A Moment

A flash story

I sat in the peach-walled cafeteria of the church my school rented. It was quiet, the only noise was drifting in from the open off-white double doors. The quiet murmur of passers-by bounced lazily off the oaken ceiling. I was alone.

He stood outside the door of the cafeteria talking to his friends and laughing. The students bustled around him, scrambling to get their backpacks and things for their next class. A quiet ringing grew in his ears as he listened to all the people, all the faces he knew and the voices he had heard so many times before. But one sound was missing. One pair of eyes were not pleading him to look their way. He glanced around and quickly saw the deserted cafeteria. He went in, alone since his friends had class, and saw no one. He shrugged and went to leave.

He was here. I couldn't believe my luck. If only he'd turn back around. But he departed, leaving my broken heart as the only trace of his presence.