This is the short story I had to write for my portfolio Senior year of high school. I still love it. Please enjoy it.





“Are you sure you don’t want to come? It’ll be fun, Julia. I think you need to get out some more.” Tina replied to her best friend, packing her bag over her shoulder. She adjusted it to a more comfortable position.

Her blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her clothing was the official uniform of their school. It consisted of a buttoned down baby blue blouse and plaid blue and black skirt with brown shoes to finish.

Tina pulled her hair out of the ponytail before looking at her friend again. “It’ll be a fun party; I don’t see why you won’t come. I mean, we’ve almost graduated!” Tina squealed in delight, putting her hands together.

Julia simply shook her head. “No, no. I have too much studying to worry about, especially for final exams next month. If I don’t start studying now then I never will.” Her light brown hair blocked her eyes and Tina couldn’t see her friend’s expression. “Besides, parties haven’t ever been my thing.” She pulled her backpack onto her shoulders, standing up from her desk. She started to walk out of the room before Tina could murmur another word.

Julia knew she had to walk away or Tina would see her cry again. Julia didn’t want her friend to see her like that, so leaving was the only option. She pushed through the crowd of her college mates, the loud conversations around her almost blocking out her own thoughts.

‘If only they would, if only I could forget what this time of the year reminds me of.’ Julia thought to herself as she escaped the crazed cloud of students. She walked down the path between trees and bushes to her own dorm room, a place of silence and seclusion for the young girl.

Julia unlocked the door, going inside and locking the door back. She threw her bag onto her bed and sat down in her chair. Looking up at the opposite wall, she saw what she never wanted to see again. It was the day’s date of May 15th. As soon as she looked at the calendar, the tears leaked from her eyes and she couldn’t hold it back. They fell down her face like a small flowing river; her hands pushed into her eyes, but it did no good. They leaked through, falling onto the floor, leaving a small puddle of salty tears in their wake. Julia tried as hard as she could to forget the memories that began to haunt her.

A young man filtered into her mind. His blond hair blew in the breeze of her memory; his beautiful green eyes looked straight into her blue orbs. His black jacket and blue undershirt complemented his figure. His casual blue jeans were worn and torn from past events, but it took nothing away from his appearance. To Julia, he was the most perfect being on the planet. She felt the warm touch of his hand to her cheek; the moist feeling left on her lips after his tenderly kissed her goodbye. His figure disappeared as he walked away; her hand outstretched to him, pleading for him to return. His expression was melancholy and sad, but he continued his path away from her.

“Why…please tell me why. Edward, why did you leave me?” Julia had fallen back onto her bed, hugging her pillow to her face. Her body shook with sobs Julia just didn’t even bother fighting anymore.

It had been a year since her long time boyfriend, Edward Campbell, had left her there at Transylvania University. They had been dating for almost their whole lives, ever since they had first met on the first day of 4th grade. Julia had been by herself, not going to the same school as her neighborhood friends. She kept to herself as she went about her day until recess. Some 5th graders decided that she was an easy target to steal and pick on so they bullied her for her lunch money. Julia wasn’t a normal girl and told them, straight forward, that they weren’t going to get it. They shoved her into the gate, one of them holding her down while his buddy searched her pockets. Before Julia could say stop, a fist landed on the guy holding her down and he flew into the ground a short distance away. Looking to the person who was truly her savior a smile spread across her face in gratitude. The boy had dirty blonde hair and bright green eyes. Right now, they were filled with anger and Julia had been glad that she wasn’t on the receiving end of the look. The fifth grader took a step back, obviously surprised by the other boy’s appearance.

“Hey, Edward, what are you doin? I’m trying to get me some money here.” He told him, almost in a friendly voice. “Help a buddy and hold her down for me.”

The blonde haired boy that Julia now knew as Edward scoffed. “Are you kidding? Why the hell are you trying to pick on a defenseless girl? As far as I’ve seen all day, she hasn’t bothered you at all.”

“I just want her money. Why are you making it sound like I want more than that?” the fifth grader walked over to his friend, helping him stand. “Forget it. I’m not about to start something bigger than this.” He walked away over to the other side of the playground.

Julia took released her held breath as Edward turned to her. His face was completely different now. His green eyes looked at her with kindness and concern. “You aren’t hurt, are you? I could take you to the nurse.”

The girl realized that he had spied the gash on her arm caused by the broken part of the gate. She smiled nonchalantly, “It's okay, I’m fine. No need to go see the nurse.” She paused. “Thank you, Edward.” Julia blushed. “Sorry, I know I don’t really know you.”

Edward laughed. It wasn’t a loud laugh, but more of an amused chuckle. “It’s fine.” He looked toward where the teachers gathered closer to the school. The boy noticed that they were too busy gossiping to even notice what had transpired just moments before. They started to call their students back into the school and Julia immediately started back to the building. Edward caught up with her. “So, you know my name, what’s yours?”

Julia’s face flushed again. His voice sounded very cool and calm, almost as if he’d known her forever. It was almost as smooth as honey. “Julia. Julia Thompson.”

“Well, then its nice to meet you Julia. I am Edward Campbell.” His mouth formed into a smirk. “I guess I could also be called your first friend here.”

Julia smiled back at him as they entered the school. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Julia Thompson and Edward Campbell, after that fateful day, were never separated again. It was as if an invisible link connected the two since you’d never see one without the other. Entering middle school, they were already dating and by high school, Julia already knew that Edward was to be her fated one, the person that she would spend the rest of her life with. As much as it sounded cliché, Edward was Julia’s prince; her knight in brilliant armor. He promised to always be there for her and to never leave her. The boy had even given her a promise ring, so when they became of age, he could marry her in a proper way. It would also prove to everyone else that she was his and that he was hers.

College was something drastically different than Julia or Edward anticipated. They attended the same college, of course, but it was such a hectic time in their life that she didn’t get to see him that often or even at all. Her feelings did not change during this time; she loved him with all of her heart and with all of her soul. Edward, on the other hand, seemed to be drifting away. He would seem to overlook plans that they made through phone calls or completely forget to return her messages. Julia didn’t understand what was going on. What about his promise to her? Didn’t it mean anything? Why was he avoiding her? Julia confronted him one day, the fated May 15th, after his classes were over.

“Edward.” She tried to sound stern, but her voice came out weak and sad. He had tried to avoid her when walking out of his class, but she had persisted on them talking and he had finally agreed. They now stood in a corner of an abandoned hallway. Julia looked up to Edward’s green eyes, ones that searched around the hall, looking anywhere but at her. “Why have you been shunning me? If something is wrong, you can talk to me. You should know this by now-”

She didn’t get to finish her sentence. Edward had brought his face down to her and kissed her. Her plan to figure out what had been going on with him disappeared. His kiss deepened and it took everything Julia had not to pull away to take a breath. Eventually, Edward stepped back, ending the kiss. He gazed straight into her eyes and it wasn’t until he spoke that Julia realized he was crying.

“I’m sorry, Julia. I’m…sorry.” Edward kept repeating the same small sentence until Julia placed her hand on his cheek, trying to calm him. He grabbed her hand, kissing it and holding it, just to prove to himself that she was real. “I…I haven’t been faithful to you, Julia.”

Julia was taken aback, but didn’t move from her spot. ‘Faithful? What does he mean…? He didn’t go somewhere with someone else, did he? Edward wouldn’t do that. No, it was just impossible!’ Julia’s mind raced, trying to figure out what he was talking about.

“I told you that I would never leave your side, but I am.” Edward’s voice was almost a whisper. “I…I’ve enlisted into the Air Force, Julia. I’m going to help in the war.”

The girl didn’t realize what he meant until she thought about it. The war in Iraq was what her love was referring to. It had nothing to do with another girl or anything like that. How could she even have thought such a thing? She looked up to him, his tears now staining his cheeks.

“Edward, why are you crying? I think it’s an honorable thing to do.” Julia spoke and Edward, for the first time in almost three months, looked straight into her blue eyes. “It’s your own decision and I will not stop you from doing something you desire.” She smiled softly. “Just always remember that I’ll be right here waiting for you when you return, my love.”

Julia wrapped her arms around him in an embrace and he returned it. She never realized how much that she had missed his warmth, his touch. Edward pulled away from her, their hands untwining at the last minute. He walked away from her and with the sight of Edward leaving her, the warm tears finally fell down her face. She would not call for him and she couldn’t stop him.

‘I love you, Edward Campbell. Please return to me…someday.’

A sudden knock on Julia’s dorm room door knocked her out of her memories and she jerked up, wiping the tears from her face. The knock continued until Julia called out to them. “I’m coming! I’m coming!” She stood up and opened the door. Tina stood there, her expression softened at the appearance of her friend.

“Julia…” Her friend started to say but stopped before grabbing Julia’s wrist. “You know that Edward would not want you to be sitting around here moping and crying about him leaving. That much I know about him.” Tina insisted as she dragged her friend out of the dorms and across the street. Julia soon heard the pop music playing, the bass ringing in her ears.

Tina took her into the college’s smallest gymnasium and as soon as the door opened, Julia swore that she’d never hear again. The music was insanely loud and everyone in the building was trying to scream to talk to each other over it. Tina kept on dragging Julia through the crowd, the girl apologizing to everyone she ran into, though she doubted they even saw her in the first place. Tina eventually stopped in the middle of the room, pulling the microphone from the holder.

“QUIET!” she shouted, the walls vibrated with her voice. It was silent an instant afterward; so quiet that you could’ve heard a pin dropped. “Now, let me introduce the Guest of Honor! Julia Thompson, a Senior here at Transylvania University!” The crowd uproared with applause and thousands of cheers. Tina continued on after the crowd had quieted down for the most part. “Now…please make room for my second Guest of Honor. He has been a student here at Transylvania for four years and after making his triumphant return to the states just last week, he has come back to school to graduate!”

Julia’s eyes widened and she turned to the entrance where she and Tina had entered only moments before. Music started to play in the background and Julia recognized it as one of her favorite songs.











Her heart raced as Tina finished introducing the man walking into the door. The crowd’s noise was not reaching her ears and nothing in the room could take her eyes away from the person standing just inside the door. The spotlight shone on him and he seemed to glitter. Julia broke out in a run, unable to keep her feet planted anymore.

‘It’s him! He’s real! Edward…Edward…he’s home!’ Julia’s mind scrambled her thoughts as his name continued to bounce around. She formed her own path through the crowd and found her way straight into Edward’s arms. He scooped her up and she hugged him as tightly as she could around his neck. Tears of joy ran down her face. “Please…please…let this be real. Just let it be real.” She blubbered through her sobs.

Edward’s honey-like voice, the one she remembered so well, spoke to her for the first time in a year. “It’s real, Julia. I’m home.” That was all it took. Edward pulled the girl close to him and they kissed under the spotlight together. The crowd around them cheered and carried on, but the only thing clear to Julia was that Edward was with her and that her favorite song had lead him back home.

















Copyright to Mimori Kiryu of Mercury Ice. If you are a guest viewing this, please take the time to register.