𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶. [𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘢𝘶]

30

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER is a phrase that I've always lived by. My moms would repeat it constantly when I was younger, so often that I think it got permanently carved inside my brain. It's been my outlook on life for as long as I could remember.

The phrase, to me, meant to be thankful for what you have and live in the moment you're in. Some people find that phrase depressing, because it reminds them that their happiness won't exist eternally.

But I've always liked that phrase. I've always considered it a moral. Like, a moral of a story or something. Like if my life was the story, nothing lasts forever would be the moral. The main idea. It's taught me to never feel ungrateful for anything, and never take anything for granted because one minute I could have something, and the next it could be gone. And that terrified me.

But in this moment, I'm not thinking happily of that phrase. I'm thinking of it in a sad way, because it's reminding me that I can't be in this moment with Ricky forever. This hug, this personal moment, won't last forever. It's going to end at some point, and I didn't want it to.

I cling onto Ricky a little tighter, genuinely not wanting to let go of him. I don't know how long we've been in this position, me straddling his lap with my arms around him, his head in the crook of my neck. I think we both needed each other right now. I think he was hugging me because he needed to feel the comfort and safety of being close to someone.

I think we do that for each other. Provide safety.

Finally, after God knows how long, Ricky breaks the silence. "You smell nice," He mumbles, feeling his breath on my neck. I smile a bit, pulling his head away from my neck so I could look at him in his eyes. His brown eyes, that I've grown quite fond of these past couple weeks.

"So do you." I reply, continuing to stare into his eyes. I find myself getting lost in his eyes a lot. There's just so much about him that's hidden in his eyes. All his trauma, his laughs, his tears. They're all there. You just have to know him well enough to see them.

"We should get up." He clears his throat, shifting his position a bit. "This concrete wall is getting a bit uncomfortable."

I shake my head, "I don't want to get up. I want this to last forever." I admit, playing with the drawstrings of his hoodie.

Ricky laughs a bit, twirling a strand of my hair around his finger. "Me too, but nothing lasts forever sweetheart."

Nothing lasts forever.

"I have to get my car, but it's back in the school parking lot." I tell him, not wanting to go back to the school just in case the person with the clown mask is still there. We probably should've told the cops about that, but I was not in the right headspace. I had so much on my mind.

"Well, I never said we had to separate. I just said we needed to get up. Let's walk around a bit." Ricky suggests, continuing to play with my hair.

I nod my head, standing up and off to the side so Ricky had room to get up. Ricky stands up from the ground, his height towering over mine. I never realized how tall he was. "Lead the way." I point to the exit of the alley, signaling for him to walk in front of me.