"Hey, Gemma!" A voice called out from behind. I turned around to see Ivan waving his hand in the air. "See you in the next sem!"
"You, too," I replied with a wave. Now that the first semester is over, I can't believe how quickly time has passed. In just a few short months, I will have completed my second year of college. But regardless of how quickly time passes, there is still no assurance that I will run into him again in the future. It's been two years since the last time we said our goodbyes to each other, and up until this very moment, I'm still holding out hope that fate will grant us happy endings and that he is coming back.
Every day, I wait for that hope, and while I lingered in the past, everyone else chose to move forward. All of my loved ones, whom I've been protecting since then, are safe and sound. We used to attend the same school, but now that we're all grown up, Mishelley, Abel, and I make our own decisions about going to different universities. We may have gone in different directions in reaching the targets we set, but we won't ever allow our friendship to fade away.
As for the friends that have been left by the prince, broke off all contact with one another shortly after the prince's departure. It's terrible to see them move on with their lives and have another circle of friends, but maybe in real life, some broken friendships don't need to be repaired after all. Especially if the bond is too severe and can't be repaired by simply saying "sorry." From strangers to friends, friends to strangers, yet he will undoubtedly take pride in his friends' achievements, Deacon and Lincoln. Deacon is in charge of the once-illegal car race that he made legitimate. Lincoln went on to study contemporary art at the Royal College of Art in London. Soon, he will have his own art exhibit where he will show off his masterpieces, and the exhibit will be named after him.
Raeanna and I are still in touch with one another; she was a source of solace for me during the periods of my life when I was unsure how to begin living normally again. Could it be that we share the same pain? After all, we had feelings for the same person. The only change is that Raeanna has continued with her life. She just got engaged to her partner, who does not work in the entertainment industry, while I am still clinging to the possibility that things could work out.
I was still in agony. Maybe it will last. I don't know, maybe it's only pain that holds my love for him, and if I get rid of this pain, I'm worried I won't care for him anymore. That's why I'm so miserable, I cherish the pain he caused me.
The misty sunlight perfectly complements the joy that I am currently feeling. The end of the semester brought a sense of relief. I was skipping along when I walked to get to the waiting shed to get on the bus that was leaving. But the big screen on the other side of the road caused me to come to a complete stop because of the man's face, which I purposefully opted not to look at for a year.
The priest then blesses the couple, joins their hand together, and asks, "Do you take Prince Cynfael Augustus Hearst Clemente as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"
All of the needles that had become embedded in my arms were extracted one at a time by me. While I was struggling to get myself to stand up, tears came pouring out of my eyes like a deluge. By using the wall, I was able to escape the room. My legs were too weak to walk very far, but I pushed myself nonetheless. Just as I headed out of the hospital, someone else was being dropped off by a cab. It didn't take me long to hop on and start pleading with the driver to pick up the pace. No vehicles are allowed within a certain distance of the palace, so I'll have to get off and walk quite a distance to reach the palace.
"I do." The best man gives the bride's ring to the priest, who blesses it and hands it to the groom to place on the bride's finger. Then, the maid of honor gives the groom's ring to the priest, who blesses it and hands it to the bride to place on the groom's finger. "I take this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
As I battled to make it to the palace, a car that I was familiar with drove in front of me. I came to a stop and then realized that the car that had just gone by was the one in which the prince was riding. I turned around to look at it again, and without hesitation, I let my feet carry me away. I'm sure he's there; I can't be mistaken. To cry out his name, my voice starts to get hoarse and my feet start to hurt.
I saw him, and I knew it was him. The prince's face, which had briefly brought me joy, flashed before my eyes again. But on the big screen in the city, I saw him waiting for someone who wasn't me. Hearing his perfect bow brings to mind the prince's final words to me.
I pushed my body to its limits, but it was no use. For a while, I stopped, holding my chest tight from the pain of knowing he would soon leave me.
"Gemma!" 
I looked up just in time to see him exit the car. As he caught up to me, he smothered me in a hug that hurt like hell but will stay with me forever. His tears soaked through my hospital gown as he clutched me. The pain of finally accepting our fate caused our eyes to fill with tears. At this point, he is finally letting go of me.
He murmured the words "I can't let you go..." into my ear. "I can't say..." The sound of his crying and suffering rang over the road, making this moment even more agonizing than it already was. "I can't say I do without you."
As Felicity uttered the words "I do," I felt as if the rate of my heart was beating slowly. The hot streams of pain coursed down my face as I turned my attention away from the big screen. The continuous trickle of water on my face did nothing to ease the pain. After all, I chose my family, not him.