“Do you look up or down when you pray?” May asks.

In a suburb outside of New York city where the night sky is slightly less muggy, Mikey and May lie looking up at the night sky. May gazes at the moon with her body stretched out like a star as if to embrace the universe. Mikey props his head up with his arms with his glance moving from star to star, his legs crossed over one another. 

“What?”

“When you pray do you look up, like to God, or down to the floor.”

“You know I don’t believe in God anymore.”

“Yeah, but you’ve gone to church since you were born, plus you haven’t told your family yet, so you gotta have a way to fake it.”

“...down I guess.”

“I look up. It feels like I’m really talking to God. Looking down just doesn’t do that for me.”

Mikey turns his head over to May.

“You ask the stupidest questions.”

“I was just curious,” May curls her out stretched hands into fists, her eyes still on the moon. “Hey, you remember back when we did this 3 years ago?”

“I definitely remember your hairstyle 3 years ago. God, what was your Mom thinking when she did that to you?” Mikey laughs. “And then when you tried to talk to Kevin Skurn and he was all like, ‘oh weird hair girl!’ and you ran home crying!”

“...I liked him, and the first time I got the courage to talk to him he called me a name. It was a reasonable response.”

“We were still in school! You just ran out! Luckily I followed you, cause you got lost after running down just a few blocks! I swear you’re so stupid sometimes.”

May’s face turns red as she remembers the day, she places her hands over her eyes in embarrassment. Mikey continues laughing obnoxiously as if it was the funniest thing in the world. May places her fists on her stomach her gaze returning to the moon.

“Anyway, do you remember when we were on this roof together.”

“Yeah, I think it was the first time I showed you a Filthy Frank video.”

“Oh God, don’t remind me!” She says putting her hand up at Mikey while turning her head away. “He freaks me out so much, cooking baby rats he found in a dumpster! Who would do that!”

“He’s super mellowed out now though. He makes music under the name Joji and doesn’t even do that ‘Filthy Frank’ stuff anymore.”

“What?! Your making stuff up.”

“Nah, I’m for real, He’s really good too. At least I think so.”

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“Ugg, you keep distracting me.”

“Sorry,” Mikey smiles he turns his head back up to the stars.

May places her fists back on her stomach and eyes back on the moon.

“So what I’m trying to get at, On the roof that night, I said that I would do anything get a piece of the moon.”

“Yeah, I remember! And now you’re  making your dream come true, is that why you wanted to come up here again? This isn’t really my thing, but you are a space junky so I didn’t mind coming with.”

“Do you remember why I said that?”

“Ummm...Ahh, no I don’t rememb—“

“I decided I’m not going to the space program.”

“What?! Are you stupid?!” Mikey sits up and turns looking at her as if she’s crazy, “You’ve always been obsessed with space! You can’t give it up now that you have the opportunity to study it for high school!”

“Yeah I can, and I am.”

May sees him looking from the corner of her eyes. She squeezes her fist and takes a deep sigh gluing her eyes to the moon.

“At the 4th grade dance you got turned down by Samantha Rudolph after trying to  get with her for 3 years. You went outside to the park, you looked devastated. It’s a good thing I followed you too.” She smiles still looking at the moon, “You looked so lost.”

A smile comes over Mikey’s face washing away his angrily confused expression, “Shut up.”

“So we sat silently on the swings for about 20 minutes before you said, ‘I get why you’re always looking at the stars now.’ ”

“ ‘...What I wouldn’t give to be on the moon right now.’ ” Mikey finishes.

Mikey‘s heart begins pound hard and fast. He looks up at the night sky. May continues.

“The program is in Washington D.C. and is over the course of our high school career. That’s over 200 miles away for the next 4 years. And after that I’d be staying in DC to pursue a career as an astronaut...I don’t want that...You’re more important to me, Mikey.”

“...”

“...”

May lies patiently waiting for Mikey’s response. Her heart is beating out of her chest and her face is bright red. She grabs her shirt tightly with both fists as she stares intently at the moon.

“May, of all the people I know, you never fail to be the stupidest person I’ve ever met.”

May busts out laughing releasing her shirt and sitting up, “What’s with that response.”

She looks at him and her heart sinks as she sees his eyes on the stars. He carries a heavy smile on his face. 

“But there’s one place where your smarter than everyone I know. And that’s in Space stuff. Not just that, but you light up whenever talking about it. I could just say Cassini and you’d immediately talk my ear off. Being an Astronaut is clearly important to you.” He turns to May. His eyes look through her. “You have to go, it’s your dream.”

“Who are you to tell me what my dream is!” May says angrily clenching her fists, “I can do whatever I want and I want to stay here with you!”

“Ughh! You’re vision is so narrow!” Mikey spits back “You’re so frustrating being such a one track minded person!”

“And you are always too busy trying to see the whole picture to realize what’s most important.”

“If you don’t go, I won’t be your friend!”

“What?! Why are you being so childish!”

“I’m being childish! What about you! You’re going to give up an opportunity you worked 3 years straight for just because you might lose a friend in the process!”

“Friend?! Mikey your a lot more than a friend!”

“...”

“You are the most important person in my life! We have been together since we were 5!” Blood runs from May’s clenched fists, “I don’t want to lose that!”

“But May,” Mikey says opening up her hands, “You want to go. You wouldn’t be so upset about it if you didn’t.”

Tears flow down from her eyes uncontrollably as she looks up at the stars. Mikey looks over her hands and begins to mumble to himself.

“Jeez, even now you’re to focused to even notice you’re cutting yourself.”

May looks down at him. He looks terry eyed staring at her bloody hands. She embraces him and whispers into his ear, “I promise I’ll get you a piece of the moon.”

“What the heck!” Mikey laughs, “Isn’t that illegal or something? I doubt they’ll just let you keep a piece of the moon, and I bet they’re super expensive.”

“Then I’ll just steal a piece, so small they’ll never even notice.”

Mikey looks up at the moon and begins to cry. He hugs May back.

“You’re so stupid.”

-The End-