Zenith

Rainer was never one to judge quickly. He thought everyone deserved a chance to have a say for themselves, to explain their sometimes questionable antics. However, after seeing the girl just sitting there on the grass, for sometimes hours on end, doing nothing more than peering up at the midnight blue sky, he was curious to find out what she was doing. 

Taking off his apron, he exited through the front door of the diner and crossed the road to the small park where the girl was seated, arms wrapped around her bent legs, chin resting on her knees. 

When approaching the girl, Rainer started getting second thoughts. After all, she could merely just be stargazing...though, there weren't that many stars in the heavily populated city of Buenos Aires. Skygazing, then. Even so, what would make her come here every time? Furthermore, she stays here for hours on end, even though the sky gave up all its color after eight. So, what could she be doing? There was only one way to find out.

"Hey," he casually strolled up to her, plopping down onto the viridescent summer grass beside her.

"Whatcha' doing?"

She turned her head, meeting his questioning stare with a cool gaze.

"I'm waiting," she said simply, tilting her head back to face the golden glow of the late sunset. 

"Waiting? For what? You've been coming here for almost a week now! Not to mention that you stay until past midnight."

She raised an eyebrow at him. 

Rainer realized how much he sounded like a creepy stalker.

"Uhhh...not that I was watching your every move or anything like that." he spluttered, then pointed behind him. 

"I just happen to work in that 24-hour diner across from the street, and couldn't help noticing so...yeah." He explained sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

The girl turned back to see a long diner with brick walls that served breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day long. A large pane of glass covered the restaurant front, allowing all the customers and staff to enjoy the scenery outside.

She turned back to face the boy.

"Oh! My name is Rainer, by the way." He stretched out his hand.

The girl observed him for a moment, taking in his curly brown hair, tanned skin, and hazel eyes, before extending her cool hand and pressing it against his lukewarm one. 

"Selene." The name slipped softly out of her pale coral-colored lips. 

"So... Selene. What are you waiting for?" Rainer asked again.

Her lips lifted up into a mystifying small smile, but said nothing. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, to let him know she had heard him. 

This only ignited Rainer's spark of curiosity into a blazing inferno. 

Selene tilted her head up again, dark silver eyes raking across the inky skies again.

Rainer followed her line of sight, but couldn't spot anything besides several ash-like clouds and the occasional twinkling star.

He turned back to Selene and scrutinized her features. She had long, sleek hair the color of raven black, and light-toned skin with a small beauty mark above the corner of her left eye. 

"What could she possibly be waiting for?" he thought. 

Looking back up at the world above, it dawned to him how dark it was. Glancing down at his watch, he cursed under his breath and quickly got up. 

Selene glanced up at him, eyes asking him questioningly. 

"My break ended about negative 3 minutes ago. So I gotta run. Maybe see you around...?" he asked, as his feet slowly started leading him towards the road.

Selene nodded, giving him a light smile. 

"Yeah. See you around, Rainer."

He gave a dopey grin, waved, then hurried and ran back to the diner, where he was greeted by an annoyed looking man with salt-and-pepper hair. 

Selene watched as Rainer bashfully gave an apologetic laugh, hand reaching up to the back of his neck again. The older man, his manager, Selene presumed, fondly rolled his eyes at the boy before uttering a few words, seemingly to be lightly chastising him, then handed him back his apron. 

Selene let out a soft yet long sigh, then tipped her head back to face the heavens. 

Two and a half hours later

Rainer looked up at the ticking clock hanging on the wall beside him. It was a little past 12:30 am. His shift was over more than 15 minutes ago.

He finished wiping up the counter, dropped the rag in the sink, and dropped his apron up on the hooks behind the kitchen door.

“Mr. Johnson! I’ll be heading out!” he called out to his general manager, a man around his late 30’s with graying hair.

“Okay! Have a good night!” he shouted back over the roar of the tap water hitting the metal sink. Mr. Johnson gave a little wave with his soapy fingers.

“You too!” Rainer returned the gesture, and with a cheerful beam, let the man get back to doing the dishes.

He swung open front door, basking in the cold and fresh night air that hit him. Taking a few deep breathes and opening his eyes, he looked across the silent street to find Selene gone again.

Rainer suspired. Well, what did he expect? She was usually gone by this time, though sometimes she stayed several minutes longer. He had hoped today was one of those times.

Turning on his heel, he headed left towards his apartment. Yet before he walked, Rainer once again lifted his head up to the clouds like Selene, trying to spot a hint of what the girl could possibly be waiting for.

The next day, 9:06 pm

There she was. Selene, sitting on the lush, emerald grass, looking up at the coal-black sky. She was wearing a slightly oversized smoky-gray cable knit sweater with black leggings and a pair of wood-brown leather ankle boots. Although the outfit was simple, she managed to look stunning in it.

Rainer looked down at his own plain navy shirt, maroon-red jacket, worn-out light wash jeans, and dark blue Vans. He mentally shrugged to himself.

"Well, at least I'm not naked," he thought, shuddering slightly.

His phone chimed 9:10 in his pocket, and he headed from the cheerful and bright atmosphere in the restaurant out into the peaceful and quiet evening outside.

After making his way across the road, he lowered himself down beside Selene.

"Hey,"

She hummed in acknowledgment.

A minute of comfortable silence.

"Are you going to tell me what you've been waiting for?"

Selene gave a light laugh, shaking her head gently.

"No, you'll see for yourself soon enough," she answered.

"Will I have to wait for long?' he questioned again.

Selene gave a playful smirk.

"Maaaybe."

"Well, my break is only 15 minutes long, so whatever you're waiting for will have to happen in the next eleven minutes."

Selene shrugged.

"It might not happen today."

"Then I guess I'll just wait here every day for 15 minutes with you," he announced.

Selene's lips twitched. It was a smile. A very small one, one you probably wouldn't even notice, but it was a smile.

Another long moment of stillness passes between them.

Then, softly, Selene spoke.

"It's coming,"

Rainer looked at her, confused.

"What's coming?"

Selene gestured to the skies.

A single comet was shooting across the darkened sky. It was bright and full of life, running across the heavens like an angel at play. It soared over their heads, leaving hundreds gasping and pointing in awe. It was the light blazing a path through the darkness, for dozens to follow behind.

There were five, then six, ten, twenty, then all at once, too many to count. A sea of shooting stars burned through the night sky, lighting up the city as if it was day again. The angels danced and played like children up in paradise, running this way and that, waltzing here, then over there.

The stars rained down over the city, and just as fast as they appeared, the spirits soon faded away from the night sky again, leaving all in drastic shock.

The celestial phenomenon was godlike. Many couldn't believe that it had happened, and just in a mere eleven minutes too.

Rainer was speechless.

Slowly, he turned to Selene, who's eyes were still twinkling and staring the sky in admiration.

"Y-you knew that was going to happen? Was that what you were waiting for all this time!?" he stammered out, still in shock.

"Worth the wait, huh?" she replied, finally turning to face his astounded expression.

"Bu-but...how?!" he exclaimed.

Selene just gave a mystifying small smile, and went back to gazing at the sky.