It was a fair night in early autumn, and the sky had turned its pitch black shade. The only light protruding through was spots of twinkling stars. And under this sky, two dim figures could be seen in the distance. They were just two small specks compared to this wide world of millions. During the day, the park was for children at play. But at night, right now, it was for secrets. Secrets whispered and told only to the leaves of the trees and the soft white moon. Although no one else was in sight, the two spoke in hushed voices, adding to the suspense of the forbidden secret.

"I don't think we can do this anymore," the girl said, pronouncing each syllable strong and soundly.

"I was thinking the same thing," declared the shadowed boy, "It's not fair that we keep this a secret anymore."

"That's not really what I meant, Chad, just think about all the people we are hurting by doing this," the girl pointed out, "If they knew . . ."

"Who, Troy and Taylor? They'll get over it Gabriella," Chad spoke out, "I want you to be with me instead."

"It's not like I don't like you," she admitted, pulling her long hair back over her shoulders, "I just . . . I'm in love with Troy."

"And I'm in love with you! What about that?" he demanded.

A short burst of silence occurred, and the whispering voices of the night were the only sounds alive in this quiet scene.

"But . . . maybe you're right Gabriella," Chad decided, uncertainty leaking from his every word.

"I just wish . . . this hadn't started, that we hadn't been meeting like this," she explained, "Then I wouldn't be guilty and afraid that Troy would find out about us."

"I want you to be happy," Chad told her, "our secret is safe . . . and we'll be just friends."

But contradicting thoughts snuck up behind him as he spoke. How would he ever be just friends with her? Was he making a big mistake? Would he be able to keep it from Troy? He couldn't help but wonder if she was thinking these same things. Troy was so lucky. There was no girl like Gabriella. His disloyalty to Taylor didn't bother him as much as his giving up on Gabriella.

"I should go," Gabriella said mysteriously, "It was . . . fun."

"Yeah . . . fun," Chad said, a simple word for the world of emotions he was feeling.

She kissed his cheek as she got up to leave. As she walked, the silhouette of her body danced across the pavement. Goodbye, Chad thought aloud to himself.

And with that, he said farewell to his first real love, and stepped back into his life of normality. Of course he would be the same old Chad . . . but with an unseen piece of his heart erased. Only these trees stood as witness, and the soft white moon that would never dare to tell the secrets of the night.