The Question (ONESHOT)

The Question

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"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

I lay here in a grassy meadow, the question ringing out from my side. I turned to see a girl, her face hidden by auburn hair, its locks flowing slightly in the summer breeze.

"A soldier." I replied. She turned towards me, an eyebrow raised.

"Really? That's brave of you. I want to become a nurse someday - cure people, help the sick. That sort of thing." She shrugged, as if unsure of herself.

"A noble goal."

"There you go again," she sighed. "is there ever a time when you're not grumpy? Or when you talk, you don't sound like you're 80 years old?"

I grunted and sat up. "I'm only 12, you know."

She gave me one of her snarky grins. "Grandpa."

"You are insufferable."

"See! There you go again." She laughed. We sat in silence for a while. In the distance, the lights from the carnival paint the horizon in a myriad of colors.

"Someday," she began. "my boyfriend is going to propose in that ferris wheel." She stretched her arm and pointed at the rotating wheel, its cabins swaying with its movement.

I frowned. "Why there? It's noisy, and other people are gonna see. Don't you think that's embarrassing?"

"That's perfect. He'll get to scream it loud into the heavens!" She stood up and extended her arms into the sky. It's a good thing I'm the only one seeing her make a fool out of herself. "At the same time, everyone will know that I belong to him, and he belongs to me."

I closed my eyes and imagined the event. "Quite the imagination, for a twelve-year old."

She huffed and stuck out her tongue indignantly. "You're one to talk, grandpa!"

We were silent once more, enjoying the picturesque view of the sunset fading into twilight - mixing with the joy of the carnival, a defiant ray of light into the oncoming darkness.

"It's getting late..." She said as she stood up and dusted herself off. "So, same time, same place next year?"

I turned to her. "Next year? But what if either of us forgets? I don't even know your name."

She placed her fist under her chin in thought. She looked back up to that indigo sky. "I know! The triangle will remind us." She pointed at the ocean of bright lights above. My eyebrows creased, there were atleast a million triangles in the sky. Seeing this, she held her stomach; laughing at my expense.

"Oh... Oh my gods, you don't even know where it is, don't you?" She kept chuckling as my frustration bubbled.

"Here, let me show you." She took hold of my hand. "Stretch your index finger." I did as I was told and she guided it to point at a bright star, brighter than the others. As if it was making its dominance known to the others.

"That's Altair. That's Deneb. And that's Vega. Together they're the summer triangle! Cool, right?!" Her voice rose, her excitement apparent. They were mesmerizing, I had to admit.

"They are." I nodded.

She smiled at me. A sweet, simple smile. But for me, it seemed to glow even brighter than all the lights in the world.

"I'm glad you think so too." She let go of my arm and ran up towards the crest of the meadow. She stopped and looked back. "Don't forget! I already gave you a reminder!" She turned to continue running, but I stopped her.