Beneath the Stars

✩ wavering light;;

Audrey's candle flickered on her desk as she worked on homework she had started late, losing track of time when she was visiting Brandon. She had chatted with him for hours until he finally kicked her out of the room, forbidding her from visiting him until she gets enough sleep and catches up on all her homework.

Audrey's marks were fairly high, but she had to work to bring them up, and with Brandon in the hospital, her math marks were dropping faster than she liked.

He'd been in the hospital for three weeks now and Audrey had been getting a little anxious. Brandon showed signs of getting better, but she wasn't sure he'd be able to make it for the race. Although Brandon tried to be positive, even Audrey could tell he was beginning to doubt. The doctors said they were trying everything they can to speed up the process, but they can only do so much. She tried not to think about it, but the thought was gnawing at her as the race loomed closer.

Audrey knew Brandon was serious about her homework and sleep, so she slept early that night and went to school, came home, and finished all her homework. After spending a terribly boring hour of staring at math equations, she groaned and leaned back on her chair, head draping over the top, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Math. Why does it even exist?" she grumbled.

With great effort, she stood from her chair and stretched, sighing in relief when the tension left her stiff body. She glanced at her alarm clock, now reading 11:27PM, and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She hadn't been sleeping too well lately, the stress of math, looming tests and Brandon in the hospital keeping her from snoozing heavily like she normally does. Her friends kept telling her to take sleeping pills, but she constantly refused.

"Drugs are bad." She had told them jokingly, and they just rolled their eyes, laughing when she nudged them playfully.

Audrey made friends with Sara and Trishe early in her high school years. She met Trishe on the volleyball team, when they were put on the same team in practice rallies. Sara was in three of her classes and would frequently ask Audrey for help, struggling in school as well as working a job to take care of her large family.

Earlier that day, they had asked her about Brandon.

...

"How's Brandon doing?" Trishe had asked randomly as she snapped a stick of celery with her teeth.

"Ehh ..." Audrey stopped stabbing her potatoes and looked up at her friend. "He's recovering nicely and the swelling's gone down, but I'm a bit anxious ... what if he doesn't make it in time for the race?"

"I'm sure he will," Sara assured, patting Audrey's shoulder. "It's Brandon."

"Well yeah, but still." Audrey smiled, but the concern was still clear in her expression..

"Relax, girl. Your crush on this boy is getting out of hand, you've got to stop worrying or else the lines will be a permanent part of your face."

Audrey blushed and her friends shared a grin.

"What? No denial this time?"

"I don't have a crush on him." Audrey mumbled.

"Cause you're already practically his girlfriend?" Sara teased.

"That's not it," Audrey protested, face turning redder, her freckles camouflaging deeply into her skin.

Trish laughed heartily and tugged on Audrey's red hair.

"Will you tell him?"

"I ... " Audrey fists closed and she fidgeted in her seat. "I don't know."