Through My Window

Original Edition: 59. The Prom

- 5 9 -

RAQUEL

Bittersweet...

This is what the news feels like when Ares tells me what happened with his grandpa. I'm happy for him, even though the selfish part of me, my heart, is slightly saddened because now it's real.

We are really going to separate.

It hasn't felt real until now, and just imagining me away from him tightens my chest, cutting off my breath. Yet I know it's his dream, I know it's what he wants and I would never do anything to stop him.

But boy, does it hurt.

Dani's voice sounds far away from me when she is actually right next to me.

"Raquel? Are you listening to me?"

"Ah, sorry, my mind is elsewhere."

"It's our last day of high school, try to be present," she touches her forehead to emphasize that my mind needs to stop spinning and enjoy this day.

The last day of school.

Part of me can't believe that my senior year of high school has come to an end, that already summer is here again, heralding almost a year since I first spoke to Ares.

"My love!," I hear behind me and I don't have to turn around to know who it is.

Dani in front of me rolls her eyes.

"Here comes your intense prince."

Strong arms grab me from behind.

"My Juliet, my beautiful, my everything."

I pull his arms off me and face him.

"Carlos, what have I told you about hugging me all the time?"

If Ares knew...

Carlos pouts.

"But hugging is a normal thing between future spouses."

Dani grabs him by the ear as usual.

"Future spouses... You get crazier every day."

"Ow!," Carlos groans in pain, but makes eyes at her. "Crazier with love," Dani squeezes his ear again. "Ow! Ow!"

"You're so cheesy," Dani lets him go, falsely retching.

Carlos rubs his ear.

"How are you spending the last day of school?" I lean my back against my locker.

"It feels like any other day."

Dani sighs and gives me a sad look. Carlos takes our hands.

"Don't worry, even if distance separates us, we will always be together."

That makes me smile.

Carlos is a very sweet and contagiously cheerful person, I will definitely miss him.

Nostalgia hits me by surprise, no more of these hallways, no more of my lifelong classmates, no more of Carlos' craziness, no more of those crazy conversations in class before the teacher arrived.

It's over.

Not only will I be leaving high school, but I will be leaving this town, I'll be living in the residence halls on the college campus. I will leave all of this behind and a part of me is terrified. Luckily, Dani and Yoshi will be attending my college, I will not be separated from them, I will just have to separate from him.