The Brightest Stars

Luna

I stare at the screen of my phone as I watch the signal showing that Annabelle is typing. I do a sad sigh as I read the goodnight she has sent me. I quickly say goodbye and put my phone on the nightstand next to my bed.

Now what?

I turn to the other side of my bed where I have a drawer full of books. I reach for the first one my hand lands onto and start to read.

It's like this every night. I'm so used to staying up late after years of avoiding screams and hits. But tonight it's oddly quiet in the house. It's not weird to know that my father doesn't really care what I do at school, but he hasn't been home all day.

I shiver at the thought of what he might be doing right now. Or if he did get that phone call...

The loud thump of the door interrupts my thoughts and I drop the book in the drawer. I quickly turn off the lamp and close my eyes. My ears listen carefully to the sound of his boots. He stops in front of my closed room and my heart beats faster.

Please. Not today. Not today...

But I sigh in relief at the disappearing sound of his thumping feet. I turn to look up at the ceiling and a memory suddenly comes to mind. One night when my father and my mother were fighting about whether they should put glow-in-the-dark stars on my ceiling. I used to want to be an astronaut, but my father hated that thought and just encouraged me to stay home.

On the day my mother left, I knew exactly what I wanted to be.

So I threw away the glow-in-the-dark stars and walked to the library to read law books.

The darkness in my room makes my heart race and my hands start to grow clammy. If I turn on the nightlight, he will come. I can't deal with him today.

A trembling hand reaches for my phone on the nightstand and I quickly dial the only person who can calm my nerves.

I listen to the ring echoing in my ear. My eyes take a quick glance at the floor and see that he's turned on the light in the hallway.

The school probably called him and now he's coming for me...

I quietly start to pant and my heart races even faster at the sound of his footsteps. But the voice over the phone makes the thumping of my heart disappear from my ears and a sigh of relief escapes my lips.

"Hey, sweetie," Xander says. "Can't sleep tonight?" He's not here, but I can almost see his smirk through the phone as he says this.

"Hey, baby." I do a quiet whisper as I watch the shadow of his feet walk past my door. "Did I wake you up?" Despite my relief, my nerves stay at the thought of bothering him so much.

"Nope. I'm just watching a movie on my laptop."

"You didn't get in trouble because of the fight?"

I smile at the soothing sound of his chuckle and my body slowly goes back into a peaceful state. "No. I explained to my parents what happened and well...they understand hot heads like AJ. Was that his name?"

"Yeah. I think it was." We stay silent after I say this, but he is still on the phone. My heart shrinks at the sudden emptiness. I jump at the sound of breaking glass.

He's drinking tonight...

"Hey," I whisper. He responds with a quiet hum. I hesitate with what I'm about to say. I can imagine him concentrating on his movie, but my body urges me to have him close right now.

So I quietly push aside embarrassment and say, "Hey. Do you mind coming over? I..." I turn to look at the light in the hallway, and his footsteps still echoing in the house.