"Any luck, Key?" the pixie-cut, blue-haired Alice asked Keith, who was given the task of watering the flowers.

“Yup. She said that it would only take a few more days before the portal is fully operational.” He didn’t look up at her.

“You seem sad. I’d think that you going home would have you jumping for joy, or do you miss me already?” she crossed her arms over her chest, playfully smirking at the unflinching Keith.

“No, I won’t miss you,” he said bluntly, eyes growing wide at realizing what he was actually saying. He quickly turned to face her with a look of panic, putting his hands up like he committed a crime. “No! I mean, I will miss you, but not what you think…umm….geez…”

Alice laughed, “It’s ok. I know what you meant. What I’m trying to say is that you’re acting like a spaced-out zombie when the subject of returning home surfaces. What’s up with that?” her head tilted to the side, curiously. Keith only looked to the flowers, no expression, before Alice knew the entire reason.
“Ooh, I see now.”

Keith’s head shot-up immediately, he was ruffled by her words. <i>No, she couldn’t have… Could she?</i> “I’m not sure that I know what you mean?”

Her smile grew wider, increasing his anger, “Like heck I’m telling <i>you</i> about my discovery.”

“But, if it’s about <i>me</i> then why don’t you just tell me?”

Alice turned to her side. “You won’t like it~” she sang, “No one likes to hear the truth.”

Keith sighed in exasperation. Alice was really trying his patience. “Get it out in the open, Alice.” He demanded sternly.

She laughed, “Alright, but don’t say that I didn’t warn you.”
She let a few moments of silence press the suspense. Alice looked him straight in the eyes when she said, “You love her, Keith. You love Shelly.”

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath he replied coolly, “I do not like her in the least.” And this was true. <i>But a greater feeling developed when I had to kiss her to convince you that she was my girlfriend. Of course you didn’t believe me and I eventually found that it was for nothing, but that feeling…</i>
“I don’t like her in the least,” he whispered.

Alice played along with his lie. She knew that if he <i>did</i> love her, which he did, she would be the last person he would tell, but the first person to help him realize it.
She sighed, “Fine, so I was wrong.” She went and took the watering pale from him. “Now go and work on that portal, you’re done for the day.”

Keith nodded, said bye and started to walk in the direction of the large metal-looking house on the tall hill, visible from the shop but a good distance away; Shelly’s house.
“Well…I’ll miss you at least.” Alice had whispered it to herself, but he heard it, and it made his chest tighten in sadness. He really was going to miss her too.

Once inside the creepy house, it looked like any luxury home in Keith’s universe, he found Shelly in the large lab, staring at the portal. Keith smiled to himself, unknowing of the internal conflict that was taking place in her mind.
“Hey, Shell. Ready to work today?” Shelly jumped at Keith’s voice, but she didn’t turn around. She nodded her head slowly, walking towards the left wall, to the table with the plans for the portal on it. She was unsure how to deliver the blow, for her rule never told her anything about dealing with Keith.

“Shelly?” Keith walked over to her, concern and worry pricking at the backs of his mind. “Is something the matter?”

Shelly turned to face him, but refused to meet his eyes. “The portal… It’s almost done. Your time in this world is running short, Keith. I do not need your help anymore. Leave now. I will contact you when I have the coordinates ready.”

Keith was shocked, “Shelly… What are you saying? That I can’t help you anymore?” <i>That I can’t see you anymore?</i>

“Yes. That is exactly what I’m saying.” She stepped back, but she found that the table was blocking her, that she couldn’t escape.

Keith felt as if she heard his thoughts, and that was her answer. “Shell-”

“Go on, get out of my hair. You’ve always been on the wrong side of this parallel universe.” She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “And I…”

“What-”

“I will…forget you, my friend, like I said-no, like I promised I would…”

Keith was infuriated that Shelly had said that.
“When did you promise that? Who made you agree to that promise?!” He stepped near her, wanting to hold her, to kiss her, for real this time. It came to him again like it did before, only this time it wasn’t that much of a shock. Alice was right.
He was in love with Shelly.

Shelly still wouldn’t meet his eyes, “I made that promise a month after you started researching here. No one <i>made</i> me agree to the promise…”

Keith’s eyes grew wider, “ ‘A month after I started researching here’? You mean…when I wanted to go home? When-”

“When you wanted to go back to your ‘girlfriend’. That is when the promise was created and agreed to.” She now had her back to him. It hurt her too much to say this, and she didn’t want him to know that. He wouldn’t listen to her, or even consider what she’s saying, if he saw how hurt she was. Shelly loved him; and-as her mother made her live by-if you love something, set it free. Shelly had to set Keith free, so she helped him make a portal to his home. It took longer than she anticipated and he just drew her in with everything that he did. He made it hard for her to keep her promise. When he had to kiss her to cover for himself from Alice, making her as his pretend girl, she had to restrain herself from locking her arms around his neck and settled with a quick kiss, very small. Since that day, she always dreamed of his face when she pulled away from that fake peck-of-a-kiss. She thought she saw disappointment in his eyes, but it disappeared when he turned back to Alice. Shelly had helped him, and now…it was the part she dreaded most. With the dark blue swirl, signaling that the portal was locked on location and was fully operational…
It was time to set him free.

Keith began with a confused look before his face lost all emotion as he stepped forward so his front was pressed against her back. He almost whispered, “The person who created the promise, who is it?” he saw her shake. It wasn’t a shiver showing how uncomfortable she was with him near, no, it was a shake someone made when they were sad, when they couldn’t take it, when they were fighting a sob. He was about to wrap his arms around her-currently lifting his arms-but when she spoke he froze.

“It was… The person who created the promise…is the same person who agreed to it. <i>I</i> made that promise to myself.” Shelly heard her voice break and swore in her mind. She hoped he didn’t hear it, but was wrong.

Keith took Shelly by her shoulders and turned her to face him. With one hand on her shoulder, he used his other to tilt her chin up towards him, and almost broke down at what he found. Tears streamed down her face and kept coming, her bottom lip was bleeding with a trickle of blood running down and she was still biting down on it, hard. Shelly still refused to meet his eyes. Keith was shocked out of his mind that she made a promise to forget him, even after he left-<i>if</i> he left. “Shell-”

“The rabbit is gone,” she said, breaking from his hold.

Keith was baffled, “Wha-”

“<i>My</i> rabbit,” she continued, as if he never spoke. “It’s the same with my dog, cat, fish, flowers, even friends. My mother went a long time ago… And now, it’s your turn.” She walked over to the portal and he followed close behind, his side almost touching the swirling blue cloud that had an almost sucking factor to it. “Shelly?”

“It’s a rule I lived by all of my life, a rule my mother <i>forced</i> me to live by. I always wonder what my life would be like if I didn’t live by that rule. Maybe I would still have my rabbit, dog, cat, and fish. Maybe I would be able to keep the flowers that people have given me. Maybe I would still have my friends and be open to make new ones without anything to fear. Maybe I would still see my mom…” She started punching in the coordinates then turned to face Keith, wearing the warmest, loving expression that anyone in this entire parallel universe wouldn’t be able to make, “Maybe you wouldn’t have the same fate as them… Maybe I could still be with you…” her eyelids lowered a bit and Keith saw that they held a sadness deeper than what he had seen in the eyes of all of those people who died in the nuclear explosion.

“Shelly? What are you talking about? What rule is that?” He was afraid to ask. He was afraid that the answer was where she would say goodbye. Keith wanted to step toward her, but he couldn’t move. Her expression practically melted him to the metal step, and if that wasn’t enough to keep him back then the abnormal amount of deep sadness did. It was like her sadness was so great that it was spilling out like a large waterfall, rough with heavy rapids.

“The rule… <i>If you love something, set it free.</i> You’re familiar with it, right? Well, I loved my pets so I set them free. I loved my friends…so I had to drive them away. Alice was one of them, the hardest one whom refused to leave, but eventually I made her go. Everyone has his or her breaking point. I had to throw out all the flowers I received, because I loved that people thought of me. Finally, you… I have to let you go, so helping you build a portal home was the only way…” tears welled in her eyes, but she retained that warm, loving smile, “I love you, Keith, and therefore I have to let you go, I have to set you free. I regret making the promise, but if I forget you…then I won’t cry as much. There’s a possibility that I could sleep instead of weeping late at night. I know you’ll forget me, you weren’t the first, I swear. Besides, you have someone important to go back to…”

Keith…stood there, frozen, not of shock, but because he was afraid. He knew in his heart what was coming, wishing it wouldn’t with all of his might. For some reason he couldn’t say what he wanted to say. <i>I love you, Shelly. Don’t do this!</i> Those words were stuck like a lump in his throat, and he hated it.

She took a deep, shaky breath, “So, this,” she reached for the lever, the one that would pull him into the portal and take him home, her eyes never leaving his, “is where I set you free. Goodbye, love.” And with that she pulled the lever.

“I LOVE YOU, SHELLY! DON’T DO THIS!” Keith yelled over the roar of the machine. It was sucking him in as he fought against it. If Shelly pulled the lever up then he wouldn’t go back. He didn’t even know if she heard what he said. She just looked at him, her sad, lonely gaze locked with his pleading one. It was the same one he saw when he first came to ask her for a way home. With one more tug, Keith was pulled into the swirling blue cloud, losing sight of his Shelly. Then, finally, he blacked out, thinking of all his moments with her.

Once he was out of sight, once the swirling blue-cloud swallowed Keith, Shelly broke down on the floor and started balling her eyes out. He said that he loved her, <i>her</i> of all people! She never expected him to feel the same or even say it out loud, be she heard it. He yelled over the roar of the portal’s engine, but she heard it as if he was right next to her: <i>“I love you, Shelly! Don’t do this!”</i>
She hated him. She hated that he made her cry. She hated that he made her love him. She hated that he loved her back. But, more than anything, she hated that stupid rule! …She hated…that she could never break from its binds.
For the entire week, Shelly cried like her life depended on it. She didn’t just cry for Keith-which was definitely the main reason-but something had dawned on her, now more than ever: she was alone, once again.

Keith woke up, half expecting to land on Alice’s flower shop, but was surrounded by dirt, looking up at a gray sky. It was about to rain. Great. Getting up, he realized this was where the explosion happened. A few miles down he could barley see a layer of black surrounding a person’s line of vision; wherever they turn, ash.

Keith started walking in the direction he thought was south, hoping to reach a city or town. He couldn’t remember how he got home, but he did remember Alice saying something about visiting someone who could build a portal, but if it worked then why couldn’t he remember working on it, or who that person was? Well, it worked so that’s all that mattered. However, something deep inside of him ached. It ached like…like if he didn’t remember what it was, he would die. Just what was so important?

Keith walked for what seemed like days, maybe a week or two, but never got thirsty, hungry, or tired, just annoyed about the aching that seemed to grow with every step he took away from where he woke up. Did he miss Alice? He had understood that he felt something for her, but it wasn’t anything like love. Love?
Love. It flooded back into his mind, hitting him like a wrecking ball. All the moments he had, he missed. Keith now understood what the aching was… It was his heart that ached, for it ached for the one person, one girl. It ached love for Shelly, the ever stubborn, sad, loving, and lonely Shelly, whom he had left, probably crying. It pained him to think that she was crying now because of him. His love…
Keith felt something hard in his jean pocket. Reaching in, he pulled out a small vile of glowing neon-yellow liquid, and a note:
<i>Keith,
Don’t you dare leave Shelly! If you do I swear to your God that I will come to your world and kill you! Listen, I know that I wasn’t particularly fond of Shelly, but that was just an act to make her think that she had driven me away. I still love her, and could care less about that stupid rule she lives by, and I know that she doesn’t want to live by it any longer. No one ever goes back to her, Key. When I came to bring you those sandwiches I saw how happy she looked and I knew that she loved you. So, naturally thanks to her stupid rule, I knew she would have to let you go. If she did then open the vile and pour it into the ground, it becomes an instant portal. Just dream of the place you want to go and you’ll be sent there if it’s truly meant to be. Lame, I know, but you’re just going to have to deal. Now, go get her you idiot! Make her see that how she is now is no way to live. Don’t just stand there reading this! Go! NOW!
-Alice
Are you</i> still <i>reading this?! GO!!</i>

Shoving the note back into his pocket, Keith did as instructed and poured the liquid onto the ground. It spread out long and wide, and instantly he thought of Shelly and jumped in.

Dark. Not so dark that one couldn’t see their own feet and hands, but dark. This is the room where that strange liquid transported Keith. He knew, well enough, that this was Shelly’s room, but as he looked and moved around, he found that she was not here. He looked all around the house but didn’t find her anywhere. He decided to go down to Alice’s’ place, hoping that maybe she went there to reconcile with her friend, but once he got there he didn’t like what he saw…
“Hey, Key. How’s it goin?” Alice was watering the flowers outside her shop that held the sign: CLOSED. GOODNIGHT, ALL.
…No Shelly.
“Alice, where’s Shell? I used your liquid vile-thingy. She’s not anywhere in the house.” He was getting impatient while she took her sweet time, obviously stalling on purpose. Once she put down the watering can, she began to wipe her hands on her apron, “Ah, you used my portal, eh? That must’ve meant that the idiot did what you asked; she sent you home. You did read my note, right? But I do wonder why you went straight to the person who said she’d kill ya if you did whatcha did…”

“Alice! I don’t have time for your idiotic questions! Now, if <i>you</i> don’t want to join the flowers in the dirt then Tell. Me. Where. She. <i>Is!</i>” His blazing eyes narrowed, while she stared at him, shocked, scared, and totally impressed. Keith demanded again, he didn’t have time for this! He needed to find her, needed to find Shelly.
Finally, after what felt like hours if not a few minutes of silence, Alice spoke, voice serious as she used his full name.

“You already found her, Keith. The portal that I made is nothing like Shelly’s. Mine transports you directly to the person you are thinking of, so I instructed you to think of her. When you returned to this universe, you were transported to the same place that Shelly was, and probably still is, in. Keit-”

Without another word, Keith bolted off towards the laboratory again, leaving Alice looking after him.

She didn’t continue to call his name, to yell at him for not letting her finish, or to ask where he was going. No, she resumed to watering the flowers, a small smile playing on her lips.
She knew.

<i>How is it that I didn’t realize it? Why didn’t I think of it before? Her room. Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!!!</i> Keith was mentally scolding himself for not realizing what Alice had told him, for not even stopping to think before he left the room, even the house. Swinging open the front door with a <i>slam</i>, he ran up the stairs and into her room. He listened. A small sob escaped from behind her closed closet doors. He stepped in front of one of them, slowing opening it. He found her…
Shelly was huddled against the corner of the barely empty closet, face streaked with tears, arms hugging her knees to her chest. She stared at him, fear showing more than the sadness and pure utter shock. Keith stepped closer.

Keith stepped closer. “Shelly.” His voice was flat, almost cold, as his eyes glared at her in the darkness. Shelly went still. Frozen with fear and shock. She had been crying in her dark closet, hoping that everyone thought she went on vacation, so she didn’t go down to eat or drink or <i>anything</i>.

She was still sobbing in her closet when she saw a neonish-yellow glow from in the room. She immediately froze at the sight, sobbing turned utterly silent. Shelly knew that glow; it was the same glow from the portal she had made for Alice to see her mother, back when they were still friends. What was it doing here? Did Alice see through her façade and ask the portal to take her to Shelly? She remained quiet, waiting for Alice to find her, until she heard her name softly spoken. That one whisper made her heartbeat race as shock just consumed her.
<i>Keith.</i>
It was Keith! What was he doing there, with <i>Alice’s</i> portal? What if he got angry that she sent him back, and now came for revenge? These questions would have filled her head, and caused her to stir, but one blew the rest all away: <i>He came back…</i>
Now, with the expression and tone of his voice, she was sure that he was angry, but her fear went away by just looking into his eyes, despite the anger in them.

Shelly stood up, her face blank with shock. He stepped back, not changing his expression in the least, only so she could step out of the closet. They were now standing front-to-front, two inches apart, barely touching. Still staring into his eyes, she reached her hand to touch his face. Keith caught her wrist with force but not a lot.

“Shelly,” his voice was hard, “Shelly, why were you in the closet?”
No “Why did you send me back”, “Why did you do that if you loved me”, or “Why do you live by that <i>stupid</i> rule?” No, he asked her why she was in the closet, crying, as if he didn’t know that she was crying over <i>him</i>. Her eyelids drooped slightly, as her fingers gently curled to touch her palm in the hand that Keith drew back, the hand that he refused to let touch him.
That hurt.

“…Y-…Y-You came…b-back…” Her voice broke on the last word. Keith dropped her wrist, grasped both of her shoulders, and crushed her to him. Shelly wrapped her arms around him, taking in his smell, feeling his body under her fingertips and against her own body. It wasn’t a hologram.
He was <i>real</i>. He was <i>here</i>, with her.
Her love.

Keith couldn’t have been happier than when he hugged Shelly to him…and she hugged him back. It had been their first embrace since she said that she loved him, and he told her that he loved her too, that is, before he was pulled into the portal…away from her. He wouldn’t let that happen again, even if Shelly wished for it. He knew that she would never truly want that. Frankly, neither did he.

“You came back.” Shelly whispered, making him smile. This is what Alice was talking about. Anyone Shelly had driven away truly never came back, except for Keith, and he was happy to be her first.

“Yes, I did come back. Why were you in the closet, Shell?” He uttered it with utmost gentleness of his voice.

Shelly tensed under him. That’s right, she was in the closet for the same reason. Keith was gone, so she went to her closet to sulk. It was like her routine, every time she set someone free, she would always go to her closet to sulk, depending on how much she cared. She remembered that it was an entire year and a half when her mother left. For Keith, it was going to be a little close to that, maybe more.
No. He was here now, holding her, only gone for a week’s time. This wasn’t right. He was supposed to be gone, letting her sulk for however long it took, however long she needed. But no, he had come back…and set everything wrong.
Shelly stepped back, untangling herself from his embrace, eyes angry. Angry that he had come back, angry that he messed up her routine, angry that the rule said nothing about this, nothing about her being happy.
“You came back,” her voice held all of her anger, “tell me why?”

Keith was taken aback. “I came back…for you.” He appeared more confident now than before. “You are the reason for my return,” he narrowed his eyes at her, “How could you say what you said and not expect me to come back? Even after what I told you. And I’m completely sure that you heard it, but you still pulled the lever?”

“I did that to set you free, besides, you <i>wanted</i> to go back from the start. Wasn’t that why you came to me in the first place, to use me?”

“<i>Bullshit!</i> What you’re saying is just damn crap. Yes, it’s true that I did come to you so I could find a way home-”

“Aha!” Shelly felt triumphant, but Keith kept going without even stopping to acknowledge her little comment.

“-but all that changed along the way. Down the road I actually didn’t care if I left, I wanted to stay, but I continued to work on it because I wanted to…spend more time with you,” Shelly gave a little gasp, “Everyone in town said that you never opened up to anyone, that it was <i>amazing</i> that you even <i>agreed</i> to help me, so I took the opportunity to get to know you. And, <i>god</i>, I eventually fell in love with you the first week in.” Keith sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Shelly, I love you, so of course I came back. I just don’t understand why you’re so mad. If anyone is mad it should be me, you <i>did</i> make me go through the portal even though I wanted to stay. That journey… something in it made all of my memories of you disappear, making this giant whole in my heart, and it killed me not to know what it was. When everything came back to me…” he looked into her eyes, she saw all of that sadness, “Shelly, do you know how painful it is to know that, not only did she send you away, but the person you’re in love with, you can <i>never</i> see them again? I was practically a walking zombie-even more lifeless than that-at the realization. If it wasn’t for Alice’s portal…I didn’t know what I would do… Suicide seemed like a pretty good option…” he turned his eyes away, staring off into space as he uttered that last sentence.

Shelly went up and slapped him hard across the face. He touched the red where her hand impacted his cheek, astonished.
“If you <i>ever</i> say that you would kill yourself again, I <i>swear</i> to your God that I would kill myself so I could just torture you in <i>hell</i>! You understand me, <i>boy</i>?! How <i>dare</i> you even <i>think</i> of such a thing! If that was uttered to make me feel guilty then it didn’t work. I’m on full rage mode!”

“You should know that even if that happened, it would be the only way to be by your side.”

“I don’t <i>want</i> you to be with me!”
She was furious, furious that she was arguing over this. Arguing over something that she wanted, desperately, from the bottom of her heart, a heart that seemed entirely too big at the realization. Maybe that’s what she had always wanted-<i>wished</i>? For everyone to turn around and come back telling her that they’re free but choose to stay by their own free will. Playing with the loopholes of the rule.
She stopped, rethinking about the last words to leave her lips, and her eyes grew wide. <i>“I don’t</i> want <i>you to be with me!”</i>
<i>No…
That’s a lie.
No!</i>
“No… That’s a lie. That’s a lie!” Shelly grabbed her head with her hands, shacking it violently, repeating those words over and over again. Keith was standing there, watching, as she panicked, not even bothering to grab hold of her or calm her down. He figured that this would be her punishment then he wouldn’t ever see her like this again, he wouldn’t ever allow her to be this sad again, for it would tear him apart.

Shelly calmed down, eyelids lowing into the gentlest expression as she looked up to him and whispered, with a smile on her face, “That was a lie.” Her knees gave out and Keith caught her in his arms before she hit the ground. He cradled her to him. Her eyes never left his face. “No one has ever come back for me, found a loophole,” she laughed softly, “I guess I was mad because… I’ve lived by that rule my entire life, so naturally I didn’t understand you. I never imagined that it was wrong.”

Keith laughed lightly, “Your rule was probably made to protect you from the pain that comes with loving someone. However, it failed with every goodbye you uttered. I guess with my choosing to come back, that’s when its true purpose was shown.”

Shelly smiled, “I guess there are really exceptions to the rule then.” Closing her eyes, a tear trickled down her cheek. No one wiped it away.

“I wonder if that’s true? You say that you drove everyone away, but I don’t think so.”
She opened her eyes to give him a confused look, “How do you figure?”

Keith smiled, “That guy who makes bread has a picture of you, him, and Alice when you all were younger, and always stares at it with a distant look, a look of longing. Frankly, I consider him a threat, but I’ll come back to that later. Alice is another matter.”

She looked away as if the topic of Alice was a soft spot. Despite that look she still said, “Go on.”

Keith looked at that as a sign of hope. “Even though you thought she hated you, Alice actually loved you, though I’m not sure how she feels now. She cares about you, and I believe she wants to be your friend again.”

“Is that right?” Shelly buried her head in his shirt, feeling his muscles underneath. He smelled so good, so natural.

Keith lifted her head so he could look at her beautiful face. “Yes, I believe so. How about we go down to her shop and find out?”

Shelly nodded, “Fine, but after this.”

“After what?” was what he was about to say, but Shelly leaned forward and gave him a passionate kiss to which he matched with joy. Shelly loved this feeling that surfaced only when near Keith, and she knew one thing now more than ever: she was not alone anymore.

As they walked down the stone-paved street, Keith could feel how nervous Shelly was. The closer they got to the flower shop, the more visible Shelly’s shaking was.
However, once the shop was in view, he stopped to look at Shelly. She was standing tall, shaking ceased, with a look of determination.
“Stay here,” she firmly commanded, “I have a feeling that this will not last long.” He nodded, knowing that she was wrong. He smiled when Alice happily came out to water the flowers outside the shop.

Shelly drew a deep breath, but didn’t let it out. <i>There she is.</i>
She started towards her, fear of rejection and hate pushed to the back of her mind. When Shelly was halfway, as if sensing her, Alice looked up.
The only expression she wore was one of steadiness, while her eyes were wide in shock. It wasn’t until Shelly was right in front of her that Alice dropped the watering can, making water splash at their feet. The two stood facing each other for a long time, silently taking in one another’s presence and figuring each other’s motives.

“Shelly.” Alice’s tone was flat.
Shelly mimicked her tone, “Alice.” Then she smiled replying in a more gentle tone, “…Alice. My Alice, how long has it been?”

“Too long.” Alice said sternly before giving a face as if she was about to burst into tears with a smile on her face, “Far, far too long, dear Shelly.” And then they both cried happy tears as they hugged each other tightly.

Alice’s tears were streaming down her face like never-ending waterfalls of joy. <i>My beloved friend... Shelly, you’ve come back to me.</i>
“My dear Shelly. Shell, you came back! You’ve really come back to us?” She couldn’t let go, afraid that her friend would leave her again.

Shelly smiled against her tears, “Yes. I’m back, Ali, and I’m not going to leave you this time.”

Alice pulled away with a sniffle to look at her friend, “You sure? Are you <i>absolutely positive</i> that you won’t leave us? I don’t know about everyone else, but I just couldn’t take it if you left me again!” Shelly put a hand to cup Alice’s cheek, using her thumb to wipe away as many tears from her face.
“I promise that I will not leave you again. I found an exception to the rule.”

Alice scrunched up her face like a little kid, “That rule is stupid. <i>‘If you love something, set it free’</i>,” she gave a little <i>pfft</i>, “How could <i>anyone</i> live by such a horribly cruel saying!”

This made Shelly laugh. “I know, I know, but, no matter what, it will always be my life.” She turned her head to gaze back at Keith who was happily enjoying their reunion. She smiled, “With a few exceptions, of course.”

Letting go, Alice used her apron to dry her tears while Shelly made no attempt to clear hers, she felt that if she wiped them away the moment they shared would be lost. However, something deep inside her knew that it was only the beginning.

"I love you, Ali." This made Alice sniffle again as more tears surfaced and spilled.

"Oh Shell! When have I ever stopped loving you?" she was crying into her soaking-wet sleeve.

The smile never left Shelly's face for a moment, "I don't think that that's even possible for you."

Alice sniffled back more tears, "You got that right!" They laughed together, true friends reunited.

Once Alice was composed, she beamed with excitement and told Shelly to come to the annual festival that evening, she was sure that everyone missed her and would be overjoyed that she was back. Alice ran back inside to phone the others of the miraculous news. Shelly slowly closed her eyes, smiling to herself. <i>Alice is back. My friend.</i>

Keith started to walk towards her, but met her halfway for she did the same.

“That was nice,” he said. She nodded. “How do you feel?”

Shelly wasn’t sure how to sum-up her emotions, so she cupped his face in her hands and reached onto her tiptoes to kiss him. He responded by wrapping his arms around her waist. They pulled back once they were out of breath.

Huffing, Shelly asked, “Did I tell you that I love you?”

Keith nodded, “Yes, but it wouldn’t hurt to say it again.”

Shelly giggled, the sweetest sound Keith has ever heard, “I love you.”

Keith hugged her to him as she hugged him back, “I love you too, Shelly. And this time I’m not going anywhere.”

“I believe you.”

Alice came out, running to the two yelling, “KEITH!” Shelly and Keith separated from each other as Alice jumped into his arms. “Key, thank you so <i>much</i> for bringing her back. I knew you could do it.” Then she pulled back to kiss him.
Keith’s eyes grew wide with shock while Shelly grew red with anger. Keith laughed as Shelly ripped Alice off of him yelling, “That’s enough face sucking, Alice! Unless you want to become my enemy, but I’m sure that you’ll lose.”

Alice raised an eyebrow at her glaring friend. “Oh? Is that a challenge?” When Shelly’s hands clenched into fists, Alice put her hands up laughing, “Chill out, Shell. I’m not after your guy. I got sights set on my own. I just got carried away because I was so happy and thankful. You know how I get!”

Just like that, all of Shelly’s anger dissolved. She sighed, “It’s been five years, and you still haven’t changed. I would have at least thought <i>something</i> changed.” <i>I think her attitude changed. She was all sly and mean before this</i>, Keith thought to himself.

Shelly’s eyes grew wide, “Wait. What was that about having your ‘sights set one someone else’? Alice…do you…actually <i>like</i> someone?” She was baffled.

“What? I like people. I like you and Keith and the old man.”

Shelly shook her head, “Yeah but I’m a girl, Keith’s your friend, and Gramps is old.” She waved her hands in the air to emphasis this extraordinary situation; “I’m talking about a living, breathing, <i>male</i> human!”

Alice laughed nervously as she looked at a watch on her wrist. She wasn’t wearing a watch at all. “Wow, look at the time! I have to get the flowers ready for the festival. See ya!” she turned to run back to the shop.

Smiling, Shelly ran after her, laughing, “Oh no you don’t! Tell me who he is!”

Keith smiled at them. Putting his hands in his pockets, he looked up to the bright blue sky. It looked just like the one on Earth, but…somehow…it felt more familiar, more like home. This was normal.
Strangely normal.

Town square was beautifully decorated with lights, streamers, and, of course, flowers. The giant water fountain in the middle of the stone-paved square seemed to glitter with excitement for the festival. There were stands set up everywhere with games, food, and art. Even all six entrances were decorated. The entire town was waiting by the stands, as if waiting for the signal to begin celebrating.

Keith and Shelly appeared at the south entrance. Shelly had complained that one reunion was enough for today, that she’d catch the next festival and Keith should go and enjoy himself. Keith told her to suck it up and go, but when that didn’t faze her he argued that he couldn’t enjoy the festival if she wasn’t there. He played the guilt trick on her, saying that she shouldn’t ruin his first town festival. He was happy when she reluctantly agreed. Though, he had to practically drag her from the flower shop to the town square, but it was worth seeing her reaction to everything, including the entire town waiting for her arrival.

When they saw her, everyone ran up to Shelly, who ran to them also. They all hugged and kissed each other, and many introduced themselves to Keith while others just thanked him and hugged him. Keith got a little jealous when the baker kissed and hugged Shelly, but calmed when she gave him a look that said: There’s nothing to worry about. I belong to you.

The giant crowd split when an elderly man stepped forward. He was bald and had a long white beard. He was hunched with a long, wooden walking stick to lean on. It was almost as if the stick was some branch that fell off a tree. Shelly instantly recognized him and ran up to him cheerfully shouting, “Gramps!”
Keith bowed to him, “Hello, sir. My name is Keith. It is a pleasure to meet a member of Shelly’s family.”

Gramps bowed his head in respect, “I see that yer the boy everyone’s talking about. The boy who came back for my grandbaby.”

“Yes, sir.” he replied and Shelly smiled.

Gramps nodded, “Well, we all owe you our thanks, boy. It’s as if you’ve broken the spell that was cast by our little Shelly’s evil mother. Yer her prince in shining armor.”
A few people chuckled at how Gramps got the saying mixed up. Shelly gave them a look, but found it useless as she was chuckling too.

Shelly crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at her grandfather, “Mother is <i>not</i> evil. How could someone who was ‘evil’ be loved by everyone?” she asked accusingly.

Gramps sighed, “Yer mother thought she was never loved by anyone other than yer father. Once he died she felt that she was alone, despite the fact that she had you. That is when the rule came to yer knowledge. She read about it in a fairy-tale. <i>‘If you love something enough, set it free’</i>-yes, I believe that was it. Anyway, yer mother was so fixed on everyone hating her an lovin you, even though it wasn’t true, that yer mother was just a grouch, she wanted you to be just like her, believing that no one loves you and drive them away.” the old man coughed rather violently, but continued on despite that. “You’ve proven yerself quite well, grandbaby. I’m proud. Now, how about we all begin the festival?”
Everyone around him-including Keith-cheered and whistled in agreement, so the festivities began.

Shelly led Keith to the cliff overlooking the gray ocean.
They sat silently with their feet dangling off the edge, enjoying each other’s company as well as the setting sun.

“Keith…don’t think badly of her because of gramps words,” she whispered, hugging her knees to her chest. “Despite her reason for having me live the way she wanted, mother loved me in her own way. I mean, why would she leave me if she didn’t love me? She claimed that it was I, because <i>I</i> loved <i>her</i> but I was only ten when she left. I loved her since I was born and she knew it too, but she never left then. Even when he died she stayed with me.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but who’s this ‘he’?”

She smiled, “My father, he died when I first spoke, when I utter the words: ‘Papa, Shelly loves you.’ ” A tear had escaped her eyes, but she just continued to smile. “He went to work that same morning and got hit by a truck. Some say that I killed him, and many of the kids in preschool stopped playing with me. No one wanted to play with a death-written two-year-old; no one wanted to be loved by me. But you know, I never thought that his death was my fault, I never once thought that I killed him. I just believed that I set him free. My mother, she thought the same. She would never believe what the other parents said. Eventually everyone forgot, but by the time that happened, my rule was etched into me like words into granite.” Shelly leaned back, letting her feet dangle over the edge, looking straight up at the sky above her.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that despite all the resentment I received from the rest of the world, my mother was the only person who was on my side. I know for a fact that she loved me, and if I could change the past, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Mother wasn’t a ‘grouch’ and she told me of the saying before father passed, so Gramps was wrong on that. Oh well, he <i>is</i> very old, so he's <i>bound</i> to get some things messed up.”

“It doesn’t matter what I think of her,” he shrugged, “She’s <i>your</i> mother. The only thing that matters is what <i>you</i> think of her.”
Smiling, he opened one of his closed eyes to look at her, “Plus, I never said I thought badly of her.”

Shelly smiled back and they drifted back into that comforting silence for a few more moments.

“Keith?” Shelly turned her attention from the glowing sunset to his face, his beautiful eyes.

“Yeah?” he was already looking back to her with a loving smile. “What’s up?”

“I have to thank you. It’s because of you that I don’t have to be alone anymore. The rule can control me no longer, and it’s all thanks to you.”

He looked puzzled for a moment, but smiled to the sunset as their hands intertwined.
“What did I do? That was all you. <i>You</i> decided that it was time to let go. I was merely there for support, to give you strength, mainly because I love you.” <i>I love you too</i>, she thought.

Shelly shook her head and looked back to the fleeting sun, turning in for the day as night takes over, exhausted from today’s event, but happy to rise in the morning to see a better life. Its warmth glowing a brilliant green, now engulfing this Parallel world.
She felt so…at peace.

“No, Keith,” she whispered,
“You set me free.”







*Thank You! This was my first completed story, and I'm proud of it! I hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to leave comments and what you thought of it. Thank you for reading!*