To The Stars

[Madeline Speare]

Sitting along the wall of the astronomy tower, I glanced up at the sky. It was dark, the moon was out surround by stars. There was a soft breeze, blowing strands of my hair free from my ponytail.
"I love you forever. That's a promise."
Promises can always be broken Jane Marie. I remind myself, brushing away some of the tears on my face. I didn't even realize I had been crying. I wasn't that surprised. I hadn't noticed a lot in the past few days, it had all been such a blur. I felt as if I had just been watching everyone, never really being apart of it. Like it was someone else's life and I was just watching it.

My hands absently going over my stomach, I hated to admit it but I was getting bigger. No doubt about that. I could feel the twins kicking too, my appointment was in a few days. After that I could get out of here. Start over, maybe I could finally be happy. You were happy. With him. Not anymore, fucked that up. I sigh, tucking a loose strand of hair back.

"Where do you want to go?" I whisper quietly, looking down at my stomach, feeling them kick, and instantly thinking about how Ian should be here.He's not remember?"I know where I want to go." I mumble, jamming the bottle of anti-depressants back into my bag."I want to go to the stars."

[Darren Turner]

"All well and good in theory," Darren spoke softly from a couple of windows down from the girl, "A lot harder in practice."
He'd been sitting up here for a long time, the cold night air stinging his bare hands and face, the rest of him practically blending into the stone. He might as well have been invisible.
He'd tried to ignore her at first, but he couldn't help but reply when she spoke.
He was somewhat relieved his voice hadn't turned to ash in his throat with the disuse it had suffered recently though.

[Madeline Speare]

I glance up, hearing someone speak. I blink a couple times, as he look familar. He looks like Matt. I shake my head, thinking I was just seeing things.
I glance back out the window at the star,"Ever wonder if there was a way to get to the stars? What do you think that be like?"

[Darren Turner]

"Big burning spheres of helium and an assortment of other gases," He replied, looking out of the window, "That's what they should be. But I don't think that's how it'd be."
He was more relaxed than he had been in a while, which explained the temporary let down of his guard enough for conversation, but right now he didn't care. It didn't seem to matter.

[Madeline Speare]

"I think it'd be a place, where nothing bad happens, no one dies or get hurt." I whisper quietly,"But maybe I'm just dreaming." I glance over at him before speaking,"Don't mind me asking, but your last name wouldn't happen to be Turner, would it?"

[Darren Turner]

"I think you are dreaming," He responded, still looking out of the window.
At her question, however, his eyes narrowed suspiciously and he turned to look at her very fast. He paused a moment, watching her carefully and trying to assess if he should know her or not, but then he just cleared his throat and nodded, "Turner, yes."

[Madeline Speare]

"Family often said I was a dreamer," I say, not taking my eyes off the window. I sigh, running a hand through my hair, getting to my feet to look at him. He looked a lot like Matt and Ian, no doubt about that.
"Turner, related to Matt Turner and Claire Turner, now deceased and one Christopher James David Turner?"

[Darren Turner]

"Seems preferable at times," He said in response to her first comment, but now unable to shake the feeling that he really should be on guard now, especially as she got to her feet.
Automatically, he also rose to his feet, watching her carefully.
She's a pregnant teenage girl, what are you scared of?
"Unfortunately yes to the first, proud to have been so to the second and just plain yes to the third," He replied.

[Madeline Speare]

"Only way to escape this sad excuse we call life," I say, leaning against the wall."Don't have to keep your guard up, not going to hurt you, you know." I say, putting my hands up as a gesture to show I was unarmed. I cross my arms over my chest."Not very fond of Matt?" I ask,"So, got a first name?"

[Darren Turner]

"Too true," He agreed, "And no, no I really do," He insisted, not at all reassured by the empty hands.
It wasn't that he feared being hurt by her, he was more than well enough equipped to defend himself. People set him on edge, friendly people doubley so, more likely to let something slip.
"No, not very fond of Matthew. Foolish, infuriatingly optomistic and loud, incessantly cheerful," He replied, "Yes, I have a first name, thanks for asking. Do you?"

[Madeline Speare]

"Ever wish you could get away?" I ask, quietly, looking back out the window for a moment, slipping my hands into my pockets. I smile weakly, recalling the first time I had met Matt. "That's the thing I liked most about him, saw in the good in people, kind of like me." I say,"Yeah. Do as well, gonna tell me yours? 'Cos mine's Madeline, perfer Maddie though."

[Darren Turner]

"All the time," he replied equally quietly, then he shook his head, "Matt was an idiot, he honestly was. You should have grown up with him, then you'd see that."
"Darren, no abbreiviations," He nodded slightly in recognition of her stating her name, "How did you...er...know my cousins?"

[Madeline Speare]

"I think he just had a different way of looking at things," I say, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear."Cos I'm dating the youngest one." Least I was. "Also met both Matt and Claire."

[Darren Turner]

"Yeah, not the way of the rest of us," Darren nodded, "Took after his skank of a mother."
Then he pauses, and raises an eyebrow, "Oh?"
He clicked his tongue against his teeth for a moment, trying hard not to be amused, "Watch out for that one then. Either that or hope the inability to stay with the same person gene skipped him."

[Madeline Speare]

"He didn't act as if everyone in the world was a fucking liar," I mutter, not to sure I liked this guy.
A lump rises in my throat but I force it back down, idly fiddling with my hands,"Oh?"