The Last Straw in the Rain

“Okay,” I said helplessly. “I’ll try.” My voice was barely a whisper. I wasn’t sure I could help, but I had to try.

...

The next evening after school, I found Autumn. I waited for her by the bike racks, heart hammering in my chest. She showed up, headphones in, eyes distant.

“Can I talk to you?” I said quietly. She pulled out one earbud, looking at me with mild annoyance. “What is it?”

Autumn looked a little impatient, but still followed me aside. We stood by the old oak tree, out of earshot from the others. The air between us felt heavy.

“What is it?” Her tone was flat, uninterested. I took a deep breath.

I hesitated for a moment: I shuffled my feet, searching for the right words. “Aunt Maria asked me to try to talk to you.”

“Aunt Maria asked me to try to talk to you.” Her eyes narrowed. She crossed her arms, waiting.

“Autumn, I know you probably don’t care what I say, but I still want to tell you: no one’s stopping you from dating, but the SATs are coming up. Just hang in there a little longer—wait until after the test, okay?” I tried to sound reasonable, but my voice shook. I just wanted her to listen, even for a second.

Autumn sneered: She rolled her eyes, scoffing. “Noah, when did you start sounding like them?”

“Mind your own business.” Her words hit like a slap. She turned to leave, but I couldn’t let her go—not yet.

She was about to leave. I reached out, grabbing her sleeve, desperate.

I thought of Autumn’s mom’s red, swollen eyes and couldn’t help but grab her sleeve, almost begging: “Autumn!” My voice cracked. I didn’t care how pathetic I sounded. I just wanted her to hear me.

Mason came over from behind, slinging his arm around Autumn’s neck. He appeared out of nowhere, possessive, glaring at me like I was the enemy.

He smirked at me: “Noah, are you pretending to talk her out of it for her mom, but actually trying to break us up?” He stepped closer, voice dripping with sarcasm. I clenched my fists, trying to stay calm.

“Let me guess,” he leaned closer, a flash of malice in his eyes; He was so close I could smell the mint on his breath. “You like her, don’t you?”

“You like her, don’t you?” He said it loud enough for Autumn to hear, daring me to deny it.

I panicked, lost for words. My face went red. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

Mason grinned at Autumn: “I was right, wasn’t I? I told you your childhood friend had an ulterior motive.” He squeezed her shoulder, grinning like he’d won something.

“Autumn, what do you think? If you like him too, I can step aside for you.” He laughed, but there was no humor in it. Autumn just glared at me.

Autumn shot me a cold look, her eyes full of pride and disgust. Her lips curled in a sneer. “Don’t make me sick,” she said.

Her words hit harder than any punch. I felt my chest tighten, breath catching. I stood there, feeling like I’d fallen into an ice-cold abyss.

The world seemed to tilt. I wanted to disappear.

My heart ached in a way I couldn’t describe, but I still wanted to pull her back. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to speak. “Mason, if you really care about her, you shouldn’t hold her back.”

Hoarsely, I said, “Mason, if you really care about her, you shouldn’t hold her back.”

“You know how important the SATs are.” I tried to sound strong, but my voice shook.

Mason narrowed his eyes, holding Autumn close: He pulled her closer, eyes hard. “Do you think I’m holding you back?”

“Do you think I’m holding you back?” He stared me down, daring me to say yes.

“How about I break up with you, and you go to college with him?” He said it with a mocking grin, like it was all a joke.

Autumn shoved me hard. She pushed me away, her eyes blazing.

Her eyes were full of impatience and disgust: “Enough, Noah. Just because I don’t say anything, you really think you’re something special!”

She spat the words out, voice trembling with anger.

“Ignore him, he’s just crazy!” she said to Mason. She turned away, clinging to Mason like I was a stranger.

Mason glanced at me, his eyes full of contempt. He didn’t bother to hide his disdain. I felt smaller than ever.

Then, right in front of me, he pulled Autumn into a deep kiss. I watched, frozen, as they kissed. It felt like the world was ending.

I felt all the color drain from my face. I said firmly: My voice was barely a whisper. “Autumn, you’ll regret this.”

Autumn sneered. She pulled away from Mason, eyes cold. “Regret?”

“I’ll never regret it.” She said it like a promise, her voice hard as steel.

That night, I went home and locked myself in my room. I threw my backpack on the floor, collapsed onto my bed, and stared at the ceiling. The walls felt like they were closing in.

I looked up at the shelf on my wall, cluttered with things. Old trophies, science fair ribbons, photos of happier times. My eyes landed on one thing in particular.

Among them was a model Autumn had given me for my birthday last year. It was a spaceship model—something I’d wanted for years but could never afford. She knew me better than anyone.

It was a model I really liked, but it was too expensive, so I’d never bought it. She must have saved for months. I remembered the way she grinned when she handed it to me, eyes shining.

She spent all her Christmas money and worked for three months to buy it. When she gave it to me, her eyes sparkled like they were filled with stars. She bounced on her toes, waiting for my reaction. “Do you like it?”

“Do you like it?” I’d nodded, too choked up to speak. She just laughed and hugged me.

On the card beside it, she wrote: Her handwriting was neat, a little loopy. I traced the words with my finger, remembering how close we used to be.

“Hope Noah is always happy!”

Looking at those words, my eyes suddenly burned. The tears came before I could stop them. I pressed my fist to my mouth, trying to hold it together.

I couldn’t understand how someone could change so completely, so quickly. It felt like I’d lost her overnight. The girl I loved was gone, replaced by someone I didn’t recognize.

She really liked Mason. She liked him so much that everyone else became nothing in her eyes.

...

I didn’t expect Autumn to come find me the next day. She caught me after class, lingering by my locker. Her eyes were uncertain, softer than before.

“Noah, I thought about it. I really went too far yesterday.” She looked down, scuffing her shoe against the floor. “Let’s talk again. I want to apologize to you in person.”

The next day was the state physics competition. I had prepared for it for a long time, and if I did well, I might get a guaranteed admission. I’d spent months studying, running practice problems until my brain hurt. Autumn used to help me, quizzing me late into the night. Now it was just me.

This was something I had prepared for together with Autumn—she used to be the one coaching me. Her notes were still tucked in my binder, reminders of better days.

But now, only I was left. The empty seat beside me felt heavier than any textbook.