Reunion with Ex - Boyfriend Trouble

My relationship with Brayden Lewis began when the allure of something new eclipsed the comfort of what was known, and ended when the familiar proved to be more enduring than the thrill of novelty.

In my junior year of high school, I transferred to a new school and quickly claimed the top spot in the class. Back then, teachers thought that pairing a high-achieving girl with a struggling boy could somehow boost his performance. That's how I ended up seated next to Brayden Lewis.

However, Brayden had zero interest in academics and was far more captivated by me. He'd tug on my hair or snatch my pen and hold it high with a cheeky grin.

"Evelyn, you're so short," he'd quip.

During class, he'd pass me little notes, often quick sketches of me. Just as I was about to tell him off for being a distraction, the teacher spotted the note and decided to display it to the entire class, promptly sending both of us out to stand in the hallway as punishment.

I was the model student back then, never before subjected to such humiliation. My eyes brimmed with frustration as I shoved Brayden. "Brayden, have you lost your mind?"

He knew he was in the wrong and didn't say a word. After a while, he folded the note into a star and quietly placed it in my hand.

As I looked at the star, I couldn't help but smile through my tears.

Our relationship began to blossom. I insisted on helping him with schoolwork until he understood, checking his homework to make sure he didn't just copy answers. He'd wait for me outside my building every day, and we'd walk to and from school together, browsing the little accessory shops along the way. On a whim, I bought two star necklaces and gave one to him.

Brayden was a big deal at school—handsome, from a well-off family, a football star, and popular among the girls. One day, a girl stopped me, asking if I liked Brayden.

My teenage pride and inexplicable irritation made me blurt out, "I wouldn't go for someone who scores lower than I do."

The girl shifted her gaze to someone standing behind me. Turning quickly, I realized Brayden had been there, overhearing who knows how much. He walked past me without a word.

After that, Brayden never reached out to me again. He stopped talking to me in class, didn't wait for me after school, and we sat silently side by side every day.

I wanted to explain, but he never gave me a chance.

A year later, Brayden's academic progress was astonishing. He tied with me for first place. That evening, he called out to me, his voice earnest, "Evelyn, my grades aren't lower than yours anymore. Can you consider liking me now?"

By now, my memories of that time have grown vague. I just remember the maple trees at school blooming vibrantly, their leaves swirling in the wind, and Brayden's eyes shining brighter than a supernova.

Starlight journeyed across the vast expanse of the universe and landed directly in my heart. In that moment, I heard my own voice say, "Yes."

And just like that, we were together. Young love is like wildfire, impossible to contain. We were inseparable. Brayden introduced me to all his friends, even getting a tattoo of my name. I said I wanted to go to Oxford, and he promised we'd attend the same university.

His newfound academic diligence delighted his mom, and since my grades hadn't dropped, both our parents and teachers chose to look the other way. We became the only openly dating couple at school.

Back then, I truly believed we would last forever. That was until I discovered there was another girl in his heart, one who mattered more than I did.