Sophomore Year - The Last Goodbye.

The end.

June 13th.
It was the last day of school.
The school had a different feel. Nobody really cared anymore. Everybody was breathing easy.
School was over.
I was with Bobby and a group of friends, just talking and laughing.
Then I had an idea.
"Bobby?" I whispered. "Do you want to ditch?"
He looked at me, and nodded. "Yeah, let's get out of here."
I smiled, and he returned it.
We quietly walked down the hallways and walked out our or the rear doors where there were no windows, and just walked off the campus.
"So, we have three hours," he said. "What do you want to do?"
I shrugged. "I'm fine with anything."
"Here, I have an idea-"
He took my hand and led me for five minutes, and we ended up in a nearby park.
"A park?"
"I used to play here in 5th grade a lot," he said. "I come here just to get my mind off things sometimes."
We sat on a wide rope ladder, and I laid on his chest with his arm around me. "Have you ever ditched school before?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Nope. Never have."
"Me neither."
He laughed. "You know, I could spend all day like this."
I didn't blame him.The weather was so nice, and everything seemed so peaceful.
I couldn't blame him for choosing to come here.
"I think I'm going to take a nap-"
"Oh no, you are not falling asleep on me," I said.
He grinned and shut his eyes. "Watch me."
I scowled, and kissed him.
He smiled into the kiss, and wrapped me in his arms. It was a sweet, gently kiss.
"Yeah. You're not falling asleep on me," I said.
He chuckled, and kissed my forehead. "Fine, I won't."
So we sat there and just talked.
We talked about our lives.
We talked about moving.
We talked about what it might be like to be a tree.
Everything.
"Oh damn," I said, looking up. "It's starting to rain."
We both looked up at the sky, and rain droplets started to fall down.
We ran for cover in our old empty TLF building, and he gave me a smile, and pulled me close to him.
I smiled back.
"We still have an hour left," he said.
"I know."
"So?"
"Stop talking," I laughed and kissed him.
And just for a while, we fell to bliss.
* * *
We were outside the school, in a small clearing where no one could see us.
Bobby was sitting on a small bench, and I sat quietly next to him.
"I can't believe it's the last day of school," he said.
"Yeah."
Silence.
"The buses are coming," he noted. I followed his gaze to the clearing. He was right.
This would be the last time I could be with him. He left on Monday, and I gone for the weekend.
And I left for good that Friday.
I wasn't coming back.
"I love you," he said quietly.
"I love you too, Bobby."
I started to cry.
He held me close to him. "Hey, you're okay. We're okay."
He kissed me.
If a kiss could taste bittersweet, it did. It wasn't like other kisses. Other kisses begged another.
This was a goodbye kiss
There wasn't going to be another.
Everyone was loading the buses.
"Bobby, I have to go," I said quietly.
"I know you do," he said. I could barely hear him.
I walked away, holding in tears.
"I love you," he said.
I turned. "I love you too."
And then I walked away.
I boarded the bus, and everyone was chattering and buzzing. I looked out the window, and he was there.
We just liked at each other as the bus pulled away.
I haven't seen him since.