Short Stories: Of Heartaches

Roadside

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Mind if I join you?"

"No."

Together they walked in silence, knowing that, if one of them should talk, it would break their pace. The guy knows this very well, but he wants to take a risk, for he is not comfortable walking like this. Especially with her.

The smell of wet asphalt under the surprising heat of the morning sun was rampant in the air as they walked on the roadside. The branches of trees well under the effect of summer shielded them from too much sun as they trudged along the path. Once or twice a casual friend or two would meet them along the way, exchanging their greetings, but as long as they pass those friend or friends would forget them as they hurry on to the tiring task of daily life. This suited the girl well, for as decency allows, she have taken to like this young man walking beside her, and any chances of being alone with him is welcome to her. She wanted to talk, but she knew that opening up small talk about things is a man's job; she doing it would make her feel coquettish. So she patiently waited.

"T-the sun's getting pretty hot lately, isn't it?" As soon as these words tumbled out of his mouth, the guy bit his own tongue and mentally slapped himself, the color of his face turning to that of the color of a perfectly seasoned mahogany leaf falling aimlessly onto the ground they walked upon. What shame, he thought to himself, asking stupid questions like that. The sun does not get hot nor cold, the weather does!! And would she know about stars so much, that she'd know that the sun has flared up!?

The girl, despite the ambiguity of the question, just smiled and happily look further towards the distance. Did he just got nervous? Does that mean he gets nervous too, when faced with a situation like this? She was glad in more ways than one, but specifically, that now she knows that the guy she likes is human after-all, not some being she could only talk to in her dreams. "I-I guess the mornings do get pretty hot these days."

"Y-yeah." The boy smiled in relief. The girl he fancy actually disregarded the idiocy of his question. What joy!! What glee!! To be walking beside her on this roadside under the shades of leaf-less branches, what bliss!! "Uhm--"

"This is my stop." The girl said. Yes, she does like walking with this guy, but the road they trudged upon has ends, and that she must part with him today. She knew she'd be thinking about him all day today, intruding her thoughts and making her heart ache without him knowing. But she took respite in the thought of seeing him again tomorrow, on that roadside, and she would enjoy yet again that bittersweet feeling of being with someone you want, but you could never have because you're too afraid to admit your true feelings. "Well, see you next time."

"The boy was crestfallen, that she have reached the end of this walk. But his heart does not want to let go; it wants-no, it needs- to listen to her voice, to have her beside him, to look at her face just a bit more. The heart wills it, but both the mind and the situation prevents it from doing so. Still, "w-will you be here again tomorrow? Can, can I walk with you again?"

The girl smiled an turned to the intersection. She need not answer his question, for she, she definitely will be waiting for him again.

The guy took that as a yes, and he happily walked the rest of the beaten path. With him are the memories if them on that roadside, under the shades, the smell of the road around them, her face as she smiled vibrantly under this hot morning sun. He whistled as he crossed the street, the hopes of tomorrow perfectly putting his notes on the right place.

The next day, rain fell.