The First Look - Part 12
608 Words
After that day, everything changed again.
But this time… in a different way.
Sarah and Samuel didn’t avoid each other anymore. They didn’t pretend everything was fine either.
They just… stayed close.
Closer than ever.
Every day after school, they met under the tree or walked together, trying to fill the time with memories they knew they would hold onto later.
But no matter how much they laughed…
The truth was always there.
Quiet.
Waiting.
One afternoon, Sarah arrived at their spot to find Samuel already there.
He was lying on the grass, staring up at the sky.
“Thinking again?” she teased softly as she sat beside him.
He smiled. “Always.”
She lay down next to him, their shoulders touching.
“What about this time?”
He hesitated.
“About how fast everything is going,” he said. “It feels like just yesterday we barely talked.”
Sarah let out a soft laugh. “And now look at us.”
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “Now I don’t want to leave.”
Her chest tightened at his words.
She turned her head to look at him.
“Then don’t,” she said, even though she knew it wasn’t that simple.
Samuel shook his head slowly. “I wish it worked like that.”
Silence fell between them.
Not uncomfortable.
Just… heavy.
After a moment, Sarah sat up, brushing grass off her uniform.
“Come on,” she said, forcing a small smile. “Let’s not waste today thinking about that.”
Samuel looked at her for a second.
Then he smiled too.
“Okay. What do you want to do?”
She thought for a moment.
“Let’s do something we’ll never forget.”
They ended up going to a small fair not far from school.
It wasn’t anything big—just lights, music, and a few rides.
But to them… it felt like everything.
They walked side by side, laughing at silly games, sharing snacks, and stealing small glances at each other when the other wasn’t looking.
At one point, Samuel won her a small stuffed bear.
“It’s not much,” he said, handing it to her.
Sarah smiled, holding it close. “I love it.”
“Really?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said softly. “Because you gave it to me.”
For a second, he just looked at her.
Like he was trying to hold onto the moment forever.
Later, as the sky darkened and the lights around them glowed brighter, they stopped near the edge of the fair.
From there, they could see everything.
The lights.
The people.
The life moving around them.
“It’s beautiful,” Sarah said.
Samuel looked at her instead.
“Yeah… it is.”
She noticed and smiled shyly.
“You’re not even looking at it.”
“I don’t need to,” he said quietly.
Her heart skipped.
Moments like this…
They were becoming harder to handle.
Because they meant more now.
Because they were running out.
Sarah took a small breath.
“Samuel…”
“Yeah?”
“When you leave… will things change?”
He didn’t answer right away.
But when he did, his voice was soft.
“Things might change,” he said. “But how I feel about you won’t.”
Tears filled her eyes before she could stop them.
“Promise?”
He stepped closer, gently wiping them away.
“I promise.”
And for that moment…
She chose to believe him.
Even if it hurt.
Even if it was temporary.
Because right now…
He was still here.
And that was enough.
- Writer
