Rewrite the Stars

by Rose, Charleigh

  Adrenaline continues to rush through me. It feels like my heart is still lodged somewhere in my stomach. My palms feel sweaty, and my eyes grow wide with the realization that I may actually vomit. Sebastian, the mind reader, ushers me out of the cage and over toward the back of the tent. He lifts a flap, and I barely make it under before I spill the contents of my stomach—which is just iced coffee and a couple of multigrain crackers—all over the dirt ground. I grip the top of the metal gate and dry heave as a warm palm rubs my clammy back.

  “Don’t touch me. I’m gross,” I say, laying my forehead against my arm on top of the gate.

  “This is nothing. Eros puked on me last week. Nothing is worse than drunk, grown-ass man vomit.”

  I laugh, despite the situation.

  “You good?” Sebastian asks, and I realize that I am. I don’t feel sick at all.

  “I feel fine, actually,” I say, straightening.

  “It’s normal. Adrenaline rush will get you every time. Once you puke, you’re golden.” He walks over to one of the trucks parked in the dirt and pops open a cooler on the tailgate before tossing an ice-cold water bottle my way.

  “Thanks,” I say, opening the bottle. I rinse my mouth, then spit it out—because any hopes of exhibiting decorum are long gone—before chugging the whole thing like a frat boy. Mother would be so proud. “I should go,” I say, as the embarrassment of what just happened starts to set in.

  He doesn’t respond, so I round the side of the tent, quickly making my way through the sea of people. I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night. Like a reverse Cinderella, it’s time to go back to my pristine palace. Or hotel room.

  It’s dark now, making the carnival feel more alive than it did just half an hour ago. The Ferris wheel glows brightly in the night sky, and I gravitate toward it. This place is magic.

  Maybe I could stay for just a little while longer…

  I shouldn’t press my luck—I was already nearly thrown out once—but I decide to let my rebellious streak last a little longer. I wander down the row of games and hanging stuffed animals, taking in the intoxicating mixture of fried and sweet foods. A group of teenagers hang on each other, laughing, as one of their friends continuously misses the bottle he’s trying to knock over with a ball. A young girl with brown pigtails is handed a giant pink unicorn. She smiles brightly while her sister jealously pouts next to her.

  “Hey!” a voice yells from somewhere behind me. I spin around to see Sebastian walking toward me, but he’s intercepted by a group of screaming fans who want his autograph. Preteen girls snap pictures with their phones, and little kids thrust pens and pads of paper in his face to sign. He looks at them, then back at me. I can see he doesn’t want to stop, but he doesn’t want to let them down either. I give him a shrug with an apologetic smile before I turn back around. What does he want from me, anyway? I already thanked him for saving my ass. Right before throwing up on him.

  Once at the Ferris wheel, I crane my neck to admire the beauty in its entirety. It’s so much bigger up close than I thought it would be, with a giant, glittering star flashing in the middle. People line up, handing tickets to the ride attendant, and I’m guessing I’d need a wristband in order to buy a ticket. Not to mention, I’m not the biggest fan of heights, and I don’t have any cash on me. I have nothing but my dad’s platinum card, my license, my room key, and the flyer stuffed inside my tiny purse. Living vicariously through them will have to do.

  “There you are.” I jump at the proximity of those words. They’re close to my ear and send chills down my bare arms.

  “You must be a big deal,” I say, spinning around, leaning my elbows on the fence that marks the line to the Ferris wheel, referring to his adoring fans. He just shrugs, pulling out a box of cigarettes before lighting one up. I look around, waiting for someone to tell him to put it out, but no one says a word.

  “People are drawn to train wrecks. It’s human nature. They can’t help it.”

  “You’re a wreck?”

  “That’s the understatement of the century,” he says, good-naturedly, but I sense there’s some truth underneath his flippant comment.

  “Well, Train Wreck, I’m Hot Mess. Nice to meet you.”

  Sebastian chuckles, and I zero in on his mouth, noticing a half-moon scar under the corner of his lip. I wonder what happened. “I very much doubt that,” he says, fingering the bottom of my dress with two fingers. My stomach flips and flutters at his touch. “In fact, puking aside, I’d bet you’re squeaky clean.”

  “Only on the outside,” I say, rolling my eyes. One of Sebastian’s dark, thick eyebrows quirks up, surprised, and I feel my cheeks heat at how unintentionally suggestive that sounded. In reality, I meant my image may be squeaky clean—as that’s what’s expected of me—but if you pulled back the curtains, you’d see the real me. I only let people see what I want them to see.

  “Going up?” he asks, gesturing toward the wheel in the sky.

  “Another time.” I shrug. “I don’t think my stomach can handle it right now anyway.”

  “Seb!” a voice yells from my right. I look over to see Eros lumbering toward us. “Let’s go. We’re gonna check that place out tonight,” he says, keeping it vague while cutting his eyes at me.

  “Ready to have some real fun?” Sebastian asks me, as if being inside the Globe of Death is child’s play in comparison.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever be ready for your idea of fun.” I laugh. “I need to get back to my hotel anyway.” I know if I pulled my phone out of my pocket and turned it on, I’d find about three hundred missed calls and text messages from my mom and dad. The anger has faded, and the guilt has started to creep in, but I shove it back down.

  “Come with us. I’ll give you a ride back,” he coaxes with a glint in his eye. Eros smirks, waiting for my response.

  “Screw it.” I’m already grounded for the rest of eternity. Might as well make it worth it. The words are barely out of my mouth before Eros lunges for me, throwing me over his broad shoulder.

  “Hey!” I yell, trying to cover my butt and lifting my head to look to Sebastian for help, but I get none. He shakes his head at Eros’ antics as I’m carried out toward the dirt lot near where I snuck in.

  When Eros finally sets me down, I see the two other riders from earlier perched on their bikes, impatient expressions plastered on their faces. They don’t look too happy to see me either.

  “Problem, brothers?” Sebastian asks before he disposes of his cigarette into a half-empty bottle of water on the tailgate of one of the trucks. Neither one responds. “Tres?” The one named Tres gives a slight shake of his head. “Lathan?”

  “Nope. No problem,” Lathan responds, passive-aggressively.

  “Great. This is Evan. Evan, this is Lathan and Tres.” Tres has a baby face with short, dark hair, dimples, and a friendly smile. Lathan has the same dark hair, eyes like coal, and a don’t fuck with me vibe radiating from him. “And you know Eros,” he says, pointing at the tree of a man who hauled me over here. They all look alike, despite their differences. I give a wave, feeling four sets of eyes on me before Sebastian leads me over to his bike.

  “Nuh-uh,” I say, shaking my head when he tries to hand me the helmet I wore just a little while ago. “I’m not getting on that thing.”

  “Evan,” he starts, moving into my personal space, and I decide that I love the way my name sounds coming from his mouth. “You just survived the Globe of Death. You witnessed me on this thing,” he deadpans. “Don’t tell me you’re scared.”

  I hesitate, knowing this is a bad idea, wanting to do it anyway.

  “Do you trust me?” Sebastian asks, his arm still outstretched, waiting for me to take the helmet.

  What an absurd thing to ask of a stranger.

  “Yes,” I surprise myself by saying.

  What an even more absurd answer.

  When I take the helmet from him, our fingers touch, his hand lingering for a second before dropping it. I fasten th
e helmet underneath my chin and approach his bike, feeling stupid because I don’t even begin to know how to get on this thing. Sebastian saves me from asking when his hands circle my hips before he lifts me, planting my butt on the back.

  “Thanks,” I breathe, looking into twin pools of jade. His hands fall from my waist, and I swing one leg over so I’m straddling the seat.

  “Mind if I come?” a new guy asks as he approaches, his eager expression full of hope. Tres groans while Eros rolls his eyes. Sebastian huffs out a humorless laugh.

  “Yeah, man,” Tres finally answers when no one else does, earning an elbow to the ribs from Lathan.

  “Who is that?” I whisper to Sebastian.

  “New guy,” he says the words like they taste bad on his tongue. New guy wastes no time getting into his truck, like he’s afraid Sebastian will object to him coming along.

  “I just met him for the first time last week. Name’s Elliot. We haven’t decided if we’ll keep him around yet,” he explains.

  Sebastian plucks his leather jacket off the front of his bike. “Put this on,” he says, draping it over my shoulders. I slide my arms into the sleeves, inhaling the scent of leather and sweat and tobacco.

  Sebastian straddles the bike and reaches down to grab my right ankle before bringing it up to rest on his lap. “No pegs,” he explains, reaching down for my left foot. I’m wrapped around this stranger, his back flush to my front, and he’s completely unfazed. Me, on the other hand…my heart is threatening to beat right out of my chest. If I thought the vibrations were strong standing in that steel cage, it’s one thousand times more intense feeling it between my legs once he pushes his foot down to kick-start his bike.

  “Hold on tight,” he warns, and I snake my arms around his torso without hesitation, locking my ankles around his waist. There is no buildup—no easing into it. We shoot off like a rocket, kicking up dust in our wake. I can’t tamp down the squeal that escapes my lips. For a second, I think I’m lucky enough for Sebastian not to hear it, then I feel more than hear him chuckle at my reaction.

  Eros appears to our left once we’re on the main road, riding in the wrong lane. A semi barrels around the corner, and this time, my scream isn’t one of excitement, but fear. He looks over to me, eyes dancing mischievously. I scream for him to move, but he doesn’t. Just when I think he’s going to end up in tiny pieces all over the asphalt, he swerves in front of Sebastian, following it up with a wheelie.

  “Show off,” Sebastian yells back to me. I remove a shaky hand, pressing it to my chest as I wait for my heartrate to return to normal. Sebastian lets go of one of the handlebars and grips my calf, rubbing my ankle with his thumb. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was trying to comfort me. His tank top flaps in the wind, and I try not to focus on the fact that I can feel his stomach muscles through the thin material.

  He speeds up to Eros, and they ride side by side, with Sebastian slightly ahead. I look back to see Lathan and Tres doing the same—Elliot nowhere to be seen—and I wonder if these are their default positions. One thing is clear—these guys are so in-tune with each other. I’ve never had that with anyone.

  “You’re all brothers?” I ask, once we slow enough for him to hear me.

  “Cousins. But yeah. We’re brothers in the way that it counts.”

  I nod, even though he can’t see me, as we enter a wooded area. We follow a narrow, dark path lined with trees.

  “Where are we going?” I ask, trying to keep the apprehension from my voice. We’re miles away from civilization.

  “You’ll see,” he says cryptically.

  An old, decrepit house comes into view. House isn’t a big enough word for what this is. It’s more like a mansion. It used to be white at one point, but it doesn’t look like anyone’s set foot in it for decades. Sebastian slows to a stop. Eros, Lathan, and Tres pull up next to him, forming a horizontal line.

  “What is this place?” I ask.

  “Let’s go find out,” Eros says, killing the bike and hopping off excitedly.

  “He likes to trespass on private property to lurk around inside abandoned buildings,” Tres offers.

  “It’s called urban exploration, dipshit!” Eros yells over his shoulder.

  “It’s called asbestos,” Sebastian counters. “And he won’t be happy until we’re all dead from it.”

  “Let’s make this quick so we can get back to camp,” Lathan chimes in. “I need a beer.”

  “It’s cute that you think I didn’t come prepared,” Eros says, walking backward as he reaches into his backpack and tosses a can toward Lathan. Lathan gets off his bike and points the can toward Tres before opening it, spraying it all over him.

  “You fucker,” Tres says, shoving a cackling Lathan. Sebastian hits a red button to kill the engine before swinging a leg over, then holds out a hand to help me down.

  “You guys do this a lot?” I ask after I take off my helmet. Sebastian takes it from me and hangs it from the handlebar.

  “Every time we hit a new town.”

  “So, you’re like, with the carnival?”

  “In a way. We have a contract with Jessup. We go where the carnival goes.”

  “What’s the difference between a carnival and a circus?”

  “The circus keeps their animals in cages. We let ours run free,” he says, with a glint in his eyes. The insinuation is clear. They are the animals.

  The sound of gravel crunching beneath tires comes a second before we’re blinded by the headlights of Elliot’s truck. I lift my arm to shield my eyes.

  “Sorry!” Elliot yells out of the driver’s side window before he kills the lights. “It’s dark out here. Had to use my brights. I almost lost you guys back there.”

  Sebastian ignores him, and the others are already waiting on the porch of the house.

  “It’s okay,” I say, waving him off. I feel bad for this guy. I can tell he wants to be accepted, and clearly, it’s not going well for him.

  Elliot smiles, then hops out of his truck and follows us to the front door. It’s eerily quiet out here. The ground is damp, and the air is cool, even in the middle of summer.

  Eros wiggles the door handle, but it doesn’t open.

  “It’s locked,” Elliot says, stating the obvious. “Where do we go now?”

  Eros gives Sebastian a look that I interpret as is this kid for real? before he picks up a brick from the porch and throws it through the vertical window parallel to the door. The harsh sound of glass breaking in the quiet night makes me flinch. Eros shoves his arm through, uncaring of the shards of glass, reaching around to unlock the door.

  “Magic,” Eros deadpans, giving spirit fingers. “Ladies first.”

  I hesitate, not wanting to be the first to walk into the dark, abandoned, and quite possibly haunted house.

  “Meet you in there,” Sebastian says to Eros when he gives him a questioning look.

  “I was referring to Elliot anyway.” Eros smirks and claps both hands down on Elliot’s shoulders none too gently before shoving him over the threshold. The guys file inside, leaving Sebastian and me alone.

  “You’re afraid of a lot,” he accuses with a wolfish smile.

  “Maybe you’re not afraid of enough,” I shoot back, surprising even myself. I don’t usually snap at people like this, but something about him gets under my skin. “Dangerous stunts, breaking and entering…got a death wish, Sexy Sebastian?”

  “Everyone’s gotta die sometime,” he says, shrugging. “At least I’m actually living in the meantime.”

  I shake my head, rolling my eyes. He’s known me for all of five seconds. I’m not sure if I’m more offended at the fact that he thinks he has me pegged, or the fact that he may be right.

  “Oh, so I’m not living, because I was a little hesitant to waltz into something called the Globe of Death? Or because I’m not keen on breaking and entering? Sorry for my pesky self-preservation instincts.” I puff up a lock of hair that’s fallen in my face and try to walk away, b
ut before I know what’s happening, Sebastian backs me up against the dilapidated wall, his fists resting against it on either side of my head.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. You may be scared, but your self-preservation instincts are lacking. Otherwise you wouldn’t be out here with us. And you damn sure wouldn’t be thinking you’re safe right now with me.”

  For the first time tonight, that uneasy feeling creeps into me, sending tendrils of fear down my spine. I swallow hard, trying to surreptitiously reach into my purse. I feel my cool, hard phone and wrap my palm around it, hitting the power button with my thumb, just in case. Sebastian’s right fist leaves the wall, and his palm comes to rest where my neck meets my shoulder. I squeeze my eyes shut, but he simply brushes his thumb across my neck.

  “I see your pulse jumping in your throat,” he muses, his eyes darting back and forth between my neck and my eyes. I wet my suddenly dry lips with my tongue, waiting for him to make his move, earning a low growl. I don’t know if he’s going to kiss me or kill me. “Am I scaring you?”

  “Are you going to kiss me?” I don’t know why I said that out loud. His eyebrows shoot up to his hairline, like kissing me was the last thing on his mind. I feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment, and I look down at my feet, avoiding eye contact.

  “Do you want me to?” He lifts my chin like he did in the globe, forcing me to meet his gaze. I don’t answer. I do want him to kiss me, but I’d never say it out loud. Saying no is out of the question, too. Instead, my eyes trail down to his full lips, and I wonder what it would be like to have them pressed against mine. I’m probably the only girl in the tenth grade who hasn’t been kissed. That’s what happens when you have strict parents and too-high standards. So, why does this dirty stuntman have me feeling weak in the knees?

  Sebastian smirks, as if he can hear the thoughts in my head. His thumb moves from my neck to my lips, and I suck in a breath as he traces them, first the bottom, then the top, applying more pressure than he did to my neck, probably smearing my berry-colored lip stain from earlier.