"Promise never to forget each other. Promise to smile and acknowledge each other, anytime anywhere if we happen to meet."

It has already been a year. She was still the same; happy, cheerful, lively as always. It was like he was still there with her even though he wasn't. It was like everything was still in place when it wasn't. It was like....he never left.

              "The track and field team is having practice today. Are you coming with us?"

              "It's okay. Just leave without me," she said while throwing all the books into her bag before zipping it up. Smiling, she left the classroom after biding goodbye to all her friends. 

              Track and field team was having their finals in this coming summer. They were all having practices in the stadium and students were welcome to watch their practice. 

              No way was I going to go, she thought.

              …Reason? He was in the team.

              …And? She was trying to forget him.

              Bull. It was a promise not to forget each other. Scoffing, she kicked a rock that was blocking her way and the rock ended up rolling to the side of the path and into the drain.

              She hated him for making up that promise. Who the actually wants to remember about their ex after breaking up? 

Looking at the huge box of memory, she raised an eyebrow. When am I going to get rid of this?

              Lifting the lid open, her fingers lightly brushed over the content inside. Movie tickets, concert tickets, photos, even wrappers of the candies that he got for her. Everything was kept inside the box; including their couple rings, couple shirts, water bottles, and pencil cases.

              She kept it because she misses him. She doesn't want to throw away because it was the only things that remind her of him. Perhaps somewhere in her heart, she wanted to have him back.

He looked around the audience area, having that slight hope that she would be watching him.

              What am I hoping for, he asked himself. He was the one that initiate the break up so what was he hoping for?

              He was hoping because he wanted her to remember him, remember that her beloved man will be having competition now and he would like her to witness his everything.

              Sighing, he started to do stretching exercise before the coach blow his whistle for gathering.

              Maybe, just maybe, she was somewhere watching him secretly just like how he would watch her in silence whenever she was having her lunch break. Smiling foolishly like an idiot, he realized he was behaving like one stalker.

              But he loves her.

              And their circumstances doesn't allow them to fall in love so what can he do?

"I'm sorry," he hung his head low. Not willing and don't dare to look into her crying eyes. 

              "Sorry?" She asked, feeling her heart getting squeezed each time a word comes out of his mouth. "So you're giving up on me. On us?" 

              "...sorry," he wanted to hug her but he know he can't. Clenching his fists tightly, he doesn't care if his nails were digging into his palm; he was just fighting back the urge to touch her. 

              "Other than sorry, you don't have anything else to say?" She questioned. She was not going to give up just yet. She believes in all his promises of lasting long until they die. She believes and have confident in them. So why can't he? 

              "I can't..." he choked on his words but he was not going to cry. 

              "This relationship won't get anywhere if we are not allowed to be together. I would rather you get hurt now than in the future." 

              "Why? You don't have confident in us?" She held onto his trembling hands. She wanted him to take back his words. She doesn't want to end. Not yet. 

              "It's not about confident. You have to believe me, I have confident in you, in us. I love you and you know that!"

              "Then WHAT'S going on now!?" She grabbed his hands so tight that her nails were leaving marks on his skin. 

              "I can't! I'm...I'm the only son and you know that. I have to undergo training and soon I'll be taking over the damn company!" 

              "I know so what's that got to do with us being together!?"

              "That's because when that happens, I've to marry another girl, a girl that's of the same family background as me!"

              She was taken aback. She knew that he was from the rich family, from the higher society than her. But she doesn't know that he had an arranged marriage with another girl he hasn’t met before. 

              And she can't even talk back because she knew how much he loves his family. He won't disappoint his father no matter what, including marrying a girl that he doesn't love. 

              Slowly, her crying dies down and the grip on his hands loosen. 

              "Let's make a promise."

              She looked up at him with her heart literally bleeding inside her chest. 

              "Promise never to forget each other. Promise to smile and acknowledge each other, anytime anywhere if we happen to meet."

              His determined eyes stared right back into her. He was hurting, too. 

              "I promise."

She followed the crowd into the stadium and immediately finds a seat that was not far from the running track. Settling down uneasily, she was here. Here to watch the competition because he was participating in the run. She was here to watch him because she can't forget him, not even after a year.

              The emcee was talking loudly over the loudspeaker about the participants and the requirements for the competition. The entire stadium was packed and warm hut she doesn't care. There was only one purpose that she was here; to see him.

              It was finally time for the participants to enter the track. She strained her eyes and managed to spot the man that she was here for. With her heart beating crazily and butterflies fluttering in her stomach, she prayed for him to stay safe during the run.

He sighed, rotating his ankles as he stayed in his position. The girls from the cheerleading were cheering loudly because he was the star of the day. Being rich and good-looking was the key to being famous in this campus, and to add on, he was the valedictorian and top runner.

              "Ready,"

              He dropped onto one knee with his palms on the hot ground. It was a sunny morning and he was already perspiring before the race even begins.

              She looked at him from afar, with his muscle all tensed up and ready to run. The gun was shot shortly after and he was running with all his might. People around her were cheering like mad and she was the only one sitting down and watching the entire thing so calmly.

              Very soon, the race ended with him being the first. She wasn't surprise, for she knows that he will win.

              Standing up from the seat ready to leave, she turned back again only to find that he was looking at her from the bottom.

              Her legs were turning jelly and her heartbeat was out of control. The feeling of falling in love all over again strikes her but she know it was forbidden.

              Taking a deep breath, the corner of her lips curved up into a smile.

              For a while, she thought he was not going to respond until he smiled with his pearl white teeth flashing at her.

To: the most beautiful girl
from: top runner

Thank you for keeping the promise. 

She bit the inner of her bottom lip and deleted the message.