I can’t believe my friends talked me into coming here, then didn’t even show up. I know they'll apologize tomorrow, saying they did it so I would “meet new people.” Still, I’m tired and frustrated. I think again of my camera, staring at me from where I’d left it on the dresser. I chose to not bring it with me, just this once, and then regretted it immediately. I don’t know what to do with my hands, and my eyes dislike seeing the world without the filter of the viewfinder.
Just to have something to focus on, I stare into the bonfire, and soon my eyes start to hurt. The rising heat makes the night sky tremble, as though any second it could break and all the stars would come spilling onto us. Us being everyone at this stupid party. It's not that I dislike parties, but there's no cake at this one, I don't know anyone, and I don't have my camera. I'd love to capture the way everyone looks in the firelight, dancing and smiling like there's no place they'd rather be. I know fire-lit photos are always hard to shoot, but still. I'm brought back to reality when someone points to the sky and shouts.
Several scattered voices cry, “shooting star!”
I glance to the sky and see the streaks of light. “Make a wish . . .” I whisper. I close my eyes and think hard, then mouth my wish to the cosmos. When I open them again, I startle in my chair. A girl, who can't be older than 11, is standing in front of me, mere inches from my face.
“Whatja wish for?” she says with a smile, and I can see she's still waiting for a tooth to grow back.
“Sorry, what?” I wait a moment for her words to sink in. “Oh, nothing much. Just — ” Something is off. The music that's playing pulses around me. “You know, if you say what you wish for, it won't come true.” Though I’m certain I’ve never seen her before, it feels as though I know her.
The girl’s smile widens. “Ha! That's true, isn't it? But there's no harm either way, right?” The fire, so comforting earlier, is beginning to feel too hot.
“Sorry, kid, should you be here? Where are your parents?” More shooting stars tear across the sky. The music gets louder, the fire hotter. The girl's hair flashes in the light, so blond it's almost white. Freckles dot her dark skin.
“I could ask you the same.” Her eyes are the color of gold and winter and galaxies that humanity hasn’t even come close to discovering. She seems so old, and at the same time, still just a little kid. Her star-filled eyes are also filled with innocence, and I long for the time when my eyes were the same.
She glances up at the stars falling all around us. “Hm. I think it's time for me to go.” She twirls once, her white dress spinning out, smiling her gap-toothed smile. “You could come with me, you know. We always welcome another kindred soul.”
I contemplate her offer. There isn't much for me here. I like my friends, but we’re not very close. All I have left of my mom is a camera. I look at her, and though we’ve just met, I feel like I'm seeing a younger me. And she shouldn't be all alone, right? I know all too well that a little girl like her shouldn’t be alone. But I see the way she looks at the other falling stars. I don’t think she is. Deep down I know every streak across the sky is another person looking after her. Still, her offer is all too tempting. Then I think of my dad. Of how he would feel when I'm not in my bed in the morning. I imagine myself gallivanting with stars while he mourns me. And truth be told, I would miss him, too. Then I know my answer. When I meet her eyes, she can tell I’ve made up my mind. She's stopped smiling for the first time, and heaves a sigh. “Oh, well.”
“I’ll see you,” I whisper.
“Maybe you will. Who knows?” Her grin returns. “Oh! Right. Before I go, take this.” She unties one of her many colorful friendship bracelets, and reties it around my wrist. It's my favorite colors. Pink, orange, and yellow, and just a few strings of blue. Like the colors of a sunset. “Now, check your pocket!” She’s wriggling with excitement as I stick my hand in the large pocket of my hoodie. “Oh, I love this part!”
I feel the comforting weight of my camera. I know it like the back of my hand. Better, actually. “Thank you.” My smile matches her own. If I’d known my wish was going to come true, I would have wished to see my mom one more time. But you don’t get to know. After all, no one thinks their wish will come true until it does. I look at the camera in my hands, and I’m glad to have it. I hold it up to my face and bring it into focus. She smiles, and I know this will be the most stunning photo I’ve ever taken. Or maybe it won’t. It’s hard to get a good photo of the stars, after all.
Just to have something to focus on, I stare into the bonfire, and soon my eyes start to hurt. The rising heat makes the night sky tremble, as though any second it could break and all the stars would come spilling onto us. Us being everyone at this stupid party. It's not that I dislike parties, but there's no cake at this one, I don't know anyone, and I don't have my camera. I'd love to capture the way everyone looks in the firelight, dancing and smiling like there's no place they'd rather be. I know fire-lit photos are always hard to shoot, but still. I'm brought back to reality when someone points to the sky and shouts.
Several scattered voices cry, “shooting star!”
I glance to the sky and see the streaks of light. “Make a wish . . .” I whisper. I close my eyes and think hard, then mouth my wish to the cosmos. When I open them again, I startle in my chair. A girl, who can't be older than 11, is standing in front of me, mere inches from my face.
“Whatja wish for?” she says with a smile, and I can see she's still waiting for a tooth to grow back.
“Sorry, what?” I wait a moment for her words to sink in. “Oh, nothing much. Just — ” Something is off. The music that's playing pulses around me. “You know, if you say what you wish for, it won't come true.” Though I’m certain I’ve never seen her before, it feels as though I know her.
The girl’s smile widens. “Ha! That's true, isn't it? But there's no harm either way, right?” The fire, so comforting earlier, is beginning to feel too hot.
“Sorry, kid, should you be here? Where are your parents?” More shooting stars tear across the sky. The music gets louder, the fire hotter. The girl's hair flashes in the light, so blond it's almost white. Freckles dot her dark skin.
“I could ask you the same.” Her eyes are the color of gold and winter and galaxies that humanity hasn’t even come close to discovering. She seems so old, and at the same time, still just a little kid. Her star-filled eyes are also filled with innocence, and I long for the time when my eyes were the same.
She glances up at the stars falling all around us. “Hm. I think it's time for me to go.” She twirls once, her white dress spinning out, smiling her gap-toothed smile. “You could come with me, you know. We always welcome another kindred soul.”
I contemplate her offer. There isn't much for me here. I like my friends, but we’re not very close. All I have left of my mom is a camera. I look at her, and though we’ve just met, I feel like I'm seeing a younger me. And she shouldn't be all alone, right? I know all too well that a little girl like her shouldn’t be alone. But I see the way she looks at the other falling stars. I don’t think she is. Deep down I know every streak across the sky is another person looking after her. Still, her offer is all too tempting. Then I think of my dad. Of how he would feel when I'm not in my bed in the morning. I imagine myself gallivanting with stars while he mourns me. And truth be told, I would miss him, too. Then I know my answer. When I meet her eyes, she can tell I’ve made up my mind. She's stopped smiling for the first time, and heaves a sigh. “Oh, well.”
“I’ll see you,” I whisper.
“Maybe you will. Who knows?” Her grin returns. “Oh! Right. Before I go, take this.” She unties one of her many colorful friendship bracelets, and reties it around my wrist. It's my favorite colors. Pink, orange, and yellow, and just a few strings of blue. Like the colors of a sunset. “Now, check your pocket!” She’s wriggling with excitement as I stick my hand in the large pocket of my hoodie. “Oh, I love this part!”
I feel the comforting weight of my camera. I know it like the back of my hand. Better, actually. “Thank you.” My smile matches her own. If I’d known my wish was going to come true, I would have wished to see my mom one more time. But you don’t get to know. After all, no one thinks their wish will come true until it does. I look at the camera in my hands, and I’m glad to have it. I hold it up to my face and bring it into focus. She smiles, and I know this will be the most stunning photo I’ve ever taken. Or maybe it won’t. It’s hard to get a good photo of the stars, after all.