Between the Bells

Would lead to so many moments.

At first, we barely knew each other,
Just familiar faces passing by.
Then somewhere between the classes,
We found a reason to talk awhile.

Sometimes you'd sit beside me,
Sometimes I'd show you something new.
You showed me worlds I'd never visited,
And I shared a few of mine with you.

You introduced me to AO3,
To stories waiting in another place.
I showed you things from my own little world,
And watched you laugh at my strange tastes.

And who could have guessed
That all these little things
Would become the memories
I would carry years from then?

Between the bells and passing days,
We built a world in our own small ways.
A book, a joke, a story to share,
A little more time because you were there.

We didn't need a grand design,
Just ordinary moments, yours and mine.
And if I could revisit those days,
I'd still be glad we crossed those ways.

I remember Frankenstein,
And how you hated Victor's pride.
We argued over his mistakes,
And laughed at all the things he tried.

You promised you'd read Austen,
I tried so hard not to spoil the end.
I wanted someone who understood those books,
And somehow found one in a friend.

We talked about chess and openings,
You said you'd lose before we'd begun.
I called you a secret weapon,
You said I wouldn't find it fun.

You helped me with my English,
With every word I couldn't quite pronounce.
I sent you recordings, waited nervously,
And hoped you'd help me work it out.

And I would offer math in return,
Or help with whatever came your way.
We were learning from each other,
In our own imperfect ways.

Between the bells and passing days,
We built a world in our own small ways.
A book, a joke, a story to share,
A little more time because you were there.

We didn't need a grand design,
Just ordinary moments, yours and mine.
And if I could revisit those days,
I'd still be glad we crossed those ways.

There were stories waiting to be translated,
Pages that needed another pair of eyes.
You helped me with the words and grammar,
And gave my little project some life.

I showed you how to find new stories,
Sent instructions, links, and things to try.
You helped me see my writing differently,
And I hoped I helped you in some kind.

There were afternoons at school,
And conversations during borrowed time.
Sometimes we had only a few minutes,
But somehow they were enough to make me smile.

And then the little jokes at midnight,
The conversations running late.
A chicken butt, a hundred other things,
That never needed to be important to be great.

I don't remember every conversation,
Every sentence or every day.
But I remember how it felt
To have so much left to say.

I remember the books,
The laughter, the little things.
How a simple day at school
Could feel like something worth keeping.

Then slowly, something changed.
The words became fewer than before.
The familiar conversations faded,
And I couldn't find the door.

I don't know exactly when it happened,
Or what I failed to understand.
I only know that what we had
Was more than I had ever planned.

Between the bells and passing days,
We built a world in our own small ways.
The books we read, the jokes we made,
The little things that never seemed to fade.

Perhaps we couldn't keep that time,
Perhaps our paths were never meant to align.
But if those days are all I get to keep,
I'll hold them closer than you might believe.

A seat beside me,
A story on your screen.
A book I wanted you to read,
A world you showed to me.

And somewhere in those ordinary days,
You became a part of mine.

Between the bells...
I still remember.