Gazing At The Stars

• Nickolas Sideris, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2014

He strode out into the night. Out into the peaceful darkness. Out into a world where he was free. He slowly but carefully made his way down the rocky hill, balancing himself by grabbing hold of the branches that reached out from the surrounding trees. He made his way to the bottom of the hill and sat down on a big lonely rock. His feet scraped the gravel as he positioned them in a comfortable spot. He stared out at the quiet and silent lake. The water was still and reflected the starry night. He looked up and examined the stars shining in the darkness. He smiled at the sight. He loved stars. They always caught his attention. He always felt happier when he saw them. The stars were his best and only friends. He shifted his gaze slightly so he could see the full moon giving light to the land.

He wished he had some real friends. But then it didn’t help that he was the smartest kid in school. It didn’t help that he was a nerd and was always picked on by the popular kids. And it didn’t help that his Dad was a drunk and his Mum had left him when he was five. He sighed as he lowered his head and adjusted his glasses. He brushed his hair out of his eyes so he could see the water properly. The water reminded him of her. Her eyes as blue as the sky. Her long shiny black hair. Her red luscious lips. And her skin as soft as the grass. He had only ever said three words to her. But he had said them so quietly that she couldn’t hear him. They were the three words he had longed to let out.

“I love you.”

That’s when one of the popular guys got the idea that he was hitting on his girl, and that earned him a trip to the bathroom. There, the popular kids enjoyed the show of forcing his head into the toilet before flushing it. He could still feel the water rushing all around his face.

He wished his life was better. He wished he had real friends. He wished his life at home wasn’t so hard. But he couldn’t make them come true. His friends the stars and the moon couldn’t help him. After all, they were only balls of gas and a big rock with sunlight reflecting off them respectively. They couldn’t help him. Or could they? Just as he turned to leave in order to face his drunken father, he saw a flash of light. He whipped his head around to see a shooting star flying through the night sky.

“I wish I was free.”

He smiled as the star flew away, and he always knew that even if his wish didn’t come true, he would always have his friends in the night sky. And that was good enough for him.