So Far Away.

Eli and I were inseparable. Every second and every day I felt I had to be with him. A couple weeks after our first kiss, we all sat by Sara's pool, bathing in the sun. Adam kept his shirt on, and had on blue trunks, Eli, shirtless, with black trunks, and I was wearing my black bikini with yellow white and blue polka dots, Sara in her red bikini with white flowers. It was 95 out and very humid, and I could already feel sweat dripping down my face. Gross.

"It's hot," I whined, sipping my water.

"Get in the water," Eli retorted. I shook my head.

"Not yet."

"We have this thing when we stay in the sun until we can't take it, then we get in," Sara answered Elis questionable stare. I lifted my off brand aviators and wiped sweat off my nose. I put them back on my face and closed my eyes.

Just then I felt someone pick me up and I was under water. When I emerged, I gasped for air, coughing. Eli stood at the top of the steps, grinning.

"What the hell?!" I shrieked. He shrugged.

"Your face was red, you were done baking." He jumped in the pool canon ball style, water splashing everywhere.

"Dick," I said when he came back up. He pulled me in and kissed me. I hopped on a float and sat on it with my feet in the water and started splashing Eli in the face.

"Ok, uncalled for," he laughed.

"You started this war."

"AH!" Someone shouted. I turned and saw Adam picking Sara up and jumped in the pool with her in his arms. We were all laughing, except for Sara. Eli hopped on my float and sat next to me, I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I want pizza," I said. I felt Elis shoulder bounce when he laughed.

"You're going to turn into a pizza one day, you know that right?"

"I don't care. I love pizza."

We splashed in the pool for about an hour then decided to get out and order food. When it arrived, we ate outside, towels wrapped around us and hair still dripping.

"What's going on tonight?" Adam asked. Sara shrugged.

"I don't know. My mom won't be home though and I'm feeling tired."

"Same here," I said. My phone started ringing. The caller ID read "momma" and I answered. "Yo."

"You got something in the mail." I couldn't tell if she sounded worried or excited. "It's from Florida State." My eyes grew wide. I remember applying there along with many other colleges, it was one of the tougher ones to get into, not impossible, just tough.

"Open it!" I shouted, alarming everyone around me. I could hear her ripping the paper and I heard her sigh. Great, I didn't get in, I thought.

"Alexis Marie Tubbs, we are pleased that you have interest in our school and would love to have you as a student!"

"OH MY GOD!" I shouted.

"Congratulations honey, I'll leave you to your friends while I frame this!" I hung up, smiling ear to ear. My friends faces confused.

"I got into Florida State," I answered their looks.

"That's amazing!" Eli said grinning and kissed me on the cheek.

"Awesome," Adam said. Sara's face looked sad.

"That's great," She said, forcing a smile.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I applied there too, I haven't gotten anything back." Sara was planning on going to start studying to be a cancer surgeon, I was going to become a psychiatrist.

"You'll get one soon. You did way better than I did in school," I reassured. She shrugged her shoulders before Adam wrapped his arm around her.

We finished the pizza and bread sticks and we took turns showering. I came out, fully dressed this time, seeing Adam in Sara's room, and Eli getting his stuff ready for his shower.

I sat in the guest room watching TV, flipping through the channels. Swimming took a lot out of me and my eyes were already fighting to stay open. Eli's phone started going off. Again, I checked it to see if it were his parents. Four new text messages. I set it down.

Don't get nosey. It's probably his parents. Don't get nosey.

I got nosey.

I figured if I just click on the icon, it'll say who the sender was, to make sure it was his parents. I touched the touch screen on the envelope icon.

"Hope you like the picture!" It was from some girl named Jessica. I hit the download button. Five seconds later, a picture of a blonde wearing nothing but her bra and underwear appeared on his screen, her face caked with make up, winking at the camera. My stomach lurched. I felt like I was going to get sick so I ran outside.

"Alex?" Sara asked, running after me. I was shaking. I stood in the middle of the yard, my hands trembling. I just wanted to go home, crawl in my bed and never wake up. I turned and saw Sara and Adam staring at me confused. Tears were dripping down my face.

"I need to go," The words escaped my mouth, shaky.

"Alex," Sara said sweetly, her eye brows furrowed together. "What's wrong?"

"He, Eli. I saw...I saw his phone. It rang," I couldn't talk anymore. I was fighting for air, gasping, and I fell on my knees and sobbed. Sara came up and wrapped her arms around me.

"Honey, what happened? Tell me what's going on?" She asked in a more concerned voice.

"A picture," I choked out. I saw Eli walk outside, a grin fading off his face when he saw me. I looked up at him, eyes furrowed, anger rising. I stood up and wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stomped toward him.

"Alex?" He asked.

"You bastard," I said through gritted teeth. "You self centered, narcissistic ass hole!"

"Woah, what?" He asked stepping back a little.

"Who's Jessica?" I snapped. His eyes widened and he looked over at Adam who shrugged. "Who is she?!" I asked again, getting in his face. He kept trying to step back but was cornered against the side of the house.

"She's that crazy girl I told you about."

"Why is she sending photos? To you!?"

"I don't know! I told you she's crazy! She won't leave me alone!" I rolled my eyes, turning to walk away. He grabbed my wrist. I spun around and punched him as hard as I could, right on the nose.

I walked home. I didn't want to be around anyone. I was tired, mentally, and physically drained. I couldn't wait until they left, I couldn't wait to leave for Florida.

**

Eli tried getting a hold of me the following two weeks. Some angry, some sad. I tried being strong and stubborn, and I didn't give in. He even showed up at my house a couple of times, but my mom told him I wasn't home.

He ended up leaving earlier than Adam. A few days before Adam left, Sara received her acceptance letter. I started packing my stuff early, shopping for school clothes and supplies. A few days after Adam went back home, Sara and I left for Florida. I was looking forward to a fresh start.

The heart ache I had followed me, unfortunately. I would catch myself thinking about him every now and then. Sometimes I would even cry myself to sleep.

Sara and I got our own apartment, not wanting to live the dorm life. Every now and then she'll be telling Adam "She's miserable". The only thing keeping me happy was Meike, who I did drag with me.

They say if you let something go, and it comes back, it was meant to be. If he ever comes back into my life, maybe it would be. Only time would tell though. For right now, I'll just live my life.