Sat By the River, And it made me complete.

Chapter 1

Barry Allen sat on the edge of the park bench, his sneakers scuffing against the concrete as he swung his legs back and forth. The scent of freshly cut grass filled the air, mixing with the distant sound of children's laughter. Above, the clouds painted the sky with strokes of pink and orange as the sun dipped below the horizon. It was the perfect evening, the kind that made you feel alive. But Barry's mind was elsewhere.

Across the park, Caitlin was playing frisbee with a group of friends, her hair a fiery halo around her head as she threw it back and laughed. Each time she glanced in his direction, Barry's heart skipped a beat. He'd had a crush on her for as long as he could remember, but she only had eyes for the jocks and the popular kids. The ones who didn't know him beyond the quiet kid who was always in the library. The one who studied too much and talked too little.

Finally, with a deep breath, Barry mustered his courage and approached her. She noticed him when he was a few feet away, and her smile dimmed slightly as she pulled her arm back to throw the frisbee. It soared through the air and was caught by one of her friends, who gave Barry an amused look before jogging back to her.

Barry's palms grew damp as he closed the distance to Caitlin, her laughter still lingering in the air like a teasing melody. "Hey, Caitlin," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. She looked up from her shoes, her eyes widening in surprise. "Oh, hi Barry," she replied, the frisbee momentarily forgotten in her grasp. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering," he began, his heart hammering in his chest like a drumline warming up for a parade, "about the physics assignment? I noticed you've been in the library a lot lately." It wasn't entirely a lie; he had been watching her from afar, hoping she'd need help with something, anything, to give him an excuse to talk to her. "How's it going?"

Caitlin tilted her head, considering him with a mix of curiosity and mild annoyance. "It's okay," she said, her voice cooler than the evening air. "Why? Are you having trouble with it?"

Barry felt the heat creep up his neck as he shrugged. "No, I just thought maybe we could, you know, study together?" The words tumbled out of his mouth like a clumsy acrobat. He watched her, his eyes hopeful, as she chewed on the inside of her cheek. For a moment, it looked like she might agree. But then, her eyes flickered over his shoulder and her smile brightened.

"Actually, I'm kind of busy tonight," she said, her voice a soft rejection that hit him like a sledgehammer. "Ronnie's throwing a party and I promised I'd be there."

Barry's shoulders slumped, his heart sinking faster than a stone in a pond. Of course, she'd be busy. She was always busy with the other kids, the ones who threw the parties and got the invites. The ones who didn't include him. "Oh," he managed to reply, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "Maybe another time, then?"

Caitlin's eyes searched his, as if looking for something she couldn't quite place. "Yeah," she said, her tone noncommittal. "Maybe."

Barry nodded, trying to smile through the ache in his chest. "Sure, no problem." He took a step back, feeling the weight of his unspoken words like a lead balloon between them. "I'll catch you later, then."

As he turned to leave, Caitlin called after him. "Barry, wait." He paused, hope flaring like a match in the wind. "You should come to the party," she said, her eyes lighting up. "It's going to be a blast, and I'm sure you could use a break from all that studying."

Barry felt his heart stutter, torn between excitement and doubt. Did she really want him there, or was she just being polite? "You think so?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
Yeah," Caitlin said, her voice warming. "Why not? It'll be fun, and I'm sure you know some of the people who are coming."