Abby came out of the door where Callie, Jake and Marcus had been waiting before. Her friends looked nervously at her.
"Did you pass? Do you have the exam?" Callie couldn't hold herself anymore. Abby inhaled deeply.
"I made it." And then she bursted into laugh, all of them, and her friends came and hugged her.
"Congratulations, Abby." Jake was smiling down at her.
"I knew you can do that, smart girl." Callie hardly killed her with her hug.
"So I bet we should call you all Doc by now." Marcus smirked at her.
"Nooo, not you." Abby laughed and still she couldn't believe that she really made her final medical exam and that she was now a real doctor.
"And now we go and celebrate. Come on, guys." Callie ran away through the corridors of the ark and the other three followed her. They went to Marcus rooms who had his own without sharing it with his parents because he was the oldest and even a soldier. Jake had organized the drinks from a friend and they all set down a the floor.
"Cheers." Callie said, holding her glass up.
"To our doctor. Finally." added Jake.
"To Abby." Marcus said and all of them smirked at her before they took the first sip.
"Wow, that's that kinda good stuff. Where do you got that, Jake?"
He laughed after Callies question.
"Connections." They all laughed again and drank again.
It was a perfect evening full of fun between the four friends and Abby felt so happy. Not only that she reached the final exam, no, she also realized that she had friends, who celebrated with her and were happy for her.
The hours passed, the drinks were incredible good and as it was around three o' clock in the early morning Jake and Callie were already sleeping. Jake at the comfortable floor and Callie at the couch above him.
"God. I'm not even tired." Marcus said and watched his two friends.
"I passed tired a long time ago." They both smiled about Abby's words.
"Are you happy?" Marcus gazed at her.
"Yes I am. Really. Thanks, Marcus." -
"For what?"
-
"Being my friend."
-
"Nothing you should thank me for, Abby. I'm glad that I have you too."
He smiled at her, sitting directly beneath Abby. She stared at his handsome face and nodded. And then there was silence between them.
"Abby, I -"
He cleared his throat.
"I don't want to ruin that but-"
Abby gazed worried at him.
"Ruining what, Marcus?"
-
"Our friendship."
He looked to Callie and Jake and then he stood quickly up and gave Abby his hand for getting her on her feet.
"Would you follow me?" he asked, not letting her hand go. Abby nodded. It felt good to touch his fingers, feel his warmth.
He led her to the big window where they looked down at this big blue ball, the earth under them. They didn't said a word, just standing there.
"It's beautiful."
"As much as you." Abby blushed and didn't looked into his eyes.
"I always feel happy when I get that view but at the same time sad because I know I will never come down there. Seeing something so beautiful but can't touch it is torturing." Marcus didn't answer to that. He knew that and he thought about the fact that it was the same with him and Abby. They always had been friends, best friends, but all time he wanted to touch her but he can't. And now they stood there, holding hands and feeling both awkwardly with the new tension they felt. Something had changed in the last time, they both knew that.
"Abby, I just wanted to -"
"Don't." Finally she laid her eyes on him and he shrugged a little bit at her gaze. They looked at each other without talking, it was as time has stopped for a few seconds. Their eye contact was so intense. And then Marcus stepped toward her, laying his hands on her soft cheeks. Their foreheads touched and they both breathed heavily, feeling the heartbeat of each other in this early morning. And finally their lips touched, just softly, like a little blowing wind. The kiss exploded in them, it seemed as if the world turned upside down. Like sun in their faces. Like the smell of fresh green grass. Like the bitter sweet feeling of youth. Like a fault but also like the only right thing. Like being alive.
"I want to reach the ground with you." Marcus whispered into her ear and then, suddenly he stepped away, he let her hands go and went away. Before Abby could say a word he was gone around the corner. And there she stood, shivering before the big window. At the place where Marcus had led her to. Full of emotions. Happiness. Confusion. Feeling lost. She slowly turned around and watched the earth under her. And in this moment she knew that this whisper was a promise, words she could trust in. Marcus promised her that they will reach the earth. Her dream. There wasn't any bigger promise. Abby reached out her hand and touched the glass. There were miles between her and the ground but in that moment she knew that she will get down there. And she felt so happy and thankful.
