A&B by Yilun Zhou

A&B

Two shadows. No, actually one shadow. No, it actually is two shadows.

They’re huddled together. Or maybe they’re quite far apart. No, we’ll say they’re huddled
together.

Ok, at least for once, they were together. Perhaps they still are now?

A doesn’t know, B doesn’t know either. Or maybe it’s just A fantasizing B doesn’t know.
Perhaps B doesn’t even care. But it sure did seem like B cared.

So how did they separate (assuming that they are separated now — although we wouldn’t
know for sure)?

Well, they were never really that close anyway. At first, A was slightly taller than B — at
least that’s what B said to A, we can’t know for sure. Then at the turning point in life, B had a
massive jump and somehow landed higher than A. So B is taller now.

A was really happy for B! How could A not be proud? B was so close to A.

But A was also disappointed in himself. Why couldn’t A jump that high? A asked.

So now A looks up to B, although A never told B explicitly. Perhaps A was used to
having B shorter. But A still envied B’s height and wanted to get up there. So A tried to stay
close with B.

And B?

We will never know how B thought.

But A felt tired of keeping up with B, and B never looked back down for A. Actually, B
did, very briefly. Again, this is A’s point of view, and maybe B felt A is the one who wanted to
separate from each other.

For now, A does not see B as close as before and A wonders if he will ever be able to
reach B’s height. Even if it is just in A’s dream.