Floating & Flaming - Syd Barrett

Under the Stars

    I quickly tore open the envelope. My heart was pounding so hard, I felt as if the vibrations were causing the shaking in my hands. Or maybe it was too much coffee. With the handwriting I recognized on the front, it couldn't just be coffee.

    My eyes raked through the sparse lines on the paper. I read it so many times, they began to lose their meaning.

    Brook Bridge. Midnight. I need you.

    "Oh. My-"

    A chill ran down my spine. I need you.

    I really thought that I had screwed things up to the point of no return. Why would he want to see disgusting me again? Was he okay?

    Anxiety started to surge. He occupied a place within me so ingrained that I could not bear to lose him forever. I needed to make sure he was safe. Maybe I was overthinking things as usual.

    Best case scenario, I could finally tell him how strong my feelings were for him. This eased my mind and turned my thoughts to him.

    I flopped down onto my bed.

    Him. I thought. I felt like I was soaring. For the first time in a while, my nerves melted away. In my catharsis, I drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

    Hours Later...

    I awoke with a start and squinted in the dark at the clock on my side table.

    11:30 pm!

    "Bloody oversleeping, lazy..." I muttered quietly, trying not to wake Lindsey, who must have returned from her own date already. She was finally learning a scrap of responsibility.

    Says the one sneaking off to a midnight tryst. I chastised myself.

    I fixed my less than flattering hair and touched up my eye makeup. Raccoon chic. I dabbed perfume on my pulse points, slung Syd's jacket over my shoulders (I had neither sold it nor thrown it into the sea as he had suggested), and was out the window.

    I clumsily shuffled down the tree leading to the ground. How on earth did Lindsey do this all the time? I certainly did not come out unscathed.

    I walked through the night, glancing back at the darkened windows behind me. The coast was clear. Onto more important things.

    Brook Bridge was once a key part of the roads around Cambridge, back in the days of horses and carriages. Now it was isolated in the woods beyond both schools, legendary for clandestine rendezvous, if you could find it. Luckily, Lindsey and I had accidentally stumbled upon it once during one of our orchard walks. We had gone too far, and were glad we did. It was a gorgeous place.

    It was different at night. I kept track of little landmarks I remembered from my last visit, until I could hear the soft white noise of the brook. The moon was new, so the only light I had was starlight. I followed the sound until I finally arrived.

    "You're such a poet. Why is it always midnight with you, Syd Barrett?" I asked, a hint of a smile in my voice. "It's really quite dark. Did you bring a torch? A lighter?"

    He was leaning over the side of the bridge, hands folded, forearms resting on the railing. I noticed he wore casual clothing, a loose button-down and blue jeans. I felt slightly better, as I wasn't wearing my uniform either. Just a turtleneck and jeans. Hopefully this would be as comfortable as our clothes.

    He chuckled. "I thought we had covered this already. Night is my time. I feel like anything is possible when it's just you and the stars."

    I walked until I was at his side. It was quiet for a while, nothing but the sound of the brook and the hooting of a distant owl to provide ambiance.

    "Syd, I made a huge mistake-" I began.

    "Piper, you don't need to apologize. I do. I was an imbecile. I didn't let you explain, but let my pent up anger and jealousy lash out at you. I just couldn't deal with the idea of you and Roger. I saw red and couldn't think straight for a while. When I came to my senses, it was too late. When Roger went out with you today, I felt like I had been shot. I realized that everything I feared was actually real. I was going to have to forget you and move on. Those were two of the most grueling hours of my life. I gave you that note to try and sever ties with you. But when Roger came back, I knew something had changed. He told me that you didn't reciprocate how he felt. Then he tried to tell me some utter rubbish about how he never liked you, and that he was just trying to get to me. I know you, Piper. I've seen you too many times to believe it's possible for someone not to like you. I'm so sorry for not listening." A deep sincerity that flowed through his voice was reflected in his eyes.

    "I forgive you. I should have made things clear with Roger much earlier. I did muster enough courage to stand up to him after coffee today, though. That felt good. I feel like he thought of me as more of a prize than a person. I am more than just a silly, timid girl. I have so much in my heart that I wish I could say, but I'm so afraid all the time."

    Involuntary tears stung at my eyes. I tried my best to blink them back. I wasn't sure if they were because of relief, or how pitiful I sounded, but nonetheless I was crying.

    Syd pulled me in close. He wrapped me in the warmest embrace I had ever felt. I held onto him tight, afraid that if I let go, I would fall.

    He pulled back and brushed the tears from my eyes.

    "Piper. I hope you know that you never have to be afraid to be around me or talk to me. Whatever you feel, you can tell me. I won't think you're less than who you are. And in case you forgot, you're the most beautiful person on the face of the earth. Nothing feels real when I'm with you. I feel like I'm lighter than air."

    "Well, you should eat a sandwich every now and then. That might help." I was an expert at embarrassing myself.

    Syd laughed again. "You know that's not what I meant. And I am not that skinny!"

    "I did almost get a papercut from hugging you just now." I joked.

    Our giddiness was getting the best of us. "Perhaps if we tried again? We could test your papercut theory?" he asked cheekily.

    "Not a bad proposition." I smirked. "I'm not sure if I'd want to risk it though. Papercuts are very serious this time of year."

    "You make a good point. Thankfully, I have another idea."

    Before I could shoot back something witty, asking what he meant, he placed his hands gently on my waist.

    He brushed a stray hair out of my face, and I was drowning in his gaze.

    Then, with pulses racing, he pulled me in.

    The night fell into insignificance and an electric shock went through me as he kissed me.

    It was beyond perfect. The smell of wild roses nearby mingled with the scent of sandalwood in his hair. I had never felt so alive.

    I didn't have to say a word. My feelings could be expanded upon another time. For now, I wanted nothing more than to live in that moment, being kissed by the boy of my dreams, under the stars.