"Shooting star!" Luke squeaked pointing his finger at a star sliding down the chest of the night sky.

"Don't tell me you are going to make a wish now!" I rolled my eyes watching his lips pressed in a flat line.

"That is what people usually do, Ms.Teacher." He chuckled.

"You believe that a shooting star listens? I mean, the star that is already dying or probably dead can actually grant you your wish?" I asked and felt the warmth of his body closer inside the blanket.

"Wow. You just flawlessly killed a fairytale belief for many." He taunted. "It's almost like making a child believe that Santa is not for real." He sighed dramatically.

"So you're actually comparing Santas with stars now?" I tried trapping him in the web of my words.

"No. That's not what I meant. N-no that I... it's.. ugh!" He stuttered raising his hands in defence. "But but but... I can philosophically corroborate a different field of vision to you if you'd kindly listen?" He asked bowing his head down.

"Ahh? Well, Mr. Rockstar in that case, I'm not blocked to a new notion. Sooo.... YOU'RE ALLOWED!!" As I screamed in his ear, blocking his ear he scooted away.

"Geez thanks. Anyway, you see that one?" I nodded as he pointed at the farthest star "Well, you see it tonight but you may not see it tomorrow night. It's all temporary. What you have today you may not have tomorrow." That just explained you and I, Luke.

"Okay?" I allowed to continue.

"But it is thought that the star which is leaving is granting you your wish as a goodbye blessing." He raised his brows proudly at me finishing his theory.

"Mmm. Not too bad. But where did you learn that?" I asked tilting my head at him.

"Nowhere. I just made it up on my own." He shrugged. How I wished that night could last forever!

"Hey!" He whispered leaning back on his hands.

Turning my face towards him, I danced my brows. Quietude felt consuming.

"Can I ask you something?" His tone getting huskier each second.

"Anything" I murmured.

"Care to dance?" And his hand was already pulled out asking for mine. I licked my lips because only in my dreams had I thought about holding that hand. I glanced over the tiny little yellow light coming from the room of Mr. Parker where he played that melancholy.

"Do you realise that we'll be dancing on death?" I smiled smugly holding his hand.

"Wrong. If we dance, death won't be able to catch us, sweetie" He twirled me and I laughed harder which dissolved quickly into the frosty breeze. The things I used to tell him in dreams, were spoken with my eyes.

"Everyone has a story behind a tune like..Mr. Parker has one. Did you find yourself one such tune?" He questioned staring into my eyes.

His hands were on my waist and mine on his chest and the momentary happiness seemed infinite. We danced to the rhythm slowly for as long as the hearts desired for and I badly wished the tune to never end.

"...No." Not until this night, Luke.

"God! Life's really changed after college.." He uttered slowing the tempo.

"Says the man who became a Rockstar after college" I smirked moving my hand from his chest to his shoulder. He laughed shaking his head.

"No no no no that's not what I mean. I mean not as a whole but if we look into tiny parts of it. Yea, things changed." He took his bottom lip stuck between his teeth.

"Everyone's life changes after college" I shrugged.

"Yea but....." we kept dancing.

"Have you toured the city yet?" I questioned.

"Nah I don't tour and all. I perform and then I leave. Though....."

"Though what?" I creased my brows.

"I always wanted to see one thing in NYC" his eyes shone.

"Let me guess, Central Park, isn't?" He nodded feebly blushing at me "Ha? How could you not see that yet?"

"How could you guess it?" He appeared amazed.

Because I know you.

"Umm maybe because Friends mattered to you the most and come on by friends I mean, the FRIENDS! Duh!" He smiled at my words.

I gazed at him for a while and then at the concrete ground below.

"What is that look on your face for?" He pulled his brows mischievously smirking.

"Maybe, you can read my mind a little?" I twinkled.

"What! No no.... no? At this hour? I mean, will it be fine with you?" Only if you knew, Manik.

"Else would you babysit me?" I laughed and he rolled those shiny eyes.

"Okay then...maybe we can grab a drink before it, eh?" He rubbed his palms and I nodded happily stretching my hand towards the door gesturing him to make a move. Since the mention of visiting his dream place, his eyes glittered in a way as they never had before.

We came downstairs to the fading party where one half of students were making out wildly like there's no tomorrow and another half rambled and sulked because of raw alcohol in their systems.

"Geez! Feral!" Manik laughed eyeing a couple where the girl ripping the buttons of the guy's shirt threw him down on the couch to jump on him as the perfect cherry. "Seems like we missed on a lot of scenes" his words made me bite my inner cheeks.

"I'm not complaining" I raised hands up above my shoulder.

"Alright there. I'll go get some for us." He mouthed and I nodded before he made his way towards the bar.

Receiving a tap on my shoulder, I turned around to find Jacob admiring me and my presence.

"Jesus! Where were you?" With the love of my life.

"Umm this party was not of my kind" I answered.

"And suddenly it is?" He sniggered looking around at the wildness.

"No, I was just...." My eyes fell on Luke who was watching Jacob and me conversing. I smiled lightly at him and he returned the same and laid his eyes again on Jacob and then to the bartender.

"If you are okay with it?" Jacob asked and I was clueless because I had been gaping Luke like such a stupid to not hear what all Jacob said.

"Yeah sorry, what?" I queried politely.

"I said can we take a little stroll if you're okay with it? You know, to get some fresh air..?" Jacob placed his already asked question.

"Actually she's taking me to the Central Park right now" Luke stood beside me facing Jacob "So I think it'd be a no from her side?" Luke looked at me with questioning eyes as if he wanted me to confirm a no.

I looked at Jacob who obviously seemed offended but acted good enough to hide behind a slight disappointment.

"At this hour?" Hello, Jacob? You asked for a stroll right at that hour only if I might rewind.

"Ahh I think you guys haven't met each other officially yet, so Jacob this is Luke and Luke this is Jacob." I closed my eyes like a stupid. I knew breaking the ice at that moment was a stupid thing to do but it was all I could think of.

"Hey." Jacob extended his hand and I didn't know why tension was filling in the air.

"Luke. Luke Evans, Audrey's old college friend." Luke smiled tight lipped.

Okay honestly, I needed someone to hold me verily. The fuck? Was someone really kidding me? And I realised both Luke and Jacob were gaping me. Jacob was shocked at the newly disclosed piece of information while Luke expected a reaction out of me which seriously didn't match to what I was giving.

I grinned like an ass. Safe.

"I.. had no idea." Jacob spoke gawking me. "You never told me Audrey" Honestly Jacob, me neither had any idea that I was his old friend.

"Maybe, I'm kept safe in layers in her ocean of secrets." Luke glanced at me and I forgot to breathe. It was impossible to look away from those orbs and I made no effort. With necessary blinking I kept staring into those most beautiful blue eyes and never realised when Jacob left without uttering a word.

"Earth to Audrey" Luke snapped his fingers before my eyes and laughed.

"Woah. What was that!" I asked in amazement.

"He seemed like parenting you. Heh. Seemed....close." He scratched his forehead "..Boyfriend?"

"No" I tittered. "Just Jacob Collins."

"Oh" He pushed hair to the back "Anyway, I think I left one bottle at the counter."

"No issues. I'll accompany you till there." I grinned.

"Gracias" He bowed.

"My pleasure" Holding the sides of my dress, I offered my curtesy stooping slightly.

We were at the counter when Luke was asked to click some photos with some drunken fans insisting him. He posed with some who clung to him like he was the last cylinder of oxygen left on earth.

I heard an unfamiliar ringtone near me and my attention was drawn to his phone resting right beside my elbow. I waved my hand at him but he waved back thinking I was playing around.

"Your phone?" I spoke louder because of the music but he was too crowded to notice.

I sighed looking down at the phone which stopped ringing but not for long as soon again it buzzed to life. I groaned keeping my bottle down and glanced over and......froze.

It was the same caller who had the right to call him hers, the same face that blinded his eyes since forever that he could never notice anybody else. That same girl on the caller ID being flashed. That same girl of whom everyone was jealous back at college.

Elle, his girlfriend.

She looked just the same in the photo, as vibrant as she always was. I kept gawking the phone where the photo was flashed repeatedly as the caller kept dialling.

"Hey!" I nearly jumped on my place.

"Oh. Luke" I looked away awkwardly realising the night meant just a night, a bundle of temporary happiness and I was left with an eternal excruciating burden.

"You gulped the whole drink without me joining?" He sipped on his one.

"Yea...you were...busy" And suddenly I didn't have words.

"Yeah it's just.." he gulped a larger portion. "Hey, you okay?" No, I was not.

"Yea...I was thinking about what you said... that life changed after-after college and all." I exhaled heavily.

"Yes, told you. Things changed." He kept his bottle down "Some are good, some are bad but you can't eliminate any for they wholly belong to you."

"So...." I sipped on my drink to moisten my throat "H-how are things with you? I mean, life? I mean, ho-how is s-she?" I asked clumsily and his eyes widened in surprise.

"You know about her?" He smiled playfully.

"Everyone did back in college." I didn't meet his gaze.

"She's good. Great actually." He smiled looking at his drink and my heart twinged.

"Are you happy?" A mixed fear arose inside.

"Very. If she's happy, I'm happy." He shrugged and that dreamy smile never left his face.

My tears threatened to break free and truly, I couldn't take it anymore. Pain too had some limits.

"She called..." I couldn't finish because he already heard his phone ringing and his smile widened.

"Excuse me" He shifted a little farther and I did shed few drops. The barmaid noticed me and asked if I'd like to have some hard liquor which I accepted. Liquor could reduce the burn with its burn.

"Hey, sorry just got caught up." Luke came back after seven minutes.

"Yea I was...leaving only" I knew my red face was about to burst into tears and breaking down before him would mean nothing but foolishness thus I stepped down the high stool. I didn't meet his face.

"Leaving? Central Park?" He was in puzzles.

"You were right it's getting late and I-I have to be at home." Before moving, I gulped down the second glass of the strongest alcohols I drank till date. "Refill that, please" I asked the barmaid.

Luke's eyes moved from me to the glass and then to the barmaid busy at the job I assigned.

"Yea if you have to." He hesitated.

"Trust me, I have to." I smirked painfully. "Thanks" I thanked the girl who refilled. Within seconds I gulped that shit down and Luke seemed unreadable.

"Bye" Keeping the glass with a thud, I smiled at him wiping my wet lips with the back of my palm.

"You want me to take you home?" He offered.

"Only to leave afterwards?" I scorned.

"Sorry?" He was mystified.

"Look, I don't w-wanna get this poor alcohol blamed for anything. So yeah..bye!" I bade him with a salute whilst he watched my unsteady steps.

"Maybe, I could walk you till your car?" He looked hopeful. Hope. I hated that word.

I stopped on my track and turned around sighing, continuing to stare at him.

"It was a pleasure spending time with you, Mr.Evans. I won't forget this night." Smiling for the last time at him, I exited and he stayed there like it was destined to. He always stayed back in the lane of my memory, be it Winchester or New York.

I swung the door open and exited into the coldness outside watching few students notice me in disbelief and then I realised I was talking on my own and shedding tears like a teenager. The coldness touched my cheeks, body and my nose was cherry red. I would've badly suffered in the cold had the alcohol not been in my system.

"No. Forget him, Audrey. This night meant nothing except a bonus." I tried a little pep talk but one flashback of the romantic time and I was ruined again. I whined louder not wanting to go back to memories. Why couldn't I just leave him back!

August'2011

Dearest Luke,

Should I draw you the picture of my heart, it would be what I hope you would love. Your thoughts never leave the smallest space of my heart unoccupied. How did I love before I knew you? Please, tell me that I'm not too late, please because you have absorbed me and my sanity. I'm exquisitely miserable without the hope of seeing you. I should be afraid to separate myself far from you and trust me, I am.

Letters are so old school and yesterday things, no? Well, no. It is yet not possible to express my deep, deep love for you. My happiness is within you and you form the entire world to me which I never want to lose. Because I love you without calculation, fear, reason of good or bad. These letters will never be posted and that is my peace.

By the way, my only friend out of nowhere said today that you have a shitty style of dressing while we were eating our usual sandwiches but I knew she lied. She purposely said that to divert my mind from you which is not possible because it is no gps. You're perfect the way you are. The best.

Hope to see you tomorrow strumming your guitar strings soonish. And hope that someday in life you'd see me not necessarily the way I do but in a manner notice me because you're all I see.

God knew when a sudden rush of anger coloured my eyes red as I recalled the letter I wrote foolishly for him. Wiping my tears, I trudged towards the Academy with a heart that thumped. Security wasn't a concern for one, Mrs. Williams directed the guards to make sure I get unlimited access and two, seeing the party night, some of the guards eloped their duties.

I walked straight to my locker room in long angry steps and everything inside me just burned. I wiped my tears smudging my eye makeup without the least of botheration and took the forbidden letters out. I was about to tear them but then I thought what was the use? That man still wouldn't know about anything. For once, I just wanted to put myself ahead in my list of priorities and so I did.

I squeezed them tight in my grip and walked out of the Campus having no care in the world. I was mad and it felt right. I was pissed not at Luke but at myself or my fate. For what all these mockeries were? To bring him closer only to show later where I belonged to? I was tired of caging those feelings inside and maybe I thought this was the way with which I would be able to move on in life.

I carried those letters squirming them in my fingers but my heart felt heavier as it remembered every word contained inside and the weight of them. Standing baffled at the parking lot, for a second, I just thought of dumping those letters into the garbage but restrained doing something which I probably might regret all my life and it was sudden when I breathed a breath of relief seeing Luke's guest car parked at the VIP spot. It was not difficult to recognise his car because that was what our Academy provided.

A sudden confidence washed over me as staying poised, I walked up to his car. It was an escape, a fierce, bold, pathetic and beautiful one. Yes, a beautiful escape.

"Excuse me, lady" the driver alerted me. Screw him.

I looked down at those creased envelopes and I cried because I was letting something precious slip from my fingers. Something that I always had, to hold on to. Something very private. Something that I didn't have to share with the world. My very own love letters. I understood the more I would stay, the more indecisive I'll be of my actions and for once I decided to send my brain, my morality and so called sense of right and wrong on a holiday.

Unlocking the door, I slammed the letters on the seat and two fell on the ground inside the car. It panged. Yet, it did. It was something respectful and not a marketable product. But I was drunk, the only reasoning I can give.

The driver seemed baffled but he being a driver at our Academy couldn't judge me anyhow.

"Stay out of it." I warned him shooting daggers through my reddened eyes. "These are for the man who'll travel in it." And I ran away wiping my tears.

It was stupid. Very very stupid. But when was love ever reasonable and smart?

I came back to my apartment feeling my head hurt and body, giving up. The more I thought about the night, more vulnerable I was becoming. I cried for some more time curled up on my bed hugging the pillow like every other night but that night the pain seemed untameable. I pulled out my hairs and cried till I coughed hiding my face in the wet pillow and God knew when I passed out leaving and minimising everything to blankness.

That night was the worst yet the best. Blackest yet brightest because of the starlight.