Just like I predicted, sleep taunts me from above, looking down at me with a giggling face while I stare blankly up at the ceiling.

    Below me, Elle and Sephora slumber comfortably. Down the hall, I can hear my dad's snoring and my mom's soft wheezing. Then here I am still smoldering from the fire set, now, two days ago.

    "Sleep, Mallory, sleep!" I scold myself, turning the pillow to the fresh, cool side.

    But nothing comes.

    Sitting up, I decide to write to distract my mind a bit, hoping to wear it out. But as I reach under my bed, I pull out a familiar piece of neatly folded paper penned in the most elegant cursive I'd seen.

    As if everything he previously touched was poisonous, I crumple the piece up and chuck it at my trash can which it, of course, misses because I couldn't score a goal if my life depended on it.

    "Forget writing, let's read." No. Anything but that. My books were tainted of him too, plus I hate reading...right? "Why do I have so many books then?"

    Screwing both those plans, I flop back down on my back, staring up at the ceiling again, listening to the natural noises of the house at night; the hum of the fridge, the AC going full blast, people sleeping.

    Elle and Sephora were quiet sleepers, which is nice. Neither of them cause a scene in their sleep and you can barely hear them breathing. Xalale was noisy compared to these two- yet another strike against him.

    "He would talk and scream and wake the whole damn house with his laughter." His laughter that I've only heard that one time. That laughter that wounded itself around you until you felt it play like music in your ears. "That loud laughter."

    I could use a laugh or a smile.

    "A smile like his?"

    Welcome back pestering little voice that adds nothing but chaos to my life.

    Nothing was magical about his smile. In fact, I hate it the more I really think about it. Always so contagious and he had such a nice one.

    "Okay, now you're grasping for things."

    Yeah, maybe I was. Maybe I am because I can. Needless to say, I hate his smile.

    Turning on my side, I face the wall, bunching my blanket up in my fists. It's kind of hard trying to force yourself to fall asleep when your body is protesting against it. The one and only decent thing about him was that he was usually awake when I needed a distraction to sleep.

    I'd feel bad about waking up Elle or Sephora just to have them entertain me in order to fall asleep. It wasn't even so much entertaining, more like the conversations you share with somebody in the night, in the dark that would keep whatever you talked about safe. The one and only good thing about him.

    "Those were fond memories." My little voice sighs. Rolling my eyes, I shut them so as to welcome sleep.

    I can only recall one fond memory of him and it was when we woke up and I was lying on the mattress below after sliding down to listen to his story. That wasn't horrid like he usually was- either I woke up to a ceasefire or I woke up to guns ablazing. That's a major thing I won't miss, probably the highest thing on my list of things I can gladly live without: his constant bickering and flip-of-a-switch mood changes.

    I'd never met someone- and I hope never to meet someone again- as fickle as a cat.

   "That's not how the saying goes."

    I know that, but he was like a cat and cats are capricious things.

    Despite my current mood, I can't help the dumb smile forming on my face at that thought. Anytime I mentioned him and a cat I couldn't help but be amused. I swear, in another dimension where we're all animals, he would hands down, bets called, right on the money, be a cat.

   I quickly lose my amused smile, though, remembering the lack of sleep I was getting right now due to stupid thoughts like this.

   After a few minutes of forcing my eyes shut, emptying my brain, and tossing and turning like a boat on the rocky sea, I finally get tired of trying to be tired, kick off my sheets, and cautiously sneak out of my room and out the front door. Barefooted, I wade through the grass that my dad has been neglecting to cut and sit smack dab in the middle of our little meadow, staring up at the summer night sky.

    It's amazing to think about. All those stars which seemed so crowded in their nightly metropolis actually being as far from each other as if they lived in a no man's land. They just burn and burn until they're all spent, but we continue to see them for years; we might eventually die before the truth of their extinction comes to us. But then again, do we really care what stars go extinct?

    That thought depresses me, honestly.

    Everybody says to shine like a star, but what use is that when there are billions of you shining at the same time? Nobody stands out, nobody looks more brilliant than the others, nobody's unique. Sure, some might burn brighter or be a different color but at the end of the day when they're all done and spent and their light stops reaching the Earth, nobody will even realize they're gone (maybe scientists will write down an absentminded note about it) and there will always be other stars.

    But then, I happen to glance over and see the moon.

    Normally, I don't care about the moon, in fact, I realize I never take much note of it- I guess because it's always there. The good ol' reliable moon.

    It strikes me lightning.

   Yeah, shine like a star and live out your life maybe being admired or trying to stand out, but look at the moon. I've never taken the time to look at the moon, I'm always focused on the stars. The moon, even when we can't see it, is always there. Nobody would notice a star missing, but everyone and everything would notice if the moon was gone.

    "If the moon was gone..."

    "I was once told that what I wanted was the world and what I have is the world."

     Yeah, I still can't see that connection, but the moon. The moon is always there and is the brightest thing in the night sky, sometimes the only thing you can see at night.

     Something flies back to me in that moment. Maybe hope? Determination? I'm not really sure, all I know is that as I stare at this beautiful, crater surfaced half moon, I'm filled with new resolve.

     If this was me any other night, I would seriously question myself. Here I am, I've just been dealt the biggest betrayal of my life, I'm known to screw things up (have a notorious track record of it), I haven't a clue what my purpose or talent is in life, nor am I certain about anything in the future, but I feel invincible (I'm blaming it all on the lack of sleep and my little voice).

    I know what I have to do. I don't know what I can do, but I have to do something. For once in my life, I'm going to clean up my own mess.

Waking up, I'm surprised at how late I've slept in. It's noon already- late in my books- and Elle and Sephora aren't in the room anymore. Worried they've already left to search for ingredients to get home, I fling the sheets aside and hurry into the vacant kitchen.

    "Great," I mumble to myself. I'm too late.

    But just then, I hear a flush come from the bathroom. Standing, pressing my ear against the door, I hold my breath before the door swings open and Elle steps back startled.

    "Oh," She removes the hand from her chest and smiles at me. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you. I must say, though, your bathroom, as you call it, is quite impressive. I wish we had one at home."

    "Is Sephora here?" I ask, slightly breathless.

    Her brows furrow in concern. "Yes, but are you okay? We let you sleep since you seemed-"

    I head into the family room where Sephora sits on the couch, collecting her thoughts from the look of it.

    My entrance distracts her. Looking over at me, she takes in my appearance then frowns slightly.

    "Mallory, you look troubled. Is something wrong?"

    Man, even when I've acted like a moody, melodramatic teenager they're still are concerned about me. Where did I find these people and why do they bother being friends with me?

    Elle has followed me into the family room, clearly concerned about my current state as well. They both look at me expectedly, waiting for me to respond.

    Rubbing my face for a hot second, I clasp my hands together, addressing my words to the two of them.

    "First off, let me apologize for being a complete ass the last two days or however long I've been moping. There's no excuse or reason why I acted the way I have been towards you two and everyone else, but especially you two. You need help getting home and all I've cared about is myself. Well, that stops today." With a steadfast gleam in my eyes, I say the next part with confidence. "Secondly, I'm here to help you no matter the cost. You're my friends and when my friends are in need I'll do whatever it takes to help them. Just say the word and I'm on it."

     Once I'm done my whole speech, they glance at each other briefly before Elle approaches and embraces me with a warm smile.

     "Thank you. Also, you haven't been that bad-"

     "Ugh, I've been horrible, let's not sugar coat it."

     Sephora stands up and approaches me as well, just not going in for an embrace like Elle's always ready to do.

     "We're very grateful for your help." She gives me a small but genuine smile.

     "No problem," I straighten up, rearing for action. "So what have you got so far."

     Her smile deflates at that and her tone becomes discouraged. "Nothing much. I'm simply not familiar with how this world operates and what charms will or won't work."

     Tapping my chin in thought, I try to come up with a solution.

     Elle pipes up with an anxious voice as well. "Sephora has a base for the potion, but we're missing a certain element and it's eluding us."

     Missing a certain element..."Oh God."

     I have an idea but I'm really hating it. It's the only shot we got, unfortunately.

     "I think I know someone who can fill in the missing piece." But they won't be bending backward to assist me.

     They both seem to brighten at this suggestion, though- hope bouncing back into their eyes.

    "Wonderful," Sephora says, already going to get something. "I'll gather my things while you prepare to depart."

    "Sounds like a plan," I nod.

    Oh, boy, was I going to need a miracle.

    Nevertheless, I'm ready to move mountains to fix what I broke; nothing is going to stop me now.