ROOTS OF ROMANCE

Part 2

The front yard of Aria's house, on a cloudy afternoon. The air is cool, signaling the arrival of autumn. Cardboard boxes are stacked in the driveway of Jasper's house across the street, while a moving truck idles nearby. The mood is heavy with an unspoken sadness.

Aria stood in the doorway of her house, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she watched the movers load the last of the boxes into the truck. Jasper's family was moving to their own house , and today was the day she had dreaded for weeks.

Jasper, standing on the curb with his hands in his pockets, glanced toward her, a forced smile on his face. His eyes didn't carry their usual spark of mischief; instead, they held a heaviness that weighed down on both of them.

"What? You will also come soon after your house will be finish building " Jasper said, his voice quiet but breaking through the thick air between them. He took a few steps closer, the space between them feeling wider than it had ever been.

Aria nodded, her throat tightening. She didn't trust her voice, so she stayed silent, biting her lip to stop the emotions from spilling out. She had promised herself she wouldn't cry, but the lump in her throat grew harder to ignore.

They had spent the entire summer pretending this day would never come. They played in the park, did homework together, and laughed at silly jokes as if nothing would ever change. But now, it felt like everything had changed.

asper stammered, the words sounding more like a question than a promise. "And we can talk in school, right? It's not like we won't see each other again."

Aria nodded again, though deep down, she knew it wouldn't be the same. The routine they had built together, walking to school side by side, sharing secrets during late-night study sessions, was crumbling. And no matter how hard they tried, the distance would create a new kind of silence between them.

Jasper rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's just... just a house, right? I'm sure we'll hang out soon. It's not like I'm moving to the moon."

"Yeah," Aria finally whispered, her voice barely audible. "Just a house."

But they both knew it wasn't just a house. It was leaving behind the years of memories they had built in this place—where they met, where they grew up together, where they became each other's everything without even realizing it.

Jasper's mom called out from the truck, signaling that it was time to go. He turned to glance at the moving truck, then back at Aria, as if trying to stretch out the moment for just a few more seconds.

For a brief instant, he reached out, his fingers brushing against hers, but then he pulled back, unsure of what else to do. The weight of all the things left unsaid hung in the air between them.

"Goodbye, Aria," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion he tried to hide behind a brave face.

"Goodbye, Jasper," she whispered, her chest aching with the finality of the words.

And with that, Jasper turned and walked toward the moving truck, his steps slow and heavy. Aria watched as he climbed inside, shutting the door behind him. The engine rumbled to life, and the truck began to pull away from the curb, taking with it the boy who had been her closest friend, her confidant, her constant.

As the truck disappeared down the road, Aria stood there, frozen, feeling an emptiness settle into her chest. She had always thought their bond was unbreakable, but now, with Jasper gone, the silence between them felt like a vast chasm.

For the first time in years, Aria felt truly alone. Aria felt lonely doing every segments, only waiting too see and meet jashper as before.

Although they used to meet at school.  The first time Aria saw Jasper again after he moved back to town, it felt like the world had tilted just slightly off-balance. She had always imagined their reunion, thinking it would be like old times—filled with laughter, easy conversations, and the same comfortable bond they'd shared. But when their eyes met in the crowded hallway, it was as though there was an invisible wall between them, one neither of them knew how to break through.