Little Twin Stars
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↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺
The next few weeks pass by uneventfully. Raymond and Lucinda study in the art room now, and sometimes Raymond makes sketches of her while she's doing her work. Being there in the lunchtime means they don't see the math guys—who Raymond recognizes are no longer his friends. Even in math class with the guys, he does his best to stay out of trouble and leaves immediately when the bell rings.
Raymond's been doing better with his sleep too. They've had a few more late night encounters but Lucinda seems to be going to his place even though the monsters are gone. Raymond wonders why, but then he shakes his head for thinking that he would even have a chance with her. They are best friends after all.
With that, the year ends as quickly as the summer rain falls, and Raymond's left by himself as he starts the two-month holiday. Lucinda's out of town to visit her relatives from the other side of the world, and Raymond's back to his used-to-be-daily scrolling on Instagram, getting only snippets of Lucinda's life from her posts.
Lucinda with her dog. Lucinda making jam in the farm. Lucinda in front of her old school with her friends. Lucinda posing with an umbrella and her new handbag. Raymond thinks about how he is just one out of the 1,615 followers who see her posts, and doesn't bother commenting or liking anything because, who is he to her anyway? Just like he expects, they don't text or call, and Raymond realizes that he is like nothing without her by his side.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
His mom makes him volunteer at a math tutoring center, and he does whatever has to in order to please her. When he is let out early one day, he jumps on his bike and cycles to the river that splits the two main districts of his hometown. The rain's stopped for a few days now, the sun glowing from the trees along the path. Raymond gets off his bike and walks slowly, breathing in to smell the humidity and heaviness.
Just as he walks past a staircase back to the streets, he feels a tap on his shoulder and turns around to see Macy, a girl from his class. She's a head shorter than Raymond, and her hair gleams brightly under the sun.
"Nice to see you during the summer break! I thought everyone was out of town," she says, putting herself in a comfortable pace next to Raymond. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good," says Raymond.
Macy laughs. Was he being funny? "You always talk so little, but your voice is nice. You seem like an interesting person!"
"Am I? Thanks," Raymond says, confused at her words. His stomach growls but he ignores it, thinking he'd be home soon for lunch.
"I'm famished! Want to get lunch together? I know a place," Macy says, and that's how he gets dragged to the nearest ramen shop. Raymond listens to her rant about her brother and how he's annoying to her all the time. He listens to her soup-sipping. He accepts her compliments about his good looks. He even says "Yes" when she asks him to go out with her next Saturday. A date, she had said.
Maybe that's how he can be wanted.
He paints the stars that night, thinking of how they're so hidden in the big sky. Then, he turns around and hides himself from me.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
He meets Macy for two more times during the break. He doesn't feel happy with her, but he thinks it's nice that Macy would take time out to be with him, like he means something to her.
The last week of the holiday it gets colder suddenly, like the world is bracing for the start of the school year.
It's a Sunday when Lucinda comes back home. She stops by his house on the night of her arrival, and maybe things aren't as bad as Raymond thought. They hug and Lucinda sits on his carpet and tells him stories of her summer. Raymond doesn't really know what to say but it's okay because she doesn't seem to mind as she tells him about the clouds and how the sky looks different on the other side of the world.
They talk like they've never stopped talking and their summer silence was only an illusion. Raymond feels a little guilty for thinking bad things about their friendship.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Their last year of high school starts, and the students boast smiles and cheerful greetings on the first day. Everyone talks about last year's graduating class and how it feels empty now they are gone, which Raymond doesn't really care about because he didn't know them.
Lucinda joins the new cooking club, and now Raymond has to spend every Wednesday lunch alone because he doesn't want to meet so many people. But it's alright because he can still paint her without her posing for him. He already memorized every line and detail.
When Lucinda invites him to join the girls at the cooking club for lunch in the cafeteria, it takes some pleading and wide almond eyes to convince him. He wouldn't say no to her anyway. But he's starting to regret his choice as he stares down at his lunch tray, hands itching for his paintbrush.
Emily, the leader of the cooking club, says, "So this is Raymond? Lucy talks about you all the time!"
Raymond winces at the nickname.
"Are you guys dating? You're always together," asks another girl.
Lucinda shakes her head, "No, no. We're just best friends. That'd be weird."
A pang on his heart.
"I've seen your name everywhere. You win so many math competitions! And your name is always around the top of our class rank. You must be so smart," says the same girl.
"Actually, he's really good at everything," Lucinda says, looking fondly at Raymond. Seeing his dagger eyes, she switches the topic. "Oh! Let me tell you about the time when this dog bit me..."
Raymond lets out a breath when lunchtime ends and scrambles off to class, blocking off the chatters in his head.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
The strings between people are so thin. It's scary how easily they can break and be replaced.
YOU ARE READING
lone star ✧
General Fiction"I mean, I always think about it. Like, what it would be like if we...if she and I were together. But that's impossible." "Why's that?" "Because she's just so...she's herself. So bright. There are so many stars but I only see her, and I don't th...
