COSMIC

19 - Fame

Our silence kept the tension hanging in the air. I know only a few seconds passed but it felt much longer as panic began to set inside my mind. What was I saying? Could I actually stop my visits with David like I had just said? What would my friends think of me speaking for them as well? Would I ever see David again--or get to kiss him again? Would I ever know how he felt about me?

I noticed my mom's posture beginning to relax, which only made mine tense. She had finally gotten me to say it and that's all she needed to hear. Tears began to brim in my eyes, my vision turning blurry and my throat clenching until it felt like I couldn't hold it back any longer.

Darting through the kitchen, I ran into my room and slammed the door. Then I burst into a sob, plopping myself in the middle of the floor and ignoring Sheba's pawing on the other side of the door. Quickly, though, it ceased as the sound of dog tags followed my mom into her bedroom.

At first my sobs were loud, but it didn't take long for them to grow quiet. I was motionless, trying to understand why I felt so calm after everything that had just taken place. I wondered if it was because it was so late at night and my tiredness was finally catching up with me. But then my thoughts dared to venture to the dreaded idea: was it because I had already given up hope? Just uttering those words to my mom seemed definite and final. Our parents finding our hideaway and ripping us angrily from our beloved secret. The attention and mess I had attracted from outsiders. Aside from our parents' command, meeting with David was becoming too risky. I wouldn't have even blamed him for never showing his face to us again.

Then I remembered our first nights with David and the reason he contacted us in the first place. He wanted to bring hope, inspiration and joy through his music, to help us and the rest of the world learn to not let challenges in life push us down. So, I thought, why should this be any different?

I wiped my remaining tears away and blinked in attempt to clear my vision. Climbing to the window, I hurriedly searched the ground--just in case he had decided to show up. I squinted at the shadows and with a flutter inside my heart, I almost imagined him standing there looking up at me. But I was only met with an empty lawn.

However, I peered up at the sky, immediately recognizing that familiar glimmer so many miles away. The Starman stood out from among the other stars--just like he did on Earth.

"I don't blame you for running, David," I whispered into the cool summer air. "I wish I could run, too."

I waited, resting my chin on my arm across the windowsill, and wondered if he knew and could see me--if somehow, the magnetic pull he had demonstrated to me allowed a connection to our house. I waited for his star to disappear, perhaps indicating he decided to visit me. But nothing happened and eventually I found myself lulled to sleep by the soft chirping of the crickets outside.

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The following morning was quiet. Hardly two words were spoken between my mom and me and after breakfast, we quickly parted ways to do whatever we had planned for the day. As for me, I picked up the phone to call Nancy as soon as Mom went into the backyard with Sheba. I was going to commence a meeting with my friends. It was the clear and obvious thing to do next.

It was in the hot, early afternoon when we had all gathered around our favorite table in the diner. Being a Sunday, the crowd was sparse aside from the occasional groups of elderly people meeting with their friends and kids spending their allowances on chocolate shakes. Several fans were placed around the room in an attempt to cool the patrons that wanted to escape the heat. I wondered whether the air-conditioning was broken again or they were trying to save energy with increasing prices looming in the future.