[ IP ] And we sat , and we talked , and the world went by

Quiet like the night, the girl and the boy stared out at the city for the last time together, the yellow light from the cafe their only spotlight. 
 
 `` I remember,'' the boy said, creasing his crumpled business suit. `` I took you here once, do n't you remember? It was our first time out...'' 
 
 `` I was scared of the big city,'' the girl replied. Her green sweater did n't give her much protection from the winter, and so she slid a little closer to her boy, who moved back a little as if he was scared of waking the baby. `` I had just moved here from out of state. I did n't know anyone at the time.'' 
 
 `` For all you know, I could've been a stalker,'' the boy said, laughing a little. God, she looked so gorgeous, beautiful inside as well as out, and the smeared makeup did n't ruin her in the slightest. `` The city's famous for these sorts of things: you buy the drink, you get sold the nightmare. I do n't know why - why-'' 
 
 `` Tommy, it's because you're so damned cute,'' she said, her eyes wet. `` You're still cute, you know.'' 
 
 `` Thanks,'' the boy said. `` We sat on this bench, too. And we talked, and we laughed, and -'' 
 
 `` Your sentimentality is killing you,'' the girl interrupted. `` I'm sure it was n't *this* bench. It was that one over there. I remember, you told me you wanted the Cubbies to win, and I said it was impossible. And you were so afraid that you'd screwed up our first ever meet!'' She extended one finger, and out against the starry, starless night, a park bench ten feet away hid another couple. `` I remember it better than you, Tommy. I kept the scrapbooks.'' 
 
 `` Liar,'' he said, playfully, sadly. `` I ca n't believe where we've been since then. Hell, Hazel's gone, Gus' gone - do you still remember anyone else from high school?'' 
 
 `` There was Donald,'' the girl said pensively. `` No-one else. God, was it really so long ago, when we both had to be home early?'' 
 
 `` There's *still* no one else,'' he whispered. `` We're still young, you know? We can go somewhere else. Not just the waterfront, either, we could leave this town and never come back.'' 
 
 Now it was the girl's turn to laugh. `` We could. Once. Once-'' 
 
 All around them the lights did not give a blink. All around them the people did not give a stir. 
 
 `` I can wait for you,'' the boy said. `` I do n't care how long it takes you-'' 
 
 `` Tommy,'' she said. `` Enough. You know it ca n't work out. You know it does n't have a chance of working out.'' 
 
 `` Lisa,'' Tommy gasped. `` I ca n't help it. I could go home tonight, and maybe tomorrow when I wake up I'll be thirty, thirty-five, and I'll still love you. I'll get dressed, go to work, come back, do this everyday until I'm sixty-five, and I still would n't be able forget you. I could-I could- fuck, Lisa, you know I hate being a sappy little shit, but I ca n't lie to you, and I ca n't stop loving you. So please-'' 
 
 The girl had tears in her eyes as she stood up. `` Tommy,'' she said. `` I love you too. But I ca n't do this. I love you too much to let you go on. It's done.'' 
 
 And with that she walked off, just one more lonely couple who had sat, who had talked, and who had let the world pass them by.
