near us. “Last year I didn’t really do anything. Kristen was… missing, and I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate.” Looking down at my lap, I brushed away a speck of a crumb. Those memories were sad, and I didn’t want to think about that. So I said, “But the year before, Kristen and I went into the city to see
Rent
. My parents got us this limo, and we took it all over Manhattan. Nothing like seeing the sights while you’re stuck in rush-hour traffic. We saw a whole bunch of alleys and backs of buildings.”
“I bet you had a great time, though,” Ben said.
“Yeah, we really did.” I stroked my star necklace.
I wish she could have been here for this birthday. I wish I would have gotten to share it with her.
The fireflies glowed, and I closed one eye. It almost looked like they were blinking in Morse code.
“Do you know Morse code?” I mused out loud.
Ben must have been distracted, because he looked startled. “What?”
“Do you know Morse code?” I repeated, standing up. “
Look
. The fireflies are blinking in Morse code. It’s some kind of secret message.” I stepped out into the yard and glanced back at him. “Help me catch one.”
He looked at me with an amused smile. “What is this? Your eighth-birthday party?”
“Don’t make me pout. Or cry. Cuz it’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to.”
Ben laughed and stood up. Then he lunged at me. “Almost had one there.”
“You did not.” I punched his arm lightly. “You just wanted to scare me.”
He shrugged and turned away. “Maybe.”
I spotted one flying toward the trees and started after it. With my hands cupped together, I combed the air and then quickly closed them. Moving back to the light, I cracked them open to see if I’d caught the glowing prize.
But my hands were empty. “Aww, I thought I had one.” Sudden movement in the corner of my eye had me spinning around again, and I scooped my hands through the air. I felt something small catch. “I got one! I got one!”
Ben came over, and I opened my hands wider so that we could both see in. A small, black winged bug crawled steadily across my cupped palm.
“Bring it here, out of the light, so we can see it blink,” he suggested.
Holding my tiny captive carefully so that I didn’t squishhim, I followed Ben back toward the trees. My hands lit up every couple of seconds.
Ben leaned in closer and cupped his hands around mine. “Wait, he’s saying something.”
I leaned in too and held my breath.
Does he really know Morse code?
“Happy… birth… day… Happy birthday… Abbey.” Ben looked up at me and smiled. “The lightning bug wanted to wish you a happy birthday.”
Our hands were touching, but now our heads were almost touching too. My eyes were finally adjusting to the darkness, and I could see the outline of his eyes, his nose, and his lips. He was staring at me, and I could tell he was noticing the lack of space between us.
Shifting my weight, I moved slightly closer.
Is this… ? Are we going to… ?
A buzzing sensation drew my attention from Ben, and I realized that the firefly was trying to escape. “Oh!” I moved my hands away from his. The flapping of tiny insect wings against my skin was giving me the creepy crawlies.
Ben looked confused.
“Sorry,” I said. “It wanted to get loose and was moving against my hand. Kind of gross.”
“Kind of gross, huh?” He laughed.
I nodded.
What should I do now?
Then I felt his warm fingertips brushing against my collarbone, and I looked down, shocked to see his hand on my necklace.
He took a step closer, and was practically touching me. Standing so close, I had to look up at him to see his face.
“Your star was crooked,” he whispered.
But he’d straightened it.
… and still had his hand there.
A strange feeling flooded over me, and immediately I knew what was going to happen next. In that split second I saw it all playing out in front of me. Like a scene from a movie.
It should have
Rent
. My parents got us this limo, and we took it all over Manhattan. Nothing like seeing the sights while you’re stuck in rush-hour traffic. We saw a whole bunch of alleys and backs of buildings.”
“I bet you had a great time, though,” Ben said.
“Yeah, we really did.” I stroked my star necklace.
I wish she could have been here for this birthday. I wish I would have gotten to share it with her.
The fireflies glowed, and I closed one eye. It almost looked like they were blinking in Morse code.
“Do you know Morse code?” I mused out loud.
Ben must have been distracted, because he looked startled. “What?”
“Do you know Morse code?” I repeated, standing up. “
Look
. The fireflies are blinking in Morse code. It’s some kind of secret message.” I stepped out into the yard and glanced back at him. “Help me catch one.”
He looked at me with an amused smile. “What is this? Your eighth-birthday party?”
“Don’t make me pout. Or cry. Cuz it’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to.”
Ben laughed and stood up. Then he lunged at me. “Almost had one there.”
“You did not.” I punched his arm lightly. “You just wanted to scare me.”
He shrugged and turned away. “Maybe.”
I spotted one flying toward the trees and started after it. With my hands cupped together, I combed the air and then quickly closed them. Moving back to the light, I cracked them open to see if I’d caught the glowing prize.
But my hands were empty. “Aww, I thought I had one.” Sudden movement in the corner of my eye had me spinning around again, and I scooped my hands through the air. I felt something small catch. “I got one! I got one!”
Ben came over, and I opened my hands wider so that we could both see in. A small, black winged bug crawled steadily across my cupped palm.
“Bring it here, out of the light, so we can see it blink,” he suggested.
Holding my tiny captive carefully so that I didn’t squishhim, I followed Ben back toward the trees. My hands lit up every couple of seconds.
Ben leaned in closer and cupped his hands around mine. “Wait, he’s saying something.”
I leaned in too and held my breath.
Does he really know Morse code?
“Happy… birth… day… Happy birthday… Abbey.” Ben looked up at me and smiled. “The lightning bug wanted to wish you a happy birthday.”
Our hands were touching, but now our heads were almost touching too. My eyes were finally adjusting to the darkness, and I could see the outline of his eyes, his nose, and his lips. He was staring at me, and I could tell he was noticing the lack of space between us.
Shifting my weight, I moved slightly closer.
Is this… ? Are we going to… ?
A buzzing sensation drew my attention from Ben, and I realized that the firefly was trying to escape. “Oh!” I moved my hands away from his. The flapping of tiny insect wings against my skin was giving me the creepy crawlies.
Ben looked confused.
“Sorry,” I said. “It wanted to get loose and was moving against my hand. Kind of gross.”
“Kind of gross, huh?” He laughed.
I nodded.
What should I do now?
Then I felt his warm fingertips brushing against my collarbone, and I looked down, shocked to see his hand on my necklace.
He took a step closer, and was practically touching me. Standing so close, I had to look up at him to see his face.
“Your star was crooked,” he whispered.
But he’d straightened it.
… and still had his hand there.
A strange feeling flooded over me, and immediately I knew what was going to happen next. In that split second I saw it all playing out in front of me. Like a scene from a movie.
It should have
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