SEE YOU AGAIN

Chapter 1SEE YOU AGAIN (EXPRESSION FROM BOTH SIDES)

CHAPTER 1

SONIA’S POV

‘“Sonia, Fortune is here,” I was on my sewing machine when my mom called out from the kitchen.

I stopped and smiled. On a normal basis I wouldn't let anyone disrupt my personal time but  hearing that it was my two houses away neighbor and my best friend, I couldn't be more happier. I left my room and rushed downstairs. He stood up when he saw me. His smile, though usual, ignored something already inside of me.

“Hey,” he said as I walked up to him.

“Seems like someone can't stay a day without me,” I teased and hugged him.

“You know I can't”

Those words sounded casual but carried something deep. I released myself from his embraced and asked “You want us to spend the evening together?”

He tapped my nose with the tip of his index finger “I want us to watch MSA videos together”

I smiled, my teeth exposing slightly”I will go get the popcorns”

My mom's voice sounded from where she was standing in the kitchen, not too far from us.

“I will help with it. Go up now,” she smiled warmly at us.

“Thanks mom,” I intertwined my hand with Fortune's and together, we went upstairs.

“It's been two days and three videos has already been uploaded,” Fortune stated as he fumbled with the remote v

“At least they tried,” I said. “But that won't last for the whole evening let's just watch a movie,” I suggested.

“I picked MSA because I have something to discuss with you when we are done, I don't want to take too long before telling you,” he said.

My brows joined slightly “Is there a problem?” I sat upright and looked at him.

“No, everything is fine” His expression was screaming the opposite.

I joined my hands in his “You know you can tell me anything right?”

He oursed his lips and nodded.

“Then let's forget about watching anything and talk about what us bothering you now”

A knock on the door interrupted us.

“Can I come in?” My mom's voice sounded from the door.

“Yes, it's not locked,” I replied, loud enough for her to hear. 

The door opened and in came my mom with a tray of cookies. She placed them on the table in front of us and said “I will go get the juice” She turned to Fortune and asked him “ Are you still sad about leaving?”

Leaving?

Why was he leaving as and to where?

“Where are you leaving to?” I questioned him.

My mom seemed to understand the situation and immediately apologized.

“I'm sorry, I didn't know that you haven't informed her”

“Inform me about what?” My tone sharpener and my expression hardened.

“I will leave you two now,” she walked out of the room with the door closing behind her.

I shifted all my attention to Fortune “Where exactly are you going to?”

There was silence for a while. I was about asking the same question when he spoke up “My family and I are moving to New York,” he said.

“Why?” I heard myself ask

“My father is done with the company he started building 6 months ago, he is also beginning to receive deals, offers and meetings from sponsors, higher business personnels, and even clients so he decided that we move,” he explained.

I knew his father was working on building a company done me nths ago and I was happy for the success but I didn't expect it to take this turn.

Why did the company had to be a success?

Why did it had to reach this far and threaten our friendship?

How was I going to confess my long-nursed feelings to him?

And why was I knowing about it now?

“Why am I hearing about it now?” I battled my eyelashes non-stop, preventing hot tears from flowing.

“He announced it to us last night, it's what I was planning to discuss with you,” he  answered. The expression on his face made it clear that he was not happy with the decision and if course,Mr McKenzie was Mr McKenzie after all, not even his wife could make him think twice.

“We were in school together earlier today, why didn't you bring it up?”

“It wasn't the best time”

“You never hesitate to tell me things, what happened?”

“I just couldn't bring myself to tell you, I didn't want to see your worried expression, you know I don't like to see the emotional side of you”

“Emotional side of me,”I mumbled and scoffed “Let's assume you left without telling me, wouldn't that cause me a huge emotional breakdown?”

“I wasn't going to leave without telling you, that's why I came,” he said.

“I am supposed to be the first person to know, why my mom?” I asked him, my voice sounding soft as a result of the sudden hotness in my chest or rather my heart.

“My mom informed her earlier today”

‘No wonder she was behaving pitiful towards me,’ I thought.

I sighed “Do you really have to go?”

“I don't have a choice”

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, hoping it would reduce the trembling and surging tears that were rising from within me. He took hold of my hands and squeezed them softly “I know I'm going far away but I promise that I will be nearer to you in your heart,” he told me.

I didn't know the weight his statement held but one thing I knew for sure was that it wasn't compared to the weight of feelings and emotions towards him that I'd nurses for the past eight years and was still contemplating whether to birth it or not.

Now that he is leaving, will I ever have the chance to spill it out and confess my feelings to him?

“Are you ever going to come back?”

“I'm going to finish my education there and won't come back for a long time, but even if I want to come back, it would be because of you. Sonia, I promise to come back for you, I will find you and make up for the years that we are going to be away from each other” He looked into my eyes and said those words. Even though I knew he didn't feel the same way I felt towards him, those words carried something real, something deep, something related to my feelings for hime. That made me think id he felt the same way I felt for him and like me, was not ready to confess.

“I will miss you,” that confession ignited the surging hotness within me and it bursted. I cried. I let them flow. But the tears wasn't loud, it was silent, the same silence that kept me from confessing for the past eight years. That same silence caused me some sort of uncertainty on whether I will be able to tell him about my feelings or if he felt the same way for me.

He reached out and wiped the tears with his hands, his thumb caressing my checks gently.

“I'm sorry that things have to happen this way but promise me one thing, promise me that we will never lose contact if each other, and we will call each other every single day. Promise me that you will not forget the times we have spent together, the memories we made and also promise me that you will not cry over this. I want to be in New York and have a fixed mindset that you are okay and not wetting your pillow or skipping meals because if you do, I will surely fly back here that instant”

I chuckled “Isn't that what I want?”

“Sonia I'm dead serious. I don't want you to hurt yourself because of me so promise me that you won't cry because of this”

I exhaled and nodded “I promise”

He wiped my tears and hugged me, then whispered something to my ears “I williss you to”

I shut my eyes tight and clutched his shirt, restraining myself from crying and breaking the promise I just made.

I made a vow within me that I would never lose him, maybe there was a reason I was unable to confess that him, maybe it's not just the right time. Like he said,he will surely come back for me no matter how long it takes. I don't mind waiting either, as long as it is Fortune, it is worth it.

I spent eight years of my life crushing secretly on my bestfriend. I couldn't let the long- nursed feeling die just like that, I was going to make sure I hold unto him no matter how far apart we are. And I hope he does the same.

We disengaged from the hug, his hands still holding unto me tightly like he wasn't ready to let go.

I looked into his hazel brown eyes and reached out to caress his cheek “I promise to stay strong until we see each other again,” I said.