As Long As We're Together

Preface- Liesel

   "A minute-forty! Come on, Tatum, you can do better than that!" I walk over to Tatum, who is hunched over huffing and puffing, and pat her on the back.
   "Let's go, we're gonna be late." She gets up and starts towards the car.
   "Are you sure you don't wanna try one more time? It might make you feel good to end on a good run." I don't want her to feel bad because I ran mine in a little over a minute.
   "Yep. Anyways, I have to go study for tomorrow's history test."
   "No you don't!" I say. " It's open book!" Now I know she feels bad about not being better.
   "Well, studying never hurt anybody." She says, and then she goes to the car.
   I drop Tatum off at her house to 'study' and then head to the soccer field. I have my first soccer practice for the season tomorrow, and I want to make sure I'm ready.
   "Hey." Chance says. He gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I've missed you."
   "I've missed you, too." Chance was born in New England, but he and his parents moved here when he was a teenager. Every summer, they go back to visit their family.
   "Of course you missed me!" He says jokingly. "Go put your bag down and we can do a few one-on-one drills."
   After I set my bag down, I run over to where Chance is practicing his footwork.
   "It's going to take a lot more than that to beat me!" I tease him.
   "Well let's just see about that!" He says.
   He puts the ball at his feet. He dribbles forwards a little and then does scissors. I stick my foot out and take the ball, dribbling right around him.
   "You didn't even let me show you my new move!" He wines.
   "Well, you have to be faster than that to beat me!" I say.
   "Let's do a toughness drill." He says. "It'll be fun!"
   "No way!" I tell him. "You are like twice my size! There's no way I'll win."
   "Is Miss Liesel scared of some competition?"
   "No." I say. "I just don't see the use in doing something just so I can get pushed to ground!"
   "It can make you stronger! And more aggressive." He tells me.
   "Fine." I say.
   We push on each other's shoulders for about three seconds before I end up on the ground.
   "Well, at least you tried." He says, helping me up.
   "Do you want me to shoot on you?" I ask him.
   "Sure. Just let me go get my gloves." He says.
As he goes to the bleachers, I remember that I need to tell him something. I don't want to leave him, but I have to, and I don't want to make him do a long distance relationship if he doesn't want to.
When he comes back over, he isn't wearing his gloves. Instead, he is holding a rectangular box. "I got you something." He says. He opens the box and inside is a necklace with a heart that says always & forever.
"Chance." I say. I need to tell him before I take this. "There's something I need to tell you."
Chance's arms go limp, because he thinks I'm trying to break up with him. His eyes go to the ground and I feel awful.
"Chance, wait. I just don't know if this will work." I say.
"I get it, you're dumping me. Well, I just want you to know that I don't think I will ever find someone like you. I might not always be your true love, but you'll always be mine." He says, and then he turns around to leave.
"Chance, I'm moving, far away."
"And you think I won't want to try and make this work? I am." He says, still turned around.
"Chance?"
"Yes?"
"I'll always love you, and if you think we can make this work, I'm more than willing to give it a try."
He turns around and walks back over to me and puts the necklace around my neck.
"Chance?"
He kisses my cheek and I smile.
"I love you, Liesel, always and forever."