A Season Called Almost

By Aarushi Chakraborty

“Hailey Barrett—partner up with Aston Grant.”

Mr. Smith’s voice snapped me out of my daydream. My stomach dropped. Aston Grant—golden-boy troublemaker of Ravenwood High, my rival since freshman year. And now I had to work with him. He smirked—that infuriating, smug smirk. Walking to his table, I dropped my notebook ,shooting a withering glare at him. “Seriously,” he said, grinning. “You need to stop giving me death stares. They hurt.”I rolled my eyes. “Enjoy the pain”. After class, he blocked the door. “Walk with me,” he said.  I groaned and followed. We walked down snowy sidewalks, boots crunching. We talked about nothing—cafeteria food, homework, teachers. I nudged him. “How do you expect to finish this project? I’ve done everything. “He laughed, quiet and hollow. “And I’ve done nothing. I’m just… balancing things. “Later, he kicked snow ahead of him. “You know… no sadness lasts a thousand years. Neither does any love.”

I blinked. “I vote there is.”

“Which one?”

“Sad love,” I whispered. He nodded slowly. “Maybe some things are meant to feel eternal… even if they don’t last”. A month later, our project got an A+. I smiled. But Aston wasn’t there. Weeks later, the world cracked open—Aston was dead. Rain poured as I read the news, lungs burning. Without thinking, I ran through puddles to his grave. I collapsed there, rain and tears blending. Everything we almost had—the walks, the jokes, the quiet—was gone. Death takes what we love most and leaves echoes. Suicide doesn’t just steal a life. It steals the almost we never got to live. That night, I opened my diary and wrote, trembling: “I don’t want to part from you, but we have to. That’s the kind of person I am. I can’t forget you, but I’m afraid I’ll forget you if I keep seeing you. I’ll forget all the memories, and that’s what makes me sad. That’s why I have to say goodbye. I wish our waits are short, and our meetings are long. I hope we can meet again in the next life, without the pain and without the separation.”

By Aarushi Chakraborty