DON'T LET THE STARS GET IN YOUR EYES

It was a busy Friday morning at Brooklyn Nine High as the juniors and seniors were packed onto the bus, heading to the American Museum of Natural History.

Nat sat next to Tyler in the back, while Luna and Gino occupied the seats right behind them. Up front, Mac and Darcy were chatting, occasionally turning around to join the conversation.

"So..." Nat began, leaning just a little closer to Tyler. "What does a Tyler pack for an overnight trip to the American Museum of Natural History?" She asked as she nudged Tyler with a small, teasing smile.

Tyler glanced at Nat, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she pulled her bag into her lap, "Well, we have..." She unzipped it, reaching inside. "A sleep bonnet," She announced, holding it up like a show-and-tell presentation. Then, reaching deeper into the bag and brushing past other items, she produced a neatly folded pair of socks. "A pair of navy blue socks," She added.

Nat raised an eyebrow, her grin widening, "Ooh, bold choice. Really living on the edge there,"

"And finally..." Tyler revealed a ziplock bag filled with granola bars, each one meticulously arranged. "Re-pre-packaged pre-packaged granola bars,"

Nat blinked trying to process what Tyler had just said, "Hold up," She re-tracked. "You... re-packaged something that was already packaged?"

"Precisely," Tyler nodded, her expression unchanged.

Nat's eyes widened as she stared at the perfectly arranged granola bars, her mouth slightly open in disbelief. She glanced at Tyler, raising an eyebrow, the corner of her lips twitching as she tried—and failed—to hide a smile. The fact that Tyler had put so much effort into something so simple left her momentarily speechless. She was amused, maybe even a little impressed, by how seriously Tyler had taken it.

Before she could comment, Mac leaned over the backrest, "Are we there yet?" He groaned, cutting off her thoughts.

As Nat checked for a museum out the window, Tyler turned to him, "Mac, as you can plainly see, we are still on the bus. So, no," She pointed out the obvious.

"Argh!" Mac groaned again before slumping back into his seat.

"It's okay, Maccie, we can play a game!" Darcy said enthusiastically while giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "How about 'I Spy'? It's like a fun little treasure hunt, but with words!" They beamed, overly excited.

~

As Mac and Darcy started playing 'I Spy,' Gino sat two rows behind them, glued to his phone, while Luna tried to get his attention.

"My nose piercing is easily the best decision I've ever made," Luna announced with a proud smile as she adjusted the stud slightly. "It says, 'I'm confident, I've got good taste, and I'm approachable enough to give directions if someone were lost'!" She beamed.

"Uh-huh," Gino muttered without looking up from his phone. "Cool story, bro."

Luna's brows knitted together, and she tilted her head, giving him a side-eye, "You're not even listening, are you? Seriously, Gino, this is a significant moment, and you're completely ignoring it!"

Gino didn't budge, his fingers were tapping away on the screen.

Luna sighed, "Okay, you're really not listening to me,"

Gino finally tore his gaze away from the screen. He turned slowly, meeting her eyes with a slow blink, "Actually, I am," He gestured vaguely with his free hand. "But, like, you're incredibly boring."

"Wow. Okay," Luna shook her head. "Alright, then—what's so thrilling that you can't look up for two seconds?" She leaned forward, one eyebrow arched.

Gino's smug grin widened as he waved his phone, "You know that Spring Fling announcement video Nat and Tyler made?"

"Yeah," Luna replied as she crossed her arms. "What about it?"

"Well, they nailed it. It's a viral sensation now. People are losing their minds about the dance." Gino signaled to his screen. "Check this out: two hundred views!"

"Two hundred views?" Luna's head tilted back, her eyes widening as she stared at the screen.

"Yes! I gotta tell my mom about this," Gino declared, grinning, completely unfazed by the fact that two hundred views was hardly anything. "She's gonna be so happy for me!"

~

Now at the museum, students and teachers flooded into the foyer, sleepover bags and pillows in tow, where two towering dinosaur skeletons loomed overhead.

"Okay, students, find your groups!" a teacher called, but her voice was barely audible over the chatter as teens began scattering in all directions.

As Tyler, Luna, Gino, and Darcy wandered off, Nat trudged in with her bag, puffing as Mac approached her, "Hey, bud!" He bounced on his feet.

"Hey, what's up?" Nat groaned as she shifted the weight of the bag on her back, clearly annoyed by the unnecessary items her Mom added.

"I need some advice from you," Mac dragged the words out. "And the rest of our group is... well, completely and utterly useless." He waved toward the group of teens, who were staring blankly at a few rocks.

"Shocking," Nat deadpanned with a grin. "So, what do you need help with? Now, I only brought my small knives, so if you're—"

"What, no! I don't need any knives!" Mac stopped her mid-sentence as his eyes widened.

"Oh--"

"How did you even get them past security?!" Mac whispered urgently.

"It's irrelevant now." Nat gave a quick shrug, her hand flicking the question away like it was nothing. "But, back to the topic at hand—what's the problem?" She shifted her focus back to Mac.

Mac hesitated, then took a deep breath, "Okay, okay, okay, hear me out," He started over. "I need help with flirting."

Nat lifted a brow, "Flirting?"

"Yeah!" Mac bobbed his head. "How do you flirt with a girl you like?"

"Oh! Hmm..." Nat's eyes narrowed as she thought it over. "I just act awkward and wait for them to figure it out. But if that doesn't work, I guess you could always go straight for hand-to-hand combat," She shrugged like it was the most normal solution.

"Okay..." Mac dragged his teeth over his lower lip. "You're no help whatsoever." He threw his hands on his hips. "Wait—I've got it!" He snapped his fingers as his eyes lit up.

"What is it?"

"I'll just use my charm... and cool science facts!" Mac declared with an over-the-top, confident nod. "Brilliant! Thanks, Nat, you're a solid friend!" He slapped Nat's shoulder before marching off towards Sadie, clearly thinking he had just unlocked the secret to flirting.

Nat spun around quickly, throwing her hands up, "But I didn't help!" She yelled after him.

Nat shook her head as he walked away as her eye caught a nearby exhibition sign: 'Stars: The Wonders of the Universe'. She paused, intrigued, thinking it sounded pretty cool.

"Natalia Diaz!" Mrs Davis barked, grabbing Nat's attention. "Use your inside voice."

Nat's brows knitted, "But my voice is always inside—inside my body," She pointed out.

Mrs Davis stared at her, unamused, as Nat's smile began to waver before she quickly turned in her heel and bolted off to find tyler.

~

Over with Tyler, Gino, Luna, and Darcy, they were following a tour guide and other students as they walked through the museum's exhibit halls.

"...And here we have the 'Dinosaurs: Giants of the Past' exhibit." The guide's hand swept toward the entrance, where a massive green dinosaur replica stood.

Darcy squinted, "Wow, what dinosaur is that?" They signaled to the replica.

"Plastic," Gino replied without missing a beat.

"Oh, cool!" Darcy bobbed their head as they processed the response.

The class then stepped into the exhibit, entering a spacious, dimly lit room where glass cases lined the walls, filled with everything from teeth to full dinosaur skeletons. In the center, a towering Brachiosaurus skeleton stood, and while nearby, a Triceratops skull with horns rested on a pedestal.

As they moved through, they passed displays of fossilized footprints and a case with dinosaur eggs carefully arranged inside. There were also dioramas of smaller dinosaurs, frozen in action like they were in the middle of a prehistoric jungle.

While Gino, Luna, and Darcy fussed over the dinosaur egg displays, Tyler kept scanning the crowd, her eyes flicking from face to face before feeling a relief when she finally spotted Nat slip out from behind a group of students.

Tyler straightened and turned toward her with a small smile, "There you are," She said warmly as if the whole room had been waiting for her to show up.

"Here I am," Nat's smile brightened as she moved closer.

Darcy, still eyeing the eggs, suddenly spoke up, "Hey, do you think this place is haunted?" They glanced around at the group.

Luna tilted her head, "Ghosts? There's no hard evidence, so I'm gonna go with... probably not real." She snapped a picture of the dinosaur egg display.

"Yeah, I gotta agree with Luna, I only believe in emotionally intelligent crystals." Gino shook his head.

"What?! They're everywhere!" Darcy's face fell for a second before their eyes suddenly lit up. "You know, my Great Aunty Amanda Boyle—she's a medium. She sees ghosts all the time," They added, then turned to Nat, looking for backup. "Nat, you believe in ghosts, right?"

Nat shrugged casually, "I do, but more importantly, I think they need to believe in themselves, you know?"

Darcy let out a huge sigh, "You guys are unbelievable."

~

As Darcy ranted about how many ghosts there could be in the museum, Mac made his way over to Sadie and her group.

"Hey, did you know," Mac began, leaning in slightly. "That the pterodactyl wasn't actually a dinosaur? Yeah, it's a flying reptile, not technically a dino. Bet you didn't know that. Pretty impressive, huh?" He gave a self-satisfied nod, clearly proud of his 'big brain.'

Sadie raised an eyebrow as a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips, "I did know that," she admitted, her tone softening as she noticed Mac's eager expression. "But nice try."

Mac blinked as his confident grin faltered and Sadie's friends giggled around her.

~

As Mac continued to impress Sadie, Tyler, Nat, Gino, Luna, and Darcy made their way deeper into the exhibit. Darcy wrapped up their ghost rant just as they entered the animatronic dinosaur section.

The room was full of dinosaurs, each one perfectly placed among trees and ferns. The T. rex's head jerked slightly, its jaws snapping with a low growl, while a Brachiosaurus stretched its neck to nibble on some leaves.

Nat pointed at the small blue dinosaur as its tail twitched, darting across the ground, "Oooh, look at that one," She pointed as she slid her hand carefully onto Tyler's shoulder. "That one looks like you, Ty." She teased.

Tyler shot a quick glance at the small blue dinosaur, her focus lingering for just a second before turning back to Nat, who was grinning like an idiot. "Hilarious," Tyler said dryly as her lips curved into a smile.

She then scanned the room for a moment, before her eyes landed on a small, sleeping green dinosaur, "Well, you kind of resemble that one," She nodded toward it.

Nat glanced at the dinosaur, then back at Tyler, "I see it." She laughed softly before she shifted her attention back to the animatronics.

~

It was now night, and students and teachers were setting up their sleeping sacks beneath the life-size whale display while a couple of teens were sharing candy as teachers chatted amongst themselves.

"Hey, hey, do you guys remember what to do if I see a ghost?" Darcy asked, sitting up in their bed with wide-eyed concern.

"I don't know... shake you?" Gino guessed.

"What? No! Gently cradle my head, stroke my face until it disappears," Darcy reminded, then let out a sigh at Gino's blank stare. "Ugh, forget it. Do you know where Mac is? He gets me. He knows."

~

As Darcy scanned the crowd of students for Mac, Luna, just a few feet away, was setting up her bed.

She smoothed out her sleeping bag, grabbed her old, slightly frayed giraffe stuffed animal, and tucked it next to her pillow before climbing in herself, "Goodnight, guys," She said, laying back into bed.

~

Nat, lying nearby, waved, "Night," She grumbled sleepily before glancing at Tyler. She saw her with his silk bonnet on, eyes shut, already settled into his sleeping bag. She watched her for a moment, then curled up into her own bed.

~

Now, with several hours passed, it was late into the night, and everyone—students and teachers—was asleep, except for Nat. She'd been tossing and turning for what felt like forever, counting sheep in her head, but nothing seemed to help.

Just as she was starting to give in to the restless tossing, she heard Tyler's voice, "Where... where did I put my... no, I need it..." Tyler's words trailed off as her brows furrowed in her sleep.

Nat's chest tightened as she turned to look at Tyler, who was still shifting restlessly. Without thinking, she reached out to gently shake her shoulder.

"Hey," Nat said softly. "It's okay. You're just dreaming. Nothing's gonna happen." The words slipped out before she could stop them, but it felt right—she just needed to make Tyler feel okay.

Tyler stirred, blinking, clearly confused, "What... happened?" She mumbled, still half-asleep.

Nat didn't let go of her shoulder, "You were having a nightmare," She said quietly. "You were muttering about something. Couldn't find it. Whatever it was, it had you pretty restless." She paused for a moment, her eyes locked on Tyler's.

Tyler blinked a few times, her gaze slowly focusing as she processed Nat's words. She let out a small breath, then looked back at her, "I see," Her voice softened, and after a beat, her brows twisted, "And... why are you awake?"

"I can't sleep," Nat admitted.

"Ah." Tyler shifted in bed as she pressed her lips together, "Perhaps, we could try counting something?" She suggested, turning her head slightly towards Nat.

Nat shook her head, "Tried it."

"Hmm." Tyler paused, thinking for a moment, while Nat lay beside her, staring up at the huge whale, her mind unable to quiet. Both of them were lost in thought, trying to figure out how to help Nat get some sleep.

Then, an idea sparked in Nat's mind, "Hey," She muttered, sitting up slightly. "Do you wanna sneak out and see the 'Stars: The Wonders of the Universe' exhibit?" She smiled, remembering the sign she'd seen earlier.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Tyler's face. She opened her mouth to protest, but the words caught in her throat. She paused, she didn't do spontaneous. She didn't do late-night adventures.

But then her eyes met Nat's—and there was something there that made her heart skip. Tyler exhaled through her nose, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, "I... shouldn't," Her voice laced with uncertainty. But even as the words left her lips, they didn't feel right.

Nat's smile only widened, "Come on. It'll be fun."

Tyler hesitated again, the usual rules she clung to weighing on her. But Nat's presence made all of that feel... less important. She shifted, pushing the blanket off her legs, "Fine," She said quietly, the words slipping out a little easier this time.

~

Now, with everyone still asleep back in the whale room, Tyler and Nat quietly slipped into the 'Stars: The Wonders of the Universe' exhibit.

"Oh, good job checking the handle. Real smart move," Nat whispered as she eased the door shut.

Tyler raised an eyebrow as she glanced at her, "Thank you, though I'm still puzzled why your first thought was to kick the door in." She couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her lips.

"Well, that because that my first thought for a lot of... things," Nat replied, her voice trailing off as she stared at the exhibit.

Above them, the ceiling was filled with swirling galaxies and stars that softly twinkled in the soft light. In the center, a hologram displayed the life cycle of a star, gradually fading from bright to dim. The walls, covered in constellations, guided their eyes toward a stargazing deck beneath a glass dome.

"Wow. This is out of this world," Nat murmured, her eyes wide as she took in the view.

Tyler lingered for a moment, her gaze drifting over the stars and constellations, "Indeed." She agreed with a small nod, joining Nat.

They walked toward the glass dome, the noise of the exhibit fading behind them as they got closer. Above them, the dome curved gently, and they tilted their heads back, the stars barely visible through the glass.

Nat placed her hand on the railing next to Tyler's—just enough for both of them to feel the touch. Neither of them moved, but neither pulled away. The air between them felt thick.

Nat's heart raced. She stole a glance at Tyler and, for a second, saw that same flicker in her eyes—the mix of hesitation, and something more. Her breath caught, and she glanced away, trying to push the moment aside. But the feeling of Tyler's hand resting beside hers was impossible to ignore.

Tyler felt it too. She noticed the way Nat quickly averted her gaze, the way her lips pressed tightly like she was holding back something. Tyler's eyes lingered on her. The silence between them seemed to hang in the air.

"It's so beautiful," Nat whispered as her eyes stayed locked on the stars above, trying to shift the focus. But her words didn't feel real. She couldn't quite push away the thoughts of Tyler.

Tyler didn't glance at the stars. Her attention was completely on Nat, "I agree," She whispered as if she were mulling over something.

Nat felt Tyler's eyes on her, and without really thinking, she turned to face her. Her eyes briefly drifted to Tyler's lips, then back to her eyes, her heart racing. She couldn't tear herself away from the moment.

Tyler's breath hitched when she saw where Nat's eyes landed. Her lips parted slightly, pulse quickening, the distance between them narrowing. But she held still, giving Nat the space to make the next move. Neither of them could deny the pull anymore.

"Nat, do you—" Tyler started quietly.

Nat didn't wait for the rest of the sentence. She leaned in, and before either of them could think twice, her lips were on Tyler's. It was a swift, almost surprised kiss—like they'd both been holding their breath, waiting for this moment to unfold.

Tyler stiffened for a moment. But then, almost without thinking, her hands found their way to Nat's waist, pulling her closer. The kiss grew softer, deeper, as if everything else faded away. All that remained was the feeling of their lips, the connection between them. Nat's hand softly cupped Tyler's face, her thumb gently tracing her cheek.

When they pulled apart, Nat's heart raced, and she met Tyler's gaze. There were no words—only the deep understanding in the silence between them.

As they stayed close, Nat's mood ring began to glow, shifting to a soft pinkish hue before it turned to red.

Before Nat could overthink it, Tyler leaned in again, this time slower, as if savoring the moment. Nat met her halfway, no hesitation, no second-guessing. All that existed was the pull between them, undeniable now.

When they finally pulled back, their foreheads touched, both of them grinning, their smiles so wide it almost hurt. The silence around them felt different, but in a good way—as if everything had finally clicked into place.

Just then, the creak of a door shattered the moment.

"Anyone in here?" a voice called, followed by the sweep of a flashlight beam cutting through the exhibit's low light.

Nat's eyes widened as she grabbed Tyler's sleeve. Tyler barely reacted, her head turning slowly toward the sound.

"Oh, no," Nat whispered, panic seeping into her voice.

"We need a plan of attack," Tyler proclaimed as she scanned the room for an idea.

"I have a plan. Attack," Nat declared without missing a beat.

Before Nat could put her plan into action, muffled screams echoed from the whale room. The students must have woken up to something.

The flashlight beam hesitated mid-sweep as the security guard huffed, "What the hell?" The sound of hurried footsteps followed as he turned and headed toward the noise.

~

Over in the whale room, the sound of startled teens filled the museum as they began to wake up.

"It's a ghost!" Darcy's voice cracked, sounding a bit too high-pitched with panic. They shot their hand out toward the corner of the room. "Oh my god, I can't believe it!"

Luna, still groggy and blinking, shot upright in her sleeping bag, clutching her stuffed giraffe tightly to her chest. "Seriously?" She mumbled, squinting in the direction Darcy was pointing. "I don't see anything."

"Did someone say ghost?!" Gino's eyes frantically scanned the rooms. "Where?! Where's the ghost?!" His hands grabbed Luna's arm.

~

"Where is it?!" Sadie screamed from the other side of the room as her eyes darted around, while Mac remained completely out of it, still fast asleep nearby.

"I swear I saw something move!" another teen yelled as they examined the dark corners of the room.

~

"Shh! Everyone, please! Go back to bed!" Mr. Bellamy's voice cracked as he tried to regain control, but the room was already a mess of panicked screams.

"Calm down, everyone!" Miss Pete added, but it barely made a difference.

Then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway. The security guard burst into the room, his flashlight swinging wildly as he scanned the space, "What's going on here?!" He demanded, puffing.

"It's a ghost!" Darcy screamed again, signalling to the same spot in the corner.

The guard followed their trembling finger, his flashlight landing on a large, unmoving statue. He raised an eyebrow and let out a sigh. "That's just a statue," He said dryly.

There was a long pause. Darcy blinked, eyes wide, then let out a nervous laugh, "Oh... yeah, right. A statue. Totally. I definitely knew that."

Gradually, the panic began to fade. Some students, still looking embarrassed, shuffled back to their beds.

Meanwhile, in one of the nearby beds, Nat lay still as a grin tugged at the corners of her lips. She and Tyler had slipped back into bed without anyone noticing. Her heart was still racing from the kiss, and she couldn't stop replaying the moment in her mind. She pulled the covers up and shifted slightly, trying to calm her pulse, but the smile on her face didn't fade. She definitely couldn't sleep now.

Beside her, Tyler lay with her back to Nat, but her eyes were wide open. She was also feeling the rush from the kiss. Her mind kept wandering back to how soft Nat's lips had been, how everything had felt like it was on the verge of something big. She tried to focus on the silence around them, but her thoughts kept slipping back to that moment.

Neither of them moved, but the air between them felt heavy. Nat stole a quick look at Tyler, noticing the faintest curve of her lips in the dim light. Her heart skipped a beat.

At the same time, Tyler caught Nat's eye as she turned slightly. For a moment, everything else seemed to disappear. It was just the two of them.

"Goodnight," Tyler whispered, her smile a little more noticeable than usual.

"Night," Nat replied softly, her own lips curving into a smile that matched Tyler's.

~

It was now the next day at the American Museum of Natural History, and the students and teachers, with their sleeping bags and pillows in hand, walked out of the museum. Up front, Darcy, Gino, and Luna made their way toward the bus.

"I swear I did see a ghost!" Darcy exclaimed, throwing their hands up in the air.

Gino, walking beside them, let out a long groan, rolling his eyes so hard it almost looked painful, "You might be the most annoying person I know," He deadpanned.

Darcy froze mid-step, their mouth slightly open in disbelief, "Might be? What do you mean 'might be'? There's someone else?" They glanced between Gino and Luna, looking for answers as the three stepped onto the bus.

~

"As Luna, Darcy, and Gino found their spots at the front, Mac and Sadie sat right behind them, trying to make the ride more comfortable before the bus left. Sadie glanced over at Mac, who was still staring out the window and decided to break the silence.

"So," Sadie started softly. "Any interesting thoughts going on in that head of yours?"

Mac smirked and turned to her, leaning back in his seat. "Actually, did you know that the blue whale is the largest animal on Earth? Bigger than any dinosaur, which is, like, totally mind-blowing."

Sadie raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a small smile, "That's... impressive," She giggled.

"Thanks, I'm just built differently," Mac said with a chuckle, gesturing to his brain. "Incorrectly, I think."

Sadie couldn't help but giggle again, shaking her head at him, clearly amused.

~

With most of the students already on the bus, Nat and Tyler stepped out of the museum, walking side by side. Nat adjusted her bag, awkwardly holding the pillow under her arm, and glanced over at Tyler. Their eyes met for a second, and something that had been there all along— felt so much clearer. Nat's heart skipped, and she quickly looked away, feeling a little caught off guard.

Tyler chewed on her granola bar, her gaze ahead, but her body was different somehow. She could feel the change in the air too. The feelings they'd both had for a while—those quiet little crushes, the subtle connection they shared—had finally made sense after the kiss. It was like everything had clicked into place.

They walked side by side toward the bus, the comfortable quiet between them, but it wasn't awkward. It was just... comfortable. Every now and then, their eyes met again, and this time neither of them looked away. The glance they exchanged said everything—but they didn't need to rush to talk about it. They both knew it was coming, but for now, they were okay with just letting it hang in the air.

"Alright, that's everyone," Mr. Bellamy called out, standing at the bus doors, counting heads. "Let's get moving, folks."

With one last glance at each other, Nat and Tyler climbed onto the bus, the door closing behind them, leaving the moment hanging quietly between them.

~

happy new late year!!

published: 11/1/25