Robbie and I spent a magical week together. What we tried to outstretch for all eternity, we did it in seven days. Hey, if God could make the universe in seven days, we could make forever too. We agreed not to dwell on the end of the week because we knew it was coming, and to just focus on us. That's what we did. We laughed, we smiled, we made memories. But let's be real. Of course in the still of the night when our day was over and the only confrontation I had was between my thoughts and my heart, what happened in the four walls of my room was exactly how I felt. I cried. Every night. I cried that I had an amazing day. I cried that I might never be able to do it again with Robbie. I cried that I had memories to last a lifetime. I cried that I wanted longer than a lifetime. To spend an entire day smiling, I let it all out and cried to my pillow. Robbie was leaving. It was inevitable.

Our last night together, well that was the worst. Tori and I talked the night before. She let me cry in her arms. For once, I didn't have to be alone in my self-loathing. I told her how much my heart hurt. How something so magnificent as love could be so cruel at the same time. She told me that what we had was something real special. She said not to think about it as something horrible, but something beautiful. "Even the most beautiful rose has to die. Think about it that way. It was once beautiful, remember it only like that," she had said.

The next morning, something amazing happened. The sun came out, and I felt alive. If Mr. Sun can do it, then I guess so can I.

I asked Tori to drive me to Robbie's parents' house after breakfast. His parents already left in the morning with the moving van, but he wanted to stay behind to say goodbye to me. She parked a couple houses down to give Robbie and me some privacy and waited in the truck.

"Tell Robbie I say good luck with everything," she said before I stepped out.

"I will," I replied.

I spent the next minute or so thinking about what I was going to say to Robbie or at least telling myself to stay strong. There he was, a few more feet ahead of me, standing and waiting for me, like he did from the day we first met. He waited for me in Algebra; waited to see the friendly side of me. He waited for me to catch up with all my classes, and waited for me to make the first move and kiss each other. He waited for me all this time and for once, I'd be the one waiting for him. Not to come back, but to be happy.

I wasn't going to be like my parents. I wasn't going to let my feelings stay inside and eat me up for the rest of my life. No, I'm not them. When you're in love with someone, you gotta go for it or else what are you doing? You see love isn't just a bunch of ridiculous words. It's about gestures, big and small. Airplanes in the sky, little post-it notes in your lunch box, banners and signs in public places, whispering 'I Love You' when you sleep. Love is about taking that fall, even if it's not guaranteed a safe landing. Love is about finding the courage inside of you that you didn't even know was there. It's about letting go and holding on at the same time. And that's what I feel about Robbie. I think.

I know Robbie and I were practically going our separate ways and I'll forever be stuck with this 'what if', but I won't let Robbie go without telling him how I truly felt.

"Listen, Robbie I…"

One look in his eyes and I just couldn't do it. He didn't deserve to be more confused.

"I… I'm really going to miss you," I said instead.

"I-I'm going to miss you too. And I won't forget any of this. Or you," he barely whispered.

"Me either," I sadly smiled. "Good luck with everything, Rob. With school and life."

"You too, Cat. Don't let those doubters get to you. I believe in you."

"You always have."

"And I always will."

He gave me a tight embrace. I didn't ever want him to let go.

"I don't want to say goodbye," I said with closed eyes, taking in his scent and registering it in my mind forever.

"Then I won't. I'll just think of something better to say."

He hugged me tighter and I did all I could to fight back tears. We let go, but still held on to one another. Then he did it. Unexpectedly. Well he did so many things at once so I couldn't really comprehend much of anything when it happened.

"I love you."

In a split second he pressed his lips to mine. I closed my eyes and let it all sink in. This was the last time I would ever taste Robbie. I never wanted it to end. And on top of that, I could have sworn he said he loved me.

When he let go, I was in complete shock. He just smiled and squeezed my hands before walking to his car. One last look at me, he honked on his wheel, waved a hand out his window and ultimately drove off.

I waved to him with a ridiculous grin on my face. Touching my lips, I didn't know if this was the great love that people would write about or act out in the movies, or even sing about in songs or in stories, but I think at least in that moment-

"I love you too."

My words echoed around me. He was gone, but I know he knew I would say it too. When I finally let those words out, so did the tears. I let them fall, and I was unashamed to do so. That heartache that I was trying to avoid was ever present but throughout my entire body. I was cold, yet so warm at the same time. My heart yearned for him, but fluttered at the thought that in the time we spent together, Robbie loved me like I loved him. It was a feeling I could get used to, if only I didn't have to go through the other feeling. This vacant feeling.

Tori found me at the very spot where Robbie left ten minutes later. She saw his car drive off and wondered why I still hadn't gone back to her. But of course she knew what I had to deal with so she wasn't mad.

"Hey, Kitty-Cat. Ready to go?" she rubbed my shoulder.

"I think so," I said. It was no doubt that Tori noticed I cried. My eyes were a bit puffy. But at least I wasn't sobbing anymore. Thank God she waited a while.

"Come on, let's go home," she gave me a hug.

"Tori?" I asked as we made our way to the truck.

"Yeah?"

"Is it ok to hurt this much?"

"Love hurts. But it's worth it," she sadly smiled.

"Did you cry when you broke it off with Andre?" I asked as we got inside and buckled ourselves in.

"A little bit. But I'm better now and I know eventually you will be too. Be strong, Cat."

"Ok," I said. She was right. Eventually I'll be ok. It was my own fault. All those times I'd make fun of those fools who played this game of love, I end up being as stupid as them and falling in love with a friend. Love is a cruel, cruel thing. It butters you up only to eat you alive. But I guess Tori was right; it was worth it.

Tori wasted no time in condoling me after Robbie's departure. She cranked up the music and played her upbeat, weird oldies songs from Queen or Earth Wind and Fire. Don't get me wrong, they're great bands, but this wasn't what I was expecting after I just lost the love of my life. Except looking back, Tori was doing me a favor by not letting me dwell in it.

What seemed like the longest car ride home, we finally pulled into mom's driveway. Before stepping out, Tori turned to me and smiled. I gave her a sad smile, better than nothing, right? And she patted my shoulder. It was moments like these that I was so glad to have a sister like Tori. No matter how perfect she was she cared about me always.

We stepped out and made our way to the front door. She kept me tucked to her side, hugging and babying me. When we reached the foyer, the strangest thing happened. Well, the strangest sound. There was laughing. It was coming from the kitchen. Tori and I exchanged glances, wondering what the heck all the commotion was about. I looked outside real quick and saw dad's car parked on the street. Wait; was Nonna and grandpa here too? I didn't see their car. Tori and I decided to check out the kitchen anyway.

And to think this day wouldn't get any more eventful. I thought that after I'd say goodbye to Robbie that I'd mope around all day and the next day and maybe the next. And it would take a little bit longer to smile again. But I guess fate had something else in store for me.

"Do you remember the time when we were stuck in your RV that day at the beach because of some stupid guy that parked so close to you?"

"Hell yeah, you freaked out because you sweated for the first time ever and it was like a thousand degrees!"

"Hahaha your hair was a total mess. Wasn't wavy like you always had it."

"And you were sweating like a pig! Hahaha."

"I wasn't sweating, I was glistening. Hehe."

Our parents. They were being civil. No, they were laughing. With each other. Did I mention it was our parents making this noise?

"Um. Hi guys," Tori spoke up.

They whipped their heads towards us and smiled.

"Hey, there's my girls," dad said.

"What's going on over here?" I asked.

"Your grandpa rented an RV for labor day so we can go to the lake," dad said.

"And how's that funny?" Tori wondered.

"Oh, well your dad and I were talking about this one time we got stuck in his RV on a hot summer day with our friends," mom explained.

"It was not pretty," Dad added. He and mom exchanged glances and laughed, prompting Tori and I to laugh too, because we had no idea what else to do. Mom noticed my eyes and spoke up.

"Cat, baby. Are you ok? Were you able to say goodbye to Robbie?" she pulled me on her lap and gave me a hug.

"Yeah I did," I said. I guess I cried so much that there were no more tears left inside of me.

"You going to be ok, kiddo?" Dad asked.

"I will be," I answered.

"Me too," he winked at me. Then he looked up at mom and smiled.

For the first time in a long time, Tori and I could have sworn that the ends of our mother's cheeks were tinted a light pink.

"Hey, let's do something today. As a family," Tori suggested.

"I have nothing to do. Are you free, Jade?" dad asked mom.

"Yeah, I can always take a day off work," she smiled. "What do you girls want to do today?"

"Can we hangout at Santa Monica pier all day? It's really sunny," Tori asked.

"Oh yeah! I want some cotton candy!" I cheered.

"Santa Monica pier it is!" dad exclaimed.

"All right let me get a jacket and let's go!" mom said. She and Tori walked out of the kitchen. And then it was just dad and I.

"You sure you're going to be ok, kiddo?" he asked me.

"I should be asking you that question, pop," I smirked.

He chuckled and gave me a warm embrace.

"I guess… some things are better said than unsaid after all," he told me.

We spent the rest of the day at the Santa Monica pier – the four of us, as a family. Tori and I enjoyed that our parents were actually having a good time and not once yanked each other's hairs out. By the end of the night, we were hanging out near the pier. Tori and I were eating ice cream cones and sitting where Robbie and I usually sat, near the sand dunes, and mom and dad were somewhere near the boardwalk. As we enjoyed our cones, I looked up at that moon. It wasn't full anymore, just a waning gibbous. But in less than a month it would be full again. It was a cycle, the moon's phases. To start off new and going through stages until it reached its true beauty. And that beauty was a marshmallow moon. I guess then I'll have something to look forward to.

Walking back to our car, Tori and I saw something amazing. Two people were near the parking lot laughing, smiling and hugging. They looked like our parents, but they sure didn't seem like it. In my mind all I could hear was grandpa Jack telling me the stories of the great love between Jade West and Beck Oliver. He would say that Beck adored Jade, no matter how frustrated or crazy she would be. He would have his moments of insecurity and they'd fight like all the time, but grandpa would say that Beck would always go back to Jade because she was his home. Those were the two people we saw. And I guess their love really was true because happening at that very moment, they shared the most passionate kiss before our eyes.

Well you wanted a love story and I told you that my parents' certainly have it. That's forever love right there. Going through hell and back and still finding those words left unspoken that had a little spark left over. And just enough spark for a love to last a lifetime. As for me? I told you it wasn't going to be pretty. I'm sixteen. The truth is, this is just the beginning of heartbreak, of tangled webs, of sleepless nights.

I had the best summer of my life with him. I'll always remember that. And I'll never forget it. Sure we're not together, but our future is still ahead of us. He's going down his road and I'm going down mine. Who knows, maybe we're meant to be, maybe we're not. Maybe there's another boy out there whose love is the greatest and purest love that I have yet to find. But there's one thing for sure that no other boy can give me that he did, and I wouldn't have it any other way…

Robbie Shapiro will always be my first love.

A/N: Not your typical happy ending, but those other stories I wrote, I always wrote about other guys I dated and only once used a date I had with the guy in this story. This was the most I ever wrote about him because this story was written with him in mind and I wanted our ending to be the ending to this story. In fact, this fic was better than our actual 'relationship'. I fluffed it up because I didn't want you guys to have to go through the drama (but I've told a few of you personally). I just emphasized the good things like all the conversations/dates we had. That's really what I want to hold on to when I think about him. Who knows, maybe one of these days I'll actually pen out my entire story with him if you're up for a romance/drama. But for now, I'm keeping those memories in my heart. Wow, cheesy, I need to stop.

To those of you who reviewed, followed, and favorited this story; It means a lot, especially this one because this story means the most to me. Thank you.

To the ones who let me talk it out to them or who know the whole story, who understand this cruel game of love, and who have talked out their own stories to me, you know who you are and I just gotta say stay strong :)

Song List: The First Day of My Life – Bright Eyes; Just a Friend - Mario; Younger Yesterday – The Meadows; Stupid For You – Marie Digby; Never Look Back – Leon Thomas III; Don't Forget – Demi Lovato; Sad, Beautiful, Tragic – Taylor Swift; Sweet Pea – Amos Lee. Bonus songs just because: The Way I Loved You – Selena Gomez; Love – Matt White; I Almost Do – Taylor Swift; What If – Jason Derulo; The Best Part – NE-YO.

I'm still hoping for that real love because as much of a realist I am about it, I certainly will forever be a hopeless romantic, and that's all because of my real life 'Robbie'. He will always be my first love.

To all of you out there playing in this game for fools, I hope one day you find your 'Happily Ever After'.

"Some love stories are short stories, but they're love stories all the same."