FROM AFAR ▷ RIARKLE

[00] GRAVITY

Farkle Minkus sighed. The wooden box that sat in his hands trembled a small bit, but it didn't tremble enough to show visibly. It was now or never. His family would be leaving for Denver in less than an hour. He needed to tell Riley. Riley deserved to know.

But, his mouth failed him every time he tried to confess his feelings for her in person. She would smile at him so kindly, so expectantly. He would look into her big brown, doe-like eyes, and he would turn to mush. Farkle's words would falter, and Riley would smile at him patiently. The words would never come out.

So, he began to write Riley Matthews letters that he thought he would never deliver. But, Riley deserved to know before he left her life.

Knocking on Riley's bay window, Farkle watched as Riley moved around, disoriented by the sound until she realizes that it came from her window. She rushed over and slid open the window.

"Farkle," Riley breathed. Her eyes were red.

"Riley," Farkle started."I have something for you."

"But shouldn't you be packing?" Riley asked, her big doe eyes widening.

"It can wait," Farkle responded calmly.

Hesitantly, he handed over the box to the brunette. Farkle had never been more scared in his life than he was in that moment. Why? He asked himself. She hadn't even opened the box yet.

"Farkle," Riley started, unlatching the box.

Farkle stopped her, resting his hands on hers. Slowly, Riley shut the box and looked back up at the blue eyed genius.

"Not until I'm gone, Riles. Please."

"Okay."

Farkle stepped back out on to the Matthews' fire escape. He looked at the girl who stared back at him blankly through the window pane. He had loved her since the first grade. Somewhere along the lines of first grade and eleven grade, his feelings of admiration and love changed. They became passionate and violent. His feelings were like the sea, restless and threatening to destroy him. Farkle Minkus was hopelessly in love with Riley Matthews. Was that what love was? Violent and restless and demanding? He thought it should be sweet and should help you grow. All his love for Riley Matthews did was tear him apart. He loved Riley the way Icarus loved the sun. Too much. Too closely. Too passionately. He was aflame. Farkle Minkus had heralded himself at the sun, the sun that had a bubbly personality, big brown eyes, and a deep love for her friends and family. Riley Matthews was the sun, or at least she was Farkle's sun. His whole world revolved around her, and she had no idea of it. Farkle guessed that it made him a moon in comparison to her sun. There was always something that kept them bound together, but it never let them get too close. Gravity. Gravity had kept them from drifting away from each other, but they never got too close because the sun would envelope the moon, and then there would be no more light in the darkness. It had to be like this or the universe would collapse in on itself, all the stars and galaxies and the hundreds of universes would be swallowed by black holes, leaving the sun's existence pointless. So there had to be gravity.

And now gravity was pushing them apart even further than before because their pulls had become too great for each other. Riley and Farkle were always close but never together. Never together.

Finally tearing his eyes away from hers, he took off down the fire escape and into the next chapter of his life.

Riley Matthews, I love you.

She would know that soon. Farkle knew her well enough to know that she would read the letters. She would soon know of his feelings for her. And he had to be ready to face that.