The Sound of Shooting Stars by Heather Allen Page B

know what is happening, his arms are around my waist and his mouth is covering mine. His tongue starts to push my lips apart. I panic and try to push him away but he’s too strong. His hands grasp my hips harder, causing pain to shoot up my back. I turn my head, alarm ringing through my voice as I protest, “Brett, no.”
    I can’t get any more words out before his mouth is over mine again depleting my oxygen. My body stiffens as the realization hits me that he’s not going to let me go. I panic and start to push on his shoulders with all of my strength but it only causes him to tighten his grip.
    He mumbles into my mouth, “Come on Beckett, you know you want it. Why do you have to be such a tease?”
    I take this moment to breathe and a small cry escapes my lips before he is trying to kiss me again. His hands start to lower over my ass before he places his hands on my shoulders and pushes me hard causing me to fall onto the ground. I land hard on my back and before I can push myself up his body is pushing me back into the sand. The warmth from the sand I was savoring a moment before, now searing pain into my skin.
    Just as I’m about to give up he is suddenly thrown off of me. The heat searing my skin is gone replaced with cooler air forced into my lungs. I look over to see Jamie a few feet away on top of Brett punching him in his side and his face. Brett is trying to hit him back but Jamie has him pinned. All he can do is put his arms up to shield the blows.
    I slowly push myself up and call through tears that have started falling relentlessly, “Stop.” My voice comes out in a whisper. Jamie doesn’t hear me. I stand up on wobbly legs and rush toward him yelling as loud as the tears will allow, “Jamie, Stop!”
    He seems to come out of a trance. His hands pause as he looks down at Brett’s bloodied face. Abruptly he pushes himself to his feet. He stands over Brett, a look of disgust passes over his features. He moves his glance to me and asks harshly, “Are you okay?”
    I nod at a loss for words as my heart continues beating intensely. My hands curl across my body as I sink back onto the sand. He stands still looking at me for a minute before finally settling a few feet away from me. Neither of us utters a word. I look over as Brett finally pushes himself up from the sand. He glares at Jamie before his eyes find mine and he barks, “Beckett, you’re going to wish you never existed!”
    He turns and limps back to the party holding onto his side.
    I lean back in the sand, still holding myself and gaze at the sky above. I whisper with regret, “You might want to go back and save your face. You won’t want to be associated with me after this.”
    Jamie doesn’t respond. Instead, he leans back onto the sand beside me and places his arms behind his head.
    When his voice does come out, it’s just above a whisper.
    “There is a constellation in the southern sky. In Australia they call it The Frying Pan but in other places it’s called The Chameleon. It’s one of the smallest constellations there is. Do you know why they call it the chameleon?”
    I turn my head to look at him and whisper, “No.” His profile in that split second looks so peaceful looking up at the heavens.
    He turns his head to meet my gaze, “It’s called The Chameleon because it’s hard to see sometimes, as if its true form is disguised.”
     

Chapter Fifteen
    Jamie Grey
    Canis Minor – The Small dog
    Maera, dog of the unlucky wine-maker Icarius, who was killed by his friends after they had mistaken drunkenness for a murder attempt, thinking Icarius had tried to poison them.
    ~*~
     
    Coming to the party with Sam made sense. I needed to get out of that house. As big as it is, I was starting to feel claustrophobic. When Trina arrived and pulled me out onto the porch I thought she would be the perfect distraction to keep my mind off of things but she came on a little too strong for my liking. I kissed her a little but she wanted to go