As the World Turned

Chapter 1: Love never knows its own depth until the hour of separation

March 11, 2005

New York City, New York, United States

"I'll be moving to Boston in two days." Zack Martin said, looking unbelievably sad. 

At that moment, Alex Russo wanted to cry. She had done little else for the past few days ever since finding out that she would be losing Zack and the Martin family as they were moving to Boston. But now, as she looked at him and realized just how soon she was going to lose him, she wanted to cry even more. 

The usually upbeat Zack looked broken, drawn, despairing and shattered: his blue-green eyes reflected pure sadness, his usually rosy cheeks were streaked with dry tears, his chestnut-brown hair was messily tousled, there were dark circles under his eyes and his t-shirt was wet with tears.

 Even then, Alex still thought he looked gorgeous. She wanted to hug him, kiss him and never let him go. She knew that wasn't possible, instead deciding that she would memorize how he looked and enjoy the moment.

Zack, gazing at Alex, realized how much pain this was causing her. Her dark brown hair was mussed up like a rat's nest, her chocolate brown eyes were filled with tears, her cheeks had only the after marks of tears, she too had dark circles under her eyes and had neglected her usual fashion sense, having picked out old t-shirt and shorts. Zack still thought Alex looked beautiful beyond belief. He soaked in this sight, realizing just how much he would miss her. 

"I just can't believe this. We've known each other since we were born, and now you're moving away. I don't want to lose you." Alex whimpered and burst into tears. Zack took her in his arms and comforted her. 

"Don't worry, I'll call you every day. We can talk for as long as you want. I'll write you letters and videoconference. We're not going to lose each other. I will never leave you." Zack whispered, hugging Alex as she silently cried, and he fought back tears. Zack had cried in the bathroom and while he was sleeping, but he refused to cry in front of other people, especially in front of a tearful Alexandra Russo.

Harper Finkle sat nearby with Justin Russo, Max Russo and Cody Martin. She bonded with the Martin twins: with Cody on academics and with Zack on many other things. She would miss them as they were always good company, the life of the party: they had a great sense of humor, and you could be sure that there never would be a dull moment whenever the Martin twins were around.

More than that, Harper was worried about Alex. She had been exceptionally close with Zack and Cody. More than that, Harper sensed that Alex felt something deeper than just friendship for Zack. She had seen the way they acted around each other: it was undeniable. Harper had been shocked to see Alex cry like a toddler upon finding out about the impending separation: she had seen nearly everyone in this group do so. She was worried Alex would do something drastic.

Justin Russo was in pure shock. He had not expected that the Martins would move, and Mr. and Mrs. Martin would be finalizing their divorce immediately afterwards. He had known that there had been a lot of chaos in the famous rockstar Martin family' lives; anyone who watched the news or read the newspapers did.

 Because of the fake news and legal battles, Justin was losing Cody, who was his closest friend and intellectual equal and Zack, a relentless troublemaker who had become a trusted friend. He tried desperately not to cry, but if he did, he would just blame his "allergies".

Cody Martin and Max Russo were observing the scene. They had been through a rollercoaster of emotions and had gone through the various stages of grief, now reaching the final stage: acceptance. They whispered to each other, making jokes and exchanging memories to cheer each other up. They decided to take advantage of their friends' company while they still could.