Departing Hearts

"Damn, it's getting hot out here. Where the heck is she?" Asked Anton who was waiting under sweltering heat with the scorching sun over his head. After 30 minutes sitting on the park bench, he started to get tired of looking at people passing by and having fun without him.

"Boo." Someone whispered in his ear.

Anton was surprised by a girl very dear to him. Her name is Rachel, someone who he has known for the longest time. Tonight, she'll be moving out of this town. On a promise that they had made prior, she asked Anton to accompany her last day here.

"Did you wait long?" She gleefully asked.

"What do you think?" Anton joked curtly.

"Yeah, my bad. Want me to get some water for you?"

"Nah, I'm good." Anton answered while fanning himself with a large leaf.

"Hmmm, if you say so. Anyways, where are we going after this?"

"Well you were the one who invited me."

"Then how about the mall? We haven't been there in ages."

"Ain't that a bit too... boring? " Anton thought.

"Eh, beats drying myself like jerky out here."

"Roger that, let's get moving." Anton ended while getting up from the bench.

The mall they were going to was not too far from the park, so Anton chose for them to walk there. Besides that, Anton wanted to enjoy the best view of the town that they could, as another fun sight for them to remember. During the stroll, Anton remembered the memories they shared here. They've known each other for forever now and have probably explored every nook and cranny of this dainty town, but it never occurred to him that Rachel would even leave this town. Remembering that, he got all bummed out.

Arriving at the nearest mall, they wandered into various shops and facilities. Trying on clothes and makeup at boutiques, looking at collectibles at toy stores, challenging themselves to VR games, they did all sorts of things. Suddenly, a novelty store at the end of a deserted alley caught Rachel's attention. It seemed that the other shops were closed there that day, leaving only the flickering lights of the novelty store. Impulsively, she rushed straight to the shop, leaving Anton confused for a brief moment.

The store's lineup was varied and eclectic. It had things ranging from tacky home décor to useless knick-knacks, you name it. However, her eyes were immediately glued to a picture frame, the kind you'd display on a desk. Behind its edges tangled in vines and the carvings on each of its ends, there was an eye-catching simplicity to it. She took it from the shelf, and went to the cashier to go pay for it. Satisfied with her choice, Rachel stored the newspaper-wrapped frame into her tote bag.

After that, Rachel dragged Anton to the arcade. It has also been quite a while since they visited one, so they chose to waste their money on every game and machine that the establishment had to offer. Everything from racing games, DDR, air hockey, to zombie shooters, they tried it all. One highlight in their arcade escapade was the bowling machine, where Anton scored 3 strikes in a row, blowing Rachel out of the water. While playing, Anton stole a glance at Rachel's bubbly face, comparing it to himself who was all gloomy ever since they met at the park earlier. Even so, he still tried his best to savour this joyous moment, because he knew it might as well be his last moments with her.

While looking around for more games they haven't played with, Anton saw Rachel fixing her attention to a cat plushy sitting adorably in the claw machine. Seeing her wanting it so badly, Anton volunteered. He thought it might be good idea as a parting gift for her. He gave it his all, using all kinds of techniques and moves. But in the end, due to his fruitless efforts, he finally gave up. Even so, Rachel appreciated his efforts and was still smiling from ear-to-ear.