Star Gazing

          Silence drifted on the warm breeze, disturbed ever so slightly by the gentle rustling of leaves. The meadow stood empty, save for the small duck family floating in a pond near the center. Cain's eyes scanned the green grassland before him anxiously for any sign of a person. Properly satisfied that he was alone, he settled himself into the grass beside the small water hole. He hardly ever had any time to himself, and he was going to enjoy it while it lasted. His father's servants never gave him any peace. Though he didn't mind the women, sometimes it grew tiresome to have so many chittering females about all at once.

         He sighed and flopped backward to look at the sky. It was beautiful hazy dusky blue, a sign that the sun would be gone soon.

           Summer. His favorite season. He loved their warmth, the animals that played outdoors, the scent of flowers on the breeze; but most of all he loved the romantic feeling it carried. His mother used to tell him that summer was a time when animals fell in love. She said that it was the same for people too. He didn't know why summer would cause such a phenomenon, but he supposed that he really didn't care.

        His eyes turned idly down to watch the playful ducklings splashing around in the water. Each seemed content with their liquid home. Their happy peeps and squeals filled the night air with a feeling of mirth.

          "When I was a little girl," he remembered being told, "I used to love when a boy would take me outside and we'd lay in the grass staring at the stars for hours."

          //I wonder...// he mused as he looked back up at the sky, //Is it normal to take someone you like out to star-gaze?// It was a possibility, after all, they were so beautiful. Like glitter in the sky, did that count as romantic though? //I wonder if Joshua watches the stars.//

          He often found himself thinking about Joshua while alone. They were best friends, or so he liked to think. The boy's silence toward him seemed unnerving sometimes. He had determined that Joshua was shy after witnessing how hesitant he had acted when addressed by one of the other servants.

        As stars began to shine in the sky above him, Cain sighed. Could thinking of the boy so often be considered normal? Perhaps it was. //Do other people think about their best friends so much?//

      

          "How do you feel about Joshua?" a young girl's voice asked. Cain closed his blue (I hope... sorry guys, but they might not have been blue...) eyes and let the memory paint itself against his closed lids.
  


         A blond girl swayed back and forth on her feet as though dancing to a song in her head. Her pigtails swayed back and forth against her slip shoulders as her light blue dress and apron mimicked them. She regarded him with wondering brown eyes as if she could read the answer on his lightly freckled face.

         He stood quietly by the wall, almost disappearing into the white that blended with his clothing. Had it not been for his fiery hair he could have. He felt awkward after being asked such a strange thing by the servant.

         "Well?" she prodded, "he's more than just a friend, isn't he?"

           He felt his face grow warm at the implication, "N-no!" he defended, "we're just really good friends!" Had she been thinking what it sounded like she was implying?

              "Of course you are," she replied dully. A look of amusement spread across her face, "bet you wish you two were more though, right?"

           Cain opened his mouth in protest, but found that he didn't know what to say. He wanted to say no, they could only ever be friends and that was all he wanted. Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to say it.

             "You still need to do a little soul-searching then?" she asked. Blue orbs watched her questioningly. She giggled, "you'll know what I mean when the time comes. I hope it is soon though, things would be more interesting around here." Without another word, the girl exited the room leaving Cain confused undeniably confused.

         Cain grinned, that girl always said such strange things. Her name was strange also. Who else on Earth was named Masthai? Then again, maybe what she said was more normal than they seemed. He opened his eyes to stare at the now star-flooded heavens above.

           What did he think about Joshua? He was surprisingly passive all the time, he had a knack for keeping tabs on people, and he had beautiful eyes. They were like liquid moon-shine, only green. The greenest shade of green the rich boy had ever seen. He couldn't compare it with the lush grass or the most precious of emeralds. No words made themselves available to describe it.

         Cain sat up when he realized that he was repeating his thoughts. It all sounded like words he had read in one of his mother's romance novels once. But that couldn't be. //Joshua is a boy, I couldn't think of him romantically... could I?//

          Romance had always meant a man and a woman being in love. They would fall in love by chance without knowing one another. The man would then try his best to casually introduce himself. Next, he would try everything he could to tell her of his love. Each attempt always failed, and he would soon find himself discouraged.

          A small chirp at his feet pulled him out of his nostalgic daze. He looked to the small duck pecking at his shoe and smiled. The pale brown ball of down piped again and waddled around the side of the great obstacle.

           Cain slowly lowered his hand to the ground, palm up, and watched with amazement as the youngling climbed up onto it and nestled down. He raised his hand and brought it in front of his face. Petit black eyes stared back into his blue ones for several moments of silence. Finally, Cain spoke, "What do you think?" he asked the creature, "Am I in love?"

          As if to answer him, the bird chirped almost happily as hit rocked its head back and forth slowly. Cain couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. "Is that a yes?" he asked. More peeping sounded before a sharp quack interrupted. The largest of the ducks, the mother, sat in the shallow water of the pond's bank impatiently bobbing her head.

           Her small chick glanced back at her with an answering peep as Cain lowered it to the ground once more. He watched as the tiny bird scurried off and plopped into the water behind its mother with a splish. The duck checked to see that her baby was safely in toe, tossed a quick look at Cain, and quickly paddled off to the other band where her four other chicks floated. Cain chuckled; he could have sworn that she had looked at him indignantly.

          "Cain!" a soft voice called from the other side of the meadow. Blue orbs sought out the speaker, who wasn't terribly difficult to spot. Silhouetted in silver moon light stood the object of Cain’s thoughts for the past for hours. The boy waved, "What are you doing out here so late? You're going catch a cold!"

        //There he is,// Cain stared at his far-off friend. He felt as though he hadn’t seen the boy in days, when in fact it had only been for the short time he had been lying in his grassy escape from the world.

          "It is about supper time, you know. I would not want you missing it and going to bed hungry." The melodic sound of his voice carried well in the night air.

          "Alright..." Cain conceded as he stood and brushed off his pants. //Maybe I do love him.// He thought as he started toward the smaller boy, //Just maybe//.