"Ludwig!" [Name] called, tugging on his sleeve. "Look out the window! Make a wish!"

Ludwig looked up from the book he was reading, only to see a shooting star blazing through the evening sky.

"You know there isn't any basis on them, [Name]" sighed Ludwig.
"But there was that thing in Africa, right? The one with England getting struck by a star and all!"
"Yes, but-"
"No ifs, no buts! Make a wish! Now!" [Name] demanded, slamming her fist on the table. Ludwig sighed, as he closed his eyes for a few seconds.

"Done" he said. "Now…have you finished those sums?"
[Name]'s face changed immediately, as she sat back and stared at all the sums in front of her. "But…ugh, Ludwig. They're so boring!"
"And you have an exam tomorrow."
"So do you! Why aren't you studying, then?" [Name] replied.
"I'm prepared enough and you're still stuck on what we finished in the second term."

"Am not!" [Name] pouted. Suddenly, her mobile phone rung, and she hurriedly answered the call. "Oh, hi Mum!...yeah, still at Ludwig's…going well, he's a real help…oh, huh?...how long…don't know?...oh, all right, I'll ask." [Name] covered the receiver with her hand. "Hey, Ludwig, I don't have my house keys and Mum's stuck due to an accident…think I could stay here for a while longer?"
Ludwig looked up at [Name] in surprise.
It seemed too fast for the shooting star to work already…

"O-of course" he managed to stammer out. [Name] beamed at him and told her mother so. Putting the mobile away in her pocket, she beamed at Ludwig, who was trying very hard to cover his now blushing face.
"Since we have time now, let's go somewhere!"
"Go somewhere?"
"Yes!"
"No. You need to study."
"No, I don't! Test me!."
"Ahh…all right…what is Pythagoras' Theorem?"
"H squared is equal to P squared plus B squared"
"Very well…and the Quadratic Formula?"
"Negative B plus minus whole square B squared minus four a c all over two A! See? I know enough! Now, let's go!" And with that being said, she dragged Ludwig outdoors.

Once they were outdoors, [Name] looked up at Ludwig, grinning cheerily.
"Hey, Luddy." She called him by the name she'd given him since they first met. "How come you don't believe in stuff like shooting stars?"
He stuffed his hands into his pockets as he walked down the footpath. "Hmm? Why? Because…they're not all too practical, that's why."
"Yeah…" she dragged the last part of the word. "But…don't you think they work? Sometimes?"
"Sometimes. Barely."
"What about your last wish?"
"What about my last wish?"
"Did it come true?"

Ludwig hesitated. He couldn't tell [Name], of all the people, what the wish was –that he'd wished to just spend a bit more time with her.
Gulping audibly, he nodded. "Yes, my last wish did come true."
"Great!" [Name] exclaimed, attacking Ludwig with what was actually a hug. "I think I'm actually converting you into a believer!"

Ludwig couldn't help but laugh at [Name]'s infectious enthusiasm – she always seemed to be laughing and joking – something he wished he could do more often. As he looked down to hide the blush from his face, he spotted something glinting on the ground below. As he picked it up, to inspect it up close, [Name] grabbed it from his hand.

"Oh my gosh! Ludwig! You just found a penny face-up!" [Name] chirped excitedly. "A whole day of good luck for you! How amazing is that?"
"It's evening already, [Name]." Ludwig replied, trying to make up for [Name] in sensibility.
"That doesn't matter!" [Name] turned to look at Ludwig, her eyes wide with elation. "It's not every day that things like this happen!"
"Hmm" stated Ludwig. True – it wasn't every day that he got to spend time with someone whom he wished he could spend a lot more time with

All of a sudden, the smile vanished from [Name]'s face, and her mouth formed into a small 'o'. She carefully reached out at Ludwig's face, who filched slightly at this strange gesture.
"Hang on, Lud." She whispered, ever so silently. "Be very still." Ludwig felt a finger softly brush his cheek, then saw [Name] holding out her index finger in front of her and beaming proudly.

"Wh-what was that about, [Name]?"
[Name] was positively beaming now, like the ray of sunshine she always was for him. "You had an eyelash on your cheek, see?"
He brushed his cheek, where she'd touched, and stared at her blankly. She looked at him, slightly puzzled and then smiled as she tilted her head to the side as she understood what was going on.
"You make a wish, Luddy! That's what happens when someone else finds a stray eyelash on someone! Now, make a wish and blow this eyelash off my finger! Go on!" Her tone was encouraging and full of innocent excitement, and Ludwig found himself closing his eyes to make another wish.

I wish [Name] would realise just how much I care for her. Then, he gently puffed out a small gust of air, and opened his eyes to see [Name] grinning back at her broadly.
"Aren't you the lucky one today?" she said, but without a hint of malice in her tone. As they walked down the street, she continued to chat incessantly about everything – school, what they saw as they passed and anything that came to her mind. Ludwig just kept himself content with nodding and making appropriate sounds at the right moments, but how could he really concentrate on her words when she was clutching to his arm like one of those clip-on koala bear things he'd always seen on Australia's backpack*.

[Name] stopped suddenly, as she gently tugged Ludwig to face her.
"Ludwig…there's something I need to tell you…"
He looked at her intently, with a hope that she'd tell him just what he'd been feeling for so long for her – maybe these wishes really did work. "Yes, [Name]?"
"I just want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for helping me with math. I don't know where I'd be without your help, and I'm ever so thankful for your concern." [Name] said, with all the solemnity that she could muster.

Ludwig looked back at her, his face just as impassive as ever but his mind so utterly confused. He just managed to nod and stammer out something which seemed like an "It's all right."
Maybe the wishes have to be more specifically-worded.

Abruptly, she looked down at her wrist watch and gasped. "Oh gosh, Lud! It's already so late! I must me off but…oh my! Look at the time! It's 11:11! Would you believe that? Make another wish, Luddy!" and before he could reply, she took his hands in hers and shut her eyes, squeezing both tightly.
Ludwig found himself wishing again, unexpectedly.

As [Name] let go of his hands as quickly as she'd held them, she enveloped him in a bear hug and waved goodbye quickly, as she yelled something about it being late enough and seeing him at school tomorrow. Ludwig could only wave back, and he stood there until she'd turned the corner. Allowing himself a small chuckle as he laughed at her oblivion and his absurdity, he walked back home under the stars.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day, he couldn't wait for [Name] after school as his dummkopf of a brother had left his keys at home and was kicking up a storm about getting in. He resumed reading the book he'd abruptly left last evening, settling down with a pretzel in hand, when suddenly, his mobile started ringing.

He frowned as he reached for his phone but when he saw that it was a call from [Name], his face immediately lost its frown.
"Hello…"
"Oh my gosh, Ludwig!" he heard [Name] gush on the other side. "You won't believe what happened! I finished the exam the earliest out of everyone, and it was so early that Mrs. Smith started correcting it there and then, and guess what? I got them all right! ALL RIGHT, LUDDY! I still can't believe it! I can't thank you enough, Lud! You're the best! Oh, my gosh! But-" she paused to take a breath, then continued, "where were you after school today? I didn't see you?" The disappointment was evident in her voice.
"Oh, I…Gilbert forgot his house keys and I had to go back home with him."
"So…you're home right now?"
"Yes…why? Do you need anything?"
She laughed – a light, mesmerising laugh that Ludwig couldn't help but feel slightly smitten with. "Well, you see, in all that craziness, I actually forgot my book, but if you're there now I'll be over soon to pick it up!"

Ludwig couldn't help but smile as he put down his phone – maybe wishing on things did work, including at particular times.

*Clip-on koalas like .com/pp/clipon_ They're so cute!