"Carrie?"
She was absolutely speechless. She hadn't seen the man in fourteen years, but yet, he still looked exactly the same as she remembered.
The memories came flooding through her head. He had been her first kiss, her first boyfriend, her first love, her first everything. He had been her everything.
"I just- I don't think I can do this any longer Mike." Carrie sighed, leaning against her kitchen counter with both hands.
"What?" Mike stood behind the couch in front of her.
"All we do is fight anymore Mike. We never see each other. You're so busy with hockey and trying to get recruited that it's like I don't even exist anymore!" Carrie shouted, shocking her boyfriend of four years.
"What do you want me to do? You know it's been my dream to go professional since before I could walk. I thought as my girlfriend you would be my biggest supporter in that!"
"I do support you Mike!" She shouted. "I've been at almost every hockey game since freshman year. I'm your number one fan and I always will be, but right now I feel like you're so caught up in it that you're forgetting about me."
"Every game my butt! You haven't been to hardly any in the past month!" Mike screamed.
"Maybe because you practically ignore me because you're so busy with the team and the recruiters. You buzz by me and give me a quick kiss and that's it. We haven't gone to Waffle House after the game in forever. It's not like it used to be. It's not fun anymore. I'm not the most important thing in your life anymore Mike. You love hockey more you love me."
"That's not true and you know it!" Mike shouted back as he got angrier and angrier.
"Well it sure feels like it! I miss our Friday night movies in the basement. I miss when you'd come to lunch with my family after church on Sunday's. I miss when you'd text me and tell me you love me every single night before I go to sleep, no matter what you were doing. You don't do that anymore Mike." Carrie's eyes were full of tears now and she was doing her best not to let them fall.
"I'm sorry Carrie, I've just been busy." Mike sighed, running his hands through his hair.
"Well maybe you're just too busy for a girlfriend right now." Carrie muttered, looking down at the floor.
"Carrie please don't do this." Mike begged, stepping closer to her.
"You can't sit here and tell me you're happy with how this relationship is right now Mike. We don't ever see each other and when we do we're usually fighting. The chemistry just isn't there anymore Mike. We're seniors in high school and we're both about to go completely separate ways. I think we need to start the next chapter of our lives separately."
"We can make this work Carrie. I'll try harder, I'll-"
"You don't get it do you Mike? You shouldn't have to try harder. It shouldn't be such an effort. It should just happen. It's too much work for both of us and it's only going to get harder when the school year ends. It's just not meant to be anymore." Carrie was still fighting back tears as she looked at her boyfriend in front of her.
