★ SPARKS FLY★
THE SECOND MEETING

she looked beautiful when she danced. There was something magical about watching her rehearse. And Harleen always felt honored that Nilou valued her opinion so much. They had been friends for a long time, even if many people couldn't understand it because Nilou belonged to the theater and Harleen was at the academy, but it was love at first sight between the two of them. Sometimes it just happened. You met a person and immediately knew you wanted to be friends with them.

     Even if sometimes they were completely different. One person liked to dance and loved recognition and the other read books and avoided crowds. One liked to move and the other preferred to sleep. But sometimes it was good that friends were different. You could learn a lot from each other.

     »What do you think?« Nilou asked when she was finished. »Does this fit with the shooting star night?«

     Harleen had no idea how Nilou did it. She danced a whole Coreography and wasn't out of breath at all. She wasn't sweating, she didn't even look like she'd exerted herself. If Harleen was already running up her hill she was out of breath.

     »I've already told you five times, but well, I repeated myself a sixth time.« Harleen yawned. She was often tired during the day, especially when Nilou forced her to get up early, even though she knew that she worked at night. Still, Harleen smiled. »It was wonderful, they will love it!«

     She came down from the stage and sat across from her. »I'm just so excited! I've never danced on such an important day before.«

     »Oh, that's an important day for you?«

     »Well, I don't quite understand why its so important to you and what exactly you need to research... but if its important to you, its important to me too!«, Nilou explained. »Besides, many people from Sumeru find this night beautiful, I want them to have a great evening at the theater.«

     »They will definitely have fun during your performance.«

     In fact, Harleen had never heard anyone speak badly about the theater. Well at least, no one spoke badly about the theater who went there voluntarily and liked to watch such dances.

     Nilou nodded. »It's just a shame you can't come.«

     »I already know your dance and if you still get nervous just look at the beautiful stars.« Because that's what Harleen did when she was nervous. When she was feeling bad or just needed a break. No matter in which situation. When she looked up at the stars she felt much better.

     »I will try that, but enough from me! You look tired.« She tilted her head to the side. »You can go back to sleep if you want.«

     »Nonono! Anyway, I still have to finish a few drawings from yesterday before the stars shine again. Besides, you could have noticed this earlier.«

     »I'm sorry!« Nilou started laughing. »But you always look like that.« Harleen couldn't deny that. Nilou was right. She was often tired. Except at night when the stars were shining. Because then she was full of energy and was really excited to start her work. »You work way too much, Lee.«

     »Not true! Besides i really like my job.«

     She loved her job. She had loved her studies. She did exactly what she had always wanted to do. And that's how it should be, right? You should have a certain amount of fun with your work. And Harleen had a lot of fun with her stars.

     »Is that so?« Nilou raised her eyebrow. »Can you remember the time I found you sleeping on the hill? Or the time I had to climb through your window because you were lying on the carpet between all your books?«

     Harleen giggled. »You thought I was dead because I performed some astrological ritual.«

     »You were lying between your books! There were candles everywhere and there were symbols hanging from your ceiling!« Nilou crossed her arms. »I was really worried, you were nowhere to be found for three days. You guys from the academy really have a problem, You're all working yourself to death.«

     Maybe she wasn't so wrong after all. The guy from the night before was also from the academy and had looked terrible. Not that he looked ugly! On the contrary, his face had been flawless, but he had definitely been overworked. He had seemed very tired.

     »I'm pretty sure some people from the academy say the same things about you theater guys.«

     Nilou shook her head. »They may say we have a problem, but in a condescending way and then add to it.« She cleared her throat and looked stern for her standards. »These theater people are a disgrace to Sumeru, they don't advance our knowledge.«

     Harleen started laughing. She couldn't help it. It was funny every time Nilou imitated them. »You shouldn't just dance, you should also act.«

     »Oh yeah? To make the academy hate me even more?« Nilou rolled his eyes. »They already have enough hate for us, that's enough.«

     She was right. Harleen didn't understand why the academy had such a big problem with theater people and didn't just ignore them, but it would probably be smart if Nilou didn't attract more attention to herself.

     »Maybe that will change at some point,« Harleen tried to cheer her up. »Never lose hope.«

     »And if you do, just look up at the stars, yeah, that's what you always say.«

     Harleen shrugged. »I am an optimistic person.«

     »I know and I like that about you, but shouldn't you start with your work if you still have drawings to finish from yesterday?«

     Although Nilou thought that she worked too much and that she barely understood her work, Harleen appreciated that she still supported her. »Right!« She stood up from the bench and picked up her rolled-up cards. »See you!«

     »Don't trip over your own feet, Lee!« Nilou called after her.

     Like she was tripping over her own feet. Harleen was a little scatterbrained at times, but not that much! At least that's what she always thought until she made it out of the theater and through the crowds. She thought she could speed up her pace a little and weave past the few people now that there weren't too many walking in front of her, but then she crashed into someone else.

     She landed on her bottom on the ground, dropping her five rolled-up cards. She immediately felt the stares of those passing by. Harleen hated people staring. No, she hated nothing and no one. But she didn't understand why people were staring. There were two options: help or ignore, of course she would prefer the former, but if you weren't in a position to do that, well then you should just ignore it. Staring was much worse.

     »I'm sorry!«, She said quickly and looked at her counterpart.

     It was the boy from last night. He also sat on the ground and seemed uncomfortable with all the stares. He brushed the dust off his hands and then looked at her. Unlike last night, he looked much fresher. As if he had really had a good night's sleep.

     »Nothing bad happened«, he said and smiled slightly. »Don't worry.« He got up from the ground and as soon as he was on his feet he offered her his hand. Harleen accepted it with a smile and let him help her up.

     »Thank you«, she thanked him and then had to giggle a little. »If this keeps up, I owe you something.«

     The boy snorted in amusement and picked up the rolled up cards from the street. The sun made his blonde hair shine golden and she hadn't noticed it last night but he had really nice eye color. At first it seemed to be red or orange, but then in the light it looked more like amber or a dark gold. It was hard to explain.

     »Well, you could tell me your name.«

     »Oh, right! How rude of me.« She shook her head at her own incompetence, then held out her hand and smiled at him. »I'm Harleen.«

     »Harleen«, He repeated her name quietly, as if he absolutely had to remember it. He tucked the rolled-up cards under his left arm and shook her hand with his right. »Kaveh.«

     »The architect behind the Palace of Alcazarzaray!« It was more of a statement than a question. She had already been to the palace and many in the academy had talked about it at the time. »I would now like to tell you what great and incredible things I have already achieved, but I haven't.« Harleen shrugged her shoulders with a smile. »I just watch the night sky.«

     »It wasn't such a big task.« He scratched the back of his head and his cheeks turned a little red. »And I'm sure your suggestions are just as important.«

     »Aw, that's really nice of you to say that.« In fact, even though her studies were part of the six Darshans, she was sometimes ridiculed. Some people thought that astrology wasn't worth studying. »Oh and thanks for saving my cards.«

     Kaveh looked at her confused for a few seconds, but then he handed her the rolls. »They're certainly important.«

     »For some people it's just lines and incomprehensible symbols.«

     »But not for you.«

     Harleen nodded, grinning. »They are very important for Shooting Star Night. If you're working that evening anyway, you should take the time to go outside for a few minutes and look at it.« Because it would be a wonderful night! Nobody should miss this. »I don't know if you believe in such things, but you can make a wish from the first shooting star you see.«

     »Oh, my only wish is.«

     »Nonono!«, she interrupted him quickly. »You can't say it out loud, otherwise it won't come true.«

     A smik appeared on his pink lips. He probably found her absolutely crazy and ridiculous. »Well, maybe I'll try.«

     »Great! I mean even if it doesn't come true, it's not too bad. You have nothing to lose if you wish for something.« He looked at her as if she were speaking a completely different language. If he would really wonder what was wrong with her. In moments like this, Harleen would love to be able to read minds. »I'm sorry, you probably think I'm totally crazy, but I get so excited every time I talk about it.«

     »No! I mean it's fine«, Kaveh said. »It's a welcome change from all the normal nonsense.«

     The normal nonsense. Yeah, she knew what he meant. At the academy, everyone always spoke in technical language, was really smart, and if you talked about something slightly different or weren't well-read in the area, you were immediately stared at stupidly. That was also one of the reasons why Harleen liked to work at night. Nothing and no one bothered her.

     »Besides the fact that I really have to finish my work, I guess the reason I work at night is so I can be alone and not have to listen to stuff like that.« Harleen giggles. »W-what, why your laughing?«

     »I just thought the same thing.« That made him smile and it was a beautiful smile. »Well, it was nice to meet you again, Kaveh, but i really have to work now.«

     »Oh, sure! I didn't mean to stop you from that.«

     »It's fine.« She still giggles. »I stopped your yesterday and today you stopped me, we're even.«