Trailing Stars (Trailing Stars #1)

I can't fall asleep no matter how much I try. I sit up in bed and look out the window. It doesn't look like it's snowing or raining or windy, so I throw my sheets off and get dressed. I grab my phone, house keys, and skates and slowly open my door. I stand right at the threshold and wait for a minute. It doesn't sound like anyone's awake. When I'm sure no one will catch me leaving, I shut my bedroom door and walk downstairs and out the front door.

My feet take me to the lake at the park. I rip off my shoes and shove my feet into the skates. I expect my mind to clear once I step onto the ice, but I can't escape my thoughts tonight. They're so distracting that I stumble and even fall. I don't even try to do any jumps, but I still find myself sprawled out on the ice.

By the fifth fall, I lie on my back and stare up at the starry sky. My breath blurs them every time I exhale. I hold my hand up, looking at one particularly bright star through my fingers. For a moment, all I can think about is my conversation with Nathan. What'd he say? That stars can follow us but we can also follow stars? Like we're trailing one another until we get what we want or need.

Nothing feels more true than the fact that I have trailing stars. And skating can't even stop them from trailing right now. Wonder what that means for me...

I push myself to my feet and skate back to my shoes. I shove them on, but I don't want to go home yet. So I walk aimlessly around until I find myself outside my school. I'm already typing in the security code Clara showed me before I can fully comprehend what I'm doing. I climb the stairs to the top floor and into the classroom that has windows directly leading out to the roof. I pause when I realize the window is already open. I slowly cross the room and look out. A pair of stars look back at me from the other side of the roof. I have to blink to realize that they're not stars but really bright silver eyes, and a part of me can't help but think that's even better.

Nathan furrows his eyebrows. "How do you...?" He trails off, nodding to himself. "Clara?"

I nod. "Clara."

Nathan barks out a laugh, his breath coming out in a visible puff. "Of course, she didn't tell me she told you."

So they keep secrets from each other, too. Morgan and I weren't the only ones. Should I feel bad for being happy about it...? Maybe not. Not when Nathan seems more amused than anything else. But he also seems lost in thought. I probably came at a bad time if he's out here in the middle of the night.

I'm already backing away from the window. "If you want to be alone, I can go."

He shakes his head, taking a step toward me. He holds his hand out like he means to take my hand to stop me from leaving. "No, it's okay. It's nice to have company up here." I come back to the window. Nathan actually does come close enough to take my hand this time, helping me climb out the window. Even when I'm safely on my feet, he keeps a hold of my hand. He only lets go when he meets my eyes, flinching like he just realized it's really me. He immediately shoves his hands in his pockets and stares at his feet. He clears his throat, kicking at the ground. "What are you doing out so late, anyway?"

I pull on my sleeves until they cover my hands. "I could ask you the same thing."

He laughs. "That's fair." He visibly swallows and looks across the roof. "I like to come here when I can't sleep."

"I couldn't sleep either."

He glances at me. "Why not?"

I shrug. "Too many thoughts. You?"

Nathan looks out across the roof again before turning to me, his eyes a stormy gray color. "Clara and I had an argument after you left."

"Oh..." I wring my hands and walk across the roof to look out at the quiet street. When Nathan joins me, I ask, "How bad was it?"