With Indigo now soundly inside our house, Noah turned to me and asked what had me so entranced. I had been doing that mile-long stare for a while now. It used to only happen periodically when I thought upon our futures for a little too long, but these days, it was hard to catch me not completely swallowed by the void mid-conversation.

Del Sol Valley. That’s where I would be headed in the next few days. It had been a big shock when I received my admissions decision; not only had I got into one of the most competitive drama programs in the country, I had received a near full tuition scholarship as well. My dad had helped me figure out what I would need for the move and had my bulkier items shipped in advance for my dorm. I would be following them shortly after on the plane ride.

Alone.

While I would be pursuing a degree in performing arts at Del Sol University, Noah would be studying fine arts with a concentration in visual arts at the San Myshuno Institute of Arts. His acceptance letter came in only a day before mine. I added another item on my list of why August sucked: it was when I would be forced to leave my boyfriend behind to go to colleges 3,000 miles apart.

Okay, so I wasn’t really being forced; the reality was that this was my dream. I had been doing school plays since middle school, and from the very first time I got a standing ovation while playing Maria from West Side Story, I knew that I wanted to live in that feeling forever. Becoming someone else on the stage, breathing life into the dialogue, bringing the audience to tears; it felt like I had been made for this. And Del Sol Valley was ground zero for the acting industry. If I wanted to make the best connections, book the best auditions, and live in the best atmosphere for what I hoped would become my career, there was no better place than that sunny, west-coast city where stars were born.

It was similar to how Noah felt about San Myshuno. The Institute was nestled right in the heart of the Arts Center, which had a long history of breeding the most notable creatives in the country, from the historical SanMy Renaissance of the early 20^th century, to the rise of street art in the 80s and 90s, to the recently popularized minimalist styles of this century. He would be taking courses instructed by some of the most notable visual artists of the day learning both classical painting with oils, watercolors, and acrylics, and his preferred medium of graphite sketch. I was so happy that he was getting such a huge opportunity, but undeniably heartbroken that it meant we would be living on two sides of the country for most of the year. We’d agreed to stay together; long-distance wasn’t ideal, but neither of us could see not being together anymore. Our love was too perfect to throw away at the first bump in the road. But of course, it still scared me, and it was hard not to let that fear take over especially now that our final days were upon us.

Noah’s soft, warm lips pressed against my cheek brought me back. He had been amazing these past few months, wasting no time to make every moment count. It made my heart ache a little again to think about what a perfect life I was leaving behind. But I also feel warm in his arms. We were gonna make it through this.

Indigo returned after that, carrying not only three beers, but her new camera. It had been a graduation present from our dad and an upgrade from the cheaper digital camera she’d used for her photography club activities up to that point. As psyched as she was to use it, she’d also been extremely careful, afraid of tragedy striking and destroying it before she even moved in to her dorm. She set it down gingerly on the table and then handed us each a bottle.

Ivy: I’m surprised to see you handling that around liquid. I thought you’d keep it in the case for the next four years just out of sheer nerves.

Indigo: Ha ha. I figured it would be a shame not to use it at least once before we leave. I want to get some good shots of us all as we were before college to look back on when we’re graduating.

Noah: What a concept. Actually using your camera to take pictures. [chuckles]

Indigo: On second thought, you can leave.

Noah: You can’t kick me out.

Indigo: It’s my house.

Ivy: And mine.

Indigo: [rolling her eyes] Details, details. You want a nice picture to post to your Simstagram’s or not?

Ivy: [giggling] Alright, alright, set up your camera already.