Alone

[Wraith]

Wraith had to smile. "Maybe so." I'm certainly doing better than the first time he got arrested. "Anyway, th-thanks for talking. And listening."

[Firecracker]

"Well, you're absolutely welcome," Fire nodded. Maybe living here wasn't going to be such a bad thing after all! If anything, at least there's one person she could talk to. "I guess you could say it's what I'm here for."

[Wraith]

"Well...I'm here, too," Wraith said hesitantly, "if you ever need to talk. I don't want it to be a one-way favor." If she was a firm believer in anything, it was fair exchange.

[Firecracker]

"Thank you, Wraith," Fire said, a genuine smile on her face. "That means a lot for you to offer, I hope you know that."

Fire looked up at the sky, finally noticing that the sky was starting to grow dark. "How long have we been up here?"

[Wraith]

Wraith's eyes widened when she noticed the sky. "A good while, I guess. Maybe we should head down. Unless..." She swallowed. "...you want to wait for the stars."

[Firecracker]

Fire's face lit up at that suggestion. "I wasn't planning on it but, now that you mention it... I think I want to. It's been a while since I've seen the stars."

[Wraith]

"Fingers crossed, then," Wraith said with a quick smile, making herself comfortable on the edge of the roof. "It's been a pretty clear evening, so..."

[Firecracker]

"So, hopefully we'll actually get to see some stars then," Fire continued as she settled herself back in on the ledge of the rooftop. "How long does it usually take for the stars to come out?"

[Wraith]

"Not long after sunset," she said. "For the first few, anyway. The best time to see a lot of them is after midnight, but I haven't stayed up that late since I started selling papers." She rested her hands on the roof behind her and leaned back to watch the sky turn red and purple between clouds of smog as the sun slipped below the horizon.

[Firecracker]

"Midnight?" she asked, laughing as she shook her head. "I can't even think about the last time I stayed up that late!" Carefully, she leaned back up on her elbows to watch the sky as it slowly changed colors. Shortly after the sun disappeared over the horizon, she spotted the first tiny, sparkling star. "Look!" She smiled and pointed up at it. "First one."

[Wraith]

She followed Fire's gaze and smiled, feeling more relaxed than she had at any point in recent memory. "I guess we're supposed to make a wish."

[Firecracker]

"I wouldn't know," Fire confessed shyly, an embarrassed smile on her face. "I've never wished on a star before... Do you think it actually works?"

[Wraith]

"I don't know," Wraith admitted. "I used to do it with a friend when I was little. I guess some of my wishes came true eventually...just not the way I thought they would."

And what would she wish now? That her brother stayed safe? That Kennedy would come back to her? That she'd find a way to let go of the past and finally just start something new?

[Firecracker]

"Oh... Well, I really wouldn't know what to wish for, anyway," she admitted sadly. "I know better than to wish for things I know I can't really have."

She shrugged and looked up at the sky again. The star was gradually getting brighter. "Well, I guess it doesn't hurt to try just once..."

[Wraith]

"Okay...let's go for it, then," Wraith said with more confidence than she felt, fixing her eyes on the star. I wish that I'll find something good and not lose it. Just once.