“I guess that was kind of offensive,” she said.
“It’s okay,” you said. “I get it. It’s not the world’s most exciting place. But it’s kind of a tradition to spend it… with myself.”
She nodded.
“Okay, respect,” she said. “I’m not great at being by myself, personally. Which is probably why I was just in your brother’s room even though it’s clear he barely remembered my name. He does have good taste in whiskey, though. Cutty Sark!”
She burped again. Then she sat up, her hands flat on the shingles behind her, and closed her eyes. She had dark eyebrows, a little unkempt compared to most girls your age, and they connected when she frowned.
“I don’t know if I’m ever going to see you again, Case,” she said then, “so I’m going to tell you something.”
“Okay,” you said.
“That dude in there really loves you.”
“Who, Sean?” you said.
“Yeah, he wouldn’t shut up about you. How smart you are.”
“That’s not really…”
“Did you actually skip two grades?”
“Well, one, and then some specific subjects…”
“Do you really write his papers for him?”
“I consider myself more of an editor.”
“One more question,” she said.
“Okay.”
Her eyes went a little glassy and she looked back at the house.
“Is he nice to girls?” she asked.
But before you could answer, she looked up and her eyes went wide.
“HOLY SHIT! I just saw a UFO! In real life!”
You felt a squeeze on your leg then, and when you looked down, her hand was clamping onto your thigh. You knew it was probably just instinct on her part, a gesture born out of shock, but nonetheless, a charge passed through your body in that moment that left you breathless. Her nails were sharp even through your jeans, and they pinched your leg.
“Meteor shower,” you managed.
“What?”
“Comet debris. It… According to my app, it burns as it enters our atmosphere. And then…”
You waved toward the sky, and another one arced by on cue, like a tiny sparkler someone had tossed javelin-style through the night. She didn’t say anything. She just watched the sky now, and you saw maybe a half dozen more, flying pinpricks trailing light so quickly they were gone before you were even sure you’d seen them. Then everything was static again, all the stars fixed in their right places, and she was staring at you with a very different kind of look on her flushed face.
“Wow,” she said. “Okay. That was actually kind of amazing. You’re like a star wizard.”
She finally seemed to notice her hand on your leg, and she gently pulled it away.
“Yeah,” you said. “That’s actually my nickname. Star Wizard.”
She laughed.
