Every “Ocean’s Heart,” day—which is what we call a beach holiday—our whole town comes together, we bake cookies, bring food and random trinkets to play with… and each house has a bowl, you can write whatever you want it in. This year, all of my friends and family, gathered around eating cookies and started to write our letters for my bowl—for me to read. Each house had a bowl, assigned to each person.

My friend group of 3 girls—including me, sat together in a wide circle with others.

“What if you have a love letter?” Mia—my

redheaded best friend—whispered.

“OO! Maybe from Josh?” Aurora, my other Bestfriend chimed in. Aurora was the model in our friend group, she looked like she’d be on a famous TV show—oh wait—she was.

“Shhh.” They were being too loud—or I was too paranoid.

Later that night, our trio had a sleepover, and we looked at all of them.

“I found it!” Aurora said, pointing to the sky and jumping up from the ground.

 “Lemme see!” I pleaded. 

The three of us gathered around.

“I’m glad I met you. But I can’t be friends with you anymore…. I found a girlfriend. I know you’d be glad! Now you don’t have to deal with me anymore! So I wanted to tell you this way, that way you had time to think. Let me know when you see this.”

_Signed Josh. _ Tears rush down my face. “Honey,” Mia says, as both girls wrap me in a hug. “I just can’t believe this. I thought—that maybe he liked me?” “That jerk! He played you!” Aurora cried. “I can’t believe it,” Mia mumbled, hand on her chin. My tears started blurring my eyes. “Why do I care?” “Why do you care?” Aurora whispered kindly. “I like him,” I said, finally admitting it myself. “You just now realized this?” Mia said softly. “Yes. But he has a girlfriend!” I halfheartedly say, with false jazz hands. “Let’s look through these other notes.” After a couple of minutes—and a couple, “Hm,” “Ha!” “Hmmmm,”s, Mia finally threads the silence. “Look!” Mia said excitedly. “What?” I wipe my tears. “A love note.”