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Maybe I had just found something more.
Chapter Four
When I went to bed that night, my mother held my chair while I pulled myself onto the bed. She helped me straighten my legs out and sat down on the edge of my bed for a moment.
“He seems like a good boy,” she said thoughtfully.
“He’s nice, I guess,” I replied with a shrug.
She looked at me carefully for a moment, before she brushed my hair away from my face and kissed me on top of my head.
“Good night, Starr.”
“Good night, Mom.”
I closed my eyes and pulled the sheets up to my chin when she turned the light off. I opened my eyes again when I heard a pair of tiny feet skitter into my room.
I looked over and saw Stella smiling at me.
“Hi, Starr,” she whispered.
“Hi, Stella,” I whispered back. “What’s up?”
“Can I sleep with you tonight?” she asked, pleading with her big eyes.
“You know it’s not going to be comfortable for you, right?” I asked.
She nodded and crawled onto the bed. I put my hands down and began to shift over to give her room, but she stopped me.
“I’ll be okay right here,” she said, lying down on a small sliver of the bed.
“But I don’t want you to fall off,” I argued, trying to push myself over again.
“Janey, this is your bed. You don’t have to move over to make room for me. You can be normal with me like you were with Nolan. I’m your friend too,” she said, putting a tiny arm around my waist and snuggling into my side.
“Thanks, Stella,” I sighed, putting my cheek on top of her soft curls. “I like that you’re my friend.”
“I’m your best friend,” she corrected in a tired voice.
“Always,” I whispered.
I was asleep in no time. I didn’t dream that night but having Stella’s arm around me while I slept was more than enough for me.
I didn’t want to have another dream where I was walking on the beach, anyway. They always depressed me when I woke up and saw my chair waiting patiently near my bed.
When I woke up the next day, Stella was gone. I smiled and stretched, then reached for my chair. There was a folded piece of white construction paper on it with my name written in Stella’s handwriting.
Dear Starr,
Thank you for letting me have a sleepover with you. I love you.
Stella
I smiled and took a deep breath. Stella had just set the bar so high for today, and even Nolan wouldn’t be able to top that.
Nolan.
I threw the sheets off and pulled myself into my chair. I forgot he was coming over and I didn’t even know what time it was. The Lego clock I had in my room stopped working months ago, but I kept it because the kids gave it to me for my eighteenth birthday.
