The Ninety-Ninth Goodbye

te High, our future perfectly mapped out for UCLA. But in our senior year, he fell for a new girl, Cata

th her. Jax dove in without a second's hesitation. He swam right past me

riends, he glanced back at me, my body shiv

ore," he said, his voice as cold

tered. I went home, opened my laptop, and cl

m, but to NYU, an e

pte

ana

Jax Little broke my he

hool' s mythology, spoken in the same breath since we were kids building forts in his backyard. We were childhood sweethearts, the quarterback and the dancer, a walking, talking

alifornia coast on a clear day. It was the way he moved, a casual confidence that bordered on arrogance, as if the world was his

above his eyebrow was from a fall off his bike when he was seven, and he knew the melody I hummed when I was nervous was from a lullaby my grand

or year, the perf

ike eyes and a story for every occasion. She was beautiful in a fr

er in this school," he'd said, his voice earnest. "Catalina is new here, having

mping onto my bed and burying his face in my pillow

g my fingers through his hair. "

so n

t" on her way to the library. Then he'd be late for our lunch dates beca

ation of his "duty." He' d wrap his arms around me, kiss my

volved into dismissive shrugs. His phone would buzz with her name, and he' d

embled and my hands were slick with sweat. "I can't

stargazers, his eyes filled with a panic I hadn't seen since we were fifteen and he t

ieved

atalina to a "family emergency" that turned out to be a forgotten p

romises and memories of our shared past. He reminded me of our

ca

once born of genuine pain, became empty pleas. And Jax, he learned. He learned that my threats w

a childish tantrum. "Ellie, relax," he'd say, his tone bored, as he

. I hadn't.

gering, bitter taste in my mouth. But this, the ninety-ninth, w

shimmering blue pool that reflected the string lights overhead. Catalina, in a ridiculousl

and met my gaze. There was no apology in his

ell. The cold water was a shock, my dress instantly heavy, pulling me down. I sputtered, try

st me. He wrapped his arms around Catalina, pulling her to the

ring, he glanced back at me, my hair p

ore," he said, his voice as cold

running down my cheeks in black rivers. I stood there, dripping and humili

the pitying and mocking stares of

he empty street as I walked ho

t was just another turn in our tired old dance. He pro

back once, and I saw him laughing, h

en clutching for years, finally shattered into dust. I

ety-nin

not be a o

walked straight to my laptop, my fingers moving with a clarity that felt foreign. I opened the

my application status, my acceptance letter glowin

nizing over, suddenly felt like a sign from the universe. They had wanted m

ed the

ppeared. "Welcome to

den film of tears. But these weren't tears of heartbreak

ge. I untagged myself from years of photos on social media. I took down the framed pictures

m our freshman year, the dried corsage from our first prom, the little silver locket with our init

should have. It held the we

me at a carnival when we were ten. I held it for a momen

eyes by the pool. Your li

r into the box an