“Why not?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “Seems a bit silly, making a wish every night at the exact same time. You really think it will come true?”
“I figure it’s a numbers game,” Daniel says thoughtfully. “The more you put out into the universe, the more chances something happens. The challenge is having to come up with good ones, you know?”
“Wouldn’t it make sense to wish for the same thing?”
“Depends if there’s something youreallywant.” He looks at me again. “What would you wish for?”
The question makes me go still. Looking at Daniel, I know exactly what my answer would be. But I look away, keeping it to myself. “I haven’t thought about it.”
“Yes you have. Just tell me.”
“I said I don’t know.”
“Then I’m not telling you, either.”
We sound like kids arguing on the playground, making us both chuckle. Daniel and I stay on the rooftop awhile longer, listening for passing cars and the barking from the neighbor’sdog. To keep from shivering, I cross my arms and close my eyes for a moment. When I think Daniel has fallen asleep, I turn my head and find him facing me. We stare at each other in silence. Somehow, his brown eyes shine even in the dark. I don’t know why, but he looks even more beautiful tonight. I wish I could run my hand through his hair and pull him closer to me. But I shake the thought out of my head. I try not to think of him this way, because I don’t want to ruin things between us. Then he asks me something I don’t expect.
“Can I… kiss you?”
I swallow my breath. For a second, I think I misheard him. But the way he’s looking at me makes me want to move closer. So I lean forward and close my eyes. The next thing I know, his lips press against mine. The touch of skin sends a quiver through me. I’ve thought about this moment a million times before. My heart pounds inside my chest as his hand moves along my neck. The kiss only lasts a moment. But the feeling of it lingers as we lean back, catching our breaths. Neither of us says anything else. We just lie there on the rooftop for the rest of the night, staring up at the sky.
I wish I knew the ending to our story sooner. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much.
SummerBEFORE
Petals fall from the sky as the train doors open, letting meonto the platform. The summer heat hits me like a wall. I spin around, taking in all the foreign signs. I’m supposed to meet Daniel back at the hotel, but I seem to have gotten lost along the way again. We’re on the annual school trip to Japan. It’s our last day in Tokyo before we head to our next stop. I woke up early this morning to film some shots of the city for my senior project. Jasmine mentioned this café by the river I needed to see before I left. I must have taken the wrong train on my way back. I pull out my phone again, trying to make sense of where I am.
There’s a new message from Daniel.
where did you go?
I send him a quick response.
sorry. ran out to grab some
shots. be back soon!
Daniel has a surprise planned for us later today. We’re supposed to take a ferry across the water to a place he hasn’t told me about yet. But it leaves in a few hours and I still need to get back to the hotel and change. It’s been almost a year since our kiss on the rooftop. I thought our friendship would have blossomed into something new. At least, I wanted it to. But we haven’t really acknowledged it since the night it happened. I was hoping this trip would bring us closer. There’s something romantic about exploring a new city together.
I wipe sweat from my brow and make my way out of the station. The streets are crowded with people. I keep glancing at my phone, confused by the map. None of the buildings look familiar. As I turn my head, someone from the crowd makes me go still. He’s taller than everyone else, with waves of black hair falling past his ears. His shoulders are broad, framed nicely in a billowy blue-striped shirt. I take in the rest of this stranger as he comes toward me. For a moment, I forget I’m lost.
The light must have turned green because the crowd starts moving again. I snap back to myself as my phone vibrates in my hand, telling me to cross the street. Another text message from Daniel pops up, asking me where I am.
Maybe it’s the glare from the sun that blocks my vision. Or the fact that I’m distracted by the notifications on my phone. Because I don’t see the delivery bike coming. It’s one of those moments that happens in slow motion. A bell rings as I step off the sidewalk, oblivious to the incoming crash… when someone appears from the side, grabbing the handlebar. He must havesqueezedthe brakes, because the bike halts abruptly as the driver flips forward, flying out of his seat—but the stranger catches him by the back of his hoodie, helping him land on his feet.
It takes my brain a second to process the scene. Then relief floods through me as I look around, blinking wildly. The bicycle bell still rings in my ear as his face comes into focus. The guy in the blue-striped shirt stares back at me. The one I noticed a moment ago, standing half a head taller than me, waves of black hair blowing in the breeze of traffic. He says something to the driver, gesturing my way.
The driver nods at me and says, “Gomen’nasai.” I practiced enough Japanese last semester to make out the wordsorry.Then he grabs his bicycle and rides off again. Before I can breathe out athank you for saving me,the guy in blue stripes turns to me and says something else I don’t understand.
“What was that?” I ask.
“You should watch out for bicycles,” he says.
I let out a breath, nodding graciously. “Yeah, right. I mean,thank you. Sorry, I just got lost and wasn’t paying attention to—”
“Where are you going?”
