Angie sat on the side of the peer, dangling her feet in the water, teasing the fish that would occasionally bite at the ends of her sandals. She watched the sunset thinking of everything, and nothing.

Her breathing slowed as her mind transported her away from the moment. She thought about her trip in the fall. How different things would be. How much she would miss her hometown that was Key West, her house, her family, and Cameron. She hadn’t told him about her leaving.

Angie went over in her head the many ways she would break the news to him. It was terrifying, having to tell her best friend that they wouldn’t be about to say good morning and goodnight face to face everyday anymore. But her future was changing everything.

“Heyy”.

“Hey”.

“I bought us some ice-cream”, Cameron said as he placed a caramel covered cone in her hand.

“Thanks”, Angie said, sort of sighing the word.

Cameron put a bored look on his face.

“What’s up”?

“I’ve been thinking”.

“Thinking…”?

“Thinking. Well not thinking, actually yes thinking. But not the pondering sort of thinking, more of the thinking where I’m doing something already I plan on doing and I’ve been thinking about”.

“Oh…well is there something happening you need to te-“‘.

“I’m leaving”.

“What? Oh”.

“I’m leaving. I’m leaving Key West and I’m scared to leave and I was scared to tell you, but now you know and…yeah”.

“Where are you going?”, Jamie said blankly.

“Scotland…I’m studying there”.

“Wow”.

“Are you mad”?

“Mad? No. How can I be mad about you going on and living life? I knew there was always going to be a day where…”, his voiced wavered as he tried to hold back tears, “where you or I would leave here and we would be separated. I just never truly accepted the fact”.

Cameron laughed at himself as a tear rolled down his cheek. He looked away from Angie.

She placed her hand on his. “Tell me what your thinking”.

“Angie…”, He looked into her ocean blue eyes.

“I know what you’re thinking. And…I’ve been thinking about it too…but more of the pondering type of thinking”, Angie said with a crooked smile.

Cameron looked at her with a fleeting hopefulness.

“But you know we can’t…be together”.

A long silence filled the air.

“I know”.

Another long silence.

“Cameron”?

“Yes”?

“I’m scared”.

“Oh Angie…” He put her hands in his and got her to her feet, “This is your future, not fear. And although those two things go hand in hand, they don’t have to for you”.

She nodded and broke out sobbing. Cameron held her until the sun melted into the sea.