The next day at school, Starry entered the classroom.
Theodore was already there at his desk, a book open in his hand. He looked up the second she walked in. His eyes found hers.
"Good morning, Star," he said, soft. Hopeful.
She didn't answer. Walked straight to her desk — _right next to his_ — and sat down. Didn't look at him. Just set her bag on the floor, pulled out a notebook, and started pretending to read.
They were inches apart. But she might as well have been on another planet.
Theodore closed his book. "Starry?"
Her pencil didn't pause.
He leaned slightly, voice low so only she could hear. "I'm… I'm sorry about yesterday. Did I… did I do something wrong?"
"It's fine," she cut in. Cold. Flat. She still didn't look up. Didn't turn her head. "We're just friends, right? Friends don't need to apologize for nothing."
The word _friends_ sliced through him.
He stared at her profile. The tight set of her jaw. The way her hair fell forward, shielding her face from him. She was right there. He could've reached out and touched her sleeve. But the space between them felt like a chasm.
She could feel his eyes on her. Feel the heat of him inches away. But she kept hers locked on her notebook, letters blurring until they were meaningless.
The silence between their desks was louder than the whole classroom.
Soon, Mr. Blake came in and started Physics.
"Who can solve this problem on the board?" Mr. Blake asked, tapping the velocity equation he'd just written.
No hands went up.
"Theodore," he sighed, "you're class president. Lead by example."
Theodore didn't answer. He was still staring at Starry. At the rigid line of her shoulders. At the way she was pretending the boy next to her didn't exist.
"Theodore. Theodore! _Theodore!_"
Mr. Blake threw the cap of his marker. It bounced off Theodore's shoulder.
He blinked, finally. "Sorry, sir." He stood and walked to the board like a man in a daze.
"What has gotten into you lately? You seem absent-minded."
"Sorry," Theodore mumbled again. He stared at the question on the board. Some Physics problem about force and acceleration. But all he could think about was Starry. Right there. Silent. Refusing to even say his name. The only force he felt was the one keeping her away from him.
---
During lunch, Starry was barely eating and Gretel looked at her worriedly.
"Star, can you please eat? I know you're heartbroken but you still have to eat," said Gretel.
"You're right," she said as she forced down a mouthful.
Days didn't just pass. They dragged. Starry hardly talked to Theodore. The silence between their desks in Physics, the way she flinched when he reached for the same textbook — it was breaking him.
He couldn't take it anymore. So he decided to confront her during lunch break.
Starry was about to go out for lunch when Theodore grabbed her by her sleeve and pulled her toward the empty stairwell.
"Did I just see that?" Stacy gasped behind them.
"Should we follow them?" Anna asked, worried.
"No," Gretel said, though her hands were clenched. "She'll be fine."
"Let go of me!" Starry screamed as she yanked her sleeve from his hand.
"Why are you avoiding me?" he asked, his voice rough.
"Me? No, I'm not avoiding you."
"Then why don't we talk like we used to?"
"I'm just being a friend," she said, emphasizing _friend_.
"Wait. Is _this_ what this is all about? Star, do you like me?"
"What? In your dreams," she said and tried to walk away.
"Wait," he said, catching her hand. Not hard, just enough to stop her.
"I have something to say."
"Then say it."
"I… I… I…" He looked at her, then at the floor, then back at her like it physically hurt. "Nevermind." And he walked away.
She stood there, frozen. Her eyes burned. She wasn't sure if she wanted to scream or cry.
---
After lunch break, when Theodore got to his seat, he saw Starry sitting at her desk, head down. She'd been there the whole time. He hadn't even noticed her come back.
He sat down slowly. "Star…"
She didn't lift her head. "Don't."
So he just looked at her. Like if he stared long enough, he could fix whatever he'd broken.
After class, Starry was about to leave when he grabbed her bag strap.
"Star, can we talk?" he asked.
"I have nothing to say to you," she said as she pulled her bag free and left.
---
When she got home, she prepared dinner with Gretel and Fran. After dinner, Gretel went to Starry's room and checked her drawers.
"What are you looking for?" Starry asked, already exhausted.
"I know you hid some snacks in your drawer."
"Stop, I'm saving them for a rainy day," she ran and tried to stop Gretel. They both wrestled over a small paper bag. A small, neatly wrapped box tumbled out.
"Wait, is this the gift Theodore gave you?" Gretel asked.
"Yes," Starry snatched it up.
"Why didn't you open it? I'm opening it," Gretel tore the wrapping paper off.
"Wait, don't!" Starry screamed. She grabbed the box from Gretel's hands and a small, wrinkled piece of paper fell from it.
Starry picked up the note and unfolded it. It was a letter. She read it.
_Dear Starry,_
_Happy birthday!_
_I wish you happiness._
_Plus, there's something else I have to say. I'm not really good at expressing my feelings and it's kind of selfish for me to tell you this today. But I figured that today you would be really happy, so I had to tell you._
_Ever since the first day we met, I have felt this connection between us. You have a way of making me feel that everything is going to be fine even when things are tough._
_I love the way you laugh. I love the way you smile. When I said you look ugly when you smile, I lied. I don't want you smiling like that at anyone else. I want you to only look at me that way._
_You made me realize that I can be happy as long as you are with me. You always know how to light up my day. I look forward to seeing you every single day. I'm extremely happy that you are always by my side._
_I want you to know that I care about you. A lot. And I really like you, Star._
_So… can we be more than friends?_
_Yours always,_
_Theodore._
A tear fell from Starry's eye as she read the letter. Gretel looked at her and asked, "What's wrong?"
She gave her the letter. Gretel read it. Her eyes went wide. "You should talk to him now."
"You're right."
She grabbed the letter. Grabbed the box. And ran.
---
Theodore had just taken a shower when he heard his doorbell ring. His mother wasn't around, so he went to open the door. He saw Starry standing outside with a box, breathing heavily.
"Star?" he asked, shocked.
"Can I come in?" she asked.
"Sure," he let her in.
She sat on the sofa and he brought her a glass of water. She drank it in one gulp.
"Do you want more?"
"No. I'm okay."
"Um… why are you here?"
"Is this true?" She held up the letter and he looked at her, stunned.
He had written the letter but thought he'd thrown it away.
He closed his eyes. When he opened them, he didn't look away. "Yes. I like you, Star. Only you."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought…" He swallowed. His voice dropped. "I thought you were too good for me. I'm… I'm a child born out of wedlock, Star. I don't deserve you."
"Don't you dare say that." She was on her feet. "Theodore, you are _not_ that to me. You're smart. You're handsome. You're kind, loving, caring. You helped me find closure when I thought I'd never get it. You've always been there." She stepped closer and hugged him, tight. "You're my hero, okay? You're my *Teddy*. So don't you ever downgrade yourself like that again."
He buried his face in her hair and hugged her back like he was drowning. "I like you too, Theodore," she whispered in his ear.
He pulled back just enough to see her. Really see her. Her eyes were wet, but they were sparkling. Just like he'd written.
"Your eyes sparkle," he murmured. "You really are like my lucky star. My brightest star."
She laughed through her tears. "While you're my *Teddy*."
"Star, can you not—"
"Nope. I like it. That's what I'll call you from now on," she laughed even harder.
He sighed, but he was smiling. His eyes dropped to the box in her hand. "You didn't open my gift?"
"I was angry at you."
"Let me help you."
He took the box from her and opened it. The gift was a necklace — a delicate silver chain with a heart-shaped pendant. Inside the glass was a real lilac rose, preserved forever.
"Wow. I want to wear it. Now."
"Let me." He moved behind her, clasped it around her neck. "Come on. Mirror's upstairs."
In his mother's room, she turned to the full-length mirror. The pendant sat right against her collarbone. It was perfect.
She turned to face him. "Thank you, *Teddy*."
He looked at her. Really looked. At her sparkling eyes. At the necklace he'd picked because it reminded him of her. His hands came up to cup her face, thumbs brushing her cheeks.
And he kissed her.
Soft at first. Like a question. She answered by grabbing his waist and kissing him back.
---
Theodore drove Starry on his motorcycle back to her house.
She stood in front of her house and asked, "So… are we just friends?"
"No," he said as he kissed her forehead. "You're my only one, Starry. You're my brightest star."
He drove away after that while she waved at him, gleeful.
When she got to her room, she collapsed on her bed and giggled like a lunatic.
"So, what happened?" Gretel said from the side of her bed, scaring her.
"Gret, you almost gave me a heart attack," Starry said, holding her chest.
"Sorry. So what happened?"
"We're together now!"
"I'm so happy for you!" Gretel said as she hugged her.