No Need To Say Goodbye

No Need to Say Goodbye

He was already there when she arrived at the bench. He slouched in it comfortably, eyes closed and his collar turned up against the harsh autumn wind. His all black outfit contrasted with her mismatched, colourful clothes. They had always been in contrast.

She wore colour, he wore black.

She stood awkwardly in front of the bench for a minute. He hadn’t noticed her yet. She cleared her throat to alert him to her presence.

His eyes snapped open and he smiled. He didn’t just smile with his mouth. His eyes smiled too in way that no one else could replicate.

“Hey.”

He was an optimist, she was a cynic.

“S’up,” He said and gestured to the seat next to him.

“So I have your phone,” She began once she sat down and produced a small black phone from the pocket of her jeans.

“And I have yours,” he said laughing as he took out a similar phone from his own pocket.

“It’s an easy mix up,” she said, laughing with him as she gave the phone back to its rightful owner. Their hands touched slightly and she savoured it in a way she never thought she would.

She liked coffee, he liked tea.

He glanced at her subtly from behind his dark hair. She was frowning slightly and staring out at the frozen park before them.

“So, I heard you got a job offer. Congratulations,” He said hoping to get rid of the frown and make her smile the smile that lit up his day.

“The job’s in America,” she said quietly, staring at her feet.
“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

He liked classical, she liked rock.

“Well, I have to say that I didn’t expect that.” He said shocked and ran a hand through his hair. “But, it’s not like you’re going to take it, right?”

She opened her mouth and then shut it guiltily.

She looked everywhere except his eyes and ignored the burning in her heart.

“Oh.”

Her silence said everything.

She liked traditional art, he like modern art.

There went his plan to put an end to the circle they were endlessly stuck in (boy loves girl, girl loves boy, neither willing to confess it, end result: both constantly dancing around each other).

“Right,” he said tonelessly, not know what else to say.

“I’m sorry. It’s just it’s my dream job and...”

She looked so sad and even though the unwritten rules of the dance stated it was forbidden, he longed to wrap his arms around her and comfort her.

The rules and his love battled in his head.

The rules won.

He followed rules, she broke rules.

“It’s okay, I get it, dream job and everything...” he trailed off. “But hey, we still have time before you go so we’ll just make the most of what we have.”

She closed her eyes and put her head in her hands.

“I leave tomorrow.” Her hands muffled her voice so he didn’t hear the evident heartbreak.

He shook his head disbelievingly, unable to say anything.

“I’m so sorry...” she whispered, lifting her head.

She was short, he was tall.

Her eyes were full of unspoken things and he willed her to say them, to finish the endless dance.

She was silent.

“Right,” he said and took a deep breath as they both rose from the bench.

They stood awkwardly for a what felt like a never ending moment and the frost cover grass crunched beneath their feet.

She stuck out her hand suddenly. He smiled sadly and shook it.

He liked spring, she like autumn.

Breaking the handshake, she turned around and walked away.

*

Two days later his phone rang and her name flashed up at him.

He answered, trying to ignore the longing for her spreading through him.

There was a pause on the other end of the phone and in his mind’s eye he could see her hesitating.

“I love you.”

There was click and he took the phone away from his ear slowly.

She had blonde hair, he had black hair.

The dance was finished but not the way he imagined. There were no happy smiles or long awaited kisses. Just the long, drawn out beep that meant there was no one at the end of the phone anymore. She’s always hung up straight away when she’d said everything she wanted to. He preferred to end conversations in the more traditional way.

He supposed they’d always contrasted.

*

He was in Britain, she was in America.