Then and now

Prologue

The two children were struggling to hold back their tears. Asher had it in his mind that he had to look tough in front of the girl whom he had a crush on for- well as soon as he learned what a crush was. Amira wanted to look strong in front of him too, just not for the same reason.

Amira helped Asher pack his books into a cardboard box that he was holding, neatly placing them on top of each other. He puts the box down and Amira looks him in the eye for the first time today.

Asher can't help but notice the tears brewing in her eyes.

"I can't believe you're leaving," Her voice cracked in the middle of her sentence, breaking down the tough front that she had put on.

Asher looked at his feet when he replied, "I'll be back." He looked up to see a tear fall out of Amira's eye just before she quickly wiped it from her cheek.

"Amira. Don't cry, you'll be okay without me," As more tears fall out of her eyes Asher finds it harder and harder not to cry himself. His stuff was all packed for New York- he was supposed to leave for the airport in 30 minutes. The moment that his dad told him that they would be moving from their small town, Asher ran to the house next door. He had sat Amira down and told her the news. He said that his dad got a promotion and that they had to move cities because of it. She had asked him when he would be back, and he replied that he wasn't sure.

That day, the 2 thirteen-year-olds made a pact to never forget each other. Both of them fully believed that they would find their way back to each other one day. That pact didn't make this day any harder for them though.

Amira pulled herself together and they continued packing the last of Asher's stuff in complete silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, just a lot of sadness hanging in the air.

When it was time for Asher to leave, Amira's dad wished them good luck and told them to come to him if they ever needed anything. The children hugged for what felt like hours to the adults. They both weren't worried about being tough anymore, just letting the tears run down their faces.

"I won't forget you," He said to her as he pulled away from the hug. She nodded- not being able to speak with the lump in her throat and the hole in her chest.

Amira watched them drive away with the hope that he would come back one day.

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Asher and Amira stayed in contact over the phone until a year after he left, when Amira's phone broke and she got a new number. She tried to text him but got no reply. She never heard from him again.

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A/N

Thank you so much for choosing my book! I promise that it won't dissapoint. I try to update pretty often because I know how annoying it is to be kept waiting. I'm so excited for people to read this book and fall in love with Amira and Asher as much as I have. If there are any errors, please feel free to point them out nicely so that I can fix it. You can imagine the characters however you want :)