Eighteen. The year I hardly ever saw Hayley. Though I finished her red reptile-textured journal, I couldn't bring myself to start the ordinary green one. I wondered if she ever thought about me during our time away. In all honesty, she wasn't always on my mind. I was busy with my classes I was left with, considering Hayley was a year older me. She was out of school once I hit senior year.

I gathered enough strength and opened the green book, being greeted by different, yet familiar handwriting in black ink. It was none other than Hayley's handwriting.

Dear Taylor,

Hey. You haven't contacted me at all, since I left. Yeah, I understand you've got classes. Senior year is pretty intense. Well, I just wanna chat with my best friend. I miss you. I'm not in college, so you can always visit whenever.

I need to tell you something, Taylor. I actually have fallen for you. I never had the guts to tell you while in school. Or at all, really. But here I am, confessing to you (really, a silly journal) that I am in love with you. But, hey. If you don't like me, I get it. I don't wanna make anything awkward, y'know? I mean... whatever you want. I just wanted you to know that I am really digging you. Nothing is in it for me, I swear.

Gah, just writing this is awkward. This is awkward. All of this is awkward. I'm being awkward. Everything is just... awkward.

The passage only filled about half the page. There were a few scribbles in the margin of Hayley probably thinking, or testing if her pen had ink. There was also a few hearts drawn about the page. One held Hayley's handwriting, it saying:

T + H =

Next to it was cloud that held 'in my dreams' with a large X across it. I could tell Hayley had lost hope in us ever being an item.

I grabbed a pen that was nearby and began to write in the green notebook.

I miss you too, Hayley.