Sierra and Aiden: Anthology

Drunk Story (The flower and the star)

"There once was a star" Sierra said drunk, looking out the window from the passenger side.

"There once was a star who shone so brightly, it turned the sky white around it. He was a very special. Underneath that star, was a flower, blooming in a small garden. She was obsessed with the star. She couldn't take her eyes away. During the day, she saved all the energy she could, just so she was able to turn up at him, and stare for hours and hours. She was a sad flower, smaller than the rest. All the other flowers were bright red and striking blue colors. She was yellow. Dull, no fun yellow. But her star made her happy.

"One day, the star wasn't feeling so good. He started to think he wasn't a star. He believed it so much, he fell to the ground, at the foot of his admiring flower. She was startled to have him so near her roots. All her leaves were shaking. It was almost daylight, and as the sun rose, the light of the star slowly faded away.

"What a beautiful flower you are! He said when he woke up. I wish I was a flower, but I'm just the weed that grows around you.

"Oh no, Star! What are you saying? You're not weed, you're a star! The flower answered, just look at your glow!

"But it was daylight, so the star wasn't glowing. The star really believed he was the weed around the flower, and he praised her colors for hours on end. The flower wanted to convince him but... she liked the attention. She liked having him all to herself.

"When the moon woke, the glow of the star returned. Look! He said to the flower. Look my flower, you're glowing! The flower tried to explain, she really tried, that she wasn't glowing. It was all his. But he didn't believe her. After all, he was just weed.

"Days went by, the flower stopped arguing with the star, and the both enjoyed the glow at night. When she was the only bright spot in the entire garden. One morning, she woke up and realized, she was taller! Taller than her sisters. So tall and so graceful. Her dull yellow was now a happy yellow. A shinning yellow. She realized then that the light of the star had helped her grow. He had kept her more alive at night than she's ever been during the day. All the other flowers kept asking about the star. They all wanted to know how a shining star had fallen for a sad flower like her. Didn't he know there was better?

"He didn't. Not really. He could only look up. He only wanted to look up at his flower. At his beautiful glowing flower.

"One morning, the flower made a hard choice. So hard, she cried all morning, while the star was sound asleep. She knew it was for the best, but her tiny heart was broken. That night, when the sky went dark, and the star started glowing, she said, Hey, if you look up, what do you see?

"I see you, flower. He answered.

"Higher. she insisted. Look higher than that.

"I see... a glow. Something's twinkling in the sky! The star was so excited. He had never seen the twinkling sky before.

"Yes, said the flower, and now look around us. What do you see?

"I see... darkness. Except for you of course. he added with good intentions, but it only broke her heart a little more. She was afraid he might hear it.

"See how I'm the only flower that glows?

"That's because you're special! The star said, thinking how lucky he was to fall right at the roots of the only shining flower.

"No, the flower said with a broken voice, it's because of you.

"I don't understand. The star said. I'm just... the lucky weed who gets to grow around you.

"No. The flower had to fight down her tears. I'm the only flower that glows because you're here. You belong up there, were all the other stars shine just as bright. You might even be brighter.

"You used to tell me I was a star but I'm... just weed. The star was shaking, his light flickering.

"Weed doesn't glow, Star. Weed grows and hugs us and keeps us alive. But you belong up there, to hold and hug and keep the sky alive. Not me.

"The star started to question himself. Was he really a star? Was this glow his? His flower sounder so sincere. So honest. It was hard not believing her. Maybe I am a star, he thought, and that was enough for him to lift off the ground and hover as tall as the flower.

"Look! I'm not weed, Flower! I'm a Star! he cried, as the wind helped carry him higher and higher. He was about to reach the sky when he realized, he had left his flower behind.

"The star tried desperately to come back. To glide back down. But it was no use, he was too high now.

"He could see her, though, if we squeezed his eyes and really look. She was still the tallest flower in the garden, but all her petals were looking down now.

"She was crying. One of her leaves fell off. She didn't even get to say goodbye. She wanted to look up but... she wanted the star to be who he really was.

"The star screamed and screamed, but the flower couldn't hear him. She was too far down. So he did the only thing he could do.

"The star started to shine. His glow made the other stars look like broken lightbulbs, and when he thought about his flower, he glowed even more.

"The flower looked up. The star noticed. Seeing her made him so happy, he cried a single tear.

"You could see it. In the midst of a pitch-black night, a drop of star shine fell from the sky and towards the flower. It hit her just right for her to gain a faint glow.

"Ever since that day, the flower doesn't need to save energy during the day to look at her star at night, she now glimmers with a little star shine of her own. That's how the star sees her every night. He looks for a glow amidst the flowers and trees, until he sees her, and she makes him shine even more.

"And she looks up, every night, at the most incandescent star in the sky. Her star."

"Sierra..." I say, not really knowing what to think. I have a knot in my throat as I drive back to her house to drop her off after a night of drinking and dancing with friends. My bones feel weak as she closes her eyes and rests her head in the back of my seat, almost on my shoulder.

"You're my star, Aiden" She whispers. I don't think she knows what she just said. "You're my perfect".

I can't think. My mind goes blank and I almost ran a red light.

I'm clutching the steering wheel so hard my knuckles are white. I turn to look at her and, not thinking, I kiss her right temple. She smiles and my heart stops.

"You're my flower" I whisper before whipping a tear off my eyes and driving off again.