The Pieces of My Heart

Ava woke to her phone ringing, Chase nowhere in sight. She sat up and felt for her phone on the table by her bed. Flipping it open, Ava walked down stairs to see that he wasn't there either. "Hello?" Ava asked, groggy.

Hey, Aves. Did you get my note? Ava recognized the deep timbre of Chase's voice as she spotted the note on the counter.

"Yeah. I haven't read it yet though," she replied.

It's okay. I had to leave early. Mom called. She said that I needed to get home to finish packing for...you know,Chase hesitated.

"Yeah. England, right?" Ava said, venom dripping from her voice.

Chase sighed. Ava, we've already had this conversation. We're not having it again. College is important to me, baby. You have to understand that.

Ava groaned. Not again... she thought. "Chase, I understand. Really, I do. And I'm proud of you for getting accepted to Cambridge. I just don't like the idea of you being so far away."

Chase chuckled. Babe, I'll be fine. So will we. Promise."

"I believe you. Well, I guess I'll let you go finish packing. I'll see you tomorrow at the airport, okay?" Ava smiled at Chase's heartfelt words, the ones she needed to hear.

Okay. I love you, Gracie, he replied.

Ava giggled at the use of her middle name. "And I love you. Bye, baby." Hanging up the phone, Ava sighed. Tomorrow, Chase would be leaving. For college. In England. Just another slap in the face from their generous friend, Fate. Why do you always do this to me? If it's not one thing, it's another. First, it was the stress of senior year finals, which pushed us both to our breaking points, making us snap at each other...Now, it's Chase moving an ocean away for school...why can't you just let us be happy?! she ranted.

Walking to the living room, Ava pondered her own future. Unlike Chase, she passed with average grades. Her future involved going to the local university and majoring in horticulture. She was going to finish her life as a florist in the same little podunk town she started it in...

Unlike Chase. He was going to a prestigious English school and his life was on the fast track to success. No telling where he'd go. Or if I could even go with him... Ava thought. She didn't want to lose him, she could hardly breathe without him being around as it was.

Turning on the tv, Ava flipped through the channels, nothing catching her eye. She flipped the tv off and ascended the stairs to take a shower. After walking through her bedroom door, she noticed how Chase had made up his side of the bed and left the clothes he borrowed on the floor. They smell just like you Ava whispered, picking up the clothes. Putting the clothes back on the floor, she turned the water on, letting it warm up. Taking one last look at the clothes he'd worn, she discarded her own and got under the warm spray, hoping it would melt away the bad feeling she had about the whole situation.