Just Stay With Me, Lay With Me

The wind was cold and the sky was clear. Every star was visible in the jet black sky. It was a tradition they would participate in once a month. When there was no moon illuminating the heavens, Gerard would borrow his father's truck and they would drive miles out of the small town of Belleville, just so they could see the stars better. Ever since they had been little, they had both been hypnotized by them. It was this mutual interest that brought the two together. He was 9 and she, 10. There was a meteor shower that night. They lived next door to each other and they had both run outside to see the display. Irritated that they could not see the show, they sat and talked until Elizabeth's mother called for her. They had been inseperable ever since. Where one went, the other wouldn't be too far behind.

His friends were her friends, her friends were his friends. There was Frank... He had always been the crazy, loveable one. Then there was Ray, the "father figure" of the group. There was many a night where Ray's logic had convinced them not to do something stupid. And there was Bob, the strong silent type. You could always tell what he was thinking, for his brilliant blue eyes gave everything away. And finally, there was Mikey, Gerard's younger brother. Mikey and Elizabeth were close. They didn't consider themselves "friends". It was more like they were brother and sister... They could read each other's emotions very well.

Gerard could never get Elizabeth out of his head. They way she smiled. the way she laughed, the way her chocolate brown eyes would always sparkle when she was happy... She was perfect in his eyes. She was funny, caring, loving... Everything he had ever wanted. But Gerard knew that she couldn't like him like that... So to numb the pain, he would drink. Even in the middle of the war, he could manage to get his hands on it. He did whatever it took to obtain his sweet escape... Lie, cheat, steal... He even traded his late grandmother's charm bracelet! No one could stop him... No one but Elizabeth.

Lizzie, as Gerard and the others called her, always had a boy on her arm. Anything to keep her mind off Gerard. She would never allow herself to admit she had more than friendly feelings about Gerard. After all, it was better to have Gerard in her life as a friend than not in her life at all. Still, Elizabeth couldn't stop herself from imagining that is was Gerard kissing her and holding her at night. Not even Mikey knew of her feelings for Gerard!

This was a special night... And even though they continued on as they always did, they would never admit that both of them were dying little by little. It would be the last time for a while to come that they would be able to spend together. Recruits were few and far between these days and the Draft has been initiated. Bob, Gerard, Ray, Mikey, and Frank had all gone at the same time to sign up... And they were to be shipped out at 4 o'clock tomorrow afternoon.

The stars seemed dimmer tonight as they rested their eyes upon the heavens. But that didn't stop them from soaking up every minute they had left together. It was just the two of them tonight and nothing else mattered. The only things in their world was each other and the sleeping bag in the back of the truck they were laying in.

"Look! Orion is out tonight," Elizabeth stated, pointing out the constellation looming above them.

"Oh yeah! And there's Draco the Dragon," Gerard said looking at the Z-shaped pattern.

"I see him!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"You can see Andromeda really well tonight," Elizabeth said.

"Agreed," Gerard replied.

Silence fell over them. Neither could think of a proper thing to say, so they remained quiet.

"Hey, Gerard?" Elizabeth whispered.

"Mmmhm," Gerard mumbled.

"How did they get there?" Elizabeth asked, a hint of childishness in her voice.

Gerard furrowed his brows and looked over to Elizabeth.

"What do ya mean, Lizzie?" Gerard asked, genuinley confused.

"The stars... The planets... The constellations? How did they get there?" she explained.

"Well if that isn't the $64,000 question?" he replied with amusement.

Elizabeth smiled and giggled, smacking him lightly on his chest.

"C'mon! I'm being serious," Elizabeth said, the smile fading from her lips.

Gerard thought for a moment.

"I dunno Lizzie... Magic?" he said.

Silence fell over them again. The only sounds that met their ears was the wind blowing through the tree branches and the sound of a coyote or two howling somewhere in the distance.

"I'm gonna miss this," Gerard said, breaking the silence.

"Me too," Elizabeth replied sadly.

This always happened when Gerard's "going away" popped up. It wasn't fair... Why did all the people Elizabeth cared for have to leave? She could lose them all. They were her life, her security, and her sanity. Why did life have to be so cruel?!

"It's not fair," Elizabeth quipped, tears swimming in her eyes.

"I know, Lizzie... I know," Gerard replied.

Elizabeth shot up.

"No Gerard, you have NO idea! You get to stay with our friends! You don't have to stay here, in this God forsaken town and worry all the time that at any minute you could get a knock on the door saying that one of you has been killed! All of you are my world! I don't know what will happen if something happens to you!" Elizabeth screamed with tears falling down her pale cheeks.

He couldn't think of anything to say to soothe her. He couldn't come up with words to soothe himself because the truth was that he was as scared as she was.

"Gerard, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scream. It just kinda came out. I know you feel the same as I do," she said.

Elizabeth looked back to the sky.

"Oh my... LOOK! A shooting star!" she exclaimed.

Gerard looked to where Elizabeth was pointing, only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the silver streak.

"Psh... I quit wishing on those things a long time ago," he said.

Elizabeth stared at her hands in her lap.

"May I ask why?"

"Simple... My wish never came true."

"What did you wish for?"

Their eyes met. Gerard's hazel eyes were full of concentration. He brought his hand up to her face to move her bangs from her eyes.

"You..." he whispered, his fingertips lingering on her soft flesh. "I wished for you, Lizzie."

Her eyes fell. A smile played on her lips.

"I wished for you too," she said.

And with that simple reply, their lips met in a kiss that set their bodies on fire.

They fell back on the pillows, never breaking their kiss as his arms snaked around her small frame.

"I guess wishes really do come true," Gerard said with a smile.

"Yeah," she sighed. "I guess they do."

And they fell asleep in each other's arms, with the stars burning a little brighter.