Forever ; W.S

3. bye walker

The day had finally come for me to head back to Pennsylvania. The past few weeks with Penelope and the rest of the group had been incredible, and I was dreading the moment I'd have to say goodbye. My parents and I packed up the car and headed to the airport. The car ride was filled with a mix of excitement about going back home and sadness at leaving.As we pulled up to the terminal, I received a text from Penelope.

IMESSAGES

lola 💗

Are you at the airport yet?

Just got here
Where are you?

I'll be there in a few minutes.
Wait for me?

Of course
See you soon Lola 😊

IRL

The nickname had stuck, and she seemed to love it as much as I did. I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the thought of leaving her behind. We unloaded our luggage, and my parents started checking us in. I stood to the side, anxiously scanning the crowd for any sign of Penelope.

A few minutes later, I saw her. She was weaving through the crowd, her eyes searching for me. When our eyes met, she broke into a run, her face lighting up with a smile despite the tears forming in her eyes. "Walker!" she called out, her voice cracking slightly. She threw her arms around me, and I held her tightly, not wanting to let go. "Lola," I said softly, resting my chin on her head. "I'm so glad you came." "I couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too," I replied, pulling back slightly to look at her. Her eyes were glistening with tears, and I could feel my own eyes stinging. "But this isn't goodbye forever. I'll be back before you know it."

"Promise?" she asked, her voice small and hopeful. "Promise," I said firmly, giving her a reassuring smile. We stood there for a moment, just holding each other. It felt like the world had stopped around us, and all that mattered was being there in that moment. Finally, my mom came over and gently reminded me that it was time to go through security.

"Walker, we need to get going," she said, her voice soft and understanding. I nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'll call you as soon as I land," I told Penelope, squeezing her hand one last time. "You better," she replied, trying to smile through her tears. "Have a safe flight." "Thanks, Lola," I said, giving her one last hug. "Take care of yourself, okay?" "You too," she whispered, her voice breaking slightly.

I turned and walked towards the security checkpoint, glancing back one last time to see her standing there, watching me go. It was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do, but I knew it wasn't the end. We had something special, and I was determined to hold onto it.

As I went through security and made my way to the gate, I couldn't stop thinking about her. The way she'd run to me, the tears in her eyes, the warmth of her hug—it was all etched into my memory. I found my seat on the plane and settled in, pulling out my phone one last time before we took off.

IMESSAGES

lola 💗

Just boarded
Miss you already

Miss you too
Safe travels, Walker 💓

IRL

I smiled, feeling a sense of peace. This wasn't the end for us—it was just the beginning of something new. As the plane took off, I looked out the window, the city below growing smaller and smaller. I knew I'd be back, and when I did, Penelope would be waiting for me, hopefully.

Why was I stressing she's only my friend? We aren't even dating. She doesn't even like me like that. As these thoughts filled my mind. Leena stopped them "Stop stressing walker. Calm down you're still young" she looked at me apologetically.

authors note
was gonna publish this yesterday but had ZERO time to edit!! hope u guys enjoy!! yes they are both very oblivious 😝😝 also what r ur thoughts on on angst?!?