Falling Like the Stars

Chapter 3

Amelia sometimes wished she hadn't meddled. Maybe if she would've actually listened to Javi, and stayed out of his family business, the Garcia siblings may have remained alive and well. But of course, as was her nature, she couldn't just stand by, and do nothing.

She'd dragged the siblings into a mess that was even worse than walking through hell. Holding his lifeless hand, tears shedding softly, she wished she could turn back time.

But she couldn't... The stars had aligned as they had, her entire world had shattered before it even existed in its entirety.

All she could do was thank the grid for whatever little happiness she had gotten when Javi had been there with her.

...

Javi couldn't sleep all night, tossing and turning in his bed, his mind occupied with thoughts of the Coinless Girl. Amelia Jones. He kept repeating her name in his head, as if it would make any difference, the number of times he said it. There was something about her that made him feel different... it wasn't just because of the way the two of them had met, accidentally, thrice, and it felt like fate. Or like she said, "written in the stars"...

Zayto and Aiyon had been annoyed at Javi leaving their weapons alone "irresponsibly" at the forge, and while he'd blamed it on his attempt to get even with Aiyon for ditching him in the forest, Zayto wouldn't hear it. He said that Javi had acted like a brat and was going to be "punished".

Still, it was better than imagining what sort of a penalty he'd face if he was discovered in the company of a Coinless rebel.

And he still couldn't stop thinking about her. Sunday Morning he was the first one at the showers, and the first one at the mess for breakfast— bun and butter— and he had wolfed it down and was about to head out, and towards the bazaar when he was caught by his Red Sentry.

"Where do you think you're running away to?" Zayto asked, solemnly.

"I couldn't find marshmallows yesterday, so I have to run to the bazaar again" the mastodon sentry lied, "I'll be back before noon!"

"No. You're not going" Zayto's voice sounded like a thunderclap, stern, and meaning business.

"What?" Javi was aghast, realizing all his plans for the day might just have been ruined... what would Amelia think? That he kissed her and then ghosted her? There was a chance that she would be disappointed in him, and he wouldn't be able to make it up to her before his day off the next week... and who knew how the situation would be between them by then?

"Zayto no, I have plans!" He protested, "I'm sorry man but I can't... not today"

But Zayto wouldn't take any argument, and before he knew it, Javi was running laps on the mud path, and it lasted for way longer than he had expected; it was almost noon by the time Zayto decided Javi had had enough, and told him he could go off to the bazaar now. His purpose had been to get through the message that Javi shouldn't leave his post of responsibility, and once he felt that much was conveyed, he let his junior go. Javi had to give it to Zayto, he was a good leader; and Javi respected him, and his methods, even though he felt annoyed at him at times.

"Don't blame me if I don't come back before tomorrow morning," Javi grunted before shoving off, though, but he knew Zayto wouldn't mind.

Taking five minutes to change, Javi practically ran through the fields, and through the bazaar, to find Amelia's Pop Pop's forge, and found the old man working alone, by the furnace, pouring liquid metal into something that looked like a ninja star stencil.

Before Javi could say anything, though, the old man noticed him, and beckoned him in, "you're here to see Amelia?" he asked, and Javi blushed, "did she mention me?"