Star Riddled Skies

Can I ring you doll? I've got free home-to-home calls and dad's away. I miss you xxxx

I blush furiously and my fingers text back quickly as I swing my legs off the bed.

Sure (: miss you too xxx

I stand up off my bed, throwing my phone down next to Squiggle, who meows slightly, lifting his head, before lowering it and watching me walk out the door. I hurry down the stairs and grab the cordless phone from it's cradle.

"Zach's gonna ring me is that okay?" I ask Mum, who breaks her stare from the television to fix me with a curious stare.

"Yes of course love, Zach from school?" She asks back, glancing periodically back at the television.

"Yeah." I smile just at the thought of him and hang my head a little to hide my blushing cheeks.

"Alright love."

Dad opens his mouth to talk to me, but the shrill of the phone starts ringing and I gesture with it and walk back up the stairs. I answer it halfway up with a, "Hey," and smile furiously as Zach answers back.

"Hey Ash, you okay?"

I gulp back the lump in my throat as I settle back onto my bed and Squiggle instantly climbs on my lap. My free hand absent mindedly strokes the back of his neck.

"Good... now I'm talking to you." I say, blushing furiously at my own remark and I hang my head even though no one is in the room.

"Amazing, now."

I slide further down the bed and roll onto my side, Squiggle meowing and curling up in the angle made by my stomach and bent legs. I keep a smile on my face as we talk about everything and nothing, sometimes just lying and listening to each other breathe.

I glance at the clock and its half past eleven, we've been on the phone for an hour, and I don’t have any intention of hanging up. I'm already in my pyjamas, thanks to my clothes getting soaked down the field.

I'd spent the whole time sat in Zach's lap, with his arms round my ribcage, and mine round his neck. I just sat there, listening to the chaos in my perfect world, and breathing in Zach's scent.

Two people, however, weren't as happy for Zach and I as everyone else.

Three guesses who.

Sam and Emily spent the night glaring at us, and I heard a fair few snide comments between the two. I just ignored it though, far too happy to care about two jealous teenagers swapping gossip.

We keep talking and talking for hours and hours, and I slip under the covers about an hour later, and Squiggle climbs back onto my stomach, promptly falling asleep.

"Have you seen the new Drop Dead stuff?" Zach exclaims after a minute of quiet, and I shake my head before realising we're on the phone.

"No, is it nice?"

"Bloody hell it's gorgeous!" Zach says, launching into a huge conversation into explaining the two or three new shirts on his favourite brand site.

I smile and smile at the excitement in his voice, and when he takes a breath and I can almost feel it wash across me, I smile even more and pull the covers to my chin.

"So can I spazz about the Shikari merch store now?" I say, pulling at the top few layers of my hair, and Zach laughs, still somehow making me blush.

"Go for it, doll."

"Have you seen the new Acid Nation ones? Oh, my god, best thing ever in the whole entire world. It's all yellow and blue and roooar..." I continue on a similar vein for ten minutes or so, Zach occasionally murmuring back.

"Well, I'll buy you it then." He says softly as I conclude with a moan about my lack of money.

I shake my head vigorously, "Cant let you do that!"

"Why!?" He exclaims, and I have to move my ear from the phone for a second.

"Because you cant spend money on me," My hand absently reaches out to stroke Squiggles back again, and I feel my eyelids start to droop.

"I can." He says simply, as I curl up onto my side again, "Because you're my girlfriend, and I'm allowed to get you nice things."

I just blush and blush and blush, and my face feels hot thanks to all the blood. All both of us can hear for a while is each other breathing, and somehow, I know Zach doesn't mind. I just want to hear him breath and make it feel like I'm close to him.

"I miss you." I say softly, barely breathe it, so I'm not sure whether he'll hear.

I hear a sharp intake of breath, and a soft voice, "I miss you too."

I smile and clutch the phone to my ear and curl up smaller, savouring the warmth the covers and his voice gave me.

"It's silly isn’t it..." I breathe, closing my eyes.

"What? Missing each other?"

"Mhmm." I whisper back, smiling still.

"No, I'm allowed to miss you now Ashy." I smile and smile and smile, so happy I feel like crying.

"I miss you so much and it's been barely a few hours, but I can say it, because you're my boyfriend. I miss you. I miss you Zach."

I hear him breathe heavy over the phone, and it makes me smile even more.

"I miss you Ash, I really, really do." He takes a deep breath, "And tomorrow when I see you I'm just gonna hold you forever and ever, I never want to let you go."

I feel a few droplets of water slip from my eyes, in the best sense, and my toes curl in sheer excitement and happiness.

"Is this real?" I ask back, taking a huge shuddering breath and squeezing my eyes shut again, trying to stay awake, "Is this happening?"

"It is." He says back, his voice sure and strong through tiredness.

"It really is." I murmur back, my voice gradually getting sleepier and sleepier.

"It's amazing..." I smile at him and just lie there, wishing on everything that I could see him.

"It's four thirty Ash..." Zach says a minute or two later, and I just make some sort of noise back, "You need to sleep." I make another noise and bury my head in my pillow, "I'm gonna hang up."

I snap straight out of it, and almost sit up, making Squiggle jump and hiss, "No, don’t go."

"We need to sleep doll." Zach says, in a firm but soft voice that makes me melt.

"Oh kay."

"Bye Ash." He says softly, "See you tomorrow."

"I cant wait..." I whisper softly, "Bye Zachy..."

He takes a deep breath, "Bye doll."

I bring the phone forward, and the slit in the curtains let me see the red button I reluctantly press. I move my arm forward and place the phone on the table, staring at it for a second before slamming my eyes shut and trying to sleep.

I find I cant, feeling a strange shiver run down my spine, in the worst way.

I breathe in and out and curl up tighter. I imagine I'm in Zach's arms, wound tightly round my ribcage, and I bend my head into his chest.

I fall asleep instantly.