"You know, it's not too late to change your mind," Hannah tries to convince me to stay one last time. I let out a little laugh as my head falls to the side. Red lines etch across the white of her eyes as she fights back the tears. She'll make me cry for the millionth time too. My side of the dorm room is empty. I waited to unpack what was left before leaving. Now it's just bare, the memories fading away just like that. The others drove out now that the holiday craze had died. One last night with us all in the dorm room, with two pizza boxes already torn through.

"You'll be back," Ali starts as if trying to reassure herself. Her eyes are glossed over, and she tries to offer a saddened smile.

"This feels weird. Like really weird," Shane murmurs lowly, sitting at Hannah's desk chair. Derek's to his left, sitting on the edge of Hannah's bed, and Louis is on my own bed, despite the sheets stripped off. "I really didn't think we'd hang out again after that first party that we met. You were so shy and quiet. Little did I realise how close we'd become," Shane's words make me swallow hard. My throat is tight, and my body is weak. I have to limit eye contact with them all to avoid another breakdown.

"I don't even know if we'll still be able to go on holiday to my family cabin every Winter. You're leaving. We're graduating in a few months. We're all going our separate ways, at one point," Derek notes dryly.

"Not if we all make an effort to meet up still, and more than just one trip a year at that," Ali scoffs, fighting back the tears.

"We should keep that an annual thing, regardless of where life takes all of us. Even when we all go off and get married and have children," Hannah starts.

"Now you guys can say Hannah will be the first to get married and have children, considering she's been in a relationship longer than me," I laugh, my eyes flittering towards Louis.

"Yeah, it doesn't count. You two snuck around longer than she dated Ben. You still got her beat," Shane snorts. My cheeks heat up, and I can feel these nerves taking over.

"Shut up," I laugh.

"He has a point," Louis chuckles.

"Not helping."

"You two met over the Summer and hit it off then. Don't even," Ali giggles.

"Alright, don't make me overheat over here," I let out a small laugh.

"You know, I'm really going to miss the football games, and I didn't think I would. Now that the season is over, that's just gone too," Hannah sighs. "Nothing will feel the same anymore."

"Yeah, I'll admit, I loved watching you guys too and celebrating after," I add sheepishly, picking at my nails. I hate football, but I loved cheering on my closest friends.

"Yeah, it sucks that it's over. It sucks that we'll be missing one of our own, too," Derek's statement is heavy. My throat aches even more, and I'm trying so hard not to cry.

"I loved bombarding you at the coffee shop whenever you were reading. I know it got under your skin sometimes, but you loved it too," Shane gives a cheeky smile.

"Or how easily embarrassed you get over the smallest things," Derek chuckles.

"I loved that you were able to keep everyone's secrets the most, compared to certain blabbermouths in this group," Ali starts before Hannah snorts.

"You're the biggest blabbermouth of the group," Derek scoffs. I start to laugh as Shane is quick to agree.

"Shane's the worst. Ali second," I admit with a tiny laugh.

"Hey," Shane scoffs. "That is not true," he starts, but the others are too busy laughing. "Louis, tell them," Shane huffs, hand in the air.

"I agree with Megan on this one. You can't keep a secret for shit," Louis chuckles.

"Thank you," I smile happily, right before the dreaded alarm goes off. Everyone instantly goes silent, that alarm being the only sound. The alarm signals that it's time to leave.

This is it—my last few moments with them all. The room is suddenly void of any air at all. Hannah turns off the alarm, a distant look in her glossed-over eyes.

"I don't want to say goodbye," Hannah takes a shaky breath.

"I know," Ali gulps. I smile sadly, this pain lying dormant in my chest. I don't want to either, but it's time to go. "I'll miss you, Megs," she starts to cry, tackling me into a hug. I hold her back tight, this wretched feeling taking over me.

"I'll miss you too. All of you," I whisper before letting her go.

Shane offers a saddened smile next before pulling me into his warm embrace. He breathes out heavily, fighting off the saddened energy as well. My throat is tight as I slip away from him. Derek is next, and I swear I hold him the tightest. He holds me just as tight, and I don't want to let him go. I just want to thank him for that day when he believed me over Josh. I want to thank both of them for that. It didn't go as I thought it would. No, it went better. He leaves a stray kiss on my hair, and I feel even worse as I pull away.

The worst part is looking Hannah in the eyes once more. She's trying so hard not to cry, and I am on the verge of tears as well. We both just kind of laugh, pointlessly at that, before we hold each other next. She's the one person that's been around the longest. The one person that accepted us so easily when our parents first took in Jason and me. She's been through it all. Even if I tried to hide what went on behind the scenes of my relationship for so long, I trusted her more than anything. She holds me tight, and my shoulder becomes wet from her tears that break free. I never thought I'd walk away like this. I never even thought I would get the chance. Now I am, and I'm dreading being away from them all.

I said nothing good came out of London, but these five people did.

I finally let go as the second alarm goes off, the warning to really go. "Text us the moment you board and the moment you land," Hannah whispers.

"You better keep in contact every day. I mean it. And if you decide this whole thing is not for you, just come back. You know you'll have a place to stay at our flat...or Louis', which would make a little more sense," Shane utters. I let out a tiny laugh and nod my head. I let out a shaky breath and wring out my hands.

"I'll be back soon," I promise softly. I clear my throat as my eyes begin to blur once more. I turn to grab my last bag, but Louis picks it up for me before I have the chance. I smile weakly at him as he slings it over his shoulder, his hand falling to my lower back. "I love you guys," I get out weakly, looking between the others. Ali fully breaks, her hands covering her face, and it tears my heart up. Shane wraps his arm around her shoulders for some comfort. Hannah sniffles, wiping at her cheeks. I'm moments away from crying again as well. "Bye," I walk away, Louis following right in tow. They give a chorus of goodbyes back.

Then we're in the hall, and it feels like a piece of me is being left behind. I'm barely breathing and barely thinking straight. My throat aches, and there's a heaviness on my chest.

I don't want to leave them.

Getting to the airport is absolutely brutal. Louis helps me check in my luggage and walks me to the security gate, which will end it all. One last goodbye before I leave, just as painful as the others. The security gate taunts me, warning me of my last few moments with him.

I turn to face him, sadness hitting me hard as our eyes lock. The blue of his eyes appears more grey. More lost. "I don't know who's going to miss you more. Me, Mia or Finn," he teases, and I let out a tiny laugh. I have gotten closer to Mia in the last two months and have slept over so much that Finn has a routine when I'm there, centred around me. He started getting up when I did, laid lazily at my feet whenever I had a morning coffee and would wait by the door on certain days he expected me to come.

"Finn might beat you on that one," I let out a tiny laugh.

"Maybe when you move back, in a year, we'll be talking about moving in, and he'll absolutely love it," he chuckles, but he doesn't realise that I lost my breath at that statement—moving in together, in about a year. An awfully big step, especially for him, and my heart is in pieces because he's the one that mentioned it. I don't know how true that may be or if that would end up being five years from now. As I gaze into those blue eyes, my chest aches terribly.

"Louis," my voice cracks. More of these tears are threatening to come. My bottom lip trembles, but I try to smile. "You have probably been the best thing to come into my life; you know that, right?"

He laughs, his head falling a little. I collapse him into a hug, holding him tightly. His arms wrap around me, and I kiss him, tasting the salt of my tears. My head curls into his chest, and I keep holding him before a moment of realisation hits me. "And don't think you're getting away with paying for my hospital bill, either," I pull away, my hand gently tapping at his arm.

"I didn't," his eyebrows furrow, confusion genuinely laced into his features.

"Well, someone with your last name did, according to my parents," I give him a pointed look. His head shakes before his face just slowly drops. My chest tightens a little as I slowly start to realise too. I clear my throat and wipe at the tears on my cheeks. "Looks like he's trying to make something up to you," I whisper. His lips press together, and he looks down. My hand gently touches his chest, his eyes fixating back on mine. "You mean so much to me, and you don't even know it. I don't think I'd be able to live my life if it weren't for you. I'd probably still be with him, miserable and scared. I wouldn't have this opportunity that I have now or feel as close as ever to the others. I just...I...I love you," I breathe out.

"I love you too," he whispers, his hand cupping my cheek. Those words from him still choke me up. His thumb brushes away a stray tear before he kisses me once more, long and hard. I don't care if we're on display in front of others. I just want to feel close to him. Be with him. He holds me in another hug, holding me for what feels like an eternity. "You're the best thing to have happened to me as well. You brought me back to life after being so miserable and alone for so long. I didn't have any sort of hope until I met you," he whispers into my hair, leaving another soft kiss on top. Someone is just taking a hammer to my chest right about now. "Come back to me soon."

I slip out of his arms, a faint little laugh escaping me. I try to dry my cheeks once more, but it's useless. I'll be crying my whole way to New York and maybe the entire time I'm there. "I'll be back soon. I already can't wait for your first visit."

"Soon," he smiles. My chest is heavy as I smile back.

"Bye, Louis," I whisper. He doesn't say it back. He smiles sadly, and I watch him swallow. "Give Finn another kiss for me and tell Jace and Mia I'll see them soon as well."

"I will," he laughs. My hand strings along on him, a little longer like I'm too afraid to let go. Finally, I turn around and walk away, my emotions getting the best of me. I'm going to be a blubbering mess. I feel sorry for anyone who witnesses it.

The line isn't so long, waiting to go through security. The girl with blonde hair before me drops a couple of things, cursing at herself. I use it as a distraction, bending to help her grab her boarding pass and some other papers as she goes to gather her wallet.

"Thank you. I'm such a mess," she laughs as we go to stand. My eyes linger on her boarding pass, her first name instantly capturing my attention. Elena. That name, of all names. I swear my heart stutters in my chest, but it isn't her. It's not the one I've seen in the photos with brown hair and green eyes. No, this Elena looks closer to Mia, although her hair is cut short and is in a messy ponytail.

"No problem," I smile weakly, handing her boarding pass over.

"I couldn't stop watching you and your boyfriend over there, I've got to admit. You two looked so adorable together," she laughs sheepishly, her cheeks turning red. I swear there's an intense sting in my chest. "And the way he was looking at you. I wish I had something like that." That's it. I start to break, these tears getting away from me instantly. "Oh my god, I'm sorry," she apologises frantically.

I shake my head and swallow back some tears, pathetically wiping at my cheeks. I look back to find him still standing there, waiting for me to get through security. Her name just had to be Elena. That's just the universe playing games one more time before I leave.