Telescope

Stars and Constellations and Music. Kinda.

Juno

Benny's car was an old Saturn van, and it smelled like cigarettes and old CDs. The leather seats were worn and the seat belt was broken, but the heat worked and as it filled the car I quickly fell into laughter and smiles as Benny talked. 

He drummed his thumbs against the wheel, and even in the dark, I could see his smile, the way his eyes crinkled, the way he glanced over at me. "So," He was saying. "Paralian?"

"It's greek," I said. "It's kinda a thing."

"I looked it up," He said, then looked over at me mockingly. "One who lives by the sea?"

I smiled, shrugging. "I like words."

"Words?"

"Yeah, pretty words," I said, then laughed at the skepticism in his eyebrows. "I'm serious!"

"Okay, to each their own," He shook his head, looking back at the road.

"Yeah, so, what's your thing?" I asked. "Other than coming to your detention buddy's band and giving her a ride at eleven-thirty on a Wednesday night."

He looked over at me, shrugging. "My thing..." He trailed off. "Being funny," He said, looking off, frowning. 

"No dummy," I said, trying to keep it light. "Like what's the weird thing you like that I can make fun of you for. I don't care about what clique you're apart of." I smiled at him, and he smiled back. 

He sighed, then looked out again. "Stars. Constellations. Kinda. And music. I really like music. Most of my friends don't really know that." 

I looked at him, under the light of the cars passing and the heat blowing his hair a bit, the street reflecting street light to his face. Somehow you couldn't see the blueness in his eyes, but they were still bright. And I felt lucky, to know this about him. Not just that he likes stars and music, but that he looks like this at eleven-thirty on this particular Wednesday night.

 Not storming down the hall, laughing with his friends, or even sharing at earbud with me in detention or sitting across the bar from me, eyes locked on mine as I sang. But tonight, right now, where no one else has ever seen him and will ever see him again. 

And he looked pretty damn happy. 

"Serious question, if you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?" He asked, eyes ahead.

I thought for a moment. "To the beach."

"You go there everyday!"

"One who lives by the sea," I said, and he laughed. 

"One who lives by the sea," He repeated, nodding like this made sense. "Of course."

"Where would you go?"

He thought for a moment, like he hadn't expected me to ask. Then he said, "I don't know. I would just get in my car and drive, see where I end up."

I nodded, thinking this was a good answer as I looked at the yellow line stretched before us. That's when I noticed it was raining. "It's raining," I said, as though he didn't see this. He laughed and nodded. 

"Yes, it is."

I rolled my eyes, a smile still on my lips as I pulled my leg under me and took out my phone. "Says there's a thunderstorm coming," I said, surprised. "Tomorrow at like four in the morning. According to my very reliable weather app."

"Do you like the rain?"

"Getting caught in it? Maybe. The sound it makes? Yes." I said, looking out my window excitedly. "There's something about how powerful weather is..." 

He didn't say anything, so I looked back at him. He was looking up through the windshield, a huge smile on his face. I didn't say anything either, not for a while. Eventually, I told him to turn, then again, then again and then we were driving past the stretch of beach. 

"You can drop me here," I said. It was pouring now. 

"You're going to walk in the pouring rain?"

"I'm going to run into the ocean at midnight in the pouring rain on the verge of a thunderstorm, yes," I said, smiling. He looked at me like I was crazy. "What? It's on my bucket list! I may never get another opportunity like this!" I exclaimed, laughing at his concerned face.

"You could die, Juno!" 

"I won't go past knee-deep I'm not stupid," I said. 

He raised an eyebrow, so I rolled my eyes. "Benny," I said.

He sighed. "You are so stupid. I'll come with you."

"Are you crazy?" I said. "No, I'll feel bad."

"Yes, I'm crazy. Might as well cross it off my bucket list too." 

Before I could say anything else, he pulled two towels out of the back, pulled off his shirt and shoes and left them neatly in the back seat. "Come on!" He said, staring at me. I blinked at him, then pulled off his hoodie, which smelled so good, and my shirt, tossing them with my boots in the back. 

Then we stepped out of the car. It was pouring rain, water streaming down my face, soaking my hair. "Come on!" He yelled again, and I ran around the car, squinting to find him as the rain pounded against our skin. He grabbed my hand and said, "Don't fucking die."

"I promise," I said, and he smiled. Then he pulled my hand and we hurdled down the beach, full speed. Hand in hand, rain pelting our bare stomachs, feet kicking up wet sand as we ran towards the crashing waves. I laughed out loud, spreading my arms like an airplane, closing my eyes. I screamed, laughing as we ran into the water, freezing water splashing up against us. 

I wish I could say the waves were huge, crashing under the moonlight in beautiful glass walls that broke on themselves and crumbled toward us. But the waves were barely four feet tall, and then was no moon to be seen behind the dark dark clouds which were dumping water on us. 

The salty sea water mized with the rain, making my lips taste like salt. Benny grabbed my forearm as he toppled, sending me on top of him into the freezing water. 

"You asshole!" I screamed, laughing as he splashed a huge salty wave on me. 

"I thought you were, one who lives by the sea," He said, mocking me with a smile. I stumbled up and kicked water at him. He caught my foot and I fell in, flailing like a fish. 

We stood up, and I jumped on his back, pulling his shoulders with my full weight. He didn't topple, just pushed me off and sent me into the water. 

"It's so cold!" I screamed, standing up laughing. My jeans were sticking to my legs, and I was definitely shaking. I could barely see Benny, but his arms were wrapped around himself. 

"The first one to the car gets my hoodie!" He shouted, and took off, tripping immediately in the shallow waves. 

"Yes!" I started sprinting, but soon he was on my heels. I screamed as he caught up, laughing as he tried to shove me. I stepped back and he stumbled instead, then yelled, "Ah, you dodged!" As he started running again. 

I slammed my hand on his car door, and he ran up behind me, crashing next to me. He pointed at me, rain streaming down his face. "You're slippery."

I laughed, I laughed harder and more genuinely then I've laughed in a long time. "Why thank you," I said once I'd caught my breath. "Now I'm fucking freezing so-"

"Yeah, yeah!" He opened the back door and we climbed in, shivering. He turned the ignition and heat started blasting as I took the towel he handed me, wrapping it around myself. 

I don't think I stopped smiling until I got in bed, his hoodie still on. 

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Hi!! Okay, so I'm actually getting reads for the first time ever and I fucking love you all!!! This may be one of my favorite books I've ever written and I hope you love the characters as much as I do!! Thank you for the support, it means the whole world to me!!