Dark Stars, Light Stars

Part 1 (Booknerd) - Chapter 1

Sometimes you don't look very hard for things you don't believe will or can happen.
― James Dashner, The Maze Runner

Justice Casanova smiled down at the book she was currently reading. Boy did she love the main character with all her heart. Even though he was fictional, he seemed real. He seemed to walk with her to class each day, and help her with her homework. It was only something a fangirl like her would do, but she didn't mind. As long as he was standing with her, she could conquer the world.

A snicker snapped her out of her daze and she looked up from the novel to see Clarissa Day and her clique staring her down. Today, Clarissa's jet black hair had been swept to one side and pinned down creating a cute little bun. Her white silk top was tucked into her waist high skirt and her ankle boots finished the outfit. Justice could spell the girl's perfume from across the table.

Justice sighed and closed her book, slamming it on the table in front of her, careful not to wreck the cover though.

'What do you want Clarissa?' She asked, clearly annoyed, as she stood up from the bench and started to pack away her things. Her notebook was covered in the names of her favourite fictional characters – Celeana Sardothien, Percy Jackson, Katniss Everdeen, Will Herondale, Clary Fray – and full of her ideas for short stories and novels. If anybody ever got a hold of it, her dream career would possible be over before it even started.

Clarissa clicked her tongue and Justice looked up, piercing the girl with her ice cold stare.

'Do I have to repeat myself, or are you just here to annoy?' she asked her. Clarissa flipped her hair over her shoulders and placed her hands on her hips.

'That speech that you gave in English was pathetic,' she started, 'Why on earth would you choose to talk about . . . about that useless piece of - '

'Okay, One: That is a pathetic excuse for your loss in the debate. Two: I could talk about whatever I wanted to and Three: Do I even look like I care?'

'Well you should,' Clarissa scoffed, 'Because Brenton Kess was watching, and he saw me get humiliated by a book nerd!'

Aaaaaand here comes the lecture, Justice thought to herself, about how reading is for losers and blah blah blah.

'Look, Clarissa, I would love to throw my book at you right now, but I really don't want to damage the cover.'

Clarissa's friends laughed at the girl's comeback and walked off on her, leaving Clarissa with the so called 'Book Nerd'.

'How dare you!' Clarissa cried. Justice simply shrugged and swung her backpack on her shoulder.

'Oh and I didn't come up with that comeback, Clarissa. For someone with the name of a famous fictional character, you should know that.'

Justice started to walk off, but stopped in her tracks and spun back on her heels.

'Oh, and say hi to Jace when you see him.'

'You know I don't understand your book talk!' Clarissa yelled, her snow white skin now the same colour as a tomato. Justice bit down a laugh and rolled her eyes.

'I think that's the whole point of me talking like that then, right?'

She didn't even give the girl time to respond before she walked off in the other direction.

Casanova : 1

Day : 0

~~~

The Griever's spikes tore into the stone, throwing shredded ivy and rock chips in every direction. Its arms shifted like the legs of the beetle blade, some with sharp picks that drove into the stone wall for support. A bright light on the end of one arm pointed directly at Thomas, only this time, the beam didn't move away.

Thomas felt the last drop of hope drain fro-

'Justice, can you please start dinner!'

Justice groaned and rolled off her bed, landing on her back on the ground. She stared up at the roof and stretched before answering her Dad.

'But I just got up to the part about Thomas and the Griever!' she yelled down the stairs. She heard the shuffling of footsteps and her Dad appeared in the doorway.

'Sweetheart, you have read that book five times this year already.'

Justice laughed and sat up, placing her closed book on the bed. She looked around for her bookmark, finding it under the bed with her pile of homework. How on earth had it gotten there?

'I know, but, it's just so good!' she called back as pulled out the stack of papers.

Her Dad folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head to the side.

'You know what is also good? Dinner. I'm leaving in half an hour for a night shift.'

Justice nodded and stood up from her position on the ground, following her Dad out the doorway.

'How does last night's pasta sound?' she asked, as she descended the stairs. Her Father grunted a response and she could hear the sound of a door closing.

'Last night's pasta it is,' she sighed as she made her way to the kitchen. 'Can I just order pizza?' She yelled. Silence was her only response.

'Fine, I'm gonna ask Riley to come over to keep me company then.'

Her Dad didn't reply, so she walked over to her iPhone that was sitting on the counter and dialled her best friend's number.

'Hey Riley, my Dad's on night shift tonight. How does pizza and a Star Wars marathon sound . . .'