Starry Night

"Stacy Bennett! Get your butt in here!" My mother yelled from the other room and I cringed at how high-pitched her voice was.

When I entered the room, she stood stick straight turning the house phone over and over again in her hand. Her face was flushed with anger and I could tell by the tension in her expression that a lot more yelling was bound to come. "You skipped school?"

Every muscle in my body became uptight, making it harder to breathe. Blood rushed to my face and when I didn't answer, my mother asked me again. It was no use lying, the school had told her and I would only dig myself a bigger hole. I nodded the slightest bit.

"And were you with Emily's boy?" My mother's face showed disgust and she put such an exaggeration on "boy," I actually winced.

"Emily's boy," I asked dumbly, hoping to keep Connor out of it.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about Stacy," my mother said, "Connor Wheeler."

"Why would you even say that," I said, completely avoiding the question.

"The school asked if I knew if he was with you. Was he?"

I didn't answer and my mother took my silence as a yes. She paced around the room, her anger slowly growing. "I don't want you around him. He's a bad influence."

"How is he a bad influence? You don't even know him!"

"I know his type. Connor Wheeler is not a good person to be around and I forbid you to see him anymore."

"You can't force me to," I said, acting like a complete five year-old.

"I said no, Stacy. You're grounded. Hand over your phone." I slapped my cell into her palm and stormed out of the room before she could say anything more. My mother was so naive and stereotypical it annoyed me. She always thought she knew everything when she didn't, and she was so wrong about Connor.

* * * *

The house phone rang later that night and I picked it up before my mom got a chance. "Stacy?" His voice was so familiar and soft, it comforted every muscle in my body.

"Connor..." I looked down that hallway into my mother's room to check if she was on the other line or heard me talking, but she was too busy folding laundry. "I'm taking a big risk talking to you right now."

"I know you're grounded. My mom found out today too, but since she just got home from the hospital, she asked my dad to deal with it, and well...he won't do anything." I could almost feel him smile through the phone and I'm pretty sure I smiled myself. "So what's your punishment," he asked casually.

I hesitated but continued anyway, "I'm not supposed to see you anymore." The other end of the line grew quiet. "Oh...I'm taking a big risk talking to you right now," he repeated as it finally made sense. "You weren't talking about being grounded."

"I'm sorry, Connor," I whispered.

"Stacy...listen to me. What is life without risks, especially if you're risking it for something important to you?" I sighed and looked out my doorway again to my mother's room, which was closed now. "Do you want to come over?" I asked with a smile.

He laughed and said, "Just tell me when." I crept down the hallway and saw the darkness under my mother's door even though it was only ten o'clock on a Friday night.

"Now."

* * * *

The head lights moved over my dark bedroom walls and I looked out my window. He was here. I ran downstairs, careful not to make a sound, and whipped open the door before Connor even made it up the driveway. "Hi," I whispered.

"You're crazy," he said with that brilliant smile, "Make me come here in the middle of the night..."

He stepped over the doorstep and took me into his arms. "Well you're crazy for actually coming."

Connor smiled, "Not even a thank you, but you call me crazy..."

I led him over toward the back patio and opened the sliding door quietly. Laughing, I said, "Thank you."

I closed the door behind us, and looked out over the snow-white mountains. The moon poured silver light over everything in its reach; and the stars were like the lights on a Christmas tree, bright and always shining.

Connor pulled me close to him and fell onto the couch, "No need to thank me. I did it because I like you."

I smiled and leaned in like I was about to kiss him, but pulled away at the last second. Standing up, I heard Connor sigh and I turned around to smile. Instead, he was right by my side and kissed me before I could even tell what he was doing. "Don't do that," he said with that irresistible smirk that makes you want to kiss all that confidence away. It makes you want to truly see the softness inside of him, which was half the reason why I fell for him in the first place.

"Couldn't resist," I whispered, taking a seat on the couch again.

"It just makes you more kissable," Connor said, sitting close by my side.

I broke out into laughter and he threw one of the pillows at me, "Shut up, you're going to wake your mom up!"

"I don't care," and I threw another one back at him. Connor held his arms up defensively which made me laugh harder; and when he picked up three other cushions, I ran around the room like a little kid. He caught me in two strides and picked me up around the waist. "Put me down," I gasped in between laughing. Finally, we collapsed laughing in the love seat with me in Connor's lap.

The rest of the night was like this, laughing, joking around, and kissing. Then, some time around two o'clock, I yawned and Connor said, "You need to get some sleep."

"No, I'm fine," I muttered, trying to hide my grogginess. I wasn't ready for him to leave yet.

He sighed, "At least go to your room."

"Fine...”

Upstairs, I closed my room door and turned the nightstand light on. "I'm glad you came, Connor."

He looked up from my necklace on the nightstand and smiled, "Me too." I walked over to him and those strong arms were so comforting when they wrapped around me. We leaned in and kissed for what seemed like the very first time. I would love this boy forever, I was sure of it.

After we pulled apart, I laid down in my bed and wrapped the covers close around me. Connor stood next to me, turned the light out, and whispered, "Good night, Stacy." But just before he turned around to leave, I stretched out my hand and found his. I pulled him toward me and ran my fingers along his chin. "Please don’t go."

Connor sighed, but even in the darkness I could tell he was smiling. "How can anyone ever say no to you?"

"Only you can't," I whispered, but he was already sitting next to me with his arms folded behind his head. His legs almost reached the end of the mattress, and I leaned into his warm chest. "Good night, Connor." I saw those bright green eyes in the moonlight and he smiled.