I think my dad and mom are taking me out for dinner tonight." There was no way that Caitlin wanted to sit next to Iris and Barry while they made heart eyes at each other. She saw that enough in her high school hallways.

"Okay," Barry said, studying her carefully and she shifted her brunette hair forward to act as a curtain for privacy. Out of anyone, Barry read her the easiest. She didn't need him to know she was pining after him with some unrequited crush. It hurt to know he'd never choose her but she'd rather him by happy with someone who wasn't her than on his own and miserable

"So, I think I'll head out," Caitlin said as she saw her father waving to her from where him and her mother were waiting for her. "Call you both later and we can talk about final plans this summer before we go off to three separate colleges." She willed her voice to not break, knowing she was going to miss her best friends exponentially but she was the one that wanted to get away from Central City for a while. She needed a break from the city.

"Okay, sounds good," Cisco agreed, smiling at her softly. She returned it before nodding at Barry and heading over to where her parents were waiting patiently for her. They had dinner reservations to make anyway.

XXX

Caitlin's summer spread out before her and passed quickly. She and her two friends hung out, her and Cisco more so than her and Barry, and she was fine with that. She didn't want to constantly see him and Iris together and she wanted him to enjoy his summer as well. Her and Cisco went to the movies often and went out for book shopping every weekend, Caitlin wanting to keep up with her summer reading. The day before she left for college arrived and the doorbell rang, alerting Caitlin to the fact that there was someone who either wanted to see her or her mother. Her father never got that many visitors so she knew that whoever it was, wasn't there for him.

Reaching the first landing of her home, she went to the front door and opened it, unsurprised to find Barry on the other side. He said he may try and swing by the day before she left. His eyes were red-rimmed and she felt alarmed. "Barry, are you okay? Come in, come in." Ushering him inside, she looked at him inquiringly and he smiled sheepishly.

"I'm fine," he murmured, hands shoved into his pockets. "My best friend is just moving tomorrow and I feel like I haven't gotten to see her all that much."

Caitlin smiled. "Well, we've had busy summers. I'll be back during Christmas."

"I know," he sighed as he pulled her into a gentle hug. "Just wish we were going to school together in the fall is all."

"Well, you'll have Iris to keep you company and I'll be back during holidays," she assured him. "You won't have time to miss me that much."

"I'll always miss you," he assured her softly and that made her feel a modicum amount of relief. She knew that he meant the words he said and she was relieved by that – she didn't want him forgetting about her.

"Are you going to come see my off tomorrow morning at the train station?" Caitlin wondered hopefully. He was quick to smile.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. God, I'm going to miss you, Cait," he hugged her once more and Caitlin felt warm in his arms – then promptly felt guilty for thinking that. He wasn't her boyfriend. She disengaged herself from his hold gently and smiled up at him.

"Good," she said. "And then I'll be back for Christmas and during the summers. We'll still be best friends."

"Definitely," Barry agreed. "College isn't changing that. You were the first nice person to me and Iris on Freshman orientation day. I didn't forget that."

She smiled. "Always nice to be nice."

Barry stayed and talked for a few more minutes, asking her if she was all packed up and then he was on his way, off to go say goodbye to Cisco and Caitlin was closing her front door after him quietly. Pressing her back against the wood, she sighed as she wondered, not for the first time, if she was making the right choice to go away for college. She would miss her friends dearly and wondered if they would think about her while she was gone. She knew that Cisco would but there was a small, insecure part of her that – and she hated this – wondered if Barry would forget about her with time. She hoped not but decided to not fret over it. What would happen would happen and she knew better than to try and change the trajectory of anything already set in place.