Star Crossed

My bestfriends

The covers tightened over the sleeping boys legs. His eyes darted back and forth behind closed lids. The woman looked on, a small smile on her face. She tugged the blanket up higher to cover the bare chest of her son. The open window was on the other side of the bed, her short arms couldn’t reach it. The night had grown colder. She figured this was the reason for the restless movements of the teen.
 If she tried to crawl up to it, she would have to do so over her son. The risk of waking him. Was far worse than the open window. Once awake he didn’t find going back to sleep easy. The mound of objects on his work table was evidence of this. The items littered there showed how his mind would wonder during the most productive of times. Each thing was in its own state of repair.
Brushing his red hair off of his youthful face, she watched as he dreamed. It was strange to watch him so still. Often the boy would be on the run when he was awake. If he wasn’t constantly moving or talking, she knew something was seriously wrong. She took him to the hospital once, when he just sat on the couch starring at the blank TV for over thirty minutes. He didn’t have a fever or other signs of illness, but she was his mother and she knew something was wrong. Sure enough, he had a double ear infection, her poor baby.
It had been a long time since she could just look at her son. He had grown much since his father left. She had just announced that she would be having twins after dinner that night. As always, her son was thrilled to have more children to play with. He chatted about feeding them and changing them. His younger sister had poked at her rice with a furlong expression. Her only words had been she wouldn’t be the baby any longer.
The woman knew the girl had meant she wouldn’t be her brother’s baby any longer. The boy devoted his life to the girl. They were only two years apart, but he took the role of her big brother very seriously. As a baby if she cried, he was always the first one to her. He wasn’t able to pick her up, but he would play with her, or hold her hand through the bars on the crib.
They would walk to school together, hand in hand. He made sure she got to class, had her lunch and was safe before he left her. Which would often make him late to his own class. He would speed out of school to get to her classroom in time to meet her and walk her home once more.
She too was getting older. The twins had been a surprise to say the least. At twelve and ten it was strange to be having younger siblings. Her son had taken the news well. That was the kind of kid he was. His father went out to get “something to celebrate” with and never returned.
Three weeks later the woman had discovered he had taken half of their savings and ran off with his girlfriend, who incidentally was also pregnant, with a boy. She had never spoken of her husband since. “Mmm, no, don’t go.” The boy whimpered. With a sigh, she pondered if the teen was dreaming of his father leaving. He had taken so much responsibility onto his young shoulders.. She had done all she could to fill the  void of him not having a father figure. In the end it was this child with such a huge heart, who had done so for his siblings. Turning away she allowed him his rest.
“Man, you look awful!” Miya cried at seeing his best friend.
“I didn’t sleep well.” The red haired teen mumbled. He laid his head on the desk. “Miya?” he asked suddenly.
“Still here, slime!” the kid had jumped when his friend had called his name.
“Do you ever dream of a person, you’ve never met?” He asked. Miya looked at him, his green eyes scrunched in concern.
“WHAT? How can you dream of someone you haven’t met?” He cried. The other shrugged.
“I don’t know, but I dream of him a lot. Ever since I can remember. But I never met him. Not awake anyway.” The bell rang the boys stood up. It was the last day before summer break. The day was unnecessary. No class had work for them. They didn’t play games or learn anything new. The teachers were pretty much just baby sitting them for a day.
As the morning dragged on, the amber eyes often closed. The bell would jar the sleepy teen awake, his dark haired friend would drag him to the next class. He had forgotten to pack his lunch the night before. With no money he sat beside his friend looking mopey. Miya took pity on him and shared his own lunch with him. To the delight of the other. This seemed to perk him up, but they still had hours to go.
As the minutes ticked by in their last class, the anticipation level rose. Everyone was eager for that last bell to ring. Summer would officially begin. Two months without a care in the world, well for most of them. The ginger already had a summer job lined up. The bell rang. They rushed out.
Leaving each other for thirty minutes, they went to their respective houses. After checking on his siblings, the red-haired teen made sure his mother didn’t have to work that night. With his duties done, for now, he rushed to his room to change. Grabbing his skateboard after slipping into some shorts and a lose fitting tee shirt, he rushed out. Miya was already at their meeting spot. With a laugh they shared a quick hand shack as they skated beside each other. It was now that the taller boy decided it was a good idea to talk to his friend.
He told him but dreaming of a certain guy.
“So, you have a dream guy?”
“It’s not like that!” The teen cried.
“Then what is it like?” The pair went to their favorite skating place. It was just an underpass with some wicked curves, piled junk and various other things to skate around and enjoy the space. They sat down on some stone ruble.
“It’s like a best friend. Like I can tell him anything that’s  bothering me and he just listens. He gives advise, but I can’t always recall it when I wake up.” The teen hugged his board resting his chin on the wooden curve.
“You have a best friend, me. You can tell me anything.” Miya sounded hurt; his dark head was tilted back as he stared up at some of the graffiti.
“I know I can, and I do. You are my best friend!” Arms pulled him quickly into a reassuring hug. Once he released him, the older teen continued. “But this guy in my dreams, like I don’t know. I just wake up with this feeling like everything is going to be alright after talking to him.”
“If you have been dreaming about him for so long, why are you telling me now about it?” Miya demanded. Why did he feel like he was losing his best friend to some dream guy? He wondered. The other shrugged.
“When I was younger, I only dreamed of him if I went to bed and was super stressed. You know,, like when dad left, grandma died, my goldfish died, hamster died…”
“I get it! You suck at keeping animals alive!” his friend stopped him before he turned gloomy. They laughed together.
“Now, it’s almost like he is coming closer. Like I will meet him soon.”
“Why do you think that?” Miya demanded sullen.
“A few months ago, I dreamed of him when we had that huge test in geography…” Miya nodded understanding the stress that came with it. “He helped me study. Taught me the difference between America and Canada. Who knows that, right?” with a chuckle he looked to his companion.
“Obviously you did. Your dreams are literally in your head! Are you that much of a stupid slime!” Miya yelled.
His friend went on without commenting. “… then like a week later I dreamed of him again when I broke my arm and I didn’t know if I could work.” Miya nodded. His friend worked too hard to help pay the bills for his mom. The younger boy knew how stressful it was for his friend to be able to help his family.
 “Then it was like every week or so I had a dream about him for a couple of months. I wasn’t stressed. Things were going good.” The red head shrugged. “But I would fall asleep and he would be there waiting. He would have this smile on his face, like he had been actually waiting for me. I felt bad because, you know how hard it is to get my brain to shut down and let me sleep?”  He turned his amber eyes toward his friend. Miya was playing with his fake cat tail, something he did when he was worried. A hand covered his, he glanced up to warm amber eyes.
“You’re still my friend. I need to just talk this out with someone.” He said. Miya nodded, dropping the tail he folded his hand into the long sleeves.
“OK, I will stay open minded.” He gave all of his attention to the other. With a nod, he continued his bewildered plight.
“I didn’t understand it at first. I just went with it because seeing him, just made me feel better.” He tried hard to convey just how he felt.  “Now, it’s like every night I dream of him. They are getting clearer and I remember them more.” He stated.
“Ok, say this is some weird mumbo jumbo, what does he look like?” Miya demanded. “Maybe you saw him on TV or in an add or something?” he offered.
“I don’t think so. He has aged with me. I think we are the same age.” With a sigh, he went on. “He is a bit taller than me. He has icy blue eyes that hold his soul in them. Like you could stare into them forever and never get sick of it. They calm you. His hair is like frost. Blue and cold to look at but warm when you touch it…” his voice took on a dreamy quality.
“Never heard of any frost like that!” Miya muttered as he watched the other.
“… long arms and is amazing at like everything. I don’t know why but whenever I dream of him, it’s winter. There is snow, like real snow. You know I have never seen snow!” The huge grin cut acrossed his face as Miya watched him.
“I think you hit your head a little too hard on that last fall!” Miya complained. His companion laughed.
“If that was the case, why have I been dreaming about him for years?” he asked him. Miya waved his tail at him.
“Because you are a crazy ass slime who only thinks he has been dreaming of some guy for years!” He yelled. His friend laughed happily.
“Not true, you’re jealous!” The red-haired teen teased.
“Belly slime ball!” Miya screeched.
“What does that even mean?” his friend giggled clutching at his stomach. Miya smiled at him.
“See, I can make you feel better.” He pouted. The large hand of his friend came down on his head. It petted him Miya pressed into it. Slipping under the arm to curl against the others side. He had always been small for his age. Kids picked on him because of his size and the fact he loved cat things.
Most of his clothing had cat ears sown on it. He had several different cat tails. The one he currently was obsessed with; his best friend had made him. It was black with purple stripes, Miya’s favorite colors.
The teen dropped his arm to hold the smaller boy to him. He had only met Miya three years ago, when the boy moved into town. Before that, he had few friends. Miya had none. He saw the tiny figure skateboarding all over town. Since he, too, loved to skateboard, he flowed the kid. Even though the younger teen was often rude, it never made the ginger boy leave him alone. He insisted on being friends with him.
Secretly, Miya had loved it. Then Miya’s grandma got sick. His mom had to go take care of her. Miya’s dad was suppose to stay with him, but when the mom left, dad soon followed. Miya didn’t know where his dad had gone.  The red haired teen had found him asleep in a box at this very underpass one night. He had picked him up and taken him home.
His mom managed to get in contact with Miya’s mom a few weeks later. When the situation was explained, Miya’s mom paid the others to look after her son until she returned. Three months went by. Miya lived with his friend.  His younger siblings loved the cat ears and tails. When Miya was scared or crying his friend would just pull him into his lap and pet his head.
This had been what comforted Miya. He liked playing as a cat. He was truly grateful that the older teen never even questioned it. His friend had just accepted him as he was. That was the kind of person he was, is or whatever you wanted to call it.
“If this dream guy is real, and you meet him…” Miya’s scared tiny voice choked up and died away with the breeze that ruffled his hair. The hand came to rest on his side. The others arm curled under the small balled up body. He lifted Miya up to hug him tightly in his arms.
“Don’t you worry! Nothing will come between me and my cat!” He vowed. Miya giggled against his neck.
“That’s good to know. You had me worried Reki!” Miya cried snuggling into the boy’s arms.
“Reki?” Another voice asked. The two looked up to see a tall boy enter their domain. He walked forward until the light ducked behind the overpass. Together the pair gaped at the teen standing before them.
“Please tell you are seeing this too?” Reki asked. Miya’s head moved up and down against the front of his shirt.
“This is weird.” He muttered into the overlarge sleeves of his hoodie. Reki nodded his head.
The teen standing before them had blue hair. His icy blue eyes looked at them from under long eyelashes. A gentle smile filled his face.
“He is the guy, right?” Miya asked. Reki nodded unable to tear his eyes from the other boy.
“Langa?” Reki whispered. The other boys smile grew.
“So, we finally meet. How was I to know I had to travel halfway around the world to find you!” He laughed. Without another word, he launched himself on top of the other two boys, hugging them in his long arms.
“This must be Miya! He is just like you described! Why didn’t I ever ask where you lived? That was silly of me!” Langa’s smile was infectious. His jovial attitude sparked the same in the others. They laughed together.