Written in the stars

The wind brushed against my skin as I settled onto my blanket, wrapping my arms around my knees. Above me, the sky stretched endlessly, its vast darkness speckled with the first few stars of the evening.

I exhaled slowly, feeling the familiar sense of peace settle over me.

This hill had always been my escape.

When I was younger, my dad would bring me up here with my telescope, pointing out constellations and telling me stories about how sailors used the stars to find their way home. I used to think that if I stared long enough, the universe would whisper its secrets to me. Maybe it still would.

I reached into my backpack, pulling out my small leather notebook—the one I filled with sketches of constellations, half-written thoughts, and all the little questions I had about life.

Tonight, my thoughts felt heavier than usual.

I traced patterns in the sky with my fingertip, whispering their names under my breath. Orion. Cassiopeia. Lyra. The familiar names grounded me, reminding me that no matter how chaotic life felt, the stars remained the same.

I had always loved that about them.

I opened my notebook, flipping to a blank page.

August 12

The Perseids are back tonight. I wonder how many wishes I can make before the universe gets tired of listening.

I smiled a little at my own words, then glanced up just in time to see a meteor streak across the sky—a brief, brilliant arc of silver against the deep blue.

A wish.

I closed my eyes, my heart whispering something I wasn’t sure I could name yet.

When I opened them again, the sky was alive with falling stars.

For a moment, I forgot everything else—school, responsibilities, the quiet ache in my chest that sometimes crept in when I thought about the future. All that mattered was this. The endless sky. The infinite possibilities.

I lay back against the cool grass, letting the universe wrap around me like a familiar lullaby.

And for the first time in a long while, I felt like I belonged to something bigger than myself.

_____(later in the morning)

The next morning, the world felt smaller.

Gone was the infinite sky, the quiet magic of falling stars. Instead, I was back in the crowded halls of Westfield High, surrounded by the usual noise—locker doors slamming, sneakers squeaking against the linoleum, voices overlapping as everyone rushed to start the day.

I walked to my locker, adjusting the strap of my backpack. My notebook was tucked safely inside, its pages now filled with scribbled thoughts about the meteor shower. But here, under the fluorescent lights, those words felt distant, like something belonging to another world.

“Stella!”

I turned just in time to see Harper Evans, my best friend, weave through the crowd toward me. Her long brown hair was still damp, probably from her morning swim practice, and she had that familiar I woke up too early look on her face.

She leaned against the locker next to mine. “Okay, let me guess. You were up late last night watching the stars again.”

I grinned as I spun my lock. “Maybe.”

Harper groaned dramatically. “You and your sky obsession. Meanwhile, I was drowning in chemistry homework and debating whether or not to fake a stomachache today.”

I laughed. “I take it you didn’t finish?”

“Oh, I finished,” she said, pulling a crumpled worksheet from her bag. “Just not correctly.”

Shaking my head, I grabbed my history book and shut my locker. “You know, if you actually paid attention in class—”

“Blah, blah, blah,” she interrupted, waving a hand. “I don’t need a lecture, I need coffee. Or a time machine. Do you think time machines exist?”

“Not yet,” I said, amused. “But if they did, I’d go back and tell you to study.”

She groaned again, but her fake suffering was cut short when someone called her name from down the hall. It was Mason Carter, her on-again, off-again crush, flashing his usual lopsided grin.

Harper sighed, tucking her books under her arm. “Well, duty calls. You coming to lunch later?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Good. Because I need you to talk me out of making bad decisions.” She winked before disappearing into the crowd.

I smiled to myself, but as I turned toward my first class, I felt a familiar tug in my chest.

This was my life. This was the routine. But there was always a part of me that longed for something else.

Something bigger.

Something waiting just beyond the edges of what I knew.

I shook the thought away and headed to class, unaware that soon, everything was about to change.

_____(Lunch time)

By the time lunch rolled around, the cafeteria was already buzzing with noise—laughter, conversations, the occasional clatter of a dropped tray. I weaved through the crowd, balancing my lunch in one hand while scanning the room for Harper.

I spotted her at our usual table near the window, stirring her drink absentmindedly while Mason sat across from her, gesturing wildly as he told some exaggerated story.

Harper caught my eye and waved me over. “Finally! My voice of reason is here.”

I slid into the seat beside her. “What disaster am I saving you from this time?”

Mason smirked. “She’s thinking about skipping swim practice to go to a bonfire at the lake.”

Harper groaned. “Thinking about it. Not decided yet.” She turned to me. “What do you think? Ditch practice for a little adventure?”

I poked at my salad with my fork. “Depends. Is it worth getting benched for the next meet?”

She sighed. “Ugh, probably not.” Then she leaned closer, dropping her voice to a whisper. “But you should come. It might be fun. You know… something different.”

I hesitated. Bonfires weren’t really my thing—too loud, too many people, too much small talk. But Harper had a point. My world was pretty small, consisting mostly of school, home, and the hill where I watched the stars. Maybe stepping outside of that routine wouldn’t be so bad.

“Maybe,” I said, and Harper grinned.

Before she could respond, a shadow fell over our table.

I looked up to see Emma Sinclair, one of the most popular girls in school, standing there with a carefully amused expression. Her perfectly styled hair and effortless confidence made it impossible to believe we were the same age.

“Stella,” she said sweetly, though I could already hear the teasing edge in her voice. “Still writing about the stars?”

I tensed. Emma had made it her personal mission to remind me how ‘different’ I was from the rest of them. She wasn’t cruel exactly—just the kind of girl who knew how to make a person feel small with nothing more than a well-placed smirk.

I forced a smile. “Still obsessing over people’s hobbies?”

Harper snorted, and Mason coughed to hide his laugh.

Emma’s eyes flickered with something sharp before she tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Just making conversation.” She turned her attention to Harper. “Bonfire tonight, right?”

Harper nodded. “Yeah, you going?”

“Of course.” Emma’s gaze slid back to me. “You should come too, Stella. Maybe it’s time you stop staring at the sky and actually live a little.”

The way she said it—like my life was somehow less because I spent more time with the stars than with people—made something inside me bristle.

But instead of letting her get to me, I just smiled. “Maybe the stars have more interesting things to say than you do.”

Mason choked on his drink, and even Harper looked impressed.

Emma’s smile faltered just slightly before she let out a light, dismissive laugh. “Suit yourself.” Then she turned and walked off, her friends trailing behind her like perfectly coordinated satellites.

I exhaled, finally letting go of the tension in my shoulders.

Harper nudged me. “That was amazing.”

I shrugged, stabbing my fork into my salad. “She’ll get over it.”

Mason grinned. “You should definitely come tonight. Just for that comeback alone.”

I still wasn’t sure if I wanted to go, but as I looked out the window at the endless blue sky, I felt that familiar tug in my chest again.

Maybe Harper was right.

Maybe it was time to do something different.

Maybe—just this once—I should let myself fall into something unknown.

_____(after Lunch)

After lunch, Harper and I strolled down the hallway, taking our time before heading to our next classes. The afternoon sun filtered through the windows, casting golden patches of light on the floor. The hallway was still noisy with students lingering by their lockers, but for once, neither of us was in a rush.

“So,” Harper started, linking her arm through mine. “Are we going to talk about how you totally roasted Emma Sinclair back there? Because I lived for that moment.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“Oh, but it was.” Harper stopped walking, turning to face me with a dramatic gasp. “My best friend, the quiet stargazer, finally fighting back. Who knew you had that in you?”

I rolled my eyes but smiled. Harper always knew how to make me laugh, even when I didn’t feel like it.

She leaned against the lockers, her expression softening. “But seriously, Stella… you okay?”

The question caught me off guard. I frowned. “Yeah. Why?”

Harper shrugged. “I don’t know. You’ve just seemed… restless lately. Like your mind is always somewhere else.”

I hesitated. I could brush it off, make a joke, or change the subject. But this was Harper—my best friend since middle school, the only person who really got me.

So I told her the truth.

“I just—” I sighed, looking down at the tile floor. “Do you ever feel like you’re waiting for something, but you don’t know what?”

Harper tilted her head, thinking. “Like you’re stuck in the same routine every day, but something inside you is screaming for more?”

I looked up at her, surprised. “Yeah… exactly.”

She smiled knowingly. “I get it. Trust me.”

I leaned against the lockers beside her. “I love my family, I love the stars, but sometimes I feel like there’s something out there I’m supposed to find. Something bigger than this town. Bigger than just… school, bonfires, and Friday night football games.”

Harper nodded. “You’ve always been like that. Searching for something beyond what’s right in front of you.”

I exhaled, feeling both seen and a little exposed. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Nope.” Harper bumped her shoulder against mine. “It just means you’re meant for something extraordinary.”

I smiled, warmth blooming in my chest. Harper always knew the right thing to say.

She grinned. “Which is why you need to come to the bonfire tonight. Maybe you’ll find some of that ‘something more’ you’re looking for.”

I groaned. “You’re not going to drop this, are you?”

“Absolutely not.” She hooked her arm through mine again, tugging me down the hall. “Come on, if we’re late to class again, Mr. Owens will make us write another essay on time management.”

I sighed but followed her, feeling just a little lighter.

Maybe Harper was right. Maybe stepping out of my comfort zone—even just a little—was exactly what I needed.

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