Before We Say Goodbye - Chapter One
From the author of "Duality of Alexa" & "Unrequited Hate", here is a story.
Chapter One.
Sitting under one of the most beautiful cherry blossom trees in the middle of the neighborhood park, she sat unmoving. The pages of the book that was in her lap rustled as the wind brushed past her.
With eyes closed and a slight tilt of her head, the soft wind played with her hair as she allowed the crisp air to fill her nostrils. After exhaling slowly and bowing her head, she sighed comfortably.
Her delicate hands lifted the book in an attempt to find the last paragraph she had read.
Immersed in her textbook, the woman who sat under one the fullest of all cherry blossom trees, gasped after hearing someone call out her name.
"Chloe? Is that you?"
She knew that voice well. But it'd been quite some time since last heard it.
"Sam?"
The question escaped quietly from her lips.
His face, a beautiful one at that, returned her smile. He leaned over Chloe to hold her current read, as he waited for her to stand up. It didn't take long and she was wrapped up in his arms.
Stepping out of his embrace, Chloe looked up at him and gave him a shy smile.
"I heard you were living out of the country. When did you get back?"
"A week ago."
Chloe's heart sank. He'd been home that long and she heard nothing about it?
"Oh, really? Are you back for good, then?"
"I'm actually back to get some papers done. I might be moving overseas for good."
"Wow, things must really be good for you over there."
"They are, Chloe! You must visit me!"
"I'd like that," she answered awkwardly.
He just smiled in turn and apologized, saying he had to rush before the government buildings closed.
Always in a rush, she thought to herself. Some things just never changed. People and feelings alike.
Sitting back down under her tree, she realized he had run off with her book... Again!
Slapping a hand to her face, she recalled a similar incident in the past. It was a memory that served to taunt and cause her much humiliation.
Back a handful of years ago, Chloe had waited for Sam patiently outside his class. Earlier that day he had offered to take her out for a cup of coffee because she needed to be tutored.
She sat awkwardly in front of the building, craning her neck every now and then to see if it was Sam. Ten minutes passed and she wondered if she had been mistaken with his invitation.
Shaking her head, she gave him the benefit of the doubt and continued waiting for ten more minutes.
Maybe he was staying back to help someone out, she thought.
Not able to convince herself, she sent him a text message asking if he was still ready to meet up. Chloe had talked herself out of making a call in case he was in some sort of tutorial with his prof.
Sadly, fifteen more minutes passed by and she reluctantly began to inch away from the building. He hadn't replied and was nowhere in sight.
Feeling foolish, she went to the coffee shop alone, ordered her latte, took a seat in the corner and tried to focus on the lessons she didn't understand. No more than five minutes later, Sam walked in with a handful of friends looking like he was having a great time.
Chloe, upon seeing Sam walk in, ducked her head. It was like she had the sudden need to disappear or dissolve into thin air. This wasn't going to happen, of course.
"Chloe! Is that you?" Sam asked as his buddies lined up to place their orders.
Scrounging what little pride she had left, she put down her pen and gave him a small smile.
"Sam. Hi..."
"Studying?"
With clenched teeth, she replied that yes, she was studying.
He took one of her notes off the table and studied it quickly.
"Need help with this?" He offered.
Chloe suddenly felt a little fleck of hope spark in her chest. Should she accept... Again? She asked herself.
Dousing the bit of hope, she decided against accepting, since he was with his friends.
Just when she opened her mouth to speak, someone shouted their way.
"Hey, Sam! Your turn to order!" One his buddies called.
"'K!" Turning back to her he gave her a lop-sided smile.
"You'll be OK?" He asked.
"Yeah," she nodded and shooed him away.
Her test was only a day away, she could stay up as late as possible and call someone else for help. If that didn't work, she was sure she could do some internet searches, right?
Unable to sit in such proximity to that boy who unknowingly disappointed her, she gathered all her things and rushed home.
Sitting at her desk that night, she found two pages of notes missing.
The pang in her chest when she got home didn't go away. For one moment, she actually thought she and Sam shared some kind of connection. But it turned out she must've been wrong.
Her tears fell hard when she realized that HE walked away with her double-sided notes. There would be no way to find him in time before her test the next day.
What kind of help was that?!
'Til this day, she remembered two things.
1. She found out how disappointment truly felt.
2. Don't rely on the help of others.
A few hours after staring blankly at her notes, the doorbell rang.
Chloe's eyebrows rose. It was almost midnight. Who could it be? She was thankful her parents were away on a trip otherwise hell was to be paid.
At the door, she met a sheepish looking Sam who held out her notes.
"Sorry, Chloe. I walked away with this by accident..."
"Thanks," she answered.
He was the last person she wanted to see. But somehow, because he was now in front of her she felt herself instantly forgiving him. For forgetting about her and taking her notes.
Sam's face grew concerned.
"Hey..." He looked into her eyes. A hand came up to cradle the side of her face.
Her eyes were lost in space as she looked back at his.
"Have you been crying?" He softly asked.
Trying to escape his hold, she shook her head denying that anything was the matter.
"Lies. Is it the test? You should have told me if you needed help. Why didn't you call or message me after class?"
A sound of disdain escaped her throat. She didn't have the energy to tell him how long she waited and how many times she messaged. She felt so embarrassed and ashamed... And she wasn't sure why.
Correction - she didn't want to pick it apart at that moment. What she did want was to get as far away from this guy as she could.
I'll figure this out myself, she proudly told herself.
"It's late, Sam. Go home."
Something in the pit of her being, ached. A part of her wished he would insist to stay.
"You don't need push me aw-"
"Thanks for my notes. Good night."
"Good luck, Chloe."
"Thanks."
Thankfully, she passed the course.
No thanks to him.
At present, Chloe found herself under the Cherry blossom tree, rolling her eyes at the memory of her younger self.
Much time has flown since then, that she was sure she was mostly over it. Over him.
--------
♥ I'm back.. hopefully more frequently. I still have to write the epilogue for "Unrequited Hate"... but be prepared to meet older characters in this one. Hope you like it. It's going to start out pretty slow. I miss you guys! I miss THIS!! ♥ValerieJeanMe.
Sitting under one of the most beautiful cherry blossom trees in the middle of the neighborhood park, she sat unmoving. The pages of the book that was in her lap rustled as the wind brushed past her.
With eyes closed and a slight tilt of her head, the soft wind played with her hair as she allowed the crisp air to fill her nostrils. After exhaling slowly and bowing her head, she sighed comfortably.
Her delicate hands lifted the book in an attempt to find the last paragraph she had read.
Immersed in her textbook, the woman who sat under one the fullest of all cherry blossom trees, gasped after hearing someone call out her name.
"Chloe? Is that you?"
She knew that voice well. But it'd been quite some time since last heard it.
"Sam?"
The question escaped quietly from her lips.
His face, a beautiful one at that, returned her smile. He leaned over Chloe to hold her current read, as he waited for her to stand up. It didn't take long and she was wrapped up in his arms.
Stepping out of his embrace, Chloe looked up at him and gave him a shy smile.
"I heard you were living out of the country. When did you get back?"
"A week ago."
Chloe's heart sank. He'd been home that long and she heard nothing about it?
"Oh, really? Are you back for good, then?"
"I'm actually back to get some papers done. I might be moving overseas for good."
"Wow, things must really be good for you over there."
"They are, Chloe! You must visit me!"
"I'd like that," she answered awkwardly.
He just smiled in turn and apologized, saying he had to rush before the government buildings closed.
Always in a rush, she thought to herself. Some things just never changed. People and feelings alike.
Sitting back down under her tree, she realized he had run off with her book... Again!
Slapping a hand to her face, she recalled a similar incident in the past. It was a memory that served to taunt and cause her much humiliation.
Back a handful of years ago, Chloe had waited for Sam patiently outside his class. Earlier that day he had offered to take her out for a cup of coffee because she needed to be tutored.
She sat awkwardly in front of the building, craning her neck every now and then to see if it was Sam. Ten minutes passed and she wondered if she had been mistaken with his invitation.
Shaking her head, she gave him the benefit of the doubt and continued waiting for ten more minutes.
Maybe he was staying back to help someone out, she thought.
Not able to convince herself, she sent him a text message asking if he was still ready to meet up. Chloe had talked herself out of making a call in case he was in some sort of tutorial with his prof.
Sadly, fifteen more minutes passed by and she reluctantly began to inch away from the building. He hadn't replied and was nowhere in sight.
Feeling foolish, she went to the coffee shop alone, ordered her latte, took a seat in the corner and tried to focus on the lessons she didn't understand. No more than five minutes later, Sam walked in with a handful of friends looking like he was having a great time.
Chloe, upon seeing Sam walk in, ducked her head. It was like she had the sudden need to disappear or dissolve into thin air. This wasn't going to happen, of course.
"Chloe! Is that you?" Sam asked as his buddies lined up to place their orders.
Scrounging what little pride she had left, she put down her pen and gave him a small smile.
"Sam. Hi..."
"Studying?"
With clenched teeth, she replied that yes, she was studying.
He took one of her notes off the table and studied it quickly.
"Need help with this?" He offered.
Chloe suddenly felt a little fleck of hope spark in her chest. Should she accept... Again? She asked herself.
Dousing the bit of hope, she decided against accepting, since he was with his friends.
Just when she opened her mouth to speak, someone shouted their way.
"Hey, Sam! Your turn to order!" One his buddies called.
"'K!" Turning back to her he gave her a lop-sided smile.
"You'll be OK?" He asked.
"Yeah," she nodded and shooed him away.
Her test was only a day away, she could stay up as late as possible and call someone else for help. If that didn't work, she was sure she could do some internet searches, right?
Unable to sit in such proximity to that boy who unknowingly disappointed her, she gathered all her things and rushed home.
Sitting at her desk that night, she found two pages of notes missing.
The pang in her chest when she got home didn't go away. For one moment, she actually thought she and Sam shared some kind of connection. But it turned out she must've been wrong.
Her tears fell hard when she realized that HE walked away with her double-sided notes. There would be no way to find him in time before her test the next day.
What kind of help was that?!
'Til this day, she remembered two things.
1. She found out how disappointment truly felt.
2. Don't rely on the help of others.
A few hours after staring blankly at her notes, the doorbell rang.
Chloe's eyebrows rose. It was almost midnight. Who could it be? She was thankful her parents were away on a trip otherwise hell was to be paid.
At the door, she met a sheepish looking Sam who held out her notes.
"Sorry, Chloe. I walked away with this by accident..."
"Thanks," she answered.
He was the last person she wanted to see. But somehow, because he was now in front of her she felt herself instantly forgiving him. For forgetting about her and taking her notes.
Sam's face grew concerned.
"Hey..." He looked into her eyes. A hand came up to cradle the side of her face.
Her eyes were lost in space as she looked back at his.
"Have you been crying?" He softly asked.
Trying to escape his hold, she shook her head denying that anything was the matter.
"Lies. Is it the test? You should have told me if you needed help. Why didn't you call or message me after class?"
A sound of disdain escaped her throat. She didn't have the energy to tell him how long she waited and how many times she messaged. She felt so embarrassed and ashamed... And she wasn't sure why.
Correction - she didn't want to pick it apart at that moment. What she did want was to get as far away from this guy as she could.
I'll figure this out myself, she proudly told herself.
"It's late, Sam. Go home."
Something in the pit of her being, ached. A part of her wished he would insist to stay.
"You don't need push me aw-"
"Thanks for my notes. Good night."
"Good luck, Chloe."
"Thanks."
Thankfully, she passed the course.
No thanks to him.
At present, Chloe found herself under the Cherry blossom tree, rolling her eyes at the memory of her younger self.
Much time has flown since then, that she was sure she was mostly over it. Over him.
--------
♥ I'm back.. hopefully more frequently. I still have to write the epilogue for "Unrequited Hate"... but be prepared to meet older characters in this one. Hope you like it. It's going to start out pretty slow. I miss you guys! I miss THIS!! ♥ValerieJeanMe.
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