2008

It's 2008 and I was seventeen

Standing under that bus stop

The rain falling around me

When you stumbled through the rain

Your hair wet and soaking

Crashing through the bus stop

And to a halt beside me

I recognised you from school

And you raised your eyebrows

As your eyes met mine

"Hey"

You say

It was the first time I heard your voice

And it was different

From what I imagined

"Hey"

I say back,

And you smile

It's 2008 and we were seventeen

When we first met

It's 2009 and we're eighteen

Fallen into the abyss

That they call love

Sleepless nights

With our phones on speaker

Just to hear the voice of the other

Fingers intertwined

Shoulders brushing

And little glances

Sneaked in between classes

It's 2009 and we were eighteen

When we fell in love

It's 2011 and we're twenty

I love you still

And I believe

You still love me too

But we start to argue

Over even the smallest things

And sometimes

When I glance at you

You don't glance back

We don't brush our shoulders anymore

And the distance between us

Starts to widen

Every inch

Breaking a little of my heart

It's the little things that I notice

And I start to realise

We're falling apart

It's 2011 and we were twenty

When we started to fall out of love

It's 2012 and we're twenty-one

When you finally turn around

And look at me

Right in the eye

For the first time in months

Your lips are set into a grim line

And your eyes don't sparkle anymore

Your lips part to say something

And I dread the words

That are about to come pouring out

Like muddy water

At the bottom of a ditch

Because I knew what was coming

And I was afraid

Then the words hit

Stinging like a slap

"We're over."

Two words.

And just like that

We are no longer you and me

Just me.

And just you.

It's 2012 and we were twenty-one

When we walked our separate ways.

It's 2014 and I am twenty-three

I still think of you sometimes

When I'm alone in bed

And I missed the sound of your voice

I still cry over you sometimes

When I go through my photo gallery

We were so happy then

But we are nothing

But a fading memory now

Already forgotten by the people

Our story ended long ago

So I guess it's time

I stop rereading it

It's 2014 and I am twenty-three

When I move on from you

It's 2018 and I am twenty-seven

When I crash into you on the streets

You are shocked

And so am I

Then I notice

The woman beside you

And her hand in yours

The other one wrapped around

A child's small palm

And for a moment

I feel a sting of pain

Then I remember

That we're different people now

"Hey"

I say,

"Hey"

You say back,

And I smile,

Wistfully

Ten years ago,

This was how we met

Now you're writing your own story

This time one without me

And I wonder,

If things didn't happen

The way they did,

Would I still have been in your story?

Maybe

We were too young

To feel something real

It's 2018 and we were twenty-seven

When we met again

Author's Note

This is my longest work to date wow um I hope you managed to read until here.