HeartBREAK

Chapter sixty-six

"You're making me nervous!", Raphael chuckled while he tried to see through the scarf Maureen has covered his eyes with. "That's the point!", she laughed and kept dragging him through NYABM. They already went down the stairs so he knew they were somewhere on the ground level. Tomorrow prom was scheduled for the evening and summer break the next day. Today, after he got back from training, Maureen has already been waiting for him with a scarf, covering his eyes, taking him by the hands and pulling him somewhere. "We're there.", she said, "You can take off the scarf." As Raphael obeyed, his eyes needed to adapt to the unusual. Despite that, it didn't even take him seconds to figure out where they were- they were in studio one, the studio which's floor was soaked with their sweat and which's walls have witnessed every choreography they have ever learned- it was the studio they always trained in. The studio they used for auditions almost two years ago. It was THE studio. But unlike all the endless days Raphael has spent in here, on this day it was different- it looked different. It smelled different. It felt different. "I tried to create an atmosphere.", Maureen explained, clearly uncertain because of his speechlessness. "I see."; he smiled. The studio was lit with soft, pink light and smelled like Maureens perfume that she wore on their first date. When Raphael looked at her, he noticed she wore the very skirt she wore on the first date. "I brought you the matching pullover.", she said and gave it to Raphael so that he could put it on. "I tried to create a memory room- the pink light for that night we watched dance videos together- one of yours had pink light. The smell for our first kiss, the clothes for our first date. And this, ", she said, "For where we came from and where we went.", and pressed a button on the studios stereo machine. "Let me take you with me, back to the start.", she said and took Raphael's hand. Slowly they started moving to 'Beautiful Mess', the song that has played whilst they chose each other as dance partners for the year. Raphael could see it in front of his eyes- Maureen on that first day, their energies melting together like gold and silver, creating indeed a beautiful mess. The beat sent waves through his body, shivers running down his spine when Maureen let go of his hands just to throw herself into her his arms. Then, the song started fading into another one- 'Daydream'. "The open house.", Raphael whispered in surprise. Suddenly, the light switched from pink to yellow. "Remember our costumes?", she asked and Raphael nodded, in trance. She set all of this up for him... Not only was it their last day of NYABM together, it also was his grandmothers birthday. The thought of her still made his heart twist with pain- they were performing this partnering dance, to this song the day he had hugged her for the last time. "Pshhhht.", Maureen whispered and wiped away the tear that has escaped his eye, "We're going somewhere happier." And indeed, they did- the music changed again, now the sweet melody of 'Everybody's Changing' started playing. "The videos- the beginning of the end.", she said and Raphael smiled weakly- he remembered that evening like it was yesterday- one of the most beautiful pieces he has ever danced. "I love you.", he sighed. "I love you too.", she whispered and kissed him in the perfect little universe of their Lovestory. A Lovestory of Pain, hard work, obstacles, but so much joy. So many smiles, endless laughs, uncountable kisses. To Raphaels disappointment, the music faded into nothing and Maureen removed herself from his arms, taking multiple steps back, leaving him to stand alone in the middle of the studio. "Are you ready to dance a new chapter today?", she asked. "Yes I am.", he replied sincerely. He was ready for so many more chapters with her. Then, the light turned green. "The color of the future. Because now that we went back to the past, it's time to look forwards- you need to see the future in order to think about all the great things that are going to happen to you. To happen to us.", she sighed, and a different, new song started playing. "Now dance with me, Raphael. Dance with me in this present moment, in a place of the past, to a song of the future. Dance with me one last time in those halls, where we started. And think about about all the other places that there still are for us to dance in." Without a word, he took her hand and pulled her towards him. Her body sent sensations to his, Maureens arms moved like Raphaels' and his feet followed his girlfriend's. It seemed as if there was an invisible ribbon tying the two of them together. They have partnered so much together, did so many duets, shared countless intimate moments. Their bodies just knew how to work themselves around each other, how to compliment each others' moves, to add up and built something indescribably beautiful together, without speaking a single word. "Because I'm lost without you.", Maureen whispered into Raphael's ear, resembling the songs' name. The last piano key faded away, and so did their last move- that whole dance, Raphael has been in a magical, blissful trance, not knowing what he was doing, just feeling it. And it felt right, every second of that last dance felt like a match made in heaven. And maybe not only the dance was. "Thank you.", Raphael whispered, his voice cracking. "Thank you, Raphael. For showing me that I am worth loving when I didn't even know that love was.", Maureen replied and blew a soft kiss on her boyfriends' lips. "Come on, I have one more surprise for you.", she said and grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him out of the studio, out of NYABM, to the parking lot. "I know you love me, Raphael, and your love is the biggest present the universe has ever given me. But I know I am not the only one you love. And one of the women that you love more than you loved yourself deserves to be honored on her birthday, even though she can't physically be here to hold you. But for your heart is so big, there is enough of it for me to share it with that woman. I know you miss her, Raph. But I also know she loves you more than anything and is smiling down from up there.", Maureen said and gave Raphael a transparent balloon, glowing because of the Fairy Lights in it. "For the woman that is worth sharing a good mans' heart with", a note in it said, "And for the grandmother that deserves all the lights the world can shine." "You remembered?", Raphael asked and looked at her with teary eyes. "How could I forget the birthday of one of the most inside-out beautiful women I have ever met?", she replied with a weak smile and pressed the balloon into Raphael's hand. "It's not all the worlds' light, but at least some of it.", she whispered. "She'll love it.", Raphael sobbed, his voice giving up on him as he let go of the balloon which illuminated the black night sky and rose up high enough to seem so tiny, that it was indistinguishable from the dozens of stars looking down on them, two young people in love more than any novel could ever describe.

Hello beautiful people! I hope you loved this chapter as much as I did, I had literal goosebumps writing it and despite it being the longest chapter of the story, I feel like it turned out amazing and gave them justice, as this is probably the last Raphreen chapter we will have. I love their relationship so much, and I think with this chapter they have a beautiful spinoff, even though they of course will appear in the book finale coming this Thursday. The mentioned songs are 'Beautiful Mess' by Kristian Kostov, 'Daydream' by Ruelle, 'Everybody's Changing' by Keane and 'Lost Without You' by Freya Ridings, just in case you want to listen to them. Thank you so much for reading, have a great night and stay kind to each other in those rough times

I love you loads, XOXO, AllyMaii