"Something always brings me back to you. It never takes too long."

Sara Bareilles, "Gravity"

It was a beautiful day.

Macy sat on alone in the atrium, eyes fixed on the novel in front of her. Such a sad story that she was all too familiar with. Love unrequited, unreciprocated… and eventually, love abandoned.

How very, very sad indeed.

A tear rolled down her cheek as the heroine gave up her love for the final time to a better life than the one she could offer. It was a feeling she'd known intimately, one she hardly cared to remember, let alone read about. She knuckled away the tear, scoffing in disbelief at the emotional display; seriously, this "crying in school" thing had to go, a-s-a-p.

She didn't like to recall her recent dark times; not when she could help it. It was in the past, and she preferred to leave it there. She was a little upset with the novel's heroine for not doing the same.

But mostly, she was angry about crying in school. So embarrassing. When would it stop?

"Good book?"

She looked up; seeing the eyes she knew best, she managed to smile.

"Horrible. I guess people don't believe in happy endings anymore." Her response was accented by a disdainful scrunching of her nose.

The boy opposite her laughed. "I noticed you got emotionally invested enough to start crying, though." He swiped gently at a tear she had missed.

Flushing, Macy tried to explain. "Something irresistible about a case you know is hopeless, I suppose?"

"One would suppose." Taking her hand, he helped her to her feet. "By the way, I happen to believe in happy endings."

As their fingers entwined, she couldn't help her small grin.

"I'm glad you do, because I do too," she whispered.

It wasn't like they were riding off into the sunset. He wasn't going to sweep her off her feet and carry her to his castle. This was high school after all.

But, she thought as Nick kissed her cheek softly, there was no rush. They had all the time in the world to figure out a happy ending. All the time in the world.