Starlight (Book 1)

25: Guests Don't Typically Use That Entryway

School had turned into my best friend.

Okay, maybe I was being overdramatic, but there weren't very many things that would make me dread the end of the day.

I suffered my way through class, hoping that I could make it until lunch when I would see Lily and the others.

During second period history, the teacher spoke about my speech—trying to tie it back into the rise of other Astral City heroes. I stared out the window, dragging my shoes back and forth underneath the desk. Today they were crimson, the same colour as my suit—and the twisting fire burning through my veins.

I walked through the halls alone to French, choosing a seat near the front, to pretend I could focus. I heaved a sigh as Vivian entered the room and shuffled over to me.

"Can I sit?" she asked politely, and I nodded. Vivian plopped down in the seat next to mine, lining up her highlighters and pens at the corner of the desk.

A beat of silence extended between us before she broached the silence.

"So... I shouldn't have yelled at you. I said a lot of stupid stuff, but I guess I just feel like... like you weren't my friend anymore. I mean, you're always hanging out with Jax instead of me all the time, and I was the one left out."

I shifted in my seat, averting her eyes. "You have so many other friends, but Jax is the only other person I talk to."

"All this stuff happened to you, and you never told me about any of it," she continued sadly. "I'm worried, you know? First, you're on the news, and then Phantom almost kills you on the Capitol building, and then you and Jax both disappear on me!"

My lip trembled. "I know. I'm really sorry... I should have told you everything."

"It's my fault, too," she replied, placing a gentle hand on my arm. "When Jax told me you had a fight, I should have tried to convince him to talk to you instead of just letting him storm off. But, to be honest... I sort of wanted him to be mad at you, so I agreed with him. But it got out of hand, and now he's ditching school."

I grappled with her words, hanging my head. How easy it would be if Jax was skipping out on us. The tears sprung to my eyes again, and I begged them not to fall.

"Woah, it's okay," whispered Vivian, trying not to draw attention from the teacher as the class began. "We can go to his apartment after school and tell him what we think of that."

I didn't have the time to respond, but spent the whole class mauling over what to tell her. As much as it ached to lie to Vivian, I had little other choices. I couldn't risk telling anyone about my new identity; the truth about my powers would destroy everything.

The lunch bell rang, and Vivian happily walked with me through the halls. As I pondered how I was going to get out of telling her that Jax had likely been captured by Phantom, and that I hadn't the slightest idea where he was, another realization struck me instead.

During the evacuation drill, I'd run into Mirage only a few minutes after we got outside. I knew she couldn't teleport...which meant she could be a student at Astral High.

I stopped just in front of the cafeteria, a few tables down from Aisha and Lily. I waved meekly, and Lily extended her hands out, with her index finger forward, and gesturing back towards her body, sign language for "come."

I quickly turned to Vivian and said, "Hey, do you think you get me a copy of the yearbook from last year?"

She paused, shrugging. I knew the yearbook club always had extra copies left over.