Stars are so far away that they may not even be there once their light reaches us, and yet I still think of you when I look up

“You never told me.”

“I didn’t think I would have to.”

“I—what else is there to say?”

“I wouldn’t know. Perhaps nothing at all.”

“Indeed, that may be the best option, but maybe somewhere in the noise we can find something else? Anything else?”

“Not in useless noise. You know how I feel about that.”

“Right, right. Annoying and overstimulating. Got it. Perhaps we try silence again.”

“I’m not sure I like the silence either.”

“Hmmm. If we can’t talk and we can’t sit in silence, what do we do?”

“I could kiss you?”

“I don’t want that either. I can barely stand to look at you.”

“Whew. A couple of winners, aren’t we. Welp, I can just walk away.”

“I suppose that is best. I’m sorry. I wish things were different. I like to think in another life we were different.”

“Remember to look at the stars and think of me, will you?”

“If I’m lucky, I will forget all about you and be able to move on with my life. Then every so often I will look up and remember that we shared these moments, however fleeting.”

“See, it’s those types of things you say that remind me why I will miss you so much.”

“Now you decide you will miss me.”

“No. Not you, but a version of you I thought I was with. Or maybe I will miss the version of myself I thought I was with you. I won’t miss you.”

“I won’t miss you. You always wanted me to be someone else. You always thought I could be better.”

“You can be better. I’m just not the one who gets to push you there anymore.”

“No… you’re right. So we aren’t friends?”

“I can’t imagine how we would pull that off.”

“We could pretend this never happened.”

“I think we should go back to the silence. That was a better idea than trying to forget.”

“I wish you every happiness.”

“I want it to be with you.”

“We both know that would never be the case. You have to stop pretending.”

“You’re right.”

“Then we go back to the silence.”

“I will always love you. Somewhere inside me, I am changed because I knew you.”

“I hope that is enough.”

“Just remember me in the stars.”