They had met by chance that night. The evening sky was clear and the air crisp. To some, the night was cold and lonely to others, it was perfect, others like Adam. Adam loved the night sky for what it was: cold, decollete, and magnificent. On this night in particular, a cold mid-December, the desolate sky was alive with millions of flaming balls of hydrogen and helium. There was nothing Adam loved more than the stars, and on nights like tonight, he loved nothing more than to set up his telescope in a nearby park and watch the stars as they burned bright throughout the emptiness of space. Adam was alone, but he didn't think of himself as lonely.
He had moved to California from New York, leaving everything and everyone he knew behind to start anew. He loved his new job, his new home, and his new life. It was quite the adjustment that took a lot of growing pains, but he was happy. Sure, he missed Harlan, but they still talked plenty; Harlan even visited. once already. He even had Beth to talk to for a bit, but eventually, she stopped answering, and it was Harlan who told Adam that she was getting married. Adam thought it was for the best; they didn't talk anymore anyway. It hurt, yes, it made him sad, but it was okay; that's just how life was. Adam was alone, but he wasn't lonely. He had his stars; what more could he need? Definitely not Beth.
Adam liked this park in particular for a few reasons: It was near enough to his apartment that he could walk. It was a bit up a hill and away from light pollution; there were trees but not too many as to block his view, and after 9 pm, there were hardly any people around. Adam liked that; he liked being out here alone with the peace of the gently rustling trees and the sky. His favorite spot was just down the path, easy to get to, and was perfect for his telescope. Adam was sitting on the bench, gaze glued to the eyepiece of his telescope pointed to the sky lost in space, when the screeching of tires spooked him from his focus. Adam frowned after the sound made him jump, causing him to bump the eyepiece of his telescope. He turned to peer down the path in the direction of the noise but saw nothing. He sighed, returning to adjust his telescope and train his eye to the stars. Street racers, he assumed as he hummed, tilting the scope a bit.
“Hmmf.”
Adam gasped and jumped at the unexpected noise and weight plopping down next to him. He took a deep, grounding breath as he turned to see the shape of a man leaning back on his bench, face to the sky. Harlan had warned Adam about being at the park so late at night; he said only two kinds of people were at the park at that hour: criminals and Adam.
“The fuck you doin'?” the man huffed, turning his head towards Adam.
“I’m uh,” Adam stuttered as he wrung his hands together in his lap, “I'm looking at the stars.”
The man huffed again, shifting on the bench, “The stars?” he asked, now facing Adam fully.
Adam nods. “You can get a great look at Sirius from here.”
The man chuckled a bit, “Well, I hope I'm not interrupting then.”
“Actually, you kind of did already,” Adam stated blankly, looking back at his telescope.
The man scoffed, “Well, a bit mouthy for a space nerd.”
Adam shrugged, “You did ask; I was only answering.”
The man laughed a bit, “I wasn't asking literally, kid. I was being sarcastic.”
Adam was quiet for a bit, thinking about what the man had said until it finally clicked, “Oh,” he nodded a little, then looked over at the man for just a second before looking away, “There's blood on your face.”
The man laughed a bit more this time, “Yeah, there is, isn't there? Don't worry, you should see the other guy.”
Adam felt ill at ease as he shook his head, “No, I don't think I should; what happened?”
