Keep Me Close

Stars

Lily POV
"Promise me you'll write?"
'Every day. I promise." Said a tearly eyed Noel. My best friend was leaving me. She was waving her family and her home. I hugged onto her for dear life. Ramin stood next to us trying not to let anyone know he was hurting as well but I could see the tears forming. He grabbed the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Ramin, come here" we said breaking apart our hug and inviting him in. He reluctantly wrapped his arms around the both of us and i heard him sigh his breath shaking. We stayed like this until i heard Noel's father clear his throat.
"Noel my love, its time to leave. We don't want you to miss the boat dear." Her father looked sad and vulnerable. It was understandable, his only child was leaving him.
"Yes Father" she said looking back to me and Ramin. She went to him first, he wrapped his arms around her waist. I saw a single tear roll down his cheek. She whispered something into his ear and all I could hear him say in response was "I promise" He released her and then she turned to look at me,  I started sobbing. The memories came flying back, all the times she would come running into the house around 6:30 so we could get ready for school together. The sleep overs where Father would come in and yell at us to keep it down. The days of shopping with Aunt Meg. Every day i would watch her dance in the new theater from Father's box. I remembered how she helped me see all of the beauty in the world.
"Because I knew you, I have been changed for good" I mumbled through my tears. She hugged me tighter and sniffled.
"I do believe i have been changed for the better. You opened my eyes so much. This isn't goodbye, its I'll see you later." She cried. I pulled back not wanting to make her late, i placed my hand on her cheek and watched her leave towards the carriage taking her to the sea port. She left looking out the window and waving good bye and heading into her future leaving us behind.
I felt Ramin wrap his arm around my shoulder and I tuned to him to softly sob into his chest. He held me close like a protective brother, I heard him cry as well. Then Madame Giry and Meg approached us, both looking distraught right yet proud of their pupil. Meg more so, she thought of Noel a her daughter, helping raise her from the time she was eleven.
"There's room in our carriage if you wish to come home with us" Madame Giry said softly.
"No I think we will walk back" I said still letting Ramin hold me.
"Very well. I will tell your Father." Madame said leaving with Meg.
"I miss her already Ramin" I whispered into his ear.
"I do too"

Ramin POV
Noel knew of my feelings. She made me promise to take care of her, and protect her with all that I am. I held the girl I was falling in love with in my arms as she cried at the departure of our best friend. As we grew older she was no longer a girl i thought was cute, she was becoming a young woman I found to be beautiful.
"How about we go get something to eat, Im starved" I said breaking the silence,
"Your always hungry" she softly laughed. She wasn't wrong.
"And you need to eat something" I said protectively. She looked at me with her eyes still glassy. "Come on, Noel wouldn't want us to be like this, she would want us to carry on. She will be back before we know it" i said looking at her sympathetically.
"Alright" she said. We walked in silence to a restaurant in the board walk of Coney and decided to sit outside in the sunshine.
After our meal we went to the beach and watched the sun set, it was gorgeous. I saw her admiring the beauty of it as I admired the beauty sitting next to me. She didn't love me like I loved her. I don't know if she ever would. She saw me as a brother. I knew we were both to young to realize what love really was, but as much as I knew of what love was is what I felt for her. She fell asleep that evening and I carried her home. I knocked on the door as Lily shifted her weight in my arms now having her head in the crook of my neck.
"Oh Lily" i sighed looking at her, she looked so peaceful and calm. The pains she had endured in life no longer visible on her face.
Mr Deslter opened the door looking down at his sleeping daughter in my arms. I saw his expression change when he looked at me, as if he understood what I felt inside. He nodded and took her out of my arms and thanking me. The door closed leaving me alone in the dark of the night. I knew I needed to return home to the stables to help Papa with cleaning up but I couldn't. I went back to the beach and sat on the rocks staring up at the night sky that had the staring shinning brilliantly. I let my thoughts flow through my mind. Thoughts of Lily, Noel's departure, and especially my Papa. He had grown a lot weaker in the passed few months with his cdoniton worsening. I had picked up a lot of slack in his new state. Missing school many days so I could help him. My once strong Father was not slowly breaking in front of my eyes.
I don't know how long I sat there admiring the stars until I heard a deep voice behind me cler their throat. I looked behind me to see Mr Destler standing there, he had a black cloak in his hand. He handed me the cloak and I reluctantly took it.
"I don't need you catching cold. Lily would never forgive me" He said looking at me. "May I?" He asked pointing to the rock next to me. I nodded and he sat down next to me,  I heard his knees cracking as he sat.
"You alright sir?" I aske concerned.
"Yes, Im not as young as I used to be my boy "he said looking up to the stars. "They are beautiful aren't they" he said softly.
"Indeed" i said softly pulling my legs up to my chest. Mr Destler noticed me clamming up.
"Something on your mind Ramin?" He asked looking at me. I couldn't tell him about my new found feelings for Lily, but I had a feeling he already knew but I was too anxious to bring it up.
"My Papa, sir. Im worried about him." I said.
"Yes, he told me a few weeks ago when he woke rather ill from treatment. Im sorry, but he is a strong man. He will get through this. I can feel it Ramin." He said placing his having on my shoulder. We sat there for a few more hours, each of us muttering only a few words to the other. As i grew older I learned to appreciate silence more. He told me about the constellations and the stories  behind them, I wondered how he knew all of this. He really did seem like the genius people would say he was.
"Ramin its almost three in the morning you should head home, your father will be worried about you." He said glancing at his pocket watch.
"Yes sir" i said standing and taking off his cloak. I handed it to him but he refused.
"Take it, I have plenty more." He said standing up.
"Thank you sir" I said leaving the beach and the father of the girl I loved behind.