August Stars - Heartstopper

August Stars

My heartbeat oscillates at lightspeed. Maybe he just really wants to show me the stars.

But I can't lie to myself. As much as Nick is an astrophile - who can name every constellation in the night sky like they're Pokémon, and loves to mansplain how ''the rate of the universe's expansion is increasing at an astronomical rate because of dark energy'' to anyone who makes the mistake of talking to him for more than five minutes - he wouldn't do this for just anyone.

He came to this beach all the time as a child. It's clear it means a lot to him. And that he wanted to bring someone special here. We're huddled together on towels, in front of a campfire, because apparently Nick knows how to make a fire. We face the ocean, the beachfront behind us sparkles. Nick points out the ice cream shop ''Two Birds With One Cone'', apparently their vanilla ice cream is ''to die for''. I don't care how good it is, you couldn't pay me to pick vanilla over literally any other flavour.

The fire projects Nick's silhouette onto the sand. It's an elongated shadow of my friend. Exaggerating his physical features, like a caricature, it captures his height and bulky body, but spikes his hair and makes his ears look pointy. It doesn't show who he truly is. His kind heart, how he gives the best hugs, how he held my hand while I cried a river. How he let me stay in his bed when I just couldn't go home that night.

''Look Charlie!'' Nick exclaims, pointing North, into the vast amethyst sky.

I turn to my left, following his line of sight, out over the water. A tiny white object soars through the air. ''It's a plane. What's special about that?''

''A plane?! How the fuck can it be a plane?! It's not even flashing!''

I look back at the very-much-unblinking star. ''Oh.''

''That,'' Nick explains, his voice deeper than mine, pointing to the UFO. ''Is a satellite.'' It travels through the sky at a steady pace before sinking beneath the horizon, out of our view.

''To be fair, I only really know the Big Dipper and Orion's belt. Like every other normal person. Besides, that's what I have you here for.''

'' I invited you, '' he protests.

''Shut up. Nerd.''

''God, you sound like an American.''

I gasp, clutching my chest, pretending to be extremely offended. ''The worst insult of all!''

He giggles at that. And it's the cutest laugh. ''You're adorable, Charlie.''

My cheeks burn against the bitter air. And I just want to bury my head in the sand. Summer isn't over yet, but the cool autumn wind is already here.

Nick looks pinker when I finally muster the courage to lift my head. His eyes frantically scan the heavens. I could use some divine assistance right now. ''Um...well there's your big dipper.'' He takes my hand - which is probably the last thing he should be doing after what just happened - and guides our fingers towards the constellation. Except it's not a constellation, it's an ''asterism'', I've got in trouble for getting that wrong before.

''It's like a giant extra-terrestrial saucepan,'' I say.

He simply nods. His fingers still intertwined with mine. I thought he would feel like sandpaper. I used to see him like the waves crashing against the cliffs. Abrasive. But he is the sweetest soul, and his hands are like silk. We've held hands before but...

Something's different now. It's in the wind. I can feel it. Since our toes hit the sand, there's been a shimmering atmosphere of electricity. Currents buzzing through the air, raising the hair on my arms and neck. The ocean sprays my face. It carries an alien emotion, except it's not entirely new, it's an instinct. It's always been there but something, no, someone, has awoken it. It's human . Hardwired into my system. The sensation is a rollercoaster, butterflying over humps. It's on the tip of my tongue until it's gone, leaving nothing but the taste of salt. A missed opportunity. Something that could be. Something I know we both feel but neither of us say it.

''Where are those meteorites?'' I ask.

''Charlie.'' Nick sighs, but he's smiling. ''I swear you're trying to wind me up. They're meteoroids before they enter the atmosphere, meteors upon entering and burning up, and meteorites if they ever hit the ground.''

''I will definitely not remember that,'' I say.

''What we're going to see are meteors.''

''If we see anything at all. There's been nothing yet.''

''There will be plenty soon, they're easier to see the darker it gets. And the moon is just a measly slither of a crescent, it'll hardly obstruct our view.''

''The meteor shower's supposed to peak tonight, right?'' I ask.

''Yes, the Perseids are greatest in number around the middle of August. They look like they're coming from the Perseus constellation, which is where they got the name. But you can look anywhere in the sky and you'll see them.''

''Good. So I can just lean into you, and not do any hard work.''

He tries to act nonchalant about me snuggling into him, but his voice trembles. ''Perseus refers to the Greek hero who slew Medusa.''

''Slay!'' I bury my head into his chest. He smells like coffee and dark chocolate. Heat radiates from his body, and he's sturdy. His solid frame is an anchor, the only thing in my life that isn't hurtling towards the earth.

***

''Where do they even come from, the meteoroids ?'' I ask. Nick's arm still draped around me, and mine wrapped tightly around him.

''A comet. A cloud of dust follows it,'' Nick says.

''Not that different to you then...''

''Hey!''

''Sorry!'' I say, cackling. ''Go on, Nick, I promise I'm listening.''

''The debris from the comet enters the atmosphere every year from July to September, the rocks burn up like fireballs across the sky and those streaks are meteors, but August is the best time to see them.''

''Hence our stargazing trip in August.'' I say.

''The comet's orbit overlaps with Earth's. It's the largest object that makes repeated ''close encounters'' with our planet. But the next time it does that will be one hundred years from now, and even then it'll still be fourteen million miles away.''

''Thank God.'' I don't think my anxiety could handle an impending collision, and mass destruction. I know we're on a floating rock, but that floating rock could be completely obliterated by another floating rock.

''Some astrophysicist said it was - dramatic pause - the single most dangerous object known to humanity ". He says it like he's a pantomime villain, flailing his arms around.

I roll my eyes. ''Oh really...''

''Of course, it's all bullshit.'' He continues. ''We're completely safe for the next two thousand years.''

''And after that?'' I ask.

''Who cares! We'll be dead. Us, that is. Not humanity...hopefully.''

I lean back, laying flat on the towel. And a slash of white colours the sky. It's there for a split second, like whatever spark flew between Nick and me earlier. We gasp at the same time.

''There it is!'' Nick shouts.

A couple more follow and we both bolt upright. We bask in the natural firework show before us. Earth pulls in hundreds of space rocks with her gravitational field, but the gravity between us is much stronger.

I take Nick's hand, wanting to fold into his arms like a paper dove. ''I'm really glad you took me here, Nick.''

''I'm glad you came here with me, Charlie.'' He smiles, and brings my face to his. And we share our first kiss. My first kiss.

I can't believe Nick is giving his full attention to me and not the pinstriped sky. He must really like me. We stay locked in a burning frenzy, as the sky erupts into a blazing display of passion.