Expiration Date

3 am;

"We need to talk," Jessie says as she enters my room.

"About what?" I ask.

"Do you really think we can do this?" She asks and sits across from me on my bed.

"Do what?" I ask.

"Don't play stupid. Our secret relationship," I say. "Our parents are together. My father is fully planning on proposing to your mother. At that point, we will be literal step sisters. If they find out about us they will break up and break us apart and we will never see each other again" She says.

"Hey. It's ok" I say and take her hands into mine. She starts to calm down almost immediately. "Our parents are never going to find out. They're not going to get married, my mom is too noncommittal for that and no offense your dad doesn't have the best track record with lovers. If they do get married, a divorce will for sure be looming over their heads" I say.

"Do you remember that expiration date I was talking about?" She asks. I nod. "Our expiration date is August 31st. That is the day we go back to New York. After that, we can't be a couple anymore and we will just be friends" She says.

As much as I would like for that not to happen it is needed. We can't be sneaking around our parents at 20 years old.

"Can I still kiss you whenever I want?" I ask. "Like after this summer"

"That isn't how this works. After this summer no more kissing, no more stolen moments, and no more dates" She says.

"Wait that's not fair. We're only going to be dating for like 3 weeks then"

"Then we better make it the best 3 weeks of our entire life" She says.

I can't wait to have to go around telling people I'm heartbroken, won't leave my bed, and won't eat over some girl I only dated for 3 weeks. I was dating Casey for over a year and cried maybe twice.

"So there is no future for us?" I question.

She shakes her head no. "Is that something you think about a lot?" She asks. "Us in the future" She adds.

"Sometimes but at the same time, we're only sixteen. We have our whole life to figure it out" I say. She doesn't say anything back. "Do you?" I ask.

"Sometimes my mind wanders there. I think I just kinda want my life planned out. I saw my dad with all his up-and-down girlfriends. I don't want to be like him" She says.

"Well, then we're gonna have to hope my mom is one of those down girlfriends," I say.

"I think you've been hoping for that the entire time." She says.

"Yes and every time it has been different reasons, always selfish reasons though"

"Oh trust me I know. You've always made it well known"

"Wanna watch a TV show with me?" I ask.

"I just told you we have 3 weeks together and you wanna spend it watching a TV show."

"Yes. Nothing ever comes between Gossip Girl and I" I joke.

"Never seen it" She says.

"What? How have you never seen it?" I ask.

"Never even thought about watching it" She says.

"That is crazy, I need to show you the first episode then"

I scoot down in my bed so I am slightly lying down and open my arms for her to come lay on me. She does and I turn on the first episode.