Your Best Friend From Birth Rejected You At Graduation Dinner?

[#1 THE KNOCK]

Ah yes... graduation.....After what felt like an eternity of homework, exams, sleepless nights, group projects where one person somehow contributed absolutely nothing, cafeteria food that looked like it violated several laws of nature, and enough pop quizzes to make anyone question reality... you finally made it.

You—and your childhood friend, Seraphina “Sera” Ashbourne—had officially graduated from high school! To celebrate, both of your families met at a popular hibachi restaurant. The chefs tossed shrimp through the air with impossible precision, onion volcanoes erupted into towering pillars of flame, and laughter echoed throughout the restaurant.

For a while... everything was perfect....Until Aunt Lisa—your mother’s lifelong best friend and Sera’s mother—brought up the same topic she’d joked about for years.

Aunt Lisa: “So... now that you two are finally adults...”

Your mother immediately joined in, laughing about how nice it’d be if the two of you eventually got married.

Normally, Sera would groan and brush it off, normally, you’d awkwardly laugh.

But not tonight....years of bottled-up frustration finally reached their breaking point.

Sera stood up.....her voice echoed across the restaurant as she declared she’d never marry you.

She called you an annoying, clingy puppy who still believed a childish promise your parents had made years ago. (me personally, I wouldn’t take that.) She accused you of feeding into their fantasy instead of shutting it down and made it painfully clear that she’d rather choose her own future than have one picked for her.

The restaurant fell silent, even the chef stopped cooking (damn, thats crazy)....you didn’t argue, you didn’t defend yourself, you simply lowered your head and stared at your phone. (#Fairs)

The rest of dinner passed in uncomfortable silence....by the time everyone went home... the childish dream you’d quietly carried since you were little had finally died.

Two weeks later came move-in day.....by sheer coincidence... your dorm room ended up directly across the hallway from Sera’s, you almost laughed at the irony, that feeling disappeared almost immediately.

Sera stood outside her room laughing with a much older student. Tall. Broad shoulders. The kind of guy who looked like he lived in the campus gym.

The moment she noticed you, your eyes met, you quickly looked away....there was no point making things awkward, her boyfriend apparently disagreed.

He loudly mocked you from across the hallway, accusing you of staring before proudly announcing that Sera would never date “a loser like you.”

Sera opened her mouth, seemingly ready to say something...most likely to make the situation even worse.

...but before another word could be spoken, you’d already carried your final box inside, the dorm door quietly shut.

Click.

And with it... so did that chapter of your life.

⸻

The semester came and went....You stopped trying to speak with Sera, Different classrooms, different lunch breaks, different study spots.

If the two of you happened to cross paths, a polite nod was enough before continuing in opposite directions.

It wasn’t hatred.....it was acceptance.

⸻

Halfway through the semester, Sera reluctantly left a small gift on your desk after class, it wasn’t because she’d finally worked up the courage to apologize....her mother had simply insisted she should.

Unfortunately... her boyfriend noticed, convinced you were trying to steal his girlfriend, he confronted you outside one of the academic buildings and threw the first punch.

The fight was over almost as quickly as it started, despite his intimidating appearance, he folded the moment someone fought back.

Campus security separated the two of you, both received disciplinary warnings.

+Sera watched the entire thing happen, for the first time... she realized the consequences of everything that had happened since graduation.*

⸻

Eventually... the semester ended, Sera’s relationship slowly fell apart. Without the excitement of something new, all that remained were arguments, jealousy, and constant insecurity....when the breakup finally happened... it hurt...not because she’d lost him....because she’d finally admitted to herself who she’d actually been thinking about all semester.

You....(it’s as if it’s her fault!)

She began trying to repair the friendship she’d destroyed. Small conversations, awkward attempts at humor, occasional acts of kindness disguised as irritation. She wanted to apologize, she just never found the courage to actually say the words....basically she was a tsundere.....unfortunately for her, life hadn’t stopped moving.

⸻

During the months that followed, you slowly built a new circle of friends and gradually settled into university life. The days became easier, the campus started feeling like home, and little by little, you stopped looking back.

By the time Sera finally realized how much she’d missed having you in her life... you had already moved on.

⸻

Now... the first semester has officially ended. It’s the weekend before Thanksgiving break.

Oddly enough, the university decided to extend the holiday from one week to two....even stranger... snow had arrived weeks earlier than anyone expected.

Outside your dorm window, the campus was covered beneath a fresh blanket of white. Students wandered across the snowy pathways bundled in heavy coats while maintenance crews struggled to keep the sidewalks clear.

Inside your dorm, however, everything was quiet. A game console sat beneath your television.

A bag of chips rested on your desk, a blanket was draped over your chair....for once... there wasn’t much to worry about.

Your phone suddenly buzzed.

Mom: “Don’t forget Thanksgiving dinner! Your father’s coming this year, so don’t even think about making excuses!”

Looks like you’re going. (FUCK)

[#2 THE CELEBRATION BEFORE THE STORM]

The graduation celebration was in full swing!

The hibachi grill roared to life as towering flames shot several feet into the air, causing a few nearby kids to cheer while everyone else instinctively leaned back. The chef spun his spatulas like they belonged in an action movie before effortlessly launching shrimp across the table. Some family members caught them... others definitely didn’t.

Your father missed his completely.

“Five second rule!” he confidently declared before your mother immediately smacked the back of his head.

The table erupted into laughter....for once... everything actually felt normal. (foreshadowing)

Your families had known each other for years, so conversations flowed naturally between both sides of the table. Stories about childhood vacations, embarrassing school moments, and old neighborhood memories bounced back and forth while plates steadily filled with steak, fried rice, noodles, vegetables, and enough butter to make a cardiologist shed a tear. (there CAN’T be that much butter son😭✌️)

Aunt Lisa proudly pulled out an old photo album she’d somehow brought with her.

Aunt Lisa: “Look how adorable they were!”

Within seconds, everyone’s attention shifted toward pictures of you and Sera as children.....Matching Halloween costumes, elementary school field trips, birthday parties and a blurry picture where the two of you somehow managed to fall into the neighborhood pond at the exact same time.(Embarrassing)

Your father laughed so hard he nearly choked on his drink.

Your Father: “You cried because your ice cream melted before you even took a bite!”

“You weren’t supposed to remember that!”

The teasing only got worse, every embarrassing childhood story imaginable suddenly became public knowledge.

Meanwhile, Sera quietly buried her face in one hand, already sensing exactly where the conversation was heading...unfortunately... her instincts were right.(GOD DAMN IT)

Aunt Lisa smiled mischievously before resting her chin on her folded hands.

Aunt Lisa: “So... now that you two are finally adults...”

Your mother immediately lit up.

Your Mother: “Wouldn’t they make such a cute couple?”*

Several relatives chuckled, Someone even muttered, “I’ve been waiting for this conversation.”

You awkwardly rubbed the back of your neck, Sera let out the deepest sigh you’d ever heard.

The chef looked up from the grill....Even he seemed invested now. (NOSEY ASS MOTHER FU-)

The sizzling of the food suddenly became the loudest sound in the restaurant...

[#3 THE WORST MOVE IN DAY]

Move-in day was supposed to be exciting, Fresh start. New campus. New people. A chance to leave high school behind and finally start your own life.

Your parents helped unload the last of your boxes before saying their goodbyes, leaving you standing in the hallway of Residence Hall B with a keycard in one hand and a stack of boxes balanced in the other.

Room B-214.

Home... for the next four years.

You adjusted the box in your arms and started walking down the hallway, passing open dorm rooms where families laughed, roommates introduced themselves, and nervous freshmen tried figuring out how two people were somehow supposed to live in the same tiny room.

Eventually, you reached your door....Only to notice the room directly across from yours was already occupied. (FUUUUUCKKK)

Seraphina Ashbourne....of all the people on campus...it just had to be her.

She was leaning against the doorway of her dorm, laughing at something a much older student had said. He was easily over six feet tall, broad-shouldered, and built like someone who spent more time in the campus gym than in class. One arm rested comfortably around Sera’s waist while the other held one of her bags as if it weighed nothing.

for just a second, your eyes met, neither of you spoke, you simply gave a small nod before looking away and focusing on your own room, there wasn’t much else to say.

You slid your keycard through the reader and pushed the door open, beginning to carry your belongings inside.

Behind you, a voice cut through the hallway.

???: “Hey.”

You paused.

???: “You got a problem?”

You turned just enough to see Sera’s boyfriend staring directly at you.

Chad: “You’ve been looking over here an awful lot.”

You blinked.

Chad: “Relax,” he scoffed with a laugh. “Trust me, she wouldn’t date some loser like you.”

The hallway suddenly became much quieter, a few nearby students glanced over before pretending they hadn’t heard anything.

Sera looked between the two of you. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something...maybe to embarrass you even more..

...but before she could, you’d already picked up the last of your boxes, without saying a single word, you walked into your dorm....the door slowly closed.

Click.

That single sound echoed louder than it should have.

welp....at least you have the 5th son of Sony....(PlayStation 5)