Waiting for the Stars | ✓

Chapter Five

A/N: Literally me scrounging for songs. I have no idea. I'm sorry, my dudes! No song for this chapter. But look, you get a pretty picture!

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He sprinkled me in pixie dust and told me to believe

Believe in him and believe in me

Together we will fly away in a cloud of green

To our beautiful destiny

---

Cara hummed as she worked, the fairy song swaying around in her mind like a willow tree in autumn.

"Hey, Darling," said someone, and Cara turned.

Usually, when a person called someone a 'darling', it was an endearment, unlike when people called Cara a Darling. When they said it, it was much more like an insult.

It was a boy, with dark hair and a nice smile. He didn't look mean enough to push her around, but Cara glared at him anyway. "What do you want?" she asked bitingly.

The boy held up his hands in surrender. "Nothing- I just wanted to take a look at that thing you're making. It's really interesting, it is."

Cara scrutinized his face to see if he was joking. Then she smiled, shrugged, and turned back to her work. It was a painting of the waves she saw in her dreams- Mermaid Lagoon.

"My name's Michael, anyhow." continued the boy. "I'm new here, are you?"

"No," Cara responded, not really paying attention. "I'm not new."
"Ah." replied the boy, fidgeting awkwardly. "So, what is that? The painting?"

Cara put down her paintbrush, accidentally smudging some paint on her cheek. The boy's eyes were drawn toward it.

Cara examined the painting for a moment, looked at the boy, then shrugged again. "I don't know," she lied. "Just something I made up."

Michael looked at the painting. "It looks awfully realistic for something made up."

"I'm a good artist." Cara said, turning back to her work.

"I see that you are."

"Thank you."

Feeling as if the conversation had been closed, Michael left Cara's table and went to sit with some other boys in her school. Their artwork was nothing but a few splotches of paint on paper. He looked at her curiously, as if he really did want to know what she was painting.

---

Cara unlocked the door of her house, since Miss Leanne believed in effective house security and not leaving the door open.

She dropped her bag by the entrance and hurried upstairs to visit her mother. When she opened the door, however, there was no one in the bed.

An instant cold feeling dropped from her mind to her stomach, like she'd drank ice water and it'd traveled up her bloodstream. She froze.

"Cara."

She whipped around, heart beating. "Is she alright?" she managed to get out.

Miss Leanne sighed. "Your mother is in the hospital." she said tightly. "I'm leaving to visit her now, but you will stay home."

"No, I want to come too-"

"Cara." Miss Leanne said sharply. "You will stay home. I am the mistress of this household."

Cara glared at her. "You were never the mistress, this is my house. And I say that I will come with you. I want to see my mother."

Miss Leanne looked as if she wanted to hit Cara. "Your mother is leaving the house to me." she said through her teeth. "This house belongs to you no more than it does to your neighbors."