Starlight (Book 1)

4: That Street Needed a Makeover Anyway

Long before we reached home, the car had touched the ground again. There were a few things which you could get away with in Astral City, and unfortunately, landing on the tarmac of our house with a flying car was not one of them.

Thus, Kieran had pulled into a side-street and converted the Belt back to a normal car before driving us all the way home.

Our house on Calla Crescent was a pale cream colour; it had a lush garden that Riley occasionally tried to trim, a wraparound veranda with pillars from which hung flower baskets and rocks leading up to the front door. I remembered painting them with acrylics, spending hours trying to perfect the bubbly flowers and rainbows that now lined the garden. The house looked like any other house on the street, except it was home, and that simple fact made all the difference.

Kieran parked the car in the garage, and we filed out. I could tell they were both still wearing their super outfits underneath their regular clothes and most likely hadn't had the time to change in the first place. Dad's blazer was layered by a dress shirt over the light blue of his Orion outfit: I could tell from the way he seemed tightly packed, like a kid getting ready to go out during a winter storm.

I smiled to myself as Riley popped the trunk, pulling out Orion's boots, Spark's gloves, and a mixture of both outfits which had been hastily discarded amongst a slew of emergency medical kits and other items of the like.

"So," Kieran began, unlocking the back-door with a key covered in gemstones which I was pretty sure was mine. "Why Nymphéa street?"

Riley shrugged. "You want me to divulge my evil plans to you, right here, right now?" He kicked off his boots and unzipped his sweater, removing Spark's mask from the inside pocket to look down at it, his expression almost forlorn.

"I expect," replied Kieran, crossing the kitchen to the other side of the house. He returned a few moments later, carrying a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and some bandages. "Come here."

I walked over to the kitchen and searched the cupboards, looking for something to eat. After a few seconds of deliberation, I removed a box of hot chocolate mix and began reading the back, trying my best not to appear as though I was eavesdropping.

"Well," said Riley, shrugging off his sweater and placing it on the back of the chair. "That street was full of huge holes and if you remember, the city wasn't planning on replacing it."

Kieran somehow managed to angrily unscrew a bottle. "You destroyed an entire street, including two office buildings, in order to get it re-paved?"

Riley waved his hand dismissively. "In case you've forgotten, the office building was not my fault. That was Nia."

I began to search the kitchen, removing a mug and placing it down on the countertop. If I was going to appear involved, I may as well make something to drink in the process.

"I suppose." Kieran carefully rolled Riley's shirt sleeve up, holding a rag to the many cuts on his arm. "Don't flinch."

I dumped three hefty spoonfuls of hot chocolate mix into my mug. "Want something to drink?" I asked innocently.

"Coffee would be great," Riley said, clenching his teeth as Dad wiped the wounds. I could see them begin the froth. "Ouch, that stings."

"In the winter, those streets will just get destroyed again... couldn't you have waited?"

"Well, that's something for future Spark to worry about."

"As for present Spark," scoffed Kieran, "he's getting too ambitious."

I filled my mug with milk and added the hot water, carrying the other two cups to the table.

"Thank you, Kat," said Riley, smiling a little. "Kieran, I'm sorry about what happened to Nia."