Chapter 64 Stargazing
Phoebe
By the time we made it back to the dorms, I couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened earlier. My anxiety must’ve been full-blown, because I wasn’t even watching where I was going and ended up tripping over a pretty big rock near the front gate.
Finley caught me just in time. I also saw Adonis reaching out like he was about to do the same, but Finley got to me faster.
A bunch of people saw it—especially Coach Cooper. I even apologized, even though it obviously wasn’t my fault. I mean, yeah, I’m clumsy, but I wouldn’t trip over stuff on purpose.
“You okay?” Finley asked.
I just nodded, quickly finding my balance and standing up. I let out a long sigh as we parted ways with Coach Cooper, who told us to get some rest.
In the lounge, I sat down next to Hayden. He told me he was staying off social media for a while, for my sake. Honestly, I didn’t care what people online were saying—good or bad.
Adonis had gone to the kitchen and came back with a glass of warm milk. Zion left without saying a word, and I noticed him heading to the rooftop. Let me guess—smoking and probably drinking a beer.
“Do you want some company tonight, Phoebe?” Adonis asked out of nowhere.
His question made Hayden glance over. His face was tense, as usual, but when our eyes met, he gave me a small nod. There was this hint of sadness in his expression though.
“I’m heading to bed early. See you tomorrow, Phoebe,” Finley said, leaning in to kiss my cheek.
“Yeah, see you at breakfast,” I replied softly.
Adonis looked at me again. “Your room or mine?”
“Doesn’t matter. I just feel really off today.”
“You sleepy?”
“If yawning ten times and having jelly legs means you’re tired, then I’ve only yawned once. I’m just restless.”
“Good thing I asked. I’ve got a better idea—might help calm you down.”
I raised an eyebrow but followed him anyway. Adonis led me to his room, acting all shy like he was hiding some surprise. The second I walked in, that cherry scent I always associated with him hit me right in the face.
Without saying much, Adonis crouched down and pulled out this long wooden box from under his bed. It was matte black with metal latches on each end. The sound of wood scraping against the floor filled the room.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“A telescope.”
“You’re into astronomy?”
“Yeah, just a hobby to kill boredom. I actually just bought one of the lenses last week but haven’t had time to try it out. Thought tonight would be a good chance. The sky’s clear and we’ve got training every night anyway.”
I smiled a little. “What does the other Adonis think about stargazing?”
He chuckled. “He prefers meteors over constellations.”
I helped Adonis carry the telescope up to the rooftop. The cold night air brushed against my face as he pushed the door open. In the corner, Zion was chilling in a foldable chair, jacket unzipped, cigarette in one hand and a beer can next to him.
“Yo,” Zion greeted, barely glancing over.
Adonis just nodded and started unpacking the telescope. I sat cross-legged on the ground, hugging my knees, watching him. He started explaining all the parts—eyepiece, altazimuth mount, finder scope—but honestly, it all sounded like another language.
“We’ll use the 25mm lens first, wider field of view,” he said while adjusting the tripod and lining it up.
I still had no clue what he was saying, but seeing how excited and focused he was made me feel excited too.
“December skies are good for spotting Orion. See those three stars lined up diagonally? That’s Orion’s Belt. Below it is the Orion Nebula.”
I looked up, slowly recognizing the pattern. There was something so calming about staring at the night sky. It made everything else feel small—like my problems weren’t as huge as they seemed.
Adonis handed me the scope. When I peeked through, the tiny pinpricks of light turned into something real—bigger, brighter, clearer. My eyes widened.
“This is… amazing,” I whispered.
“Try shifting it a little to the right. You might see Sirius, the brightest star. Should be pretty clear tonight.”
I adjusted the scope and there it was—a bluish-white sparkle that stood out from all the others.
“When I was a kid,” Adonis said softly, “I used to sleep out on the balcony just to watch the stars. It felt like there was a whole other world out there—one that didn’t stress me out. That’s when I got into stargazing. I bought this telescope after I ran away from home last year.”
I looked at him. “You ran away?”
“Yeah. Long story. But at the time, this telescope was the only thing that made me feel safe.”
Before I could say anything, Zion walked over. “Mind if I take a look?”
Adonis smiled and stepped aside. Zion bent over the scope, looked through it, then laughed. “Damn. I thought stars were just tiny dots. This is dope.”
“You might even catch Jupiter tonight,” Adonis added, switching to a stronger lens.
The three of us hung out on the roof for almost an hour—sometimes quiet, sometimes chatting. Oddly, it all felt… peaceful.
Once we wrapped up, Adonis started packing up the gear. Zion walked back over, holding a fresh beer.
“Want one?” he asked, holding it out to me.
I glanced at the can, then at Adonis. He just gave me a little shrug like, up to you, then walked off.
I took the can, cold against my skin. “Just one sip. Might help me sleep.”
Zion chuckled. “Fair. This might be the chillest night we’ve had at Livingstone.”
Maybe for him, with all the beer and smokes. For me, though?
Everything started tilting—like the roof was rocking back and forth. Zion just laughed at my reaction and popped open another foldable chair, gesturing for me to sit. It felt kinda nice, honestly. I leaned my head against his arm and closed my eyes.