“Have you ever wondered what it would be like, to just… fly away?”
I stared at her in a mixture of both amusement and confusion. “Well, that was random.”
It was in the evening, when the sun began to lower and when the stars seemingly woke from their rest, their vibrant energy twinkling through the sky. Every day around this time, her and I would come out into the fields and wait for night to fall. Though she was in love with the stars-- hypnotized, even, my attention would always land on the moon. It watched over her stars like a gentle mother, her light beaming across the grass. I had always wanted to reach out and touch it, at least once.
As if reading my mind, she reached her hand out to the sky, with a sparkle in her eyes. “I mean, just look above you. It’s so pretty. And the rest of the world is just as pretty. One day, I want to see it all.” I smiled, as a familiar pit in my stomach began to form. Her tangents really were the cutest thing. She would always go on and on about how she wants to travel and visit all the places she can. I found myself listening to her every word each time she did, no matter how many times I had heard it before. Not to mention, that sparkle is so endearing. I got up from my seat on the ground, dusted my skirt off, and walked towards her. “I do too, but what does flying have to do with it?” Really, I could listen to those rambles all day. She looked over to me and flashed a toothy grin. “Well, ‘one day” feels so far, especially now… I don’t know what’ll happen to me tomorrow, or the day after, or if I’ll even get to leave this town. But if I could fly, I’d leave right now and never stop. I wouldn’t have to worry about yesterday, or tomorrow— or today.” She wiped her hands against the hem of her dress. I stared at her again, with nothing to say. What could I even say? There wasn’t a word that I didn’t agree with, but how do I tell her that a dream that grand seemed so terrifying to me?
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This world, and everyone in it… it is beautiful, I can agree with that. But it’s a beauty I’d only ever like to see from a distance. I’m happy where I am. I’m content with “tomorrow”. There’s beauty all around us, everywhere we look. I thought there wouldn’t be a need to see anything more. When I look at her, though, and see her talk about the thousands of constellations in the sky, all the food that she wants to try, all the buildings she’d like to daydream in… There’s beauty all around us, but there’s nothing more beautiful than the girl standing next to me. And so, I’ll follow her no matter where she goes. She speaks of stars with such adoration, wishing to be one, but little does she know that she’s always been my star. And so, I look at my star with as much warmth as she does with the night sky, and reach for her hand. “That does sound wonderful, but I’d never get to see you again if you flew away. And I’d miss you terribly, you know.”
She froze, and in the moonlight, I could see her cheeks turn a dusty shade of pink. I felt my smile grow wider… something I didn’t think was possible. She shyly took my hand in hers. “Then… let’s fly away together. I always imagined traveling alone, but… I think I’d be okay with a partner if it’s you.” I squeezed her hand. “Haven’t I told you already? I’ll go wherever you take me. I couldn’t imagine seeing the stars without you.” A giggle escaped from her lips, and my eyes immediately darted towards them. I dared to think they looked soft, and wondered what they would feel like closer. Tearing my eyes away to meet her gaze, I continued. “Actually, instead of flying away… what if we became stars?” She blinked slowly, a silent signal urging me to continue. “The earth is always turning, right? If we were stars, we’d see it all without having to move an inch. It would show us instead.”
“...That would be nice. Staying in one place sounds boring, though.”
“Maybe. Who knows, maybe it’s less boring as a star.”
She didn’t reply to that. Instead, she moved closer to me, and rested her head on my shoulder. I leaned with her, feeling her warmth. Content, I closed my eyes. I think I’d be okay with being anything, as long as it’s with her. And maybe one day, our dream will come true. Maybe we really can both be stars.