Star

Star

“Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight,” I said out loud. Ready to make my wish, when a rude voice interrupted me.

“That’s a load of crap.”

I knew that voice, Tom Allen from down the street. We both graduated from high school last week.

Though we grew up living near each other we were never friends. He had his group, I had mine, we had nothing in common except our location. Still we knew each other well enough to talk, we’d lived near one another so many years.

“Don’t you believe in anything, you jerk” I asked, in my snottiest voice. It was expected when we spoke to each other.

“Sure! But not in stars granting wishes. Stars are suns in other galaxies. Why would they be interested in what someone from our solar system wants? You might as well wish on a leaf! At least it has an interest in earth!”

“Kill joy.”

“Square.”

“What are you doing here anyway? Did you forget how to get home?”

“No, I just wanted to finally do something I kept meaning to do.”

“Oh yeah? What?” I asked.

“I’d wanted to ask you out in the seventh grade, but I kept chickening out,” he said, and not snottily.

I felt as if someone had punched me in the stomach! I’d actually had a crush on him since fourth grade! I didn’t know what to say. I just stood there.

“Are you alright?” he asked, but I couldn’t seem to speak. I kind of nodded.

“You look a little white... Do you feel OK?” he said, with an urgency now. Panic set in.

“Now you’re turning red! I’m going to get your mother!” off he ran.

As I stood there, I started thinking, nine years, but that star finally came through!