The Sound of Shooting Stars by Heather Allen

was named after a lizard that changes colour to match the environment.
    ~*~
     
    I debate whether or not I want to go to Gabe’s party but in the end I relent after Dani blew up my cell with harassing phone calls. Finally, after I told her I’d go and hung up, I looked across my room to find Jamie standing in the doorway staring at me. He rushed off before I could react but this made it even clearer that I need to get out of this house. I pull on black shorts and a teal tank top wishing time would roll faster so I could leave and pick up the girls.
    An hour later, Dani and I are in my car on our way across the island to pick up Trina. We are rocking out to ‘Wild Thing’ by Ton Loc. When we pull up, Trina carefully steps down the steep brick stairs in her three inch heels. I roll my eyes and call out the window, “One of these days you’re going to break your neck.”
    She winks as she climbs into the backseat causing her mini-skirt to ride up her thighs. She leans over and teases, “At least I’ll look good when I go.”
    Dani and I both giggle at her as she yells, “Turn this up, I love this song.”
    I turn the volume up as loud as it will go when ‘Pretty in Pink’ by the Psychedelic Furs comes on. All three of us start singing at the top of our lungs.
    When we pull up to Gabe’s house Trina stumbles up the drive almost losing her footing and I mumble, “Told ya.”
    She grabs my arm and admonishes, “Well yours aren’t all that low either, are they?”
    She’s right. My feet are fitted into some pretty high espadrilles but I’m not the one falling all over the place before I’ve had anything to drink. She grabs Dani’s arm on her other side and whispers to both of us, “Somebody has to heal that broken boy and the first step is to make him want me to fix him.”
    Unintentionally, my body stiffens at the mention of Jamie. She glances over at me frowning but dismisses it and continues to joke with Dani. What the hell is wrong with me ? I gave her the go ahead and now I just have to live with it.
    I pull my arm away as we climb the white planked steps leading up to the wide deck extending the length of the house. It stands three stories high and is pure white, accented only with grey shutters and a metal roof. It reminds me of art deco which surprisingly is Marla’s least favorite style. She says the lines are too straight and it’s too cold feeling. I say, this is a big ass house directly on the beach and now that I’ve been dragged here, I’m determined to have a good time.
    Gabe answers the door when Dani leans on the bell for a full minute.
    He greets us with a wide smile and his blue eyes take in Dani’s skin tight jeans and gold tank top before landing on her face.
    “Damn girl. You ever heard of patience?”
    She waves away his annoyance while smiling and leans in her black hair brushing his face while asking, “You ever heard of hurrying up?”
    “Dani Markham, is that a challenge?”
    “Gabriel Jones, you come and find me in an hour and ask me that question.” She strolls past him through the open door with only an inch between them.
    He sucks in the air between his teeth in desperation while watching her retreating figure. I follow her and stop to pat his cheek and whisper, “Reel it in there, cowboy.”
    Trina follows me and I know she has made a taunting remark as well because he slams the door behind us cursing under his breath. He must be frustrated. Gabe is so easy to tease. He’s been trying to get Dani to give him the time of day for a few months now. They always have some sort of playful banter, but so far she hasn’t given in.
    Trina grabs my hand as we follow Dani through the already crowded house. The inside matches the outside perfectly. It’s sparsely decorated in white and black. The railing leading up the two flights of stairs is made of white metal. I glance up to see that both floors overlook the giant living room sprawled out in front of us.
    Dani yanks on my