……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Chapter Eight: WISH UPON A FALLING STAR… After a long, steamy and soapy shower, Brian pulled on a clean, stylish pair of dark denim jeans and a casual pitch-black long-sleeved shirt with white asymmetrical designs. He gets into his black ‘vette and drives away from the city. He listens to the loud music playing through the speakers of his car’s radio. He feels a rough vibration under his feet. Not caring about where he was heading, Brian somehow manages to drive to some road in the middle of a forest. The road's empty, only a few dimmed streetlamps and obscured trees. Holding tightly onto the steering wheel, he reaches over to turn the music volume up. He listens to the song, trying to focus on the road. He purses his lips, feeling the brim of his restless eyes burning and wet with tears threatening to spill. He glances to the side of the road, sucking his lips and biting them hard. But tears slowly roll down his cheeks and blur his vision. He presses the back of his hand against his lips. Brian quickly wipes his face with the back of his sleeve and speeds up along the road. He turns the steering wheel to the right and exits the road, driving up an empty hill. He kills the engine, keeping the keys inside the car. He steps out, letting the headlights on and slams the door shut. With his two middle fingers hooked in the back of his jeans, he steps onto the large cliff. The view of New York City emerges beautifully from behind a bunch of flowered twigs as he walks closer. Brian kicks the ground and forces himself to hold back his cry. Brian walks closer to the edge's fence; he looks upward and sees a white star fly across the sky. Brian gets starry-eyed while he watches the little twinkling light till it disappears. A faint laugh escapes Brian’s lips and he cutely bites his bottom lip. He turns his head to his left, and frowns when he notices a blond boy sitting on a worn-out couch, seeming completely out of place. The boy is mysteriously looking-out, his head turned to the city’s view and switching his glances between the sunset and a small television screen. Holding a half-smoked cigarette in his right hand and hiding his other arm between his legs and stomach. His legs are bent with his feet on the cushioned couch. Just by the couch, there’s a small television set, which is emitting a dim white light onto the blonds’ face. The boy is barely ten meters away from Brian, the three-seat couch is facing Brian, with ripped pages of magazines dancing and twirling in the wind over the ground. The couch is filthy and its fabric is merely holding together, with all sorts of dark grays, stale blues and thistle tints of ruined material. Brian tilts his head and watches the blond thoughtfully. His hair is longish and looks unwashed. Blond strands fall onto his face, hiding his dark looking eyes. His skin is pale like a porcelain doll and he has tender red lips. As he quickly whips his hair out of his eyes, Brian sees blue eyes shimmering under the faint light of the single lamppost. He’s wearing faded black jeans, a little too big for the boy’s small figure, damaged black footwear, and a dark red, half-zipped sweater. The young man is watching the dark city like it’s a palace, illuminated by fire-flies. The sun is barely completely hidden, forming romantic scenery, that takes their breath away. The blond boy slowly turns his head to Brian. Undisturbed, he takes his last drag and throws the stick on the opposite side of the couch. He looks at Brian curiously. “Come sit with me.” The blond softly says. Brian steps closer and carefully sits like it’s a bed of roses, with his back against the rigid couch arm. “My name’s Justin.” He says, extending his hand to Brian. Brian sweetly smiles and gently shakes his hand, feeling a cold silver ring on Justin’s middle finger. “I’m Brian.” Brian replies and smirks while cutely biting his bottom lip again. “Nice to meet you.” Justin sweetly says with a smile. Brian smiles sweetly back and yawns. Justin gently rests his head on the cottony back of the couch without taking his eyes off Brian. Brian wraps his arms tightly around his knees. They both turn to the small television set and watch the cheap image shake as the figures move. The movie ‘Ghost’ is playing barely-audibly, but if they stay quiet they can hear the faint voices. Oblivious of their surroundings, they stay in a long, comforting silence with one another. Justin extends his hand and playfully casts shadows on the ground. Brian wraps his arms around his own chest and smiles at Justin as he plays with the designs on the couch’s material, carefully following the lines. “Will you stay here with me?” Justin asks softly, extending his hand in Brian’s direction. Brian slightly nods. “I’ll stay.” He says and leans his head on the couch, slowly he half-closes his restless eyes, and half watches the screen. Justin looks at him and leans closer. “Brian, you’re falling asleep.” Justin whispers close to Brian’s ear, pronouncing 'sleep', a little softer. He carefully caresses his cheek and Brian falls to sleep accompanied by the faint sound of ‘Unchained Melody’ and Justin’s touch… Bright blinking sunlight wakes Brian up; he head is against the couch’s cushion. There’s no one around him, no Justin and practically no noise. He looks at his surroundings but it’s empty except for a blank television set and the couch he's sitting on. Helping himself up with his palms, Brian frowns and notices black scribbles on his forearm. The words read: “Look in your back pocket for the keys. I locked your car for you. – J.” ………………………………………………………………………………………………………