Ryan

Every great story of great and fantastic people like me, starts with a once upon a time.

So...

Once upon a time... three minutes from now, I snuck out of a girl's room.

Adrenaline rushes through my veins as I sneak, now, out of the Girl's dormitory, into the fine summer night. I've finally done what I've been waiting to do for a while, and done something else too. The moon shines high today, not only illuminating my path but also giving vision to those on duty to catch students like me. But what can I do? Kissing this girl on her birthday at twelve was important.

Why?

One: she's hot.

Two: she specifically came to me to tell me that it will be her birthday.

Three: I kinda like ruining her birthdays.

And four: I'm getting a hundred bucks for this dare!!!

Besides, I love dares.

Trying hard not to make a noise, I move from one block to the other, hiding behind benches and bushes. My camera is hanging around my neck, held securely by one hand so that it doesn't make sounds or bumps into something. Being a passionate photographer, I don't want my camera to get hurt.

The journey from the girls' dorms to the boys' is easy. I've done it before. One only has to look out for the patrol guards and the camera intersections. And tonight, it looks like the guards have better things to do. Maybe it's because the actual semester starts on Monday? I don't know. And I don't care.

I peek out from behind a bush to check if it's all clear. And I frown when I figure out that it's not. Just a few yards away, someone is sitting on a bench. It's a wonder how I haven't been caught by this person.

Who is it any way? I don't think guards are supposed to sit on duty, much less gaze at the stars.

I move a little closer to the bench, keeping sure I'm out of view. And ...

.....can any one tell me how to breathe?

She's beautiful. Her brown curls sit on her shoulders as she sits there, eyes glued to the stars above. Her skin looks pale and her eyes must be a bright colour. Blue, maybe green. She's wearing a pink cardigan over jean-shorts and comfy slippers.

Out of her dorm at this hour of the night...

I look at her and keep looking, totally forgetting that I was doing something. She's like a fairy, bathed in moonlight, pure and beautiful. I want to save this view so, I raise my camera and snap a few random pics. It's silent so she doesn't know.

She just keeps on looking at the stars searching for, maybe, a meaning of something. I want to ask what. She takes her lower lip into her teeth and bites on it. I keep my camera raised. Then she shakes her head and gets up. I duck down behind the bush— A close shave. When I look back, she's going the other way. Her back is to me and her arms are wrapped around her. I watch her hips sway as she makes her way back to where she came from. Maybe heaven?

When she disappears, I shake my head to set it straight. I have to head back too. So I make my way to my dorm, the image of the girl in the starry night revolving in my head. I wonder how long I had been staring at her? Two or three times I find my self turning back to see if she came back or not. Each time I turn back disappointed because she didn't. I wonder if I will get to meet her again? And the I wonder why didn't I step up to her? It's not like me to hide when I see a girl that beautiful.

I can't help thinking about her all the way back to my dorm. It's like the image of the stargazing girl is glued onto my mind's notice board.

Until, I open the door of the dorm.

"Hunt's back!!" All three of my roommates seem to be partying while waiting for me.

"Hey guys." I shake the image of the girl out of my head, and try to concentrate on the present.

I need to concentrate.

They're sitting on the floor between the beds, eating what looks like Chinese take out.

"Party without me?" I complain, grabbing a disposable fork and sitting down to dig in.

Ian, who was almost sprawled on the floor, retracts his legs to make room for me.

"No party with out you, Ryan." Says Josh, sitting cross legged across the carpeted floor to me, as he raises his cup of noodles as a toast.

"So," says Simon, sitting on the bed behind josh. "did you do the job?"

"You can see the hickey on her neck tomorrow" I tell them, grinning as if I just won the marathon. "Three inches below her right ear."

"You marked her??" Ian asks, his eyebrows totally disappearing behind his hair which cover half his forehead. It's looks like doesn't even have eyebrows.

"Clear and visible" I tell him and take out a hand. He sees it and swears under his breath.

His hand goes down to his right jean pocket, but then stops.

"I won't give it until I see the mark."he smirks.

"I hate you." I show him a very much obscure gesture, and the other two laugh out loud.

"What?" Ian asks, but I turn to my Chinese noodles— cold Chinese noodles, totally ignoring him.

He rolls his eyes, and Josh and Simon double over laughing. I can't help but join them too. And very soon, Ian joins us, and then we're all laughing for apparently no reason.

We laugh, and laugh, and laugh, and when we're tired of laughing, we stop and look at the smiles tugging at each other's faces, and laugh again.

We keep on laughing until our neighbour bangs at our door to "shut up or he'll call the...." blah, blah, something. Even then, we keep snickering and laughing into our pillows until we know that all the food will have to be eaten tomorrow.

But before I throw my self on the bed to sleep, I check the pictures I've taken and there I see the angelic girl. And also I see that my camera has no feelings for his owner. None at all.

The pictures are all black, just a girl's silhouette visible against the starry sky. One can only make out the girl. Nothing more.

"Darn it!!"