A Wish Upon the Stars (Tales From Verania 4)

He grunted but didn’t move.

We ask of you to save us all,

And we’re sorry for past transgressions.

We’ll be with you, Sam, in the brawl,

acting out all our aggressions!

And to those bitches we saaaaaaaaaaay….

“I should have just stayed in the godsdamned woods,” I mumbled as the crowd sang loudly.

“Nah,” Ryan said. “I would have found you eventually.”

“That sounded creepy.”

“Or did it sound like ‘I love you’?”

“That’s not a boner for you,” I told Terry. “It’s for Ryan.”

And alas, after a verse or six,

We’re coming to an end.

Cheesy dicks and candlesticks!

We’re looking for our hearts to mend.

My eyes started to burn as the song slowed, as Zal’s voice broke just a little.

We turn to you, the boy we lost,

your body now littered with scars.

We know what your bravery cost,

and for you we wish upon these stars.

Annnnnnd we saaaaaaaaaaaaay.

Dark wizards can kiss our asses!

We’ll stab ’em in the gut.

Listen to me, lads and lasses,

Let’s fuck them in the butt!

He finished with a flourish, loud and raucous, the crowd crying out joy and pain, in happiness and sorrow. I saw tears on the faces of many, and as Terry finally stood and I sucked in a full breath, I had to wipe my own eyes.

Ryan was there next to me, his forehead pressed against mine, and he said, “They hurt you. I know they did. And they don’t deserve you. None of them do. Not after the way they treated you. But they need you, Sam. Almost as much as I do. Because without you, we’ve lost. Believe in me, because I’ve always believed in you, even when I was at my angriest.”

“You’re so stupid,” I muttered wetly. “I hate you so godsdamn much. You’re all manipulative, and I should curse you and then move far, far away.”

I felt his smile more than saw it. “But you won’t.”

“I won’t.”