Looking For Space // Josh Kiszka

IX

"Hey, Starshine," I said into the phone, cutting off the vibration and clumsily adjusting my backpack over my shoulder as I got out of my car and stepped into the night air. "What's up?"

"Did you see the moon?" Josh asked from the other end, the excitement evident in his voice.

I looked around myself, trying to spot it. I caught a glimpse behind a tree obstructing my view--it was massive and stained a brilliant orange color, looming in the midnight blue sky, making the tops of the trees and buildings beyond me glow.

"Wow," I said, taking a few steps to try and see it better. "It's amazing."

"Isn't it?"

"Harvest moon. Where are you?"

"Home, trying to ignore Jake as best I can."

I smiled. "Is that why it sounds like there's a dying animal in the background?"

Josh cackled wildly, so loudly I had to pull my phone away from my ear. "Darling, you're evil!"

I laughed with him. "I'm only kidding! Jake's amazing."

"Well, don't tell him that either, his ego can only get so massive," Josh told me, his laughter slowly subsiding. "What are you doing right now?"

"Just getting home," I answered, already smiling a little to myself, knowing he wanted to be with me.

"Want to look at the moon together?"

My smile grew and I looked back up at the moon. "Yes, Starshine. Let's do it."

The climb up to the roof of my apartment hadn't been an easy one for me, although Josh got up there almost effortlessly, able to clamber up and down with no issue. Meanwhile I slipped on shingles and felt myself panicking as I told myself to not look down, my balance and coordination nowhere near the levels of his apparent monkey-like abilities.

The view was worth it--the moon was far less obstructed from our perch on the roof and it looked even closer, hanging over us and casting pale light onto the trees and over the two of us. Josh looked as beautiful as ever in the light, his soft features even softer, and a gentle, cool breeze wafted around us--the end of summer was fast approaching. There was the familiar scent of autumn leaves, a few trees shedding them already, that always reminded me of hay and pumpkins, of trick-or-treating as a kid. I wasn't ready for it--I wanted the summer to last forever.

"This is terrifying," I said as we finally settled down on a ledge, seemingly safe but every time I looked down I felt like my body was going to propel itself forward. "Can't we ever do things that don't involve possible injury?"

"You'll be fine," Josh assured me. "Even if you fell off, you probably wouldn't die. Unless you broke your neck."

"Oh, great."

He turned to me and reached out, tickling my waist. "Scaredy cat." I burst into squealing laughter and tried to get away from him, almost sliding down the roof before he stopped and grabbed my arm, saving me from slipping down any further.

"Lunatic!" I declared, swatting his arm. "I could have died."

"No, I wouldn't let that happen," Josh said and grabbed my face, kissing me.

I pulled away. "I shouldn't reward you for bad behavior."

He grabbed my face and kissed me again, gently on the lips and then planting kisses over my cheeks and down my jaw. "I promise I'll behave."

I laughed, pulling away again, then leaned in to kiss him and he sighed against my mouth. I ran my hands down his shoulders, feeling the toned muscles through his shirt, and deepened the kiss, both of us sloppily devouring each other.

When Josh retreated there was a thin line of saliva on his top lip, and he smiled. "Do you think this is because of the moon?"

"What is?"

Josh waved his hand in the air, looking around. "Just--all of this. The air, the quiet," he said, then nudged my arm. "You kissing me like that."

"Don't I kiss you every time I see you?"

"Not on a roof."

"This was your idea," I reminded him. "And not one of your better ones."

"Oh come on, the view is great," Josh replied, leaning back. "Lie back with me."

Reluctantly I did, sidling up right next to him flat against my back, the shingles rough and ragged underneath me. The moon really was incredible--so massive I was able to see all the craters and the dark spots mimicking a face on the surface, the abundance of carved details in the giant, floating rock. 

"How was work?" Josh asked, tilting his head to look at me.

I groaned. "I just love writing instruction manuals for dishwashers. It really feeds my soul."

He laughed a little. "No, it's probably not the most enriching work. But you'll get there."

"I hope so."

"When are you gonna let me read some of your latest poems?"

I paused--I loved working on the epic poem with Josh that past spring, more than anything I'd ever had to do in school, but that was us together. I was always nervous to let him read my writing, feeling so vulnerable, and I knew if he expressed any sort of distaste for it, I'd be crushed.

"I have to edit them," I finally said.

Josh smiled. "Okay." That was one thing that was great about him--he never pressured me into anything, especially not with things he knew I cared about. "The world is your oyster," he added with a soft sigh.

"An oyster that'll be eaten by a walrus."

Josh smirked. "'I weep for you. I deeply sympathize.'"

"I can't stand you," I said, but laughed and squeezed his hand.

He continued quoting the poem, letting go of my hand to gesture in the air: "'Oh, oysters! You've had a pleasant run--shall we be trotting home again?'" He ran his hand up my arm, tapping his fingers along the way. "'But answer came there none--and this was scarcely odd, because they'd eaten every one.'" He tapped the tip of my nose.

I crossed my arms over my chest, doing my best to bite back a stupid grin and put on a pout. "I can't stand you."

Josh only cackled and buried his face in my hair.