Tricia leaned against the cold metal railing, watching the sun dip below the horizon. Her gaze wandered to the field below, where a group of friends lingered after class. She clutched her notebook to her chest, her heart fluttering every time she spotted Kenjie among them, his laughter distinct and warm.
Tricia sat two rows behind Kenjie, her eyes drawn to the way his black hair caught the afternoon light. She listened as he answered a question about astronomy, his voice confident yet thoughtful. Tricia scribbled stars in the margin of her notebook, wishing she had the courage to speak to him about the things he loved.
Kenjie smiled at Tricia across the table, his eyes bright with excitement. "You know, the Perseid meteor shower is tonight. I wish everyone could see how beautiful it is," he said, tracing constellations on the fogged-up glass. Tricia nodded, her heart aching with the hope that he might invite her to watch it together, but his attention soon drifted to a message on his phone.
Tricia watched as Kenjie rushed past, his face alight as he called out to another girl—Maya, radiant and confident, her laughter ringing out like chimes. Tricia pressed herself against the wall, her chest tight with longing and uncertainty. The moment felt like a star slipping from her grasp, lost before she could make her wish.
Tricia sat alone on a bench, knees drawn to her chest, her breath clouding in the cool night air. She closed her eyes and pressed her palms together, whispering a wish as the falling star vanished into the velvet dark. "Please, let me find my own light, even if it can't be his,"
Tricia opened her notebook, finding comfort in the pages filled with dreams and constellations. The ache in her heart had softened, replaced by a gentle hope for the future. As she watched the sky brighten, Tricia realized that the universe was vast, and perhaps, somewhere out there, a new wish was waiting to come true.
