Dark Stars, Light Stars

Chapter 10 - Not Dying

There is more to living than not dying. – Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Princess

Alistair

I don't know what happened.

I went back to my home after she was arrested, and that was hard. The room out back had been completely destroyed – and the house was just as bad. I thought she had did it, but I knew she wouldn't go that far. She wanted to hurt me, but not like that – I don't believe she ever would.

I tried to clean up the room, but it was useless. Especially with my (now sprained) wrist. I went to see my Mother after they locked her up, and she didn't want me to leave. She had seized my wrist and wouldn't let go . . . so I was forced to twist my wrist until she lost grip.

Back to the house. There was glass everywhere.

The window had been smashed (the only window in that tiny room of mine), and the bed had been flipped onto the dresser. My clothes had been thrown out onto the wreck of a lawn, and were now covered in so much mud that I couldn't tell a shirt from a pair of jeans. The kitchenette cupboards had been opened, the contents spilled onto the floor. Bowls, glasses, plates, everything was smashed. The table was turned, and a leg was broken.

I gave up at that point. I left. I don't know where I was meant to go, but I ended up at Justice's.

I don't know why, but I told her that she was an idiot. I was right though. She could have gotten hurt when she helped me. I would say that she risked her life for me, but that is being over dramatic.

In some ways, she did save mine.

That day that she stood up for me in front of Clarissa was a good type of weird. I've always been too nice to say something . . . something mean to another person . . . so people tend to stick up for me instead. It gets frustrating sometimes. I have this image, and yeah, I hate it. So when I get caught . . . reading a novel or something . . . it looks stupid. So I read comics instead. I get lost in the worlds the same as Justice gets lost in hers. I become a part of the characters. But I don't tell anybody because that's cheesy.

I must have looked pretty desperate for a place to stay because Justice somehow decided that it was a good idea to take me in. Under her wing. Whatever you want to call it.

I knew that she must have been rich as soon as I saw the exterior of her home. It was massive, and looked like it had been taken straight out of a film. Massive glass windows, perfect front lawn.

But what I found weird was the little house that sat to the left. It was a dark brown, and stood out against the lovely pale blue that coated the 'mansion'. I'm sorta glad that I knocked on the door of that house instead of the mansion, I would have look stupid standing there, waiting for the person that was never going to come.

She looked gorgeous – Justice always did. Her brown hair was pulled into a messy bun, with her baby hairs out of the hairstyle to frame her face. (Reading has made me sound like a narrator when I think – I aplogise for that).

I think she was expecting Riley instead of me. That isn't a surprise. But it hurt.

It still hurts.

///

I don't know what happened.

One minute the doorbell was ringing, and the next we were on the floor.

But nothing happened! I swear!

She just tripped and I fell with her. Not deliberately of course. She kept apologising. I kept telling her that she didn't need to say sorry all the time. Truthfully, it gets annoying at times, but I know that she means it. Her words aren't empty.