Elena Gilbert is sitting in her window seat, staring at the full moon outside, something she's done since she was a child. The stars are twinkling brightly, she can also see the rhythmic flicker of an airliner's lights as it passes over her hometown of Deadwood, South Dakota.
Her best friend, Damon Salvatore lives on the adjacent property, their bedroom windows face each other. His dad died a few years ago, leaving behind his wife and two sons. Stefan works at one of the casinos in town and helps out on their property. His mother works as a nurse's aide at the local hospital.
Often times, they'll lay awake, unable to sleep and find themselves texting with each other to pass the time. They live on the outskirts of the town, there aren't many other kids their age on the neighboring properties. Sighing, she writes a few more words in her journal, nearly jumping out of her seat when she hears a commotion coming from outside.
Quickly she sets it down and looks out through the window. She almost cries when she sees that her dad has driven into the garbage cans. Tears begin to prick her eyes when she watches him flop out of the car and land face first onto the pavement. He'll be sporting bruises tomorrow. Her own stomach begins to heave in a sickly way at the sight of him...
Three.
Two.
One.
"Elena, get down here and help me get him into the house," Isobel yells from the foot of the steps.
She quickly wipes her eyes then hurries downstairs and outside to help her mom bring her drunken father inside. They each place one of his arms around their shoulders to help him walk but in this state, his balance and coordination are off and when he stumbles, all three of the Gilbert's end up sprawled in a heap on the grass.
Having heard all the noise, Damon rushes outside and after helping Elena up, he and Isobel get John into the house and spread out on the couch.
Elena is embarrassed every time this happens. She cannot control her tears and when Damon gazes up at her with a poignant look on his face, she runs up the stairs and locks herself in her room.
Isobel thanks him then picks up a bottle of her own and goes into her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Glancing up at the staircase, his eyes land on Elena's bedroom door. Hearing her sniffling tears at his insides. He doesn't know if he should go to her or not.
Taking a glimpse at his watch, it's not really that late yet so he trots up the steps, two at a time and lightly raps on her door with the back of his hand. Moments pass and then it opens just slightly. She's already composed herself and although her eyes are a bit puffy, he doesn't say anything because the last thing he wants is to make her feel worse.
"Elena, come with me for a little while."
She looks around a little unsure before finally nodding. She slips on her hoodie and then follows him very quietly so as not to alert her mom who might still be awake since she can hear the television.
Once they're outside, Damon takes her hand in his.
"Are you okay?"
"I have to be," she utters, staring at the sidewalk till they reach the shortcut that leads to Mount Moriah. Together they start up the steep incline towards the cemetery. Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are buried there but that's not why Damon and Elena come here. There's a clearing, a special place that's only there's that they come to sometimes when they want to be alone.
Dropping onto the grass, they stare up at the sky. "I know you miss your dad sometimes, Damon, but it's better to have a dead one than one like mine."
He doesn't want to fight with her, not tonight. He misses his dad like crazy and he loves listening to Stefan tell stories about him. He was a fireman and died along with two others when the building they were in collapsed around them before they were able to evacuate the burning structure.
They stare at the blanket of stars shimmering like a diamond's glint on snow. He finds himself mesmerized by the grandeur of it all. Suddenly one shoots across the sky, they both watch till it disappears into the horizon.
"Did you see it?"
"Yes," she squeals.
Damon is happy to see a smile on her face. "My mom told me once that she made a wish on one and it really came true. She wanted to meet a boy and she did, it was my dad. Did you make a wish?"
"No."
"I did."
"Tell me, what did you wish for?"
"I can't tell you that. It won't come true if I tell."
"But Damon."
"Elena, please don't be mad. I can't tell you. Maybe someday but not tonight."
She looks at him for several unending moments until finally she nods her head and looks up the sky again.
"Alright but let's make a pact that the next time we see one, we'll each make a wish."
"Okay," she nods, pulling her hoodie over her head when the breeze starts to blow, cooling the air around them.
"It's late, let's go home," Damon adds as he jumps to his feet. Taking her hand as it's spooky up here at night, they take the familiar path till they reach her place. Damon waits till she's safely inside and then goes home.
"Where were you, Damon?" his mother looks up from the table where she's paying bills.
"I heard the commotion at Elena's house. She needed to escape for a little while."
"You're a good friend to her, I'm proud of you son."
"She told me it was better that dad is dead than having one like John. I didn't want to fight with her so I didn't say anything. I miss him, mom."
"I know you do. I miss him too, not a day goes by that I don't. But it's late and you have school tomorrow. Goodnight, son."
Damon kisses her cheek and then retreats to his own room and after peaking through his window to see if her light is out, he turns out his own, crawls into bed and drifts off to sleep with her on his mind just like she is every night.
The next few weeks they keep sneaking away to go to their spot but they don't see any more falling stars. Each time Damon walks her home, she's more despondent than the last. Her parents use her like a pack mule, she hates having to do the dirtiest work there is just to keep them soaking in booze.
She's thought about running away but she knows she needs a roof over her head. All she can do is count the days when she's old enough to be on her own.
One night when Elena is staring at the sky through her window, she happens to notice Damon's light go out. Glancing at her watch, she's curious. It's not really late yet so she figures he must be tired from their late-night treks to Mount Mariah.
As she watches the sky, she can't shake the feeling that tonight is the night so she sneaks outside, crawls up the trellis and into his window. She shakes his frame until he lurches upright, his eyes wide and mouth agape.
"Elena, is something wrong, are you okay?"
"I'm okay, Damon. We have to go; I know a star will fall tonight. I want you to come along but either way, I'm going."
Although he's not convinced, he won't let her go there alone. With the gambling business in Deadwood, sometimes it's not safe for young girls to be wandering around at night and especially during the motorcycle rally. People from all over the country descend on the Black Hills.
He gets out of bed, lifts his jeans from the foot of the bed and slips into them. This isn't the first time she's had a feeling, surprisingly enough, most of the time her hunches are correct. When he sits down to put his sneakers on, he looks at her staring through his window, he feels something, something strange enough to make him believe too.
They take refuge in their usual spot and wait. He watches her afraid that she'll be disappointed when suddenly it happens, a star shoots brilliantly across the night sky.
Elena's mesmerized. She closes her eyes and focuses on her wish willing it to come true. She wants it, needs it. She's desperate to leave this place behind and become famous, a singer, an actress, a radio host, anything. Then she won't have to listen to her parents fighting, she won't have to go back to school to be the brunt of the bullies' taunts and she'll be able to do what she wants, when she wants to do it and not have to worry about counting every penny.
Damon starts thinking what he'd wish for. He'd want his dad back but he knows that dead can't rise. Looking at Elena, he has to wish quickly so he doesn't waste it. Everything he wants concerns the girl next to him. In the span of a split second, he decides and makes his wish.
"I want to marry her and be with her forever..."
Welcome to DE holiday 2020. Thank you for opening the story.
Thank you Eva soooo much.
Story title: 'Waiting for a Star to Fall' by Boy Meets Girl. It's an 80's song, still love it.
Yes, I'm a proud South Dakota native - grew up in a town of 1500 people.
Have an amazing day.