This Is How We Live.

“Janine! You have mail!” My mom said.

I eagerly ran downtairs, hoping it was from one of the colleges I applied for. “Who’s it from?”

“Irvine.” She smiled, handing me the envelope.

I picked up the envelope and ripped it. I pulled out the carefully folded piece of paper and unfolded it. “Hi Janine! We received your application requesting to join University of California, Irvine, and we are glad to say that we would love to have you as a part of our student body! Classes for you start in September. Can’t wait to see you when the fall quarter starts!” I stared at the letter, shocked. I just got accepted into my top college.

“What happened?” My mom asked.

“I got… Accepted!” I squealed.

She set her coffee and newspaper down, “I better go call your dad. You better go tell Michael.”

“Maybe later.” I said, running upstairs.

“Oh, and Janine?” My mom called for me.

“Huh?”

“Congrats. I’m proud of you.”

—

(Michael’s POV)

I was chillin’ with the guys on a typical Sunday morning. I was supposed to take Janine out tonight, but all of us were huddled around the phone, staring at it. We were still waiting for somebody to call us. My phone began to ring in my pocket, “Whenever you call, baby, I roll up.” It sang.

“Hello?” I picked up.

“Michael.” Janine’s voice rang from the other line.

“Janine! Hey, lemme call you back. I promise, though, I’ll take you out.”

“Kay.” She said, and hung up.

The phone all of us were around started to ring, and the caller ID said “Unknown”. Cameron reached for it, “Hello?” He put it on speaker so all of us could listen.

“Hello, is this Allstar?” The lady from the other line said.

“Umm, yeah…” Zach said.

“Why?” Nathan asked.

“Well, we received your flyer last night and we would like to know if you would like to be part of this new Radio Disney competition—Next Big Thing. It’d be really cool if you guys competed. We just heard your stuff!”

We all stared at each other in disbelief, eyes wide, jaws dropped.

Cameron stammered, “Uh, yeah! Definitely! As long as, um, our parents agree!”

“Thanks! We hope to hear from you soon!” The lady said.

Cameron hung up the phone, and as soon as he did that, we all jumped up in cheers. I watched as the boys dialed their girlfriends, waiting to tell them the news. “Amy! We just got called by Disney. Yeah, THE Disney.” Zach said into his phone. He stretched it out and we could all hear Amy screaming freakishly.

“Hey, Katie! Date’s on me tonight.” Cameron said.

“Em! I need to tell you something, but it’s a surprise.” Nathan smiled.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Janine. Her call tone was now a new song. She changed it everyday. She finally picked up, and I could hear the smile on her face. “Mikey!”

“Hey, um, I’ll pick you up at seven? I kinda have something to tell you.”

“Umm, okay.”

—

(Janine’s POV)

I slipped on my teal silk skirt to my waist and tucked my white racerback tank top in. I peeked my head into my closet and pulled out gray Toms. I picked out my charm bracelet I got for my tenth birthday. It was from Katie, Amy, and Emi altogether. It had a gray charm hanging off of it that said “Always”. But the other three girls have the charm in different colors. Emi’s is yellow. Katie’s is purple. And Amy’s is red. I looked out my window to see Michael walking up to my door. My doorbell rang and I turned and yelled towards the door, “Mom! Can you let Mikey in?”

He ran up the stairs and opened my door, “Ayeee!”

I was startled, “Damn it!” I turned to him, sort of pissed, “What if I wasn’t dressed?!”

Michael winked at me. I scoffed, “Perv.”

“I’m just playin’.” He smiled, “Now come on.” He tugged at my arm.

“Hold on!” I said, securing one of my earrings. “Ready.” I smiled.

We got in his car and drove to the park. On the way there, he had one hand on the steering wheel, and the other holding my hand. “Why are we here?” I asked, getting out of the car.

“Because I promised to take you out. I’m broke. And I have something to tell you.”

I laughed, “Oh, of course.”

Michael laid out the blanket on a hill and I smiled. “The fuck is this?”

“I dunno. You said you wanted to hang out.” He shrugged.

“And YOU said you had a surprise for me.”

He pulled me in, crushing me. “You have to promise that you won’t get sad.” He mumbled.

“What makes you think I will?”

“I know you, Janine.”

I looked down at my fingernails and started picking at them. “So what were you gonna tell me?”

“Disney called us today. We might get signed. We’re going to record stuff soon.”

I jumped up, “Mikey! That’s amazing!”

“Isn’t it?” He smiled and interlaced his fingers with mine, “Then we’ll get famous, start touring… And I can get you everything you’ve ever wanted.”

I smiled, “That’s sweet.”

He leaned in, “I…”

Then the sprinklers went off. “Ah!” I squealed.

He laughed, “It’s like High School Musical!”

I slipped my shoes off and threw the on the wet grass. I started running around, waiting for him to catch me.

He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me in. “You’ve always wanted to be kissed in the rain right?”

I nodded.

He kissed me. “Close enough.” He smiled.

—

When I got home, I was soaking wet. My mom asked what happened, and I just laughed. My phone lit up, “We have to go to New York after grad… :/”

I stared at it in disbelief, and finally replied. “How long?”

“Half the summer. Babe I’m so so so sorry. :/”

“It’s ok…” I turned my phone off and went out to my balcony.

“Are you mad?” A voice said. Michael.

I sighed, “Bubby. You’re leaving in one month. For half of the summer. And I won’t get to see you in person. Do you know how much it’ll hurt? You’re gonna meet a million different pretty girls.”

“Janine…”

“Michael, I can’t do this.” I began to cry. “I’m breaking up with you. It’s done. You’re meeting different girls when you get famous. Trust me, I suck when compared to them. And I’m going to college soon. Life is gonna be hectic.”

He sighed.

—

(Michael’s POV)

Did this really just happen? Damn, I feel like my pride has just been shot to pieces. I let her go. I let Janine go.

I don’t know what to do.