He Threw Away My Acceptance Letter

The night after the SATs, my boyfriend Phoenix told me he had family stuff to deal with, so he couldn't be with me. Then I saw him in a party video my best friend Lia posted.

When I showed up, they were in the middle of Truth or Dare. Phoenix got dared to kiss someone of the opposite gender in the room. My heart slammed against my ribs at the thought—maybe this was finally the moment he'd make us public.

Instead, Lia stepped forward and shielded me, arms spread wide. "Are you trying to mess with Emmeline again? I'm warning you, leave her alone!" She always had my back, and she'd never been Phoenix's biggest fan.

Before I could get a word out, Phoenix's voice cut through. "Alright, Lia, it's you then."

Lia's face went red, but she fired back, "Bring it on! Like I'm scared of you!" The crowd went wild. They kissed hard—fierce, neither willing to back down, yet somehow unable to pull apart.

"Wow, I always knew they'd end up together! King and queen of the honor roll!"

"Move out of the way, Emmeline, and let the happy couple have their moment."

"Seriously, why are you just standing there? Did you really think Phoenix liked you? You couldn't even crack 900 on the SATs."

I turned around and walked away.

I didn't see Phoenix's message until I'd put some distance between me and that room. "Emmeline, let's take a break from each other. Your best friend is too much for me to handle. Once summer is over, we'll head to college together, and everything will be fine."

I stared at the screen for a long, long time. I'd never told him I'd already been accepted early into a military academy—that I wouldn't be going to the same school anyway. But now, it didn't seem worth mentioning.

I stood there, typing and deleting, typing and deleting, before I finally sent Phoenix a simple "Got it."

Just as I put my phone away, Lia caught up with me from behind. "Emmeline, why'd you leave? I won the dare and made Phoenix down three shots. You missed it—it was hilarious!"

Her cheeks were still flushed with excitement, her eyes practically sparkling. When I didn't respond, she grabbed my hand. "Are you mad? Come on, don't listen to them. I would never get with that jerk Phoenix—I just couldn't stand them picking on you!"

"You're my best friend, and I organized this party. It's no fun if you leave."

I couldn't find the words to argue. Since we were kids, I'd always been the shy, quiet one—the girl who never fought back when people picked on her. Lia was the one who always fought for me.

I couldn't stand to lose her. And besides, Phoenix never publicly admitted we were together anyway.

So what right did I have to be angry? Or even sad?

Lia pulled me back into the room. As soon as we walked in, someone shouted, "Lia, perfect timing! Phoenix got picked again!"

"You two, kiss again!"

Phoenix looked at Lia, a grin curling at his mouth. "Only if she dares."

Lia puffed up her chest instantly. "Who's afraid? Bring it on!"

She dropped my arm and strode over without hesitation. Someone else decided to tease me. "Emmeline, why the sour face? Are you jealous because you like Phoenix?"

"Yeah, right! Lia's fun and charming. Unlike her—a total wallflower."

Mocking laughter closed in around me, leaving me dizzy and lost. Lia shot them a glare. "Stop talking crap! Emmeline would never like him!"

And then Phoenix, cool as anything, simply said, "We're not close."

So that's it. We weren't close after all.

Even though he was the one who'd cornered me against a wall, his face flushed, confessing that he liked me. He was the one who secretly held my hand when no one was watching, who slipped an unwrapped piece of candy into my mouth as we passed in the hall.

He'd told me his parents would lose it if they found out he was dating, so our relationship had to stay a secret.

Just like now, all I could do was stand in the corner, watching him and Lia being praised as the perfect pair. Watching them lean in again, neither willing to lose face, and kiss once more.

The room erupted. Cheers nearly blew the roof off. Someone bumped my shoulder, and I nearly lost my balance.

In the middle of the crowd, Phoenix had his arm around Lia, shielding her, keeping everyone else away. He didn't glance my way once.

I couldn't fool myself anymore. Phoenix was in love with my best friend.

Finally, the party wound down. Lia, completely drunk, leaned against Phoenix, still mumbling, "I'm not drunk. Let's go again! Who's afraid of who..."

Phoenix had an arm around her shoulders, his voice caught between helpless and indulgent. "Alright, alright, you win."

I didn't want to watch any longer. My Uber pulled up, and I was about to get in when Phoenix stopped me.

"Emmeline, let us take this car. Lia drank too much—it's not safe. I'll take her home first; you can call another."

Before I could even react, Phoenix was already helping Lia into the car. She pushed him away. "Don't get close! It's not like we're together. I wouldn't like you anyway!"

"Who wants you to like me? If you weren't drunk, I wouldn't bother," Phoenix said. But I saw it, clear as day. He was always careful with her. His hand protected her head as she got in, and his eyes were soft in a way I'd never seen before—unspeakably gentle.

The car door closed, shutting me out, leaving me behind. Soon, it drove out of my sight.

My phone vibrated. It was Phoenix: "Get home safe. Text me when you're back."

But getting another rideshare at this hour was practically impossible—surge prices were through the roof and no drivers were around. And aside from Lia and Phoenix, I didn't really have anyone else. Once they left, no one would even notice I was gone.

Phoenix knew that. He knew, and he still chose to take Lia home. In his eyes, I really didn't matter.

At that moment, I couldn't hold back my tears any longer.

I ended up walking miles in the dark before a ride finally picked me up. When I got home, the first thing I said to Mom was, "Mom, let's move earlier. I want to report to the academy soon."