Starry Night

"Happy first Valentine's Day in Massachusetts, Stacy!" Stephanie held out a Hershey's kiss and smiled.

"I didn't get anything...I almost forgot actually," I said, giving her a hug. "Thanks anyway, it'll just about get me to lunch."

"Forgot? You're behind Stacy. Tonight's the Valentine dance. Learning might suck here, but the dances are amazing. You have to go...especially with Connor."

I sighed and she laughed loud enough for the entire hallway to hear. "No, and I'm not going. We've got a Trigonometry test tomorrow."

She slapped my arm. "Are you kidding me? You've been here for a half a quarter and you already have straight A's. You're going, and don't worry about dressing up. I got two dresses and one doesn't fit me, but it should fit you. Its midnight blue, with fake diamonds around the top, and the skirt flows at the bottom."

"I can never say no to you. I just don't want to go with Connor," I said with a sigh.
"Man, that's too bad newbie," he said behind me.

I rolled my eyes and said to Taylor, "What time should I come over?"

She pulled her brown eyes from away from him, and distractedly answered, "Five should be more than enough time." His arms wrapped around my shoulders, and I finally turned around.

"So that would be a no to the dance with me?" Those green eyes were mesmerizing, but I shook my head. "We're not together."

"Fine, we'll go as...acquaintances."

"To the Valentine's dance," and I ducked out of his arms, still looking at him. What was it with him and me?

"So I'll pick you up around seven at Stephanie's?" I didn't answer, and with a nod and a heart-breaking smile, he turned to leave. "Wait!" He looked back at me and I walked over to him, "Acquaintances?"

There was that smile again, "Acquaintances."

* * * *

"What the hell was I thinking?" I yelled, pacing back and forth in Stephanie's room. "Connor Wheeler...I must have been crazy."

"Not crazy, just...effected by his flawlessness." She lay down on the bed, "But how perfect is he?"

I flopped down next to her, holding the dress in front of me. "Besides people skills and personal space issues...perfect. It's just that, why me?"

She stood me up in front of her closet mirror with the dress. "Because of this." It flowed around me like the nighttime sky, enclosing everything in its reach with darkness except for the precious, silver moon, the lone light in a never-ending tunnel. Although the glow can't uncover everything at once, it leaves certain things in the dark for you to expose yourself when the time in life comes around. The diamonds shone a spectrum of colors as the moonlight reflected off each imperfection, although this beautiful arrangement compensated for it. "Wow, the dress is beautiful."

Stephanie grabbed hers from the closet, "Well so is mine," and we laughed.

*

With my brown hair curled and a silver headband pulling it back, I studied my reflection in the mirror. The dress swished at my knees like a bell, back and forth, back and forth, and it was almost relaxing. "What if he doesn't show," I kept saying.

"He will.” Steph was fixing her hair again in the bathroom, convinced it didn't look right. "My hair will just not work with me!"

"It looks fine, trust me –." There was a knock at the door downstairs. "Holy crap he's here." My heart thumped in my head and every thought that swirled around my mind revolved around Connor or Brandon. "Oh my God," I said still flipping out. Stephanie hugged me, “Happy Valentine’s Day, at Dalton, you’re about the luckiest girl.”

I grabbed my long, winter coat and walked down the stairs, holding the banister for dear life in these stupid heels.

Connor’s hair still hung every which-way, but this wasn’t half as surprising as how he looked in a suit. Sweet Jesus, his green tie and black blazer left me speechless. “Wow, you clean up nice.”

His smile lit up the room, “I could say the same, but it wouldn’t quite cover it.”

My heart stopped, but then again, it always seemed to when I was around him. With a smirk, I tossed him my coat, “Can you hold that for a second? I’m going to kill myself down these stairs.” I jumped up on the banister sideways, and slid down the stairs, my dress whooshing behind me. I almost tackled Connor coming down and we both laughed as we stayed in each others arms for just that few seconds.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Stacy. You look…amazing.” My breath caught in my throat. Connor’s eyes were fierce with feeling, for once, although they were still unreadable as to what he was thinking. It was probably something to do with acquaintances.

Before I knew it, he hooked my arm, and dragged me out the front door. The winter air was like an ice blade slicing and blowing at your face the second you walk out the door. The nighttime sky was open, and the moon was at its slimmest crescent. Stars were appearing one by one, and occasionally a plane would fly overhead and streak the black blanket with clouds of its own. I loved it.

When the wind finally died down, the night silence was deafening. A crow would sometimes whine or the branches continually popped and snapped with the icy air. The houses all around us seemed warm and light as the chimneys blew out smoke from the fire eating below them. Sparse clouds formed above and white flakes gently danced past us, as if swinging with each other. The wind twirled them around, lighter than anything.

“It’s so peaceful, isn’t it,” I asked Connor, looking at him in the white moonlight. He looked around, softening his expression, and he nodded. “I don’t know what people are always complaining about winter for.” He brought me over to his car, a red pick-up truck, and lifted me inside.

“Oh, this is graceful. Very Valentine,” I said with a smile, pointing to the truck.
Connor raised his eyebrows. “Nah, it’s red,” and his crooked smile truly made my heart throb.

“Why did you pick me?” I asked as he cranked the engine. It sputtered, whined, and finally started with a roar.

“What?”

“For the dance, you could have anyone, and you pick…newbie.”

Connor winked at me, “Exactly.”

“Why, though? You have every girl at your beck and call.”

His perfect tan face hardened, “Exactly.”

“Because I didn’t go after you,” and he nodded. That was the reason. The only reason.
Somewhere inside, I could feel something break, but I didn’t show it.

It was quiet for the rest of the ride though. I was enveloped by my thoughts, and Connor seemed to be too. Snow and evergreens flew by the windows, leaving a blur of white and green in the dark, nighttime past. The skinny moon moved along with us as the school came closer and closer, before finally coming into view.

Dim, orange lights were shining outside each entrance, and groups of people entered the usual school doorways. Connor jumped out of his truck, and opened my door before I realized what he was doing. His hands wrapped around mine and I jumped into him. "Graceful," he said with a smile, his teeth gleaming white like the snow surrounding us. I just smiled and shook my head has his fingers intertwined with mine. It felt right and Brandon wasn't anywhere on my mind.

As we entered the very pink hallway leading to gym, people all around as stared. Comments were whispered and most of the girls looked about to tear me down with every insult possible. Connor just laughed at me, "You worry too much." He held my hand tighter anyway.

Pink and white balloons were hung everywhere, along with fake roses tied on the string. "I think I'm going to puke," Connor said looking at me.

I laughed, plucked one of the roses, and put it in his hair, "No, it's sweet." He picked it out and threw it at me, "Awesome. Thanks Connor." He winked while dragging me over to a table, where his friends were of course.

"Newbie," yelled a short, brown-haired guy. The two others looked up and smiled at Connor. "How did you get her over here," asked one, with a mischievous smirk. Their eyes danced with hilarity before seeing our hands, still intertwined. Connor slowly pulled his away from mine, and I was surprised and not surprised at the same time. Again, I felt something break. "I'm going to get something to drink," I said.

As my shoes clicked underneath me, I could feel eyes boring between my shoulders. I turned off into a group of people dancing, hidden from sight, before someone either came after me to joke or to "apologize." What for, I didn't know.

My dress still swished at my legs, although its sound was quieted by the loud music and laughter. I threw my coat at a seat at a table near the doorway and fell into it. My elbow resting on my knee, and my head in my palm, I looked around, studying everyone dancing.
"Five minutes and you ditch me," Connor said leaning against the door frame. I looked up, without moving, "I was getting a drink." He sat down next to me, picking up someone's unopened soda. "Here." I smiled out of pure habit, and before I could say something, he helped me up. Connor's voice was how I remembered at the restaurant, rough but with a softness that showed he cared the slightest bit. “Sorry, it just doesn’t…”

“Feel right?” He finished with a question, and when I nodded, he continued. “But at the same time, it does.” Connor’s face was serious and full of curiosity, waiting for a reply.
His arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer to him. I closed my eyes, “It feels completely right.” Connor’s head leaned toward me, and our lips met. I woke abruptly.

“Time to get up for school," my mother was leaning over me and the clock read 6 AM. Was it a dream?

I rolled over groaning and felt my eyes, red and puffy, as if I had been crying. “What happened last night,” I asked, so tired I couldn’t remember.

She sighed, “Oh, I don’t know. Stephanie said that something happened at the dance and you were really upset.”

I flipped the covers over and stood up, completely confused.

“Stephanie,” I said, the moment I arrived at the table. “What the hell happened last night at the dance?”

Her cheeks turned pink and she sighed, “You don’t want to know.”

“No, I’m pretty sure I do. I had a dream that Connor kissed me at the dance and I woke up practically crying.”

She pulled me down next to her, “Fine. Last night, you and Connor really clicked, like…I don’t even know. You got along really well, and then he went off with Ashley Green.” I looked over to his table, and nonetheless, a tall, tan blonde was sitting next to him, staring at him like there was no one else around.

“Go figure,” I muttered, remembering the night before. “I’m getting a drink,” he had said. When I saw him in the other girl’s arms, my heart finally broke for the third time that night and I completely let him go from my thoughts.