As the words come out of my mouth, I feel an itch, an urge to discover. History is written among the stars. Now I regret never learning about them, especially for those nights when Ladia and I would spend our nights lying under the sky, but those nights were excuses to be alone together. Nothing more. It never dawned on me that my eyes swept over the remnants of Earth.

Life keeps getting smaller.

“What about that one?” Glacia asks. She points to a star near Sol. “You have to know that one.”

I bite my cheek. “Nope.”

She gawks. “That’s Eridani. You know, the first star humans ever traveled to? Wow. This is sad. How are you supposed to be all…romantic-y with Ladia? What if you go stargazing and can’t name any constellations, huh? You’d look pretty silly, mister. Even I have a better chance of getting with her than you. Girls love looking at the stars. Mess this up and you’re in big trouble.”

I laugh—then stop myself short. But it’s too late: she narrows her eyes accusingly.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” I say, looking up again.

“No, tell me”—she points at the Embassy—“or else you’re going to have a long walk.”

I straighten my face. “You brought me all the way out here to teach me constellations…just so I could impress Ladia?”

Glacia folds her arms and shrugs. “Well, yeah. I don’t want you to be all moody when you see her. She’ll think you’re just desperate.”

Those words shoot me down. The feathers in my chest sharpen into knives and cut my breaths short. It’s the truth: I’m not in control. I might be smiling now, but sooner or later I will fall again.

I know I will.

Glacia stares up at me—arms pulled to her chest—and sways on her heels. A memory surfaces in my mind: the first time I met her at that stupid food dispenser during our first year of Secondary.

There I was, standing there like an idiot because I couldn’t decide what I wanted for lunch. Back in those days, nothing satisfied me. I would pick something, cancel it, pick something different, and cancel it. Before I decided what I wanted, someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around and there was Glacia, eyes narrowed and looking like she was ready to slap me. ‘Hurry up or get out of my way,’ she had said. A second later, she shoved me aside and pounded out her own order. She shot me a glare and said, ‘End of the line.’ People snickered as I walked past them, humiliated.

“Why are you doing this?”

My question takes her by surprise. “To teach you the constellations.”

“No.” I wave my hands between us. “This.”

She frowns. “What’s this?”