Chapter 2: Time Before Graduation
1067 Words
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The days continued to drift by in a haze, with everyone preoccupied with final exams. The pressure of SAT and AP exams was almost suffocating for everyone.
Except for him.
He devoted all his time to two things: self-studying college-level courses and tutoring me for AP exams.
Countless nights, he worked tirelessly towards his passionate dream.
Everyone knew that his dream was to become a diplomat, but no one knew my dream - only to be his wife.
Nightfall enveloped the entire city.
Silence spread into every corner, and sleepiness invaded everyone’s thoughts.
I woke at my desk, weary, and passed by his room. Through the window, the light cast his upright figure in sharp relief.
I could hear the faint rustle of pages and the intentionally suppressed sound of his coughing.
Perhaps he was a bit tired; he leaned back in his chair, stretching lazily and rubbing his neck.
Quietly, I slipped into the kitchen, poured a glass of milk, and brought it to him, a flicker of tenderness crossing my eyes.
“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” He asked, his voice carrying a faint note of fatigue. He then lowered his gaze to drink the milk, with a froth of cream resting at the edge of his lips, giving him an unexpectedly charming appearance.
I gently closed the door behind him, and the hallway was silent except for the soft sound of my footsteps.
I felt a weight in my chest, the uneasy glance from him earlier still lingering in my mind.
I was acutely aware of the passing time -- the days leading up to graduation were growing fewer, and my anxiety was becoming more palpable.
I paced around his room for a while, my eyes drifting to the calendar on the wall. The countdown numbers seemed to constrict me breathing.
Every day slipping away was a stark reminder of how close the exams were. I understood that the SAT and AP tests were not just an academic challenge, but also a significant test for the relationship with Lee.
Meanwhile, in the classroom, Louis was furiously adjusting the countdown board.
He had just kicked a boy who was being disruptive, his anger still simmering. Though his actions seemed irrational, his real concern was the impending exams. He knew that their results would affect their futures and the distances between them.
His heart was heavy with worries about the future and the value of their friendship.
He didn’t want to see himself, me, and Lee drift apart because of the exams. Their camaraderie and mutual support were what he treasured most during this challenging time.
As time marched on, both Louis and I were grappling with our own struggles and tests. Our goals might differ, but we were both striving to pave the way for our futures. And the outcome of our efforts would be revealed in the results of the exams.
As Louis passed by me, noticing how I was propping up my chin and absentmindedly twirling a pen, he found my dazed expression quite endearing.
Suddenly, he felt an irresistible urge to tease me.
He snatched the pen from my hand and playfully tapped it on my head, his face lit up with a mischievous grin. “What are you daydreaming about?”
“Nothing much,” I replied, clearly uninterested in engaging with Louis.
His playful, irreverent demeanor since childhood had always been a bit irritating to me.
Louis’s grin widened, his tone dripping with mockery. “Oh really? I bet you’re lost in some fanciful thoughts!”
The end of the month happened to coincide with the weekend.
The early summer sky stretched out, filled with drifting clouds, clear and uplifting.
Gathering a few friends, we rode our bikes around the city, making several loops. Despite the scorching sun, we climbed mountains, sweating and playing recklessly, like wild kids who didn’t know how to hold back, shouting out our desire to graduate and grow up quickly.
Louis had chosen a perfect spot: a vantage point overlooking the entire capital city, with a shaded area under trees and wildflowers scattered around.
A picnic blanket was laid out with an assortment of fresh fruits. I lay on the grass, gazing up at the bright, expansive sky, nibbling on a crisp, refreshing green fruit.
Our classmates laughed and joked together, teasing who was secretly in love with whom, celebrating the thought of tearing up all our textbooks after the exams, releasing years of repressed emotions.
I listened quietly, my eyes occasionally drifting towards the boy a short distance away.
The silhouette stood against the light, poised on a rock overgrown with weeds, with a few clusters of green leaves draping over his head. I couldn’t discern what he was thinking, but his back seemed so beautiful to me.
So beautiful that I wished I could preserve the image of this seventeen-year-old forever.
I walked towards him, stepping on the mottled patches of light that fell on the ground, the sound of my shoes rubbing against the gravel path softly echoing in my ears.
He turned around, and there I was, behind him.
“What do you think the world beyond the city looks like?” I gazed out over the capital city, which was surrounded on all sides by water. The clear, clean sea reflected hundreds of miles of white clouds, seemingly about to fall into the sails of ships drifting on the ocean.
On the land, the waves lapped up onto the beach, with scattered sunshades and beach chairs. The capital city was a blend of high-rise buildings and old neighborhoods, with green vegetation covering every street and alley. There was a hint of retro charm flowing effortlessly within the modern architecture.
He had never stepped out of the capital city since his birth, but he had never abandoned his dreams of the world beyond.
He pondered for a moment, then smiled. “The world is vast; the scenery must be beautiful.”
“And,” I said, a smile tugging at my lips, my face alight with longing, “Lee, let’s go see the world together someday.”
“Uh, I mean, if there’s a chance,” I quickly added, worried that my words might be misunderstood.
“Mm.” The response was soft, with a faint nasal sound. If I hadn’t listened closely, I might have missed it entirely.
- Writer
