They reached Aelita's building at nine-forty and walked in after Aelita opened it with her key. They stood in the lobby where the mailboxes were, Aelita trying to think of something to say as they stood in silence.
"I'm on the third floor," Aelita said and looked at the stairs to their back, "Want to talk tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?" Ulrich asked, "Can't we talk now?"
Aelita looked down nervously, then slowly looked back up and found his eyes again.
"I have an early morning," Aelita said and Ulrich shrugged.
"Doing what?"
Aelita sighed and saw him smiling, figuring he called her out.
"Look, we have a history. It's messy and I don't know..."
"It's messy because you made it messy!" Ulrich shouted at her, catching her off guard and making her flinch, "I'm...sorry. That's five years of pent up...sorry."
"I know it was me," Aelita said and stepped toward him, "I was the one who left."
"Why...that's my only question. I thought we loved each other, and one day I wake up in an empty bed. An empty bed and this," Ulrich said and pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. It was the note she left him five years ago. The one she wrote the day she left.
"You still have it," Aelita said and took the note from Ulrich's hand. She read it to herself and remembered how painful it was to leave.
"I read those words so many times I have them committed to memory. How the hell do we go from perfect...to...gone. How does that happen?"
"I didn't need college...I...I knew what I wanted to do. All of you, would have...slowed me down."
"Why not just tell me?" Ulrich asked, "Even if I didn't like it, I'd still support your choice."
Most nights of the week Ulrich and Aelita used her room, so the code word was becoming less needed but still helpful. Aelita told him about the scare a week later and he asked her to never withhold things like that from him. Months into the first semester of senior year Ulrich maintained his grades and Aelita felt herself becoming less focused on school. Not like it reflected on her grades in any significant way, but if it wasn't music or Ulrich she didn't care.
Finals came, the seasons changed, they started they're last semester. Ulrich didn't know Aelita hadn't sent out a single application yet. While Ulrich was studying she was on her laptop, creating a new mix or reading on the music scene. It was there she found out about various festivals, competitions and clubs. All of which she wanted to be a part of.
Two months away from graduation, Aelita didn't tell him she had already turned in the paperwork. She wanted to tell him, but last time she made rash, impulsive decisions her previous boyfriend was less than pleased. In reality, she was just too scared to face his answer, so decided to not tell him the questions. Aelita wanted to tell him she had tested out.
The day Aelita turned in the paperwork, they were in his room. All day. Aelita had mentioned doing this a few times, but now they were actually doing it. Literally lying in bed and having sex all day. Odd had a date and stayed with her so privacy wasn't an issue.
After they had lost count, Aelita rested her head on his chest, feeling it raising and falling rapidly, hearing his heart poundng in his chest.
"How many more do you got?" Aelita asked with a giggle and Ulrich laughed back while gasping.
"I was out two times ago," Ulrich said and Aelita kissed up his chest to his lips, placing her body fully on his and straddled him, "Whoa, be careful, I took it off."
"I thought you were out of ammo," Aelita said in a teasing voice and Ulrich shook his head and smiled.
"I might be," Ulrich and she kissed him again and went under the covers, kissing down his chest and kept going.
Every fantasy he told her he had, they did that night. Every fantasy she had, they did. If it was within reason and didn't involve a third person, it was done. They had the night of their lives. Aelita wanted it to be the best night they ever had. Because she was gone when he woke up.
Ulrich opened his eyes and saw a letter on his desk and read it. He immediately called her only for it to go straight to voice mail. He got dressed and ran to her room and knock. No response. He opened it, and saw she had left some of her clothes, but took almost everything else. She was gone, and her note left no indication.