Interstellar

Sunspots

Sun•spot [suhn-spot]

(n.) One of the relatively dark patches that appear periodically on the surface of the Sun and affect terrestrial magnetism and certain other terrestrial phenomena.

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We're screwed.

Basically, last night, I made it home all good, but Steve? Nope. Of course.

His mom was sitting on his bed as he crawled in through the window waiting for him. This morning, she called my dad because, as expected, Steve snitched on me. It's okay though, I probably would've done the same thing.

Anyway, we're both on strict house arrest, though, when Sarah says strict, she doesn't exactly mean it. My parents, on the other hand? They damn well mean it.

Today's been terrible since this morning when they yelled at me, but it's alright I suppose... I can wait a week to see Steve. I think.

I hear a knock at my door. "Come in," I say, turning around.

Rebecca walks in with a smile. "Hi, Jimmy."

"Hey, kiddo, whatcha doin'?" I asked her, a smile growing on my face, too.

She shrugged. "Nothing, I guess. Dad told me to check up on you."

"Oh..." I stood from my bed, acting sad with a pout on my face as I approached her. "I thought you just missed me, Rikki," I continued, kneeling before her so that we were eye to eye.

"Well, yea," she smiled. "That too."

I picked her up and slung her over my shoulder. "Aha! I thought so!" I said, throwing her gently onto my bed and tickling her until her child-like laughter filled the room.

After I stopped, we sat up on the bed together. "Do you miss him?" she asked, much to my surprise.

"Steve?" I asked. She nodded. "Yea, Becks, I do."

"Oh," she replied, looking down helplessly.

"Well, there is one way I can see him, but only if you can keep a secret..." I acted like I was thinking. "Hmmm I don't know, you might not be a big enough girl yet for that sort of thi-"

"I'm a big girl!" she yelled over me. "Jimmy, I can do it! What is it?"

"You know that shop across town with the candies you like?" She nodded. "Well, if you tell dad you want some, we both know he never tells you no, and he'll go get some for you."

"Really?" She questioned innocently.

"Sure! And if he goes across town for a while, Steve can come over," I continued. "Though, you can't tell dad."

"I won't, I promise."

"And you have to keep an eye out for when he's on his way home, okay?"

"Okay," she confirmed.

"You're the best sister ever," I said to her as she stood from the bed. "Love you."

"I love you too," she called from the door as she made her way out.

After a few minutes, she was back and knocking furiously.

"Dad left," she relayed to me.

"Thank you," I smiled, as she left.

I, then, picked up the phone and dialed to Steve's house. Thank god he's the one that picked up, though, he told me I was 'out of my damned mind' for calling him with an idea like that while his mom was asleep. Whatever.

After a few, long minutes, he arrived at my open window and made his way in.

The whole while, we sit at the window and look out across the city... no, not the window at the front of the apartment, we were the corner lot and so I had a window on the other side of my room above my bed and that was the one we were using.

I had the blinds opened all the way and the window, itself, as well. It was strange for us to have to hang out indoors during a warm, summers day, so we figured it'd be best to be as close to nature as we possibly could.

Lucky for us, the sun was setting behind various, different sized skyscrapers before our very eyes. It was beautiful, and it casted an unmatchable orange glow upon both of our faces.

I looked over at him as he looked out the window, feeling like I was looking at someone new, as he appeared to be ginger haired and his eyes almost glowed with that perfect amber color.

My hand met his cheek and he looked over at me like he was unsure of whatever it was I was doing. I let my thumb smooth over the area just below his eye. He licked his lips.

"I never noticed before," I murmured.

"Noticed what?" he whispered.

"These faded little sunspots sprinkled across your face... these freckles," I began. "I suppose I've never seen them before because, well, I'm only ever this close to your face at night. But, now? I can see that they're so... they're..."

He smiled at me, seemingly unsure what to say.

I nearly continued, too, but there was suddenly a gentle knock at my door. "Dad just walked up the street," Rebecca's meek voice relays to us as she scampers back off to her play area.

My eyes flicker down to his lips and I can feel it, god, like it's right there.

"I- I should go," he says, standing and making his way to the window and, inevitably, out.

I just sat there, then, on my bed and watched the sun set all on my own. The stars tonight appeared as they do every other night... though, they seemed dimmer and that much farther away.