Halley's Comet

02 ♊️ gemini

"It's getting late," I muttered reluctantly. Halley had persuaded me to join her on her roof, despite my protests that the balcony was much safer. We had finished off the first beer and started a second, which caused me to briefly wonder why we hadn't each had our own instead of sharing them both, but truthfully, I didn't mind at all.

"It's not even twelve," Halley stated, giving me an odd look. "I thought you were a city girl. You know, party all night, break the rules."

I laughed. "Completely the opposite, actually. The only time I stay up all night is for Netflix marathons. Anyway, I just want to be inside when Penny gets back, and who knows when that will be."

"Penny always stumbles home with her boyfriend at around three in the morning," Halley informed me, and I cringed at the thought. "And besides, you're eighteen. Live a little."

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"It wasn't a question," She smirked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Something about the way she looked in the moonlight took my breath away. Her blue eyes glimmered against her skin, which looked pale in contrast to the night sky, contradicting how tan she looked earlier. I opened my mouth to say goodbye, but the words dissolved on the tip of my tongue.

Instead, I said, "Pass me the beer," and allowed the cold liquor to wash away my better judgment.

• • •

The first night on the roof, I soon learned, would not be the last time I found myself unable to say no to Halley. She was captivating and magnetic and charming in every way a person could be. I wanted to spend every second listening to her silky voice make hellish ideas sound like heaven, and for the most part, I did.

That night on the roof seemed to create an unspoken connection between us, and we did the same thing for the next two nights. On the fourth night, I finally mustered up the courage to say, "I'd like to see you in the daylight."

Halley smiled softly. "Are you afraid I'm just a dream?"

Yes.

I stayed silent, turning my head away in embarrassment.

"Skylar," Halley spoke again, my name sounding like rose petals as it fell from her mouth. She placed her hand on my cheek, turning me to face her. I was once again taken off guard by her seemingly angelic beauty. "I'd like that, too."

I breathed a sigh of relief, subconsciously resting my cheek against the palm of her hand. She kept it there for a moment - even stroked my skin with the pad of her thumb a few times - but she soon pulled away, and I wanted to crawl into my skin and hide. I didn't know what this girl was doing to me.

"Do you like poetry?" She asked, and I nodded. "So do I. I've got about a billion poetry books in my room, but I've never written any of my own. In a town like Apple Pine, there isn't much to write about."

There's you, I thought, and I almost wished I had the courage to say it aloud, but I couldn't. Halley was intellegent and charming and impulsive, and while I envied this, I knew it was for the best that I couldn't speak freely. I knew I couldn't handle speaking these words to a girl who would never hear them; not in the way she was supposed to, at least.

Instead I said, "I would read your poetry."

From the way Halley's eyes lit up, I knew that was enough.

• • •

Apple Pine didn't have many roads. The majority of citizens got around by walking or by bike, so there were mostly just trails. The one Halley and I were walking down was beautiful, with the trees that lined it reaching over to form a roof of leaves. It was dark, except for a few sparce areas where sunlight peaked in.