Love of Stars

[Chapter 5 - Constellations]

--Third Person--

Believe it or not, both our characters Ashe and Sia were having very similar thoughts about each other: just different tones of "What a girl/boy..."

--First Person Sia--

I was on my way home through the dark sinister alleyways of Burningham street, kicking and dribbling rounded rocks and pebbles around, along with tin cans and cardboard boxes. Here in the neighborhood, it was quiet around this time. Either everyone was out in the club or sleeping in a house much too small for their family. I guess that's the price you pay for living in the famous New York City.

It's not all glamour and glitz as it's made out to be. Not the way my mother had described it when she told me we had to move. Apparently she'd finally met the love of her life, but he told her that he'd found a job way up in New York City. A job that wouldn't make my mom do the things a woman does when she's desperate for money. He told her how beautiful the skyline was and how the wide array of shopping complexes made anybody feel like royalty. My mom used to say he made her feel like a queen. But I guess the king had somewhere else to be because a year later, he left me and my mom to fend for ourselves in New York City. Mom went back to her old ways, and I knew that when I reached our home on Cecelia street, it would be empty. There'd be shattered beer bottles on the curb and the rancid smell of rotting fast food on the streets. As much as the scents and sights are distasteful, they're an unlikely comfort for me. The things I can find around me are reliable and indelible from my life now.

They're my sense of understanding of what I can called "home".

I tapped in the password on the padlock set into the sapphire blue door. If let out a soft buzz, and I swung the door open.

"I'm home," I whispered.

I was greeted by paint peeling off the walls and floor boards that creaked as I sighed and took off my black worn out boots. With a budget of under $20, they were the only half decent shoes I could find. I'd had them for just over 2 years now, but they've gotten to be tight at the toes. The suede had long worn off from the rounded tips but I thought the grey underneath gave the shoes character anyway.

I shut the door behind me and make my way to the living room where I curled up into a ball on the couch. All I could hear was the whine from the mini fridge and the low murmur of the Television. I closed my eyes, and did what I usually did.

I opened my Spotify playlist, popped in my earbuds, and imagined myself someplace else. I'd imagine until the feeling of drowsiness overcame me and sleep had a new best friend. I smiled as I heard the deep gravel of Tyler's voice and I imagined myself on that bridge with him, both of us letting the time escape us like how smoke drifted past our lips. He taught me how to smoke and ironically enough, he taught me how to live.

I never really wondered why he turned around and asked me to jump off that bridge later that night after he'd drank too much and he'd had his fill of me.

I just knew that I deserved it.

So I dreamed of a world where I had had the guts to jump, and then maybe somebody in my godforsaken life would finally be happy.

- ❈ -

I'd never been so confused in my entire life though you and I know that doesn't mean much when you're taking into account how spoon-fed my life as been up util now. Almost every step of my life as been carefully planned out by birth and as a child. I'd been thrown into an everyday regimen that changed perhaps once in a blue moon. I'd never been allowed time for a girl, or time to care about anybody else other than my own blood.

That is, unless it added onto volunteer hours.

I gently closed the front door of our apartment with a soft click and went over to the cat tree where our kitten, Momo, sat snuggled onto the highest possible platform almost six feet off the ground. She opened her eyes drowsily as I went to pet her behind the ears. Immediately, a low motor seemed to pulsate deep within her belly, sending vibrations through my fingertips.

I yelped in surprise when the lights flickered on and my father stood in the door way with his arms crossed.

"What are you doing back so soon Asheton?" he asked, walking over to me.

I quickly made up a lousy excuse for why I couldn't make the job interview and retreated to the comfort of my room. I collapsed on my king-sized bed, laced my hands behind my head, closed my eyes, and tried to picture that girl again.

Sia. The hazelnut roots of her hair that faded to what I imagined the sea looked right after the sun set over the horizon. After the blazing red, orange, and fuchsias, but of the indigo and Prussian blues. The way her lightly freckled nose turned up slightly at the tip. The way the freckles increased at her cheeks like a constellation underneath the clouds.

Why hadn't I noticed her before?

Her hair as blue as the the night sky, you'd think she'd be hard to miss. But I almost didn't believe her when she said she was in my math class since I hadn't heard her say a word for the entire year. She'd never raised her hand or done anything to draw attention to her.

To the way her voice sounded like the roughest version of burning hell.

Or how she made hell sound like the only place I wanted to be. I swear I could have heard her yell at me for the whole day.

I turned around and groaned into my pillow.

This can't be happening.... out of all the girls?

I let out a torturous sigh, and clenched my pillow harder, banging my head into it repeatedly.

"Why. Am. I. Such. An. Idiot!" I sat up abruptly and slammed my pillow into the wall with all my strength. Obviously nothing happened, but I felt a lot better even after doing something small and stupid like that.

I got up and paced the room, trying to figure out what I did to make this girl so freaking mad at me in the first place. 1. I did technically save her life. 2. I did offer to get a taxi to take her home and I even offered to drive her home! Damn, I'm not trying to brag, but most girls would kill to spend time alone with me.

What made her so different?

******

If anybody has suggestions like sticking to one perspective rather than switching this much, or if they like this setup, just message me or put a little comment because I'm just trying some new things out for now <3

Of course, thank you to everyone who reads these, and have a beautiful day (or night) xd