𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃, joseph descamps

𝟎𝟑𝟎. the geometry of constellations

RUMORS ARE SWEEPING through the high school that Joseph and Aimée can't stand each other. Their exchanges, filled with sarcasm and sharp retorts, have become a spectacle for the other students. Side glances and mocking smiles all indicate that they cordially dislike each other. Yet, behind this façade of verbal duels, the reality is quite different.

Outside the school walls, when they find themselves alone, the atmosphere is much different. They often meet at her place under the pretense of studying math. The truth is, they get along better than anyone suspects. In a way, they talk about everything except math: music, their dreams.

One afternoon, as they are once again engrossed in this charade of work, Joseph puts down his pencil and turns to her with a sly smile. "Tell me, how about we go out for a bit ?"

She looks up from her notebook and regards him with a skeptical pout. "Go out ? For what ?"

"Oh, don't worry, it's always for a lesson." He leans in a little closer, as if sharing a secret. "I propose a course on constellation geometry. An evening outing to stargaze."

She stares at him, caught between surprise and curiosity. "Constellation geometry ? Really ?"

"Absolutely," he replies, feigning confidence, "you'll see, it's much more interesting than your silly equations. And besides, it would be a shame to miss an opportunity to shine... or to shine with you, whatever."

She rolls her eyes, but a smile hovers on her lips. "Fine, but if I don't find a single triangle or circle up there, I'll make you pay with extra trigonometry exercises."

That evening, Aimée sneaks out of her house, wrapped in a thick scarf to shield herself from the biting cold. She walks down the deserted street where the streetlights cast a pale glow on the snow-covered pavement. Joseph is already waiting for her at the corner, a hood covering his tousled hair.

When he sees her approaching, a smirk spreads across his face. "I was starting to wonder if you changed your mind."

"You know I never back down from a challenge," she replies, raising her chin defiantly.

They venture up to the city rooftops, climbing carefully up an old fire escape. Up there, the world seems so small, as if they have left the earth to float in a bubble. The cold is biting, but the air is clear, and the stars shine with an almost unreal intensity.

They sit on the ledge, side by side, wrapped in their coats. Joseph points to a constellation. "There, that's the Big Dipper. Do you see the shape ? A trapezoid and a tail. Classic."

Aimée glances at him. "I thought you were terrible at geometry. You really fooled me, didn't you ?"

He gives her a mischievous smile. "Let's just say I'm good at things that really interest me."

A silence falls, but it's not uncomfortable. Aimée gazes up at the sky, letting her eyes wander into the infinite depths of the night. She doesn't immediately notice his gaze on her. "You know, sometimes I wish I could stay here forever, away from everything else."

She turns her head to him, their eyes meeting in the dim light. "And what is it, here on the rooftops, that you can't find down below ?"

He shrugs, his smile fading slightly. "Here, it's like everything is simpler. Just you and me, and this vast sky above us." Joseph leans in a little closer, his arm brushing against hers. "So, professor, are you satisfied with your constellation geometry lesson ?"

"I have to admit it was... unexpected. But maybe you could do better next time."

He lets out a light laugh. "Oh, I have plenty more surprises in store for you, redhead."

"I'm listening."

Joseph continues to point out constellations, tracing imaginary shapes in the night sky. "That one is Cassiopeia, the queen sitting on her throne," he says, stretching out his arm to sketch the imaginary contours of the constellation. "She boasts of her beauty, or so they say."

Aimée raises an eyebrow, a smile creeping onto her lips. "An arrogant queen who loves to be admired ? Sounds familiar."

He glances at her from the corner of his eye, feigning offense. "Really ? I would have thought of you, with how you correct my every mistake in math."

"Maybe, but I don't brag about being perfect. Unlike certain constellations I know."

He lets out an amused breath before pointing to another constellation, his arm brushing against Aimée's again. "And over there, do you see ? That's Orion, the hunter. Always ready for a fight. They say he never found what he was looking for, despite all his efforts."

She turns to look at him, her gaze lingering on the glimmer in his single eye. "And what was he looking for, exactly ?"

"Freedom, perhaps. Or something that would make him feel truly alive. Or maybe he was just running from his own demons." Then he points to another constellation, leaning in a bit closer to her. "And over there, that's the Swan. It looks tranquil, but it hides its true nature well. Do you see that bright star ? That's Deneb, one of the brightest in the sky."

She looks up to contemplate the Swan. The stars seem to dance around them, and the sky, although vast, feels strangely closer. "You actually know quite a bit," she says, turning her head toward him. "I imagined the stars were far from your concerns."

He shrugs, a sly smile on his face. "There are things we prefer to keep to ourselves. Not everyone needs to know everything about what we're passionate about, right ?" He casts her a meaningful glance, as if he just revealed a secret he had never shared before.

"So, I'm part of the chosen few, is that it ?" she replies, half-teasing, half-serious.

Joseph holds her gaze, and for a moment, it seems like he's about to say something important, something he has never dared to admit. But he just smiles, shaking his head slightly. "Don't get a big head, redhead. It's just a geometry lesson, after all."

But Aimée knows it's more than that. Every constellation he shows her, every legend he shares, is just an excuse to stay a little longer, to delay the moment when they would descend from their starry bubble and return to reality. And without needing to say it out loud, they both know they share something special, something words cannot adequately express.

So, as they continue to gaze at the stars, Aimée finds herself hoping that this night will never end. Because there, on that rooftop, hidden from prying eyes, she feels more alive than she ever has before. And she knows Joseph feels the same, even if he would never admit it.