An Astronomer's Guide to Falling Angels

Chapter 1

Astor sat on the bleachers, a worn paperback in his hands, the words blurring slightly as his attention drifted. He turned a page absentmindedly, but his eyes kept lifting from the text to the basketball court below. Arty was there, weaving between her teammates with effortless precision, the ball bouncing rhythmically as she dribbled past defenders and made a sharp layup. Her athleticism always left him in awe.

It was the last class of the day, and while most students hurried home or to their after-school activities, Astor had made a habit of waiting for Arty to finish basketball practice so they could walk home together. Today was no different, except that he noticed something unusual—Arty seemed... more intense. More focused. As though she was playing with a little more fire than usual.

Astor smiled softly, shaking his head as he returned his gaze to his book. He tried to focus on the words, but his eyes kept wandering back to her, watching as she darted around the court, calling out plays to her teammates. The sound of sneakers squeaking on the polished floor echoed in the gym, and Astor couldn't help but admire how effortlessly she moved, how in control she was. Every time she scored, his chest swelled with pride, as if somehow, he was part of her victories.

The ball swished through the net again, and Arty's teammates cheered as she jogged back to her position. Astor glanced back down at his book, hoping his focus would last this time, but then he heard laughter—teasing, playful. He looked up just in time to see one of Arty's teammates nudge her with a smirk.

"Alright, alright, we get it! Someone's showing off today!" the girl teased, her voice carrying across the court. "Think we don't see what you're doing, Arty?"

Arty rolled her eyes, but the faintest hint of a grin tugged at her lips. "Shut up."

Another teammate chimed in, grinning broadly. "You've been on fire all practice. Pretty sure it's because a certain someone's watching you."

Astor felt his cheeks flush as a few heads turned in his direction. He quickly lowered his gaze to the book, trying to look absorbed in the story, but the damage was done. He could feel eyes on him, and his heart pounded a little harder in his chest.

"Yeah, Arty! We never see you try this hard," a guy added, laughing.

Arty snatched the ball from him with a playful glare. "Maybe I'm just getting better."

"Uh-huh. Sure." The teasing didn't stop, but Arty was used to it. She rolled her eyes again and passed the ball back to the guy, turning to glance over at Astor. Their eyes met for a split second, and Astor gave her a small, sheepish smile. She raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth twitching in amusement before she turned her focus back to the game.

Astor bit his lip, trying to suppress the grin forming on his face. It wasn't like Arty to get flustered by anything, let alone something as harmless as her teammates' teasing. But the way she played today... maybe they weren't entirely wrong.

Another ten minutes passed before the coach finally blew the whistle, signaling the end of practice. Astor watched as Arty wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and jogged over to the bench. She grabbed her water bottle, taking a long swig before glancing up at Astor again. He waved, and she gave him a quick nod in return.

Her teammates, still snickering to themselves, shot her a few knowing looks as they filed out of the gym. "Later, Arty!" one of them called over their shoulder. "See you tomorrow, superstar!"

"Yeah, yeah," Arty muttered, waving them off as they disappeared through the doors. Once they were gone, she grabbed her bag and walked over to the bleachers where Astor was sitting. She dropped down beside him with a heavy sigh, her hair damp with sweat, her face flushed from the workout.