City Lights

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are just looking at the stars.
~ Oscar Wilde

I remember her standing there, across from me. She was laughing making her deep brown eyes twinkle and the sides by her eyes crinkle. When she smiled you couldn't help but smile too. She had a smile like no other, it could practically cure cancer. I know that sounds cliché, but it's true. God, it's the most truthful thing to leave my mouth. I was leaning against the wall holding a half empty water bottle, smiling slightly as I admired her. I know there was someone standing next to me blabbing about someone hating on her but everyone knows that they had no haters. I look away from her to the floor before getting off the wall and walking up stairs. I remember there being multiple people making out and being dragged into rooms but I didn't acknowledge them. I just walked into the one empty room and climbed out the window. I then climbed on to the roof and sat there staring at the city lights. The city lights have always mesmerised me. Even when I was a kid, I would always get out of bed and rest my elbows on the window sill, with my chin on my hand, staring at the city lights in wonder. I don't know why I am so interested in them, I just am. It's as simple as that; they just interest me. I take my phone out of my pocket and take a picture of the eyes of the city. Just as I take the picture I hear someone say, 'Ow.' I nearly drop my phone in surprise but I manage to keep a hold of it. I put my phone back into my jacket pocket and look up to see her climbing up next to me. She turns to me and smiles brightly. I can't help but smile back. She waves before asking,

'So, what are you doing up here, stranger? I kind of missed you staring at me, which was not creepy at all, by the way.' I laughed and I remember that feeling perfectly. That feeling I got when I heard her voice. When I heard her voice, it gave me a fuzzy feeling and gave me butterflies in my stomach. I look away, into the city lights. I smile and say, softly,

'I came up here to get away from that annoying girl who had the most annoying voice. You know, that girl from Hannah Montana with the nasally voice?' she nods, smiling amusedly, 'Well, that girl sounded just like her.' The girl bursts out laughing. She throws her head back and claps her hands, snorting once. I also laughed because her laugh was so contagious. Just like her smile. When we stopped laughing a group of fireflies fly around us, making me look around at them and smile bigger.

'Look, our own personal flying stars.' she turns to me with her eyebrows scrunched up with her eyes sparkling with happiness and confusion.

'What?' I giggle before clarifying

'Fireflies shine as bright as the stars.' as I say that I point up to the night sky, which is glowing with stars. 'Fireflies are like our own stars but they can fly so therefore fireflies are like our own personal flying stars. Also, instead of waiting for shooting stars we could wish on fireflies and our wishes could come true in our darkest, and most unlikely, times.' I look over at her and hold my hand out. 'Hi, I'm Bexley Grace Tayler.' she grins and shakes my hand.

'Hi, Bexley Grace Tayler, I'm Danielle Marie Sampson.' I smile at her and let go of her hand. I turn back to the city lights and stare at them saying, '

Well, it's nice to meet you, Danielle Marie. And I must say you are stunning up close but,' she starts smiling when I called her stunning but it faded as soon as I said 'but', 'I prefer girls when they don't wear make-up.' Dinah's smile slid its way back on to her lips, making me smile at how cute she is.

'Well, what can I say; I'm used to being told that if you don't wear make-up no one will like you.' I shake my head and turn to the beauty next to me. I lean in close to her and whisper,

'Well, Danielle Marie, I'll tell you a secret,' she also leans in, 'Whoever told you that are just a shallow bastard who deserves to get a punch in the nose.' she giggled before answering,

'What? So, they end up sounding just like the girl from Hannah Montana?'

'Oh My God, that was exactly what I was thinking. You read my mind.' Dani looks into my eyes as she smiles at me, making my heart beat twenty times faster.

'Maybe we're just meant to be?'

'Maybe we are.' We stay there. Not moving, just staring into each other's eyes, smiling. We then turn away from each other and to the sky instead. I take out my phone and take another photo of the city lights. She looks at my phone over my shoulder and asks, whispering,

'Why are you taking pictures of the city lights?' I whisper back,

'I am taking pictures of the city lights because they interest me plus they're beautiful. They are a man-made beautiful that we look for in the dark.' I turn to Dani and smile at her as she whispers

'Wow... I mean, you have such a beautiful mind... can you tell me more? I mean you don't have to but...'

'Why do you want me to tell you more, Dani?'

'I want you to tell me more because you interest me.' A small smile falls upon my lips and I nod.

'Do you want to know how we got stars?' The beautiful girl nods excitedly, making me giggle and so I start.

'So, when the moon came out at night, he was the only one in the sky. He never spoke to anyone or ever had the company of anyone. All it ever was was him alone in the dark. No noise, no nothing.' she listened closely to my story, nodding along at parts. 'Now, all he could do was sit there and stare down longing for someone to join him in the dark so he would have some company. Like I said he was in the dark, to us he was our light source when all the lights went out but to him there was no light. All there was to him was a darkness surrounding him like a crowd with nowhere to escape to. As he felt this darkness embracing him so tight it felt as though he was suffocating in his loneliness, a tear fell from his pale eyes. It fell from his eye and on to the sky and he did this all night with no one there to comfort him. And then he did it again the next night, and again and again. Until,' I stop there to add suspense which makes her whines and she slaps my arm lightly,

'Bex,' I chuckle and carry on,

'Until, one night when he looks around he notices light. It's coming from all around him but he doesn't know where it's coming from and so he starts to panic and thinks, "What's all this? What is it?" But then as he starts thinking back through all his lonely nights and he remembers his tears and how they fell from his eyes and on to the sky as if the sky was holding them. He then realises that the light is coming from his tears and how there is finally light and there is company. The company isn't one that everyone would enjoy but it made him happy and it felt as though there was finally someone who he could talk to and it didn't matter whether or not they answered, he was just grateful he had light. He learnt that night that all he needed was a couple of lonely nights to know that there is always light. And that is how we got stars.' Dani stares at me in awe. I just smile and look out into the night sky, dotted by white freckles of light, letting a soft and quiet sigh escape my lips.

'Wow, that... you are amazing at telling stories, Bex.' I turn to her with raised eyebrows

'Bex?'

'Well, that's your new nickname. Why? Don't you like it?' I shake my head.

'No, I like it.' she hums and then rests her head upon my shoulder. I look down at her to see she had closed her eyes and her breathing had slowed to an even pace and as I witnessed this beautiful masterpiece fall asleep a small, content smile crawls up my lips. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her closer. When I do this she also wraps her arms around me and puts her face in the crook of my neck before returning to being still. I lean back against the tiled roof and close my eyes, with my head resting against hers, falling asleep.

And from that moment I started falling for the beautiful masterpiece with a stunning personality. Hell, I started falling for her the moment she sat next to me on that roof. And, I am glad I met her because she, Danielle Marie Sampson, is the only person who can own my heart and make me feel so happy just from a 'Hi' and can make my heart beat so fast just from a smile. I love you; Danielle Marie Sampson and I will never stop because you own my heart and nobody can make me feel the way you make me feel.