It was 2am in the morning when the tapping started on my window.
It was light at first, and in my half asleep mind it was just part of a dream. It then started to get consistently louder until I couldn't block it out anymore. Whatever it was wanted my attention! Cautiously I tip toed over to the window being as quiet as possible so as not to wake my dad in the next room. I pushed the curtains across expecting to see a bird or a branch. I gasped when I saw a blond boy hanging precariously from my window ledge. Hurriedly I opened the window and stared in shock.
Austin was my best friend, however sometimes I did question why. We were pretty much exact opposites! Music seems to be our biggest connection. He loves it like I do and will stop at nothing to get where he wants to be. I guess that's one of the main differences between us. If something bad happens I'll just give up. Just let it go. It's not that I want to give up on the things I love. It's just that I can't take failing again. Something inside of me just tells me not to risk it. To stay low. Austin obviously does the exact opposite. If he wants something he works at it until he get is. He's like a persistent robot or something. He'll never give up. Sadly a lot of the thing he strives to do are completely...well...stupid. Like the time he really wanted to become a professional yodeller or when he asked the man at the circus if he could become a lion tamer. The weird thing is he achieved both of those things. He's famous in Sweden for yodelling and now has a huge scar on his back from when the lion attacked him. Yeah...he wasn't that great at that one. All this is why I wasn't surprised to see him practically floating outside of my window.
I stared at him pointedly."Austin, what are you doing!?" I hissed trying to stay as quiet as possile. He ginned sheepishly.
"I wanted to see you."
My heart stopped for a second before I became rational.
"Aww that's sweet, but you'll be glad to know they came up with this new device called a door. It's really popular." I whispered sarcastically
"Als, as much as I'd love for you to lecture me on the benefits of modern technology, I'm going to fall soon." he returned his voice becoming high at the end.
Sighing I grasped onto his hand and tugged him so he fell into my room. In the process he did an army roll and ending up in the middle of my room, sprawled across the carpet.
"Well that didn't go as expected." he stated, sitting up and looking around the room dazed.
For a moment his eyes were clouded, but seconds later he had an 'excitable puppy' expression on his face and he shot up, bounding up to me.
"So what's up?" He said casually.I stared at him wondering if he had a concussion or something.
"Oh not much! Just some blonde guy decided to climb up the side of my house in the middle of the night" I laughed nervously.
"Yeah sorry about that..."
I rolled my eyes .
"So why did you want to see me? I swear if it's about Zebra's again..."
He thought for a second and then his eyes lit up.
"Ok. Firstly, if zebras are real then why weren't they at the zoo that one time?"
"That wasn't a zoo, it was a pet store. They only sold hamsters and fish."
He stared at me suspiciously.
"That's what they all say."
I threw my hands in the air, exhasperated.
"What are you even...? Ok whatever. Just tell me why you came here in the first place. What did you want to say to me."
"Oh I wanted to say..." I held my breath.
"Happy Birthday!"
I stared at him blankly. Nope he wasn't joking.
"Austin..." I started hesitantly "My birthday isn't for 2 months." I said slowly.
He smiled slightly and started to explain.
"I know that! But somewhere, it is someone's birthday. My parents say that if it's somebody's birthday but you can't talk to them, you should say it to a star and they'll take your good wishes to the person. They'll know someone cares."
"That's nice Austin but I still don't see where I fit into this."
"Well as you may have noticed Miss 'Hawkeye' Dawson, there are no stars in the sky right now," I looked towards the window and sure enough the clouds hung across the sky creating a completely black night sky, "Well that got me thinking. What actually is a star?" he continued
"It's a collection of-" I started
"No no! I mean what does it make you think of? How does it make you feel? What is a star to you?" he interrupted. Seeing that I partway understood what he meant, he carried on.
"Well for me, stars are the brightest things in the world. They shine without even noticing and light up the whole night for everybody. They attract attention without trying and they cast a glow that seems to infect everything and everyone around them. There are so many stars...but there's always one that is special to a certain person. Every person has a different star. It shines the brightest, lights the world the most, catches your eye so you can't look away."
He stared at me seeing if I was following and then he continued.
"That special star will probably never know that it is special. It will think it's just another star; fading into the background. But in reality it is beautiful. It means everything to that person. That is why I came here to you." He finished.
I stared expectantly up at him, still a little bit lost about how I came into this. He smiled.
"I never found my star. The one that was special to me. I would always look for it in the sky, waiting for one to jump out. It turns out I was looking in the wrong place. My star was right next to me the whole time. The whole time it was like I was wearing sunglasses the whole time, not noticing the brightness...My star was sitting right across from me trying to block out the world and writing in a tattered songbook."
My eyes widened as I realised what he was saying.
"You are my star Ally." he whispered, staring at me intently.
My heart raced and I opened my mouth trying to say something...anything. But no words came out. 5 seconds into doing this goldfish impression he sighed and started to walk away. Well I say walk, it was more of a limp from when he'd fallen onto my bedroom floor.
Still frozen, I came to my senses when I heard the thump of his feet hitting the flowerbed beneath my window. My dad was going to be so mad; he spent all last summer planting them. He even went to some convention to find 'The Queen of All Flowers'. What does that even mean? Why am I thinking about that now?! Austin!
Rushing to my window I leaned as far as possible staring desperately at his retreating back. Panicking, all sense of logic left me and I started to climb down the side of the house. I was painfully slow and was only half way down when it suddenly started to rain. It was just a pathetic little shower but it caused my hands to slip and I fell the rest of the distance to the grass below.
Groaning I sat up. I was covered in mud and the rain quickly got stronger and drenched me through making me shiver. I crawled underneath one of the trees scattered around my garden to escape the torrent of rain and cursed the weather man. I couldn't see a thing, just the rain attacking the ground angrily. I huddled trying to savour any warmth. I was only wearing my pyjamas, so it didn't help much! Stupid pyjamas! Stupid Austin! Stupid me!
"Wow I don't think that 'shooting star' is the way to go. As... graceful...as that fall was I don't think it's your thing. I'd stay stationary if I were you." said an oh so familiar voice. I spun around and there he was, just as soaked as I was.
"Way to take your own advice. You know there's this new device called a door." he mocked.
I glared at him and crossed my arms across my body.
It was then that I realised I was outside, the door was locked and the keys were inside. I could see them through the kitchen widow lying mockingly on the table. I groaned loudly.
"What's wrong with you" he asked staring at me.
"I'm locked out! Why did I come out here anyway! You know this entirely your fault!" I said
"What!? How is this my fault!?" he answered defensively.
"If you hadn't made that perfect speech about stars and beauty and rainbows we wouldn't be in this situation!" I said stepping forward.
"Firstly I never mentioned rainbows! Secondly, I didn't ask you to come out here and follow me. Tad stalkerish by the way. I know I'm awesome but really-"
That's was when I cut him off.
"I only came out because you walked off. You came here in the middle of the night-who does that anyway- and then leave before I can say anything!" my voice had risen to a shout by then.
"Well were you even going to say anything!? You just stared at me like I was crazy! I kind of got a response because of that. I took a hint!" he yelled back
"You don't know anything!" I shouted "I was going to say I feel the same way. Remember 'I can't do it without you'," My voice was barely above whisper at that point, "It works both ways Austin."
A look of hope flashed across his face but it was quickly buried again.
"Why didn't you say that then?"
I sighed exasperatedly
"How would you react if the person you have loved for almost a year just said something like that to you? I didn't know how to tell you everything I was feeling. I didn't even know how I was feeling! I was amazed, confused, paranoid...and most all...well, happy! How was I supposed to string everything into a sentence?"
Suddenly his face clouded over and he seemed to be thinking hard about something. This lasted about 30 seconds until I began to get impatient.
"You know actions speak louder than words." he finally said.
"Oh you mean like a punch? Because I want to hurt you so bad now! I let out everything and you've just gone into la la land! Seriously-"
At that point he kissed me. It was...perfect. His arms circled my waist and he pulled me as close as possible. My heart felt like it was going to explode. The butterflies I felt before were now wasps, filling me with electricity and shocks. Underneath the trees protection I could hear the rain around us. It was almost that cliché kiss in the rain. Almost. Slowly we pulled away and all I could see were his brown eyes staring back at mine. . I could understand the star theory now. He was my star.
"So that's what you meant by actions..." I said nervously.
He started laughing and leaned forward to whisper in my ear.
"Look up."
I tilted my face upwards and saw a lone star in the middle of the murky sky. The first star of the night that's light bounced among the raindrops. Reports stated it was one of the brightest stars that had ever been in seeing distance. But to me and Austin it was another star. Yes it was bright... But not as bright as we were to each other.