Under these Stars

Chapter 1 : Promise?

After her parents's accident, Delany shut her self from the world. She liked being in her safe, little bubble.

Mason, on the other hand, wanted to see that smiling, bubbly girl once more. He helped her sleep without nightmares and mended her broken self.

Fast forward five years, they are strangers now. She doesn't talk to him, he doesn't talk to her. They're completely different. He's the bad boy who all the girls fawn over, and she's the girl who is simply there. And they're fine like that, even if they so happen to be neighbors and used to be childhood best friends.

One night Mason crawls into her room, neck deep in trouble with no one to turn towards except her, and now she's the one helping him.

*****

Five years ago
Delany POV:

"You were crying again," he says shyly.

"How'd you get in?" I crawl under my bed covers and peek over to see if he's really here.

He hesitates before answering, "Your window was open. I climbed the tree between our windows."

"That's dangerous!" I gasp and crawl out of my bed immediately. I inspect him for any injuries before remembering he didn't like being touched. "Oh, sorry." I step a few steps back embarrassed.

"It's...it's fine," he says, blinking slowly in surprise, his words seem directed more to him than to me. "And anyways, I can handle climbing a small tree." He puffs out his chest and grins.
A small smile forms on my lip. "You're weird."
He sticks out his tongue in response.
I glance at the tree. It looks very big and old from my window. I never realized how close the tree was to our rooms. As a second thought, I should probably close my window from now on. I didn't actually mind that he climbed in, but if he could, then anyone could.

We stand there and stare at each other in silence. I can see he wants to speak as he squirms a little under my stare. Eventually, he gathers the courage to ask.

"Do you want to talk about it?" His words comes out cautiously, not sure if he's overstepping his boundaries.

"There's nothing to talk about." I shake my head quickly. It's a lie. He knows it; I know it. He chooses not to push.

I sit on the edge of my bed and take a breath before asking him,"Do you want to talk about...?" I leave the question open, not sure if I'm overstepping my boundaries either.

"It's fine," he gives me a tight smile. He sits next to me on the bed. "Do you mind..?" He motions to his feet and the bed.

"I don't mind." He brings his feet up and bends them in a criss cross position. A small giggle escapes from my mouth as I notice his pajamas. His faded pink shirt says, "I'm sexy and I know it" in bold letters. There are some sparkles leftover from multiple runs through the washing machines. His black sweats contrast the pink shirt.

At first, he stares at me with a confused look. Then, he looks down at his shirt and blushes.

"Th-this isn't mine!" He stutters cutely, his face all red. He must have forgotten all about it. "It's Mimi's! My sister gave me this shirt a while ago!"

I let it slide that he wear his sister's old shirts as pajamas. I can't help but burst out laughing at his reaction. I think this is the first time I have laughed in months. It isn't incredibly funny but I feel like I can't stop laughing. I do try to keep my volume down in case my brothers hear me though they are deep sleepers. They sleep like the dead.

He stares at me with a strange glint in his eyes as I laugh. He looks fixedly at me before his eyes roam the rest of my room. Soon, I calm down and lay flat on my back. I'm tired from all that laughing and my stomach hurts.

"Do you feel better?" He smiles kindly as he lies next to me but on his side with a propped elbow.

"Mhmm," I nod, turning onto my side. "Why are you up so late?"

"I couldn't sleep." He says truthfully. He cautiously holds up his hand to my cheek and wipes my tears away.

"Sorry." He takes his hand back immediately as I freeze.

"Did I wake you up?" I feel guilty. Ever since my parents' accident, I wake up crying and/or screaming in the middle of the night. I take a mental note to close my window once again.

"No, of course not," he immediately shakes his head. "I just couldn't sleep tonight, that's all."

"Oh okay," I feel slightly reassured. I decide to ask the question on my mind,"Can you see directly into my room from your room?

"Yeah." He shrugs. Then, he adds, "but I don't watch you, or have seen anything um you know..." He blushes one more time. His fair skin sure blushes easily. "I mean if you look at my room, you can see right into my room too..." Oh that's right, he doesn't always shut his window either. The weather around here is constantly warm, so people leave their windows open quite frequently.

"Oh," I nod. I think back to all those times I've changed clothes or acted weird in my room. I usually change in my closet, but I can't guarantee I haven't acted crazy right in front of him. This time I can feel my cheeks flush.

"Whoa, cool!" His attention is drawn to my ceiling. He gasps in awe, "Did you do this?" He refers to my glow in the dark stars that I painstakingly tried to mirror as many constellations as possible. I stuck numerous glow in the dark stars on the ceiling with my mom and I. It was a week long project as we painted the ceiling to resemble the night sky with a mixture of purples, blues, and silvers.

"My mom and I did," I reminisce. I was proud of my ceiling. I loved gazing at the stars every night, even though lately I would try not to look at it for it saddened me.

"This beats looking at my plain white ceiling any day," he grins widely, not noticing my switch in emotions. I gawk at his dazzling smile for a second. It really lights up his adorable face. I start blushing at the thoughts in my head.

"Hey Mason? Why did you come in here?" I ask curiously.

"I heard you crying," he whispers. "You looked lonely and sad."

"I sound like such a girl," he jokes.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I poke his side as I frown at him.

"I'm kidding," he moves away from my finger.

We fall silent for quite a while. Both of us look at the stars in a comfortable silence.

"Hey Mason?" I whisper this time, not wanting to disturb our quiet moment.

"Yeah?"

"Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?" I murmur this quieter, afraid of his response.

"Sure Delany," he chuckles softly.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

For the first time in months, I fall asleep with no nightmares.

(A/N yes this line is extremely cheesy, but I swear that it'll get better)