𝙴𝚢𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎

Chapter Fifteen: The Agony In The Stars

"You can't force the stars to align when they've already died"

-Astronomy by Conan Gray

Itsuki was asleep on my shoulder. Of course.

It was a bit after 12 now, everyone was tired. Lily shut off the TV and decided we should head to bed. I tap on Itsuki's shoulder, waking him up.

"Hanatte oite Emiko"

[ Leave me alone Emiko]

He mumbled something in Japanese that I couldn't understand.

"Itsuki it's me Abby," I shoved him slightly.

"Huh? Oh hi Abby," He yawned, squinting.

We all waddled upstairs, all of us were exhausted.

We got to Lily's room, me and her were planning on sleeping on her king sized bed, and the two boys on the floor, though they do have a guest room. Lily shut off the lights and collapsed on her bed, James grabbed two pillows and some blankets for him and Itsuki that were folded away on her little couch window seal thingy. I sat crisscrossed on the other side of her bed. I look down at her and she's already fast asleep, snoring aggressively.

Welp, I guess I'm not sleeping tonight.

James fell asleep after 10 minutes of rambling about random thoughts that popped into his head. Me and Itsuki were the only people still awake. Time passed by in silence, as I tried to fall asleep, keeping my eyes shut. I grabbed my phone from Lily's nightstand, and checked the time. The phone light stings my eyes by how dark the rest of the room is.

It's 2:32 am.

I sit up, rubbing my eyes. Itsuki's blankets on the ground are empty. I pushed myself out of the bed, stumbling each footstep. I glance at the bathroom, thinking he might be in there, but the door is open and it's empty. I quietly walk down the stairs of the house, the wooden planks creaking, my footsteps echoing throughout the house. I notice the sliding door is open. I slip on a pair of bright pink slippers that are by the door, I'm guessing they're Lily's. I close the door behind me.

Sitting at the edge of the pool is a black figure. I walked over and sat next to him, his feet dipped in the pool.

"Why are you outside so late Itsuki?" I asked him. He doesn't keep his eyes off the stars shining bright through the blackness of the dark sky.

"Any of those stars could have died and we would have no idea." Itsuki tells me. I look from the sky and then to him. "It's kind of depressing when you think about it." He continued. He's holding a cigarette in between his fingers up to his lips.

"You smoke?" I asked him, being somewhat surprised.

"It's tea leaves, there's no chemicals or anything. It helps me when I have trouble sleeping." He nods. He moves his cigarette towards me, offering it. I grabbed it with my thumbs and pointer finger, sliding it out of his grasp. I push it in between my middle and pointer finger. Itsuki looks to me then back at the stars, leaning back, his hands pressed against the tile floor. I bring the cigarette to my lips. I started smoking when I was 13 years old. It helped distract me from my shitty parents, especially my dad. My mom was mostly the victim in those scenarios. I quit after I started dating Ivy, she didn't like that I smoked, she said she didn't want me getting Cancer or something. I breathe in, then out through my nose. I bring the cigarette away from my lips, taking a long breath of the night breeze. I turn to Itsuki, his dark eyes reflecting the light of the moon, his pupils dilated, staring at the stars. My gaze lingers on him, until he turns to me. "Are you okay, Abby? You seemed different yesterday." Itsuki asked, his voice flowy softly through the silent wind. I stare at him for a moment, then I look to the water underneath me. The stars shimmer in the water.