Do Keisha and Justin End Up Together?

“Forever doesn’t always last forever,” Judy Blume reflected in her 2023 documentary Judy Blume Forever — a sentiment that resonated powerfully in the final scenes of Netflix’s adaptation of her iconic 1975 novel Forever.

Starring Lovie Simone as Keisha Clark and Michael Cooper Jr. as Justin Edwards, this reimagined story, which premiered on the streaming platform on May 9, follows two childhood friends from Los Angeles who lose touch and meet again as teens at a New Year’s Eve party.

Their relationship coincides with many firsts as they grapple with the competing pressures of falling in love and figuring out who they are. 

As they experience the rollercoaster of a new relationship (getting the ick, dealing with a sex tape scandal, etc.), the series builds to a looming milestone anyone familiar with high school love can relate to: graduation.

So, how did Forever end? Here’s everything to know about what happened to Keisha and Justin and if fans can expect to see another chapter in their story. 

Warning: Forever spoilers ahead! 

How did Forever end?

Forever ends with Keisha and Justin breaking up as they realize their post-graduation plans don’t align. Though they initially agreed to attend separate schools and have their own experiences, Justin suggests that he go to school with Keisha instead so they can spend more time together.

Craving her independence, she disagrees. Feeling lost and not at all excited about his own college prospects (attending his mom’s alma mater), Justin realizes that he’s been clinging to Keisha out of fear for his future, so he breaks up with her. 

Keisha is upset, but agrees on one condition: Justin better make their breakup “worth it” by fighting for himself and going after what he really wants. 

Do Keisha and Justin end up together?

Keisha and Justin don’t end up together, but they do reconnect for one final goodbye before she takes off for college. After randomly running into each other, the former couple agree to meet for dinner. 

There, Justin gives Keisha a graduation present and thanks her for encouraging him to pursue his dreams. When they say their goodbyes, he vocalizes his hope that they might be “ready for each other in 10 years.”

In a May 2025 interview with Entertainment Weekly, producer Mara Brock Akil opened up about why she left their relationship so open-ended. 

“Though they broke up to go their separate ways to embrace more of who they are, they did it in love,” she said, adding that the love would be there if they decided to find each other again.

Brock Akil continued, “I’m really excited about young people showing all of us the way in terms of how to transition from relationships without it having to be destructive. We don’t need any more of that.”

Does Keisha get into Howard?

Yes, Keisha gets into Howard on a full-ride scholarship. Brock Akil joked in an interview with Tudum that the college was the teen’s true forever love. 

“Howard is Keisha’s first boyfriend, let’s just be honest,” the screenwriter said. “Justin’s really the second. I want to see her with her man. I want to see who she is in this environment.”

Does Justin go to Northwestern?

No, Justin does not attend Northwestern. Despite the mounting pressure and excitement from his parents, the teen decided to defer his college acceptance and take a gap to pursue his passion for music. 

When he runs into Keisha at the end of the series, he’s working at CVS to pay for a music production and engineering course. Brock Akil told Tudum that this choice leaves a lot of possibilities for Justin as he has to figure out within a year what he wants for his future. 

“Keisha was his journey through that to find what desire feels like,” she said. “He was doing the best he can with what he’s got, but now that he knows what he wants, he needs to figure out who he is outside of Keisha.”

Will there be a season 2 of Forever?

Netflix has not yet renewed Forever for a second season. But Brock Akil told Entertainment Weekly that there’s “absolutely room” to continue Keisha and Justin’s story. 

“In this art form, I don’t make it for myself,” she said. “I’m making it for an audience. I believe that the audience wants character-driven, complex love stories. If the audience wants more, I want more. Let’s go do it.”