LITERARY | Against All Odds

For Good-Wicked

It well may be

That we will never meet again

In this lifetime

So let me say before we part

So much of me

Is made of what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have rewritten mine

By being my friend

“Today couldn’t have come sooner!” Norman laughs, playfully shoving Alice’s side. Around him, he hears others laugh, cry, and invite each other into selfies. Alice turns to meet his gaze, then runs her eyes over his frame, noticing that his graduation cap was crooked. She sighs, feigning annoyance, reaching out to adjust it for him. Norman’s smile widens, and Alice hesitantly smiles back.

Graduation day was something most of their batch had been waiting for since the moment they stepped into the university’s halls. It was safe to say that a good 90% of them echoed Norman’s sentiment. How could they not, when the milestone welcomed more opportunities?

Graduating meant moving forward. It was the door towards making something out of themselves. Norman likes the idea of that, and Alice does, too. But she doesn’t like that moving forward meant leaving him behind.

Just the thought of it makes her face fall. Norman notices immediately, he always does.

“Hey,” he softly calls out, gently dragging Alice away to a less congested area in the auditorium. “Talk to me, Lee.”

Lee. The nickname Norman invented back in their freshman year of high school. Alice was afraid she’d never hear it again.

Norman gives her a look, prompting her. He takes her hands, squeezes them. She inhaled and exhaled. “I’m gonna miss you. A lot.” Norman’s expression softens.

“Aww, Lee,” he starts, trying to smile. “Same here.”

He means it, Norman yearns to be 18 again, to get lost on campus together, and to exchange looks during lectures. Alice knows him better than his family at this point. The thought of permanently walking away from it all makes his grin falter. She doesn’t miss a beat. She squeezes his hands back, causing the corner of Norman’s lips to quirk up.

“I thought I was supposed to be the one comforting you,” Norman jokes.

“We comfort each other. Always.”

“Right,” Norman nods. “And it’s never gonna change, no matter how far I am from you.”

That earns a warm smile from Alice. She savors his presence, the one she’s gotten used to over the years. This moment was fleeting–one she wishes that she could stay in forever to remind herself that it will always be this way.

“It’s an honor to be your best friend, Norms.” The nickname makes Norman scoff and teasingly roll his eyes. Alice giggles, then clears her throat. “Seriously, I wouldn’t have been able to survive college without you.”

“Don’t make me cry, Lee,” Norman chuckles, already tearing up. Seeing it has Alice’s eyes watering, too. She huffs out a wet laugh, pulling him into a hug. He hugs her back.

“You’ll always be my partner in crime.”

“Good.” Alice smiles.

“Against all odds.”

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