The Brain Transplant

c h a p t e r | t w e n t y

"These days roll sleepily by
I can hear the old trains cry
There will always be be a moon
Pulling me away from you" - The Head and the Heart

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Recap

I tiredly leaned my head on Tyler's shoulder, feeling him tense up. He soon relaxed as I fell asleep.

-🧠-

The past few hours have been crazy.

It was late at night, Blake was asleep in the guest bedroom. I was sitting at my desk, the only light in my room was the moonlight streaming through the window.

Sarah was really dead. I couldn't process quite process it yet. It's weird how that works. It's like, Sarah died. I know that, I mean I saw it happen. But it's like my brain doesn't know she's gone. It still feels like she's here. It will take some time to fully process that she's gone, I guess.

It's almost like time is frozen, and while everyone moves around me in blurred colors, I'm stuck in black and white. Oblivious to the world around me.

The stars were shining really bright that night. But two of them will always be the brightest.

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"Day, are you sure we should be doing this?" Sarah's face had a look of worry on it, but I knew she was secretly excited. Sarah hardly ever broke rules, so this would definitely be an experience to remember.

"Of course, Sarah! This will be the most fun you've had in years!" I smiled, continuing to try to pry my window open. Sarah just laughed and rolled her eyes. Her laugh was beautiful, it was no wonder why all the guys at school wanted her. She was pretty inside and out.

The window opened with a 'pop'.

I took in a breath as fresh air flowed into my room. The air at night was amazing. So was the sky.

I climbed out onto the fire escape I had outside my window, then I helped Sarah out too. She was too proper, I'm sure she had never done something like this before.

"You ready?"

Sarah took in a deep breathe. "As ready as I'll ever be."

I started clinging the small ladder on the side of the building next to my window. My father and I lived on the top floor of an apartment building, so we didn't have a staircase like everyone else. But I liked the ladder.

Once I made it onto the roof, I reached my hand out for Sarah to grab. She muttered a 'thanks' as she accidentally looked down.

I came up her often. Mostly whenever I had a rough day, or I didn't feel like talking. That's why I had a blankets and pillows laid out on the ground. It was actually very comfy.

"Woah," Sarah whispered quietly. "This is amazing."

"I know." I laid down, and Sarah sat down beside me.

I looked up at the stars, and she laid down so she could look at them too.

"Look," she pointed up to the sky. "Look how bright those two stars are."

I nodded. "Yeah, those are my favorite." I wanted to tell her those were the stars I talked to when I was sad, but she wouldn't get it. She's probably just think I was weird.

"Has anyone claimed those stars?" Sarah asked quietly.

I had no idea what she even meant. "No. No one has claimed them..."

"Then we should."

"What do you mean? Why would we claim a star?"

She chuckled softly. "It's for when you die, silly. Thank goodness there are two bright stars right next to each other. I'm claiming the one on the bottom right. That means when I die, I'm going to be that star."

I didn't quite understand what she meant, at the time. "Okay, then I claim the other one, the top left. That's where I'll go when I die."

We ended up falling asleep on the roof. Sarah texted me saying she'd love to go up there again. I would've loved it too.

But it didn't happen again. My father and I moved a few days later. I knew it was going to happen, that's why I took Sarah up there. Even after I moved, I still didn't understand why we claimed stars. I didn't understand what it meant.

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But I understood it now.

-🧠-

I'm back.

Hopefully I can stay.

Until next time,
Stella