I watched the stars fall from the sky. It was a surreal thing. The bright glow faded into the background, but I remained mesmerized by the night sky. I was alone in the universe, appreciating its beauty without worldly worries. It was as if I had suddenly shed all the layers of masks I had kept up. A hand, made up of the glimmering stars, the ever-expanding galaxies, and the infinitudes of the universe, reached out to me. And I tried grabbing onto it.

“Tik… Tok… Tik… Tok…” The clock hand continued counting each passing second. “Tik… Tok… Tik… Tok…” The sound permeated through the quiet room.

Suddenly, a hand shot out from under the bedcovers, like a vampire rising from their slumber. A sigh escaped the resident’s mouth as they glared at their glowing phone. It was only 5:30 AM, yet they begrudgingly threw off the bedsheets and began their day. A human could rest, but humanity could not. The dream faded into distant thoughts, unworthy of remembrance. 

“Tik… Tok… Tik… Tok…” The clock hand continued measuring each moment wasted. “Tik… Tok… Tik... Tok…” The sound was overwhelmed by the constant chatter of the classroom.

Mr. Jones was lecturing, yet I doubted if even half the class was paying any attention to him. My friend was snoring in the back. Yet, the teacher ignored them. The benefits of being smart, I complained.

"BZZZZZT," the bell rang, and everyone shuffled out of the room. 

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa… That was the most boring class ever,” I sighed.

“It was pretty interesting…” my friend lazily proclaimed.

“You were asleep…” I deadpanned.

“Yeah, I meant my dream,” answered my friend, yawning. 

“... Was it good?” I inquired, afraid of the answer.

“I don’t know… I forgot…” Both of us laughed.

Soon, days passed. And those days turned to weeks, those weeks to months, and those months to years. Fresh high school recruits came, and old, burdened veterans left for university or work. 

“Do you know your plans for the future?” asked my friend.

“I’m not too sure… All I know is that I’ll do something that I’ll enjoy. Haven’t we had this conversation before?” I answered, laughing while shaking my head.

“Hahah, yeah… then have I told you I’m going to Europe to travel?”

“And to study,” I added.

“Mostly for sightseeing. You think I’m going to study?” 

“Nope,” I said, grinning.

“Didn’t you say you were going to California?” 

I nodded. It seemed both of us realized. In a few short weeks, we would be half a world apart. Well, maybe we could meet up over break, I thought. We sat there in silence, reminiscing about our time as friends. When I was hurt, hopeless, and tired, their hand reached out to me. Without them, I would have never known true friendship. I recalled the times we laughed together, messing around during lunch, the times we relaxed after school. All that remained were distant memories worthy of remembrance. And so set the lone sun.