Starry Glass

✯Chapter One✯

Eight years later...

I sighed looking at the top of the bedframe thinking to myself. Stella was softly scratching her pencil on the paper. I wondered if she was drawing or writing. I had never seen what she did in art and writing in any form. I thought it was strange. Why in the world would you put in so much effort into something that none could ever see. He knew that Stella would never be able to publish her many books and she would never be able to show the world her art. I sighed and tried to get up. It felt like it was getting harder every day.

Stella turned towards me and smiled "wake up sleepy head." I smiled dully and hopped out of bed. I didn't know how Stella could keep going. I closed my eyes and put on my best fake smile. Stella smiled back with what I assumed was real. She then pulled me up to my feet, my head narrowly missing the bead frame. "How about we go eat?" She suggested I closed my eyes and nodded slowly. Stella smiled cheerfully and pulled me off to the lunchroom. I quickly pushed all of my feelings up into a bottle and put on my mental mask for the day. I thought that maybe if I wore it long enough my pain would go away and the fake happiness would wear onto me. It hadn't happened so far but I was still trying. I smiled at Stella and we headed down to the lunchroom. As we got in line Marne turned to stare at us.

I stared right back and Marne flushed and turned away. Stella frowned and looked over at me. I felt a surge of panic and I quickly repaired the cracks in my mask. I Grinned at her and she relaxed slightly.

We quickly grabbed lunch and we settled at our usual table. I sighed and picked at my food. I bristled slightly when Marne walked over to our table. "What?" I hissed at him. He hesitated.

"Trellis, We need to tell you something." He sounded worried. I hesitated, then I apologized to Stella and followed him. When I reached the "boys" table I looked at all of them expectantly. I looked at all of the expressions and saw from calm masks to openly terrified. Though that was mostly from the twelve and eleven-year-olds.

"What by all the stars do you want?" I asked flatly my voice with barely any emotion.

Marne pursed his lips and glanced at everyone else. I looked over at Stella and she was staring at me intently. I shrugged at her and she sighed, turning away. "Well... Try not to panic but... We think that a star might be running around these halls." I paled the mask cracking deeper.

"WHAT?" Marne winced slightly and glanced around. His face was full of worry and terror. I hesitated breathing quickly but I tried to squash down my emotions and I turned to look back at Stella. Then I quieted my voice "What do you mean you think there is a star here!" Marne flinched and turned to look at him.

"Most of us saw something wandering around here." Marne shuttered visibly. I tried helplessly to wrap my mind around this horrible new news. I gulped and tried to calm myself. "So just keep your eyes out okay?" I nodded my eyes hollow.

"Yeah okay." I hurried back to Stella and she looked up from her food. I sighed sitting down. This was not going well. Stella frowned and asked me what they wanted. I only shrugged and didn't answer. I didn't want her to panic. I quickly shoved a new mask on and smiled along with her though it felt like my world was collapsing. A star in here. I shuttered and tried to think of other things. My thoughts kept whirling back around to it though. I took a deep breath and tried to focus on my food.

I sighed thinking again. Thinking was dangerous though. I might think of those other things. I hesitated then got up. Stella blinked at me for a moment. "You done?" I nodded slowly.

"I'll be down in the caves, meet me there when you're done ok?" I felt my mask slipping so as soon as she nodded I hurried down to the caves. I hurried out and used my power to shift the glass and make steps that disappeared behind me. When I got to the bottom I went into the cave and slowly sank to the floor. I buried my head in my hands and tried to breathe. I could never understand how that was supposed to help. I took deep gasping breaths trying to figure this all out. It was all falling apart. If there was a star here... I gulped trying to pull myself back together.