When you WISH upon a STAR... [Zane]

[PETAL PAIX]

Location: Hyde Park

Petal almost shouted for joy when the power went out. She was done with all of her paper work and had nothing to do but chat with her friends online. Normally on a nice evening, she’d go for a walk to the park and attempt to look at stars. To her dismay it would be too bright for stars almost every time. The big city lights never seemed to go off and they blocked the view of anything far off in the sky. Petal wouldn’t let herself get down and instead found some lovely people to talk to. Then her internet, lights in her office and everywhere else went out. Petal felt around for the door and push it open. She looked up in the sky and laughed. “Yes, I see stars!”

She propped the door open with a chair and went to find the emergency box in the dance studio closet. She dragged out the box and pulled a multiple candles and a flashlight. In a matter of minutes the place was filled with candlelight. Petal opened up her refrigerator and pulled out all the food and drink that could go bad. It was too much for just her. She bit her lip and pulled out her phone. She scrolled down through a few names on her contact list and got to the bottom. There was Zane’s name. Why was she so nervous? He’d totally want to go if he wasn’t busy!

While the phone rang, she busied herself with packing the food in a basket and finding some pretty lanterns to take to the park. His voice answered and she found her heart racing. For a second, she forgot what she was going to say. After getting a hold of herself, she asked him and he had no idea what a picnic was! How silly! She insisted and he agreed. After hanging up the phone, she did a little twirl and a huge smile appeared on her face. She grabbed her goodies and skipped outside to hail a taxi. Luckily they were still running. She arrived at Hyde Park and found the most perfect spot by the fountain. She set everything out and saw a man walking towards her. It only took two seconds to figure out who it was. A shot of adrenaline burst through her veins and she got up and ran and jumped into his arms. She giggled and let go smiling. “Hi Zaney!”

outfit: pretty!

[PETAL PAIX]

Petal loved the way Zane smiled. It always made her want to smile. Like when she saw pictures of cute animals being adorable but... well Zane wasn’t a little kitten. Maybe that wasn’t a good analogy.

“Hallo, Petal. It is a beayootifal night zis night, ja?”

“Yes! Who knew a blackout would make something like this!” she motioned to the sky and looked at it in awe. It was always different. She’d always love the starry nights in her small town but sort of forgot how breath-taking they where over the year she’d lived here. New York City was great! All the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle. The amazingly tall buildings and the never-ending flurry of activity. It was a trip. But none of it was natural. It only took one look at a gorgeous cloudless starry sky to make her miss the countryside. “It kinda makes me miss home,” she admitted to Zane. She sighed and looked back at him with a smile. “Time for our picnic!”

“So, vhat exactly is zis picnic zing?”

“Well, we sit and eat and watch the stars...you’ll see!” she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her little set up. The lanterns were arranged in a way that they shone only to show the hand-made quilt and woven basket and not block out the stars. Petal let go of Zane’s hand and sat down on the quilt.

“Sit with me! You can lay down too. You get a better view of the stars!” she explained. Petal leaned back and laid on her back as to demonstrated. The night was indescribably beautiful. She just got lost in it. She almost forgot about Zane until he sat next to her. She wanted to lay her head in his lap but she wondered if he’d get the wrong idea. Did friends do that? It seemed to be more of a couple thing. Picnics were too though. Oh gosh!

Petal sat up and busied herself with setting out the food. There were sandwiches, fruit, veggies and sugar cookies! Petal had a knack for staying extra healthy at work so her food wasn’t “gourmet”. Hopefully Zane would still like it. “Are you hungry? You can have as much as you want,” she said with a smile. She unwrapped a pb&j and took a bite. Zane didn’t know that picnic were usually a couple thing anyway. So who cares! They were just going to have fun.

outfit: pretty!

[PETAL PAIX]

“Vere joo from a somevhere zat joo coalt be seeing zee stars?”

Petal smiled looking up at the stars. “Yes,” she said softly. “It’s not to far from here believe it or not. Only a few hours from here by car. I’m due for a visit whenever I get some free time,” she added. She missed her little town in the middle of nowhere. Not enough to want to leave the city. No, this Big Apple was always changing and full of surprises. Like this blackout, totally unexpected. In her town, blackouts always followed a storm. It was just how it was. New York was different.

“Ah, I be remembering zis! My fezer yoosed to take my mozer on zeese all za time! I vonder vhy he stoppet?”

Petal’s smile faded a little and she looked down at her hands. A blush spread across her face and she managed to choke out, “How... how sweet,” while still keeping her voice steady. She looked up into Zane’s eyes and saw the same question in his eyes. What was this picnic? She was certain when she left the studio it would be just her and him hanging out. But under the stars, everything was more... romantic. The lanterns worked well enough to let Petal see Zane’s handsome face. Her smile came back slowly as she looked away.

Petal took another bite of her sandwich and watched Zane take an apple from the basket. She set down her sandwich and went to lay back down. Her head hit Zane’s arm. She nearly apologized but by the look he gave her, she knew he meant to do it. Petal relaxed wondering why she wasn’t nervous. Zane never really made her nervous. His intentions were always pure. She could trust him. He was safe. And they were just friends. This was just a fun thing to do with your friend. Yes, that was right.

She sighed softly and took in the glory of the stars. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

[PETAL PAIX]

Petal smile faltered. It was really hard for her at times. Her whole town was like one big family. She’d never really been alone. She took her decision to stay in New York City and go off to college as a new adventure though. She figured she’d be able to visit every once in a awhile and she wouldn’t miss them too much. Though after her parents left, Petal was crippled with a new feeling of being alone. She plunged into her dance and didn’t really look back. It worked for a while until she saw a family at the park. Then she took the next bus home and nearly didn’t come back. That was a year or so ago. Now she called her mom when she felt that way.

“I do miss them. A lot actually. I’m an only child but I was never alone in Ithaca. We’re all like one big family down there. Quite the opposite of New York City,” she admitted. “Though I love this place for all the different new things and experience,” she said regaining her smile.

“Zee most beayootifal zing I hafe efer seen,”

Something about that statement made Petal’s face feel warm. Maybe it was the fact that he was looking her right in the eyes. She wasn’t sure what to say. He was talking about the stars right?

“I...I do hope the lights stay off for a bit,” she said after a few moments of of gazing into Zane’s eyes. She saw something there she didn’t recognize. It set her off guard but didn’t make her uncomfortable. If anything, she felt kind of... warm and fuzzy. She got comfortable next to him and smiled. “I mean... not for too long... people need power but... just long enough...,” to enjoy this, she finished in her head. It seemed like such a precious moment, that if the lights turned back on, it all would shatter. Or maybe not. She wasn’t sure. If fact, all of this was just... new to her. What was... “this” anyway? Her mom would say it was a deep spiritual bond of some sort she guessed. But still, she’d ask. Like she needed an excuse to talk to her family.

[PETAL PAIX]

Maybe it was the fact it was dark or that she could still here the city just barely in the background. Maybe it was the still brisk wind that picked up giving her shivers. She didn’t know what did it except for Zane’s kiss. It brought her back to a night she would much rather forget.

The pleasant stranger who walked up beside her and capture her with his eyes. He seemed too gentle and sweet to be any harm. He brushed aside her hair commenting on her looks as most guys did. Petal was a blossoming sixteen-year-old girl just starting to get used to New York City. Her mom let her go off on her own a few times to the bakery next to their apartment. This was one of those times. To be specific, Petal’s last time going off on her own. Mrs. Paix didn’t really think of the time when she asked for an innocent errand. Just a loaf of bread for their dinner. It was early fall and already getting dark. Petal, without any fear, skipped across the road to the bakery. There she met the stranger. He just seemed to be a nice guy flirting. She tried to leave but instead he leaned in and kissed her. Petal just stood there shocked. She did something any girl would do; she slapped him. That’s when he pulled out a knife.

The gleam of the metal in the street lights made Petal freeze. She became a ragdoll allowing the man to take advantage over her in the nearby alleyway. He left her for dead, but luckily the baker found Petal just in time.

And now she was a ragdoll again; frozen by her own fear and unable to breath. When Zane pulled away she tried to smile but it didn’t show any light. She silently sat up and turned away from him. “Zane, I hardly know you,” she mumbled, all life gone from her voice. A slight tremor in her hands was noticeable as she began to collect the remainder of the food. Busying herself, really while she tried to think happy thoughts. Zane wasn’t like that. He was a friend and a good man. She knew that, but the memory was staining her mind.

“I should probably go and um... check on things at my dorm,” she said after closing the basket.