Until We Meet Again

Prologue 

            Tears well up in my eyes as I hug my friends one last time.

            “Jessica, you need to hurry this up, love. Our flight is in 20 minutes!” my mom calls from her navy Lexus SUV.

            “Just one more minute mom, please,” I whimper. She gives an obviously annoyed shake of her head, and ducks back into the SUV.

            I turn back to my friends. They give me one last sad look, melancholy filling their eyes.

            Fallon, my best friend, hugs me one last time, tears streaming down her face.

            “Promise you’ll be back Jess. Please,” she says. I nod and squeeze her tight.

            “I’ll be back,” I promise.

            They all give me sad smiles, and back away.

            The only one left is Harry.

            We smile at each other, the tears streaming faster down my face. If he only knew how much I didn’t want to leave him.

            “Don’t forget me, okay?” he says quietly. I can tell he is going to cry. But he won’t. He doesn’t like being embarrassed in front of his friends.

            “I won’t Harry. But don’t forget me either,” I joke, even though I mean it.

            “Of course not,” he says, flashing me his signature half-smile. It still carried charm and childishness, even at this sad moment.

            “Jess!” mom screams, beeping the horn a few times.

            I ignore her, and stare into Harry’s clear green eyes for what I hope and pray is not the last time.

            “Oh, I have something for you,” he says. He takes out his favorite black bow tie and hands it to me. It’s soft and shiny texture feels smooth in my palm.

            “Your favorite bow tie? Harry, how will you perform without it?” I wonder.

            “I’ll be fine. Favorite bow tie for my favorite girl, you know?” he says, attempting the half-smile.

            “You’re gonna be famous someday. You know that right?” I say.

            He snorts playfully. “You’ve only told me a million times.”

            I smile at him, the tears running harder now. “I love you,” I say. We hug tight, and he places a soft kiss on my forehead.

            “I love you too,” he says.

            Mom honks again. “Jess, we really need to get moving!” she calls.

            I look back at my friends, Alex, Arden, Fallon, and Harry. I begin to back away as the tears overcome me.

            I slide into the backseat of the SUV, sadness overwhelming me. The longing for Harry runs through my veins like a virus. I miss him so much already.

            I turn his bow tie over and over in my hands. In the midst of playing with the tie, a small slip of paper drops to the floor of the car.

            I reach down to pick it up, and wipe my eyes as I unfold the morsel and begin to read.

            I attempt a smile as the sight of Harry’s scrawly handwriting meets my eyes.

I love you.

Until we meet again.

Love, Harry.

Ps- stay Stylish

            I giggle at Harry’s slogan. It’s always made me laugh. This boy really knows how to cheer a girl up.

            “I love you too Harry,” I whisper. “Until we meet again.”