(****March 2003****)

Tonight was another night that was to be filled with coffee and poorly taken notes. Yes, I was pulling one of the many all-nighters I had taken in my college career. It was around 3:00 AM when the name "Aaron" shone bright on my phone's small blue screen. I picked it up, my head reeling from the work. "Hello?" I said almost nervously. "Hey, I'm sorry it's so late." "It's no problem, what's up?" "I was just wondering how you were doing." he asked. "I'm really good. My professor just asked me to take my short story to the next level. He says I have real potential as a creative writer. What have you been up to?" "That's so great!" he cleared his voice. "I actually have been working on a play here at school, I'm the lead." "I'm so happy for you." I balanced the phone between my cheek and ear as I put my hair into a bun. "So how are your parents?" "They're good; they miss you. It's been awhile since you've been home." I scoffed. "I miss them too. And I've just been busy," I switched ears. "You know, school stuff." Aaron was the one to break the silence. "Well I'll let you get back to sleep. I'll talk to you soon." I bit the inside of my lip. "Bye Aaron."

I tried to go back to work but my mind was clouded. I picked up the phone and redialed the number. The phone rang three times before I heard him answer. "Hello?" I said again, my voice had cracked and I was holding back tears.

"Hey," He laughed strangely.

I wiped my eyes. "Would you like to come over?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in an hour." He laughed through what sounded like his own tears. I laughed as well. "Give me a day or so. I will be there."

I help my hand over my mouth. "I miss you so much."

"I'll be there soon Charlotte, I swear I will."

Next weekend, Aaron had kept his promise and took a plane to see me. I picked him up at the airport and gave him a tour around campus. We took a stop by a fountain on the quad. "So what have you been up to?"

I looked over to him with a sort of look on my face. "Writing." I buttoned a button he had missed on his shirt. "And writing and writing and writing." I brought his arm around my shoulders and laid on his chest. "What's up with you."

"I wanted to talk to you about that." he combed his fingers through my hair.

"What is it?"

"I'm leaving school. Going on tour with a show."

"When are you leaving?" I looked up at him.

"Early July. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"Don't be sorry. I'm so happy for you." I kissed him. "I'm so happy. This is so great!" He cradled my face and kissed me as if we had never been apart. It was harder though. Harder to ignore the fact that soon, we would be apart again, only farther. He would be traveling and I, would be steadfast, stuck in a metal cage away from him.

We laid in my bed together, under my comforter. My roommate was kicked out for the night for it was my turn to use the tie-on-door method. "Is it hard for you when we're apart."

"Aaron, it kills me."

"It kills me too." he kissed my head. "I don't even remember how to not miss you. Being here with you, knowing I have to leave, is hard." I gently ran my finger up and down his arm.

"Remember that time, when we went to time square in the summer before my senior year and took pictures with everyone in an "I heart NY" shirt?"

He laughed. "Remember when we were on the subway and that guy offered for you to sit on his lap?"

"Oh yeah!" I laughed at the memory. "Then you started to sit on his lap and he got up and stood on the other side of the train, leaving us both with a seat."

"We were babies when we met."

I looked at Aaron and tried to see his high school self. He had changed so much, yet he was so constant. "So young." He ran his hand down my shoulder and down to my waist. "I worry about you a lot."

"What do you worry about?"

"That you're not out there, doing something dumb. I worry about us, too." He pushed my hair out of my face. "What about us?" I grabbed his had. "That I won't be able to stop needing you."