Lost Stars

xvi. planetarium

"That all happened, and your forgot to tell me?" Melissa's voice rounded with disbelief as she and Elle walked through the once bleak halls of their high school. It was only now that she got to catch up with her best friend, but that is to be expected when you choose to be the companion of a member of both the cheerleading team and the school newspaper as well as extra credit, volunteer work after school, and the ever so popular theatre. Melissa always had the mindset that youth was given as an opportunity to let curiosity take the wheel and discover what is hidden behind every door, and she never saw any space for regrets.

"All of it happened in one blast, okay? Telling someone about it was the last thing on my mind." Elle said in a silent voice as they turned the corner and finally made it to their metal lockers. "Elle, don't give me that. You texted me the moment you got your driver's license. Nothing goes by as too small or too insignificant for you. I practically know your entire life story because you tell me every detail the moment it happens. It's just not like you to not tell me things. It feels weird." Melissa said all the while putting books back in her locker as well as pulling other books out that are clearly more important during this time of day. Elle only gave her a side glance before returning to her locker because she had no idea what she was supposed to say to that.

"The important thing is that I'm telling you know. It's better than not telling you at all, don't you think?" Elle finished and got everything she needed before swinging the metal door close. It was absolutely suffocating to be interrogated like this for the little thing that she forgot to do. It made her feel like she was being backed into a corner like an animal, and Melissa was always as persistent as she was now. "I just feel like we haven't been talking as much as we used to ever since that boy walked into your life." Melissa said in a softer and calmer voice that actually relieved Elle had it not been for her choice of words.

"Firstly, that boy has a name, and it's Jack Kingston. Secondly, you can't seriously be blaming me. You haven't exactly been that approachable ever since you decided to become a member of literally everything this school has to offer. You're basically saying that you can have all the distractions you want and I can't even have one." Elle raised her voice and startled Melissa a bit as she looked at her with wide eyes. "You see that's what I'm talking about. You have never acted like this before." Melissa threw her hands in the air to emphasize her point, which was pretty shallow to Elle.

Now that she thought about it, she never acted out at all in her life. Not until Jack. And to Melissa, it might be the most horrific thing to not have someone to agree with everything she says as well as someone to boss around. But to Elle, Jack liberated her and allowed her to grow more into herself as a person. Jack showed her that she was completely wrong about life, and that the only way you can see the gods things is when you have somebody to show it to you.

"You know what? Forget about it." Melissa turned around and flicked her wrist over her shoulder as if she was swatting a pesky little fly away, but that was probably what she thought of Elle now that she went against her. Elle was left standing in the middle of the hallway as she released a heavy breath, while looking at Melissa's vindication as she walked away.

"What was that about?" Elle jumped a bit as an unexpected yet very recognizable voice stepped into the scene and made her turn around. It was her perfect distraction. "You know, just lost a friend. Nothing out of the ordinary." Elle leaned over to her side and fell against Jack's body as he threw his arm around her and pulled her in. "You sad about it?" Jack looked down on her face and watched a variety of thought and contemplation come together in one go and was delighted when she just shook her head before wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Hey, I was wondering out of the top of my mind if you had anything planned for Saturday night." Jack looked down to meet her eyes, but they were transfixed forward as they walked together in a slow pace. "No, why do you ask?"

"Nothing." Jack skeptically shrugged his shoulders before leaving a chastened kiss on her head and leaving her in a rush down the hall where she had just been to visit her locker. Elle was left dumbfounded at his odd behavior and irritated because it seemed that he had the ability to make his question float around her head for the whole day.

The rest of the day was typically depressing. Her pen incessantly was forced side to side as Elle fiddled with it between her thumb and her finger as the lecturer proceeded with his boring topic. But it seemed like he was the only one in the room to actually take an interest in everything that he was converting from thought to words as he smoothly wrote down important points on the whiteboard, which was now filled with his unreadable cursive accompanied by circles and arrows that no one understood.

Her next class was chemistry, which was often spent in the company of chemicals and test tubes of various sizes. She was left to pour chemicals all by herself as the professor circles the lab and checked up on all the pairs, since Melissa coincidentally wasn't feeling well on the one period that they had to communicate to each other and stand near each other. Elle knew that it wasn't a coincidence that she was left alone. It was always like Melissa to throw a tantrum on the tiniest things until she got her apology, whether it was her fault or not.

She soon walk past the notorious room of 308 and got a peek in it. The cursed circle was still a thing with that wretched with as the parasite that basked in everyone's peculiarity like it was the sun. Elle saw that Jack wasn't their either as she smoothly snuck past it. She has only ever gone to one of the sessions, and she has managed to stop the incessant complains and irritations of her teachers. It didn't matter to them what happened in there just as long as it got her to shut up and pay attention in class. But the one good thing that happened in there, the one most magical moment she has ever felt, was definitely the most blissful antidote she could have ever felt.

She never bumped into Jack throughout the day prior to their shady conversation, shadier on his side, but she would have much rather that she saw him than the person who she could safely say was no longer her friend. Melissa has found a new set of people to hang out with as she glanced up and shot Elle one of her menacing glares that held anger and a more diluted sense of vengeance. But if she knew anything about Elle Martin, which Elle herself highly doubted, Melissa would know that Elle absolutely adored isolation.

Elle was honestly never fond of Melissa to begin with. The only reason of their acquaintanceship was the small portion of Elle's mind that strived for normalcy, but that piece was long gone ever since Jack allowed her to embrace herself, and he was the only company she cared to keep.

And finally, the dragging day finally came to an end. Everyone has gone to whatever plans they held on a Friday night, but Elle just finished her usual thing in the library. It still played in her mind the question as to where Jack has been all day, but that was a question for another day as she fiddled to unlock the combination on her irritating locker for one final stop to drop her books off for the weekend, when an envelope slipped down on to the floor.

Driven by her curiosity, Elle bent down and picked up the mysterious letter and saw that her name was scribbled on the back of it with a penmanship far more admirable than that of Helen's. She undid the adhesive that bound the envelope, careful not to damage the quality of it, and brought out the card inside.

Helen and Grant Kingston's 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Below those words were details, but Elle couldn't be bothered to read that as she stood there confused as to why this was given to her. She has met Helen on some occasions, but they surely weren't that close that she would invite her to something as celebratory as her wedding anniversary.

Confused and unconsciously, she flipped the invitation around and saw that there was something written on the back of it with a simple pen.

It would be an absolute pleasure if you could give me the honor of accompanying me to this grand celebration.
-Jack Kingston

hello :3 how's your day going?
thanks for reading my story
love, emma