lycheepearlmilktea

They were best of friends once, years ago. Still are, perhaps. But it’s been a while.
Elise Ashton: stubborn yet determined, a brilliant aspiring astrophysicist with her head in the stars. Aiden Carter: caring and friendly, a talented musician who always has his friends and family at heart.
When a twist of fate brings these two longtime childhood friends to vacation destination Silverstone Beach as teenagers, cool-headed logic meets ardent emotions as they struggle to understand each other—and themselves. After all these years, what’s changed…and what’s stayed the same?

Constellations and Harmonies

The keys on the keyring jangle as Elise takes it out to unlock the door to a storeroom outside the observatory. Aiden looks around as he waits. It's a quiet night. Aside from the two of them, there is just the soft hums of crickets chirping and the brilliant, star-sprinkled sky above.


"We don't use this often, so it might be a bit"—she coughs—"dusty." The door creaks open.


"That's alright." He steps in after Elise. It's dark inside, but the moonlight trickles in and it's enough to see.


"Okay, I'm looking for the AQ6 lens…" Elise mutters as she searches the cluttered shelves. "Got it!" It's on the highest shelf, atop a stack of other precariously balanced equipment. Standing on her tiptoes, she's able to reach it.


Unfortunately, in the process, she also knocks over the other items on the shelves.


She steps back quickly, and instinctively also pushes a surprised Aiden back to shield him from the falling wares.


Now his back is pressed against the one shelf-less wall in the shed, and she is pressed close against him.


He clears his throat. "I hope that wasn't expensive."


She looks around, dazed as if she wasn't aware what just happened. "Oh, that? Most of it's plastic, it should be fine. That's why we keep it in this storeroom."


After a moment, "Maybe… we should continue with the experiment setup." 


But neither of them makes an effort to move.


She might be imagining it, but she feels like his heartbeat is faster than normal.


"So I take it you…remember Silverstone Beach?" she asks. Her pulse is definitely faster.


He chuckles. "How you rejected me? Yeah."


She blushes, and hopes he can't see it in the lack of light. "Well, maybe I was an idiot then."


She pauses, then continues, faster. "I mean, you know I liked you then. And I thought I got over it, and you probably did too. God, it's been years now, hasn't it? I eventually did get over it. Over you. But then you came back this past month and a half, and, and, I don't know anymore."


She takes a breath. "I'm sorry, it's been so long. It doesn't matter anymore now, does it? I shouldn't have brought this up."


Pause. "You took me a few years to get over. But I did. And now… to be quite honest, I don't know anymore, too. About now. About us. But I didn't want to say anything or do anything that would make you uncomfortable, given…how you reacted that time."


She pauses, longer. "Remember when… you said to try something that time?"


"What? You're being really vague; I—"


Stars