AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What’s wrong? Austin asks.
“Oh nothing,” I lie. “Just stretching my legs.” I extend my legs slowly to show some semblance of truth. I try and change the subject. “Do you know any of the constellations?” I ask. “I feel like we learned a bunch of them in fifth grade, but all I can remember now is the big dipper.”
“As a matter of fact,” Austin says, sitting up and reaching for his backpack. He pulls out a small black tube looking thing and sets it on the blanket between us. He pulls out a few more pieces that twist together and I realize it’s a small telescope. Then he hefts out a thick book and plops it down beside the telescope. I laugh and pull myself up to my knees as well. I try and peer into his bag of surprises.
“You’ve been lugging around all this heavy stuff the whole time? I bet there’s an app we could use for constellations,” I say.
Austin shrugs. “I still like real books better. Remember when we were kids, and we’d dig in the dirt and collect bugs? Then we’d spend hours with our noses buried in books at the library, trying to identify them.”
I smile. “Of course, I remember. That’s how I learned the difference between a cocoon and a chrysalis.”
Austin smiles. “I remember when you wanted to write a letter to the publisher ofThe Very Hungry Caterpillar. You were so adamant to set the record straight.” He laughs at the memory.
“Well, they got it wrong!” I shout. “A children’s book shouldn’t teach children bogus facts.”
I cross my arms over my chest while Austin continues to be amused by my passion for accuracy.
“Okay,” I say, pointing a finger at his chest. “How about the time you wanted to move out to the ‘wilderness’ to study cicadas? Remember your plan of living on park benches and eating nothing but uncooked ramen noodles and beef jerky?” I shudder at the thought. “Some life,” I say.
“Oh yeah!” Austin says. “I don’t have a strong desire to study insects anymore, but that does sound very similar to my plan for getting through college.”
I gag and Austin laughs.
He sits back down and pulls the telescope to his eye. “I wanted to do something to remind you of our childhood. Butdigging up bugs didn’t seem like much of a date. Stars on the other hand…”
Even in the nighttime light I can see the tips of his ears shift to crimson. He begins fumbling with the little nobs on the telescope and doesn’t make eye contact again. I sit back down beside him and reach for the book. “You brought this for us to find constellations?”
Austin nods.
I flip open the book and begin scanning the pictures. “Okay, this one says if I can find the big dipper…check! Then I can find Ursa Major. Can I use the scope?”
Austin scoots up behind me, his legs wrap around me from either side. Then, with his hands on mine, he holds the telescope toward the sky. My entire body flushes from his nearness and his warmth. I can’t quite catch my breath as the heat creeps up my cheeks. My words catch in my throat and I find I can’t speak. I know how to talk to Austin, my friend. This Austin is a different story. I feel like I need to be charming, and smart and, I don’t know. Just not regular old me.
“You okay?” Austin asks.
My head bounces up and down like a bobble doll. I’m still not sure how to respond when every inch of my body is tingling with eager nerves.
Austin clears his throat. “Is this okay?”
“Yeah,” I say. Wow my voice sounds high. I clear my throat and try again. “It’s just weird, ya know? We’ve known each other forever.”
“I know.” Austin whispers and his voice tickles my ear.
We don’t discuss his arms enveloping me anymore, and I don’t move out of his embrace. I relax into it instead.
“You want to find Ursa Major?” he asks.
“Yes.”
Austin holds the telescope up until he has it in the right position. Then I shift to look through it. We begin flipping through his book and finding as many constellations as we can. It turns into a race of who can spot it first.
“I see Cassiopeia,” I say.
“I found Draco,” he says, pointing.
“Malfoy?!” I tease.
Austin laughs.
