Starry Night

At high school, it's near impossible to keep any scrap of information to yourself. Even your deepest secret could have flooded through every school hallway in two hours tops. In which case, it wasn't surprising when later on the night of the fight, I had three text messages wondering what happened. Slowly, though, the number grew larger and I ignored most of them. Somehow, and I'm not complaining, the news of the fight had missed my parents. That would be just about the icing on my screwed up cake.

It was later that night when Taylor called me. I picked up. “So it's true, isn't it,” were the first words out of her mouth.

I sighed, “Depends what version you got.”

“I only know that Connor knocked Devon out...for you.”

My eyes narrowed, “What do you mean, 'for you.'”

“Because I knew it! You two were perfect. Well everyone knows now. It's just...I can't believe it was Devon.”

“Why?” You could hear the anxiousness in my voice, like every girl gets when they're talking gossip.

Taylor exhaled noisily, “Because they're like best friends since as long as I could remember. Kindergarten, maybe before.”

“Oh.” This word was such an understatement to what I was thinking. Connor was throwing away a friendship for me, and I wouldn't let him.

“He truly loves you,” she said, “Trust me. I know it when I see it.” These words snapped my back into our conversation and we were suddenly having a full blown discussion about everything and positively nothing.

Fifteen minutes later, when my nightstand clock read 11, I heard a click as my bedroom window swung open. And in he walked, my own personal perfection.

Connor's hands were casually shoved in his pockets as he moved toward me, a smile perched on his face. I sighed, forgetting about everything for a second.

“...You know what I mean?” Taylor was finishing her sentence and I nodded not taking my eyes off of him, almost afraid he would disappear like so many of my dreams. “I know exactly what you mean, Taylor.” But then my cell phone was gone, my palm still pressed to my ear.

“Sorry Taylor, but Stacy can't talk right now.” His voice was light, but the words flowed so naturally it made you wonder if he practiced them before he came. With a click, he closed it and put it on my nightstand, moving closer to me.

“Missed you,” Connor whispered, his lips already tickling my ear.

“This really makes me worry.” He pulled back immediately, his expression confused and worried.

“What?”

“Can robbers get in as easily as you, because we seriously need to consider a security alarm in that case.”

Connor laughed and I slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle it. “Shh! Do you want me to get in trouble?”

He kissed my palm then put my hand in his. “A boy in your room late at night...that wouldn't blow over well with your dad, would it?”

“Um, no. Not at all.” Connor smiled and I looked into his deep green eyes, just like the color of grass. Suddenly, I remembered what I was going to talk to him about. “Connor...”

“What is it?” He brushed my hair away from my face, staring intently at me.

“I can't let you throw your life away for me. Devon was your friend...”

He sat back and thought this over. “Devon turned into a total ass. He turns dating into a game, tallying up how many girls he can get. It doesn't matter. And I'd only throw my life away when you're not in it anymore.”

I sighed and looked out the window, into the pitch black night. “I love you, Stacy.” I smiled and I turned back to him, putting my palm on the raised line running across his chest. Closing my eyes, I traced it up and down with my finger. “I know.”

I laid back on my pillow and said, “At least that's what people tell me.” I opened one eye to see his expression and his eye brows were furrowed together again with a smirk on his face. “Damn it, Stacy. You make me wonder sometimes.”

“I should.” Two words and half a second later, he was so close his lips touched mine as he spoke, “But I'm still a complete mystery to you.” I nodded, trying not to waste anymore of our precious time.

Just as Connor leaned in the rest of the way, my cell phone buzzed and he muttered something I couldn't understand. Picking it up, I shut it off and shoved it in my drawer. Brandon's necklace lay directly on top. My glance was a second too long and Connor noticed.

“Who gave you that?”

Staring into his eyes, I whispered, “A boyfriend.”

“Oh,” was all he said at first, but then a smile appeared. “I'll have to give you something better.”

I rolled my eyes and kissed him. “You already have.”

* * * *

“So I was thinking that you should come over for a sleep over tomorrow night.” Taylor picked at her lunch slowly and looked at me, waiting for an answer. It was just us today, and Connor, because Stephanie wasn't sitting with us anymore (something to do with Connor most likely) and the other two took turns sitting with us. Today wasn't one of those days.

“That is if your boyfriend doesn't mind.”

Connor looked up and smiled, “She's all yours.”

It was Thursday, four days after the fight, so things have calmed down. There was still the occasional group who would talk in hushed whispers and look from Connor to Devon and then back to me. Danny ignores us or tries not to see me. Either way, I felt completely guilty about how much I've hurt him, no matter how much he hurt me.

“You ready to give me away so easily?” I asked Connor with a smile. I heard Taylor laugh as his eye brows creased together. Then, before he respond, there was a tap on my shoulder. Looking up, I found one of Connor's friends, a quiet, shy-looking guy staring down at me. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” I felt Connor stiffen but I nodded.

“I'm pretty capable of knocking a guy out too, you know,” I whispered. He laughed and let go of my hand.

After a quiet walk to the hallway outside the cafe, the guy leaned casually against the wall.

“I'm Stacy, by the way. We haven't officially met.”

“I'm Dylan.” It went quiet again and I took a moment to look at him. He had dark brown hair in no particular style and light blue eyes. “So...” I started slowly, “What did you want to talk about?”

He moved awkwardly from side to side. “You're friends with Taylor right?” I smiled, knowing where this is going. “Yes, my single, pretty friend.”

“I like her, but I get shy.”

“You have nothing to worry about. Just ask her out.” Dylan laughed, “I just wanted to be sure—.”

I pushed him toward the lunchroom, “Go get your princess, and live happily ever after.”

We walked back to lunch then and I took Connor away from the table. “What are you doing?”

I held up and finger and looked at Dylan and Taylor. Two seconds later, she blushed and nodded. Smiling, I turned back to Connor, “They needed a moment.”

He looked over my shoulder with a quizzical expression. “Are they together now?”

I nodded, walking back to the table with an extra bounce in my step. “Cute, aren't they?”

Taylor was laughing at something and Dylan shook his head.

Connor was looking at something in the distance and then he turned to me, “I never officially asked you out.”

I shrugged, “It's not a big deal.”

“But apparently it is,” he said pointing at the new couple. He led me out of the lunch room doors and I sighed, giving up.

Connor held me close and leaned against the pale wall in the hallway, one arm holding me around my waist and the other pushing hair away from my face. The air around us seemed tense and harder to breath as he said, “Stacy Bennett, will you go out with me?”

His eyes were so mesmerizing I almost forgot what were doing. After a moment, I remembered and smiled. Leaning in, I whispered, “No.”

“That's really too bad.”

“I'm sorry,” I said. But Connor didn't respond. His lips had already found mine.