Cellie gripped her necklace tightly before turning to Edana. Today was the day she was finally telling Edana how she felt. She was tired of waiting. Before today, each time she had tried to speak the words she just couldn’t seem to say, the world felt as if it were crumbling under her. But not this time. This time was going to be different.
Cellie opened her mouth to speak, but each word she said came out as a whisper: quiet in volume, but loud in meaning. And, just as she feared, the wind swept away her words — noticed only by her beating heart.
She went to try again, but after glancing in Edana's direction, the words faded away. She always got distracted looking at Edana's eyes. She thought of fire when she looked at them. Forever burning, a mix of color that mesmerized her and made her feel like she was melting.
Edana waved her hand in front of Cellie's face. "Cellie? You okay?"
"I'm fine!" Cellie said a bit too quickly, her hands fiddling with a lock of her hair. "Just . . . looking at the stars behind you. They're beautiful tonight."
"You say that every night."
"Because every night they're just as beautiful."
There weren't many things Cellie could think of that she loved more than the stars. That she could spend hours with and not feel tired. Only one thing came to mind each time. And she felt so lucky to have that thing sitting right next to her.
"What do you even like so much about the stars, Cellie?"
Cellie lay down in the grass so she could get a better look at them. "Well, for starters, they're quite pretty. And they're very mysterious . . . I want to know more about them. They're so foreign, but so comforting."
Cellie knew those weren't the only reasons. She had a long list of reasons. That long list was the reason she got into astrology, and art. That list was the reason she wanted to talk to this girl whose eyes sparkled like starlight. "Plus, well, this world's a little boring, don't you think? The stars . . . they look so much more interesting."
Edana smiled, and Cellie desperately hoped the nighttime concealed the pink rising in her cheeks. She never used to see Edana smile, and now every time she did, it reminded Cellie of how far they’d come.
"I know what you mean,” said Edana. “That's why I choose to create my own reality."
"W-what do you mean by that?"
Edana pulled something out of her bag, the rising moon reflecting off its silvery surface. "I, uh, made this for you."
Edana flung it into the air. Cellie watched in amazement as the thing — no, the bird — spread out its wings. She couldn't help but notice all the details Edana had put into it: the metal feathers, just as delicate as real ones; the small dots of paint peppered over the bird, imitating the stars; and the lifelike sheen of the bird's eyes. Cellie's eyes widened — Edana did that all for her?
Edana's eyes followed the bird closely. The shadow of a smile flickered across her face as the bird landed on Cellie's head. "So? What do you think?"
Cellie laughed, cradling the gift in her arms. "I love it! I love it so much, and I . . ." Trying to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes, she could only choke out her next words: "I love you, too. So much."
Cellie averted her eyes, locking onto the surrounding trees, which stood still without the wind to set them in motion. Cellie’s words would not get carried away this time.
Edana's actions spoke louder than words ever could, as she pulled Cellie into an embrace. And in a tone so soft, so unlike herself, Edana whispered in her ear, "I love you, too."
The soot on Edana's hands did not matter. Neither did the faint wisps of smoke curling off her hair, or the stains from their last misadventure arranged like a painting along the back of her jacket. Cellie wanted to stay like this forever. Living among the stars didn't seem so appealing anymore; she had all she could ever want right here.
Cellie opened her mouth to speak, but each word she said came out as a whisper: quiet in volume, but loud in meaning. And, just as she feared, the wind swept away her words — noticed only by her beating heart.
She went to try again, but after glancing in Edana's direction, the words faded away. She always got distracted looking at Edana's eyes. She thought of fire when she looked at them. Forever burning, a mix of color that mesmerized her and made her feel like she was melting.
Edana waved her hand in front of Cellie's face. "Cellie? You okay?"
"I'm fine!" Cellie said a bit too quickly, her hands fiddling with a lock of her hair. "Just . . . looking at the stars behind you. They're beautiful tonight."
"You say that every night."
"Because every night they're just as beautiful."
There weren't many things Cellie could think of that she loved more than the stars. That she could spend hours with and not feel tired. Only one thing came to mind each time. And she felt so lucky to have that thing sitting right next to her.
"What do you even like so much about the stars, Cellie?"
Cellie lay down in the grass so she could get a better look at them. "Well, for starters, they're quite pretty. And they're very mysterious . . . I want to know more about them. They're so foreign, but so comforting."
Cellie knew those weren't the only reasons. She had a long list of reasons. That long list was the reason she got into astrology, and art. That list was the reason she wanted to talk to this girl whose eyes sparkled like starlight. "Plus, well, this world's a little boring, don't you think? The stars . . . they look so much more interesting."
Edana smiled, and Cellie desperately hoped the nighttime concealed the pink rising in her cheeks. She never used to see Edana smile, and now every time she did, it reminded Cellie of how far they’d come.
"I know what you mean,” said Edana. “That's why I choose to create my own reality."
"W-what do you mean by that?"
Edana pulled something out of her bag, the rising moon reflecting off its silvery surface. "I, uh, made this for you."
Edana flung it into the air. Cellie watched in amazement as the thing — no, the bird — spread out its wings. She couldn't help but notice all the details Edana had put into it: the metal feathers, just as delicate as real ones; the small dots of paint peppered over the bird, imitating the stars; and the lifelike sheen of the bird's eyes. Cellie's eyes widened — Edana did that all for her?
Edana's eyes followed the bird closely. The shadow of a smile flickered across her face as the bird landed on Cellie's head. "So? What do you think?"
Cellie laughed, cradling the gift in her arms. "I love it! I love it so much, and I . . ." Trying to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes, she could only choke out her next words: "I love you, too. So much."
Cellie averted her eyes, locking onto the surrounding trees, which stood still without the wind to set them in motion. Cellie’s words would not get carried away this time.
Edana's actions spoke louder than words ever could, as she pulled Cellie into an embrace. And in a tone so soft, so unlike herself, Edana whispered in her ear, "I love you, too."
The soot on Edana's hands did not matter. Neither did the faint wisps of smoke curling off her hair, or the stains from their last misadventure arranged like a painting along the back of her jacket. Cellie wanted to stay like this forever. Living among the stars didn't seem so appealing anymore; she had all she could ever want right here.