If Only You Were Here

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞

It was a long and grey drive to Melbourne. Even if the clouds weren't in the sky, Saiph's and Alcor's stars wouldn't show due to the sunlight. But Saiph knew they would return tonight and that her older brother's star would be looking down at her.

I miss you.

She texts Alcor the message and puts her phone away. It was a difficult decision for her parents to move from their hometown of Sunbury. Saiph had been living there all her life up until now. She can't help but mourn that her brother isn't here. Alcor had to stay in their hometown as he could not leave. It's something Saiph doesn't like to think about much.

Her brother was her rock, and he kept her grounded. But of course, she couldn't stay with him so she had no choice but to leave with her parents. Saiph researched the fastest route to Sunbury before she left so she'd be able to visit Alcor whenever she likes.

Saiph returns to the present when she feels a hand on her leg. In the driver's seat, her mother smiles. Stefan and Guinevere, Saiph and Alcor's parents thought it would be best for Saiph not to drive her car to Melbourne. So Stefan is driving in Saiph's car just behind them.

It was suffocating for Saiph to be sitting in the brand-new family vehicle. The new car smell makes her sick and reminds her that their old family car is gone. It was most likely now in the dump, crushed and destroyed. Some of her favourite memories were in that car with Alcor.

"You used to beg us when you were younger to move to Melbourne. I'm sure you'll settle in and love it there." Her mum says.

Saiph only hums with acknowledgment of her mother's words and continues to look out the window and right up to the sky where their stars would be.

An hour later, they pulled up to their new home. This house was two stories, unlike their old house, which was one. The colours were red and yellow, unlike the red and brown back in Sunbury. It looked all wrong to Saiph, but she walked inside anyway.

"Now, it's up to you," her dad begins, "but we left the bigger room to you. Your Mum and I figured you would want it."

Saiph shakes her head. "Alcor will want that room. I'll take the other one."

"Honey-"

"It's Alcor's." Saiph snaps at her mother.

Without another word, Saiph grabs one of her boxes and takes it to the smaller bedroom. She softly smiles as she can hear the small echoes of Alcor's teasing words that he got the bigger room. Saiph texts him to let him know he won, and it's his.

Once she collects the rest of her boxes, Saiph closes the door to indicate she doesn't want to be disturbed. She understands why the move was important to her parents, but she still can't help but feel angry that she's a million miles away from her loving brother.

Saiph lets the last box slip from her hands and tumble to the floor. She falls beside it and looks up at the roof of her new bedroom. Back in Sunbury, her ceiling was scattered with glow-in-the-dark stars. This ceiling was blank. It had nothing but a blinding shade of white. Saiph hated it so much that it made her cry.

"I need to see you." She whispers up at the stars she can not see.

Without a thought, Saiph jumps up and exits the room. Her parents ask questions as she grabs the keys to her car and warns her that she shouldn't drive. Saiph ignores their concerns and says she'll be back as soon as she can.

The drive was only short as Saiph quickly found a cheap shop. It was just a fifteen-minute drive away from her new home. She swings into a park crookedly and jumps out. Saiph has little time left as the store will close in ten minutes.

She walks through each aisle, trying to find the product she needs, but so far, she is still looking for it. Saiph can't imagine the cheap shop wouldn't have what she needed. It's something places usually stock. But as she continues through the store, Saiph begins to panic.

I need him, and he's not here. But he will be here if I find what I need.

"Hey, we're closing in about three minutes. Can I help you find anything?" A voice says behind her.

Saiph can't help but feel embarrassed as she turns to face the person. Her cheeks are stained with tears, and her eyes are swollen from the panic crying. Not only that but for a split second, when she turned, she thought it was Alcor.

This boy standing before her resembled her brother and his energy so perfectly, yet she could tell they were nothing alike at all. They have the same brown hair and green eyes, except both are different shades. The way the boy stood is the way Alcor stands. The energy coursing through him was similar to her brother's. But this wasn't him at all.

"Shit, are you okay?" The boy asks.

Saiph quickly wipes her eyes to make herself look more presentable. "Yes, yes. I am. Sorry. Um, I'm trying to find glow-in-the-dark stars?"

"We actually just got a new batch in. They're just at the counter if you follow me."

His smile was warm and comforting. Saiph couldn't help but stare at him with admiration. She follows behind the boy as he leads the way to the counter. There, he shows Saiph the glow-in-the-dark stars.

"Thank you," She tells him.

The boy gives her another comforting smile. "It's no problem at all." Saiph pays for the stars, but before she walks out, he stops her. "Are you sure you're okay, though?"

Saiph tries to say that she is, but the words get stuck in her throat, so instead, she nods. The boy is about to say something else, but Saiph doesn't give him a chance before she runs out and back home.

Her parents were precisely where they were before she left. She notices them take a breath when she walks through the door, like they were holding it the minute she stepped out. Saiph shakes the glow-in-the-dark stars to show them what she got before returning to her bedroom.

Saiph rips open the packaging and takes a star out. The dropped box remains on the floor, and she takes back the space beside it. Her eyes zoom across the roof, mapping out where she needs to place the star. The placement is rough and imperfect, but Alcor's star is there. So when it doesn't shine at night, at least Saiph has her own.