Calvin didn't hesitate. "Sure, I don't mind."
The next morning, Amber woke to find the pillow beside her cold. Her routine felt oddly empty, as though something vital had slipped away. After washing up, she ate the wontons Florence had made for her and wrapped herself in a scarf.
She grabbed her canvas bag, dialing Calvin's number repeatedly, but his phone wouldn't connect. Frustration crept in as she tried again.
"Where are you? We agreed on this," she said, her voice trembling with quiet disappointment. She didn't finish the sentence, the hurt too raw to put into words.
"Sorry, Amber," Calvin's voice came through, distant and detached. "I promised Iris I'd go fishing with her today. She suddenly took a liking to fishing, of all things. I'll bring back some fish and make soup for you later."
In the background, Amber could hear Iris's cheerful voice, "Calvin, help me! I caught a big fish! You're going to love it today!"
Calvin's response was brief, almost dismissive. "Go to the high school by yourself. I can't make it."
Before Amber could protest, he hung up. She stood in the cold wind outside their old high school, her phone clutched tightly in her hand, her chest tightening. She wanted to scream, to demand that he see her, but instead, she swallowed her bitterness. She wouldn't ask for his attention anymore. Not after everything.
"It's fine," she whispered to herself. "I'm leaving soon anyway. I don't need your fish."
Her tears fell, but Amber wiped them away quickly. She had no more time for this, no more time for waiting. She pulled her suitcase behind her and walked towards the school gates.
At the entrance, she stopped a security guard. "Hello, sir. I graduated here and I'll be leaving Newark soon. Can I go in for one last look?"
The guard shook his head. "Sorry, miss. We don't allow outsiders on campus."
"Is there any way you could make an exception?" Amber asked, standing on tiptoe to peer through the small window in the gate.
The guard turned away without a word, leaving Amber with no choice but to leave.
Her shoulders sagged as she turned away from the gates. Another ending left incomplete. Another dream left unfulfilled. From any angle, their relationship had been doomed from the start. The beginning had been perfect, but that was all.