Dark Stars, Light Stars

Chapter 11 - Dangerous Things

Dreams can be dangerous things. – Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel

'I was wrong then – you can write fanfiction about The Fault in Our Stars.'

Justice wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

'It sucks, I know. You don't have to lie to me.'

'And why would I ever lie to you?'

Justice rolled her eyes and fell back onto the couch, her test papers in hand. She had read her fanfiction to Alistair, but she was anxious to ask Riley about what he was hiding. He had left a while ago, and he had been very desperate to – much to her surprise. Justice's head had spun from all of her thinking, and she finally gave up on her thoughts.

Alistair turned around from the fire place to face the girl – he just could not stop looking at her. Her eyes, her hair, her lips.

He had it bad. Very, very bad.

It took him so long to gather the courage to ask Justice about her family. He didn't know how to put his thoughts to words. Was she really rich? And if so, why didn't she tell anybody? I mean, yes it would be nice if Alistair had all the money in the world – due to the position he was in at the moment. He had to apply for a scholarship to attend his new school, just because he could not pay his school fees at the last, and the one before that, and the one before that . . .

Justice had it easy. She always would. And he wanted to know why.

After minutes of gathering the courage to ask, the words finally spilled out of his mouth, but not in the way that he had hoped.

'Justice,' he started. 'How um . . . how do your parents . . .'

'How are they rich and how come I don't let people know that I am? Simple. People want money, materialistic things, and nothing more. Not friendship, but wealth.'

She turned her head towards the fireplace – where Alistair was standing – and sighed. Her words hadn't come out as nice as she thought they would. She didn't know how sensitive he was and how he would react to what she had said. Her mind just suddenly started saying Say something! Say something because you don't mean what you said!

'I don't want to be used.' She finally told him. And then she realised that what she had said sounded way worse.

Idiot! Why on earth would you say that?!

'Sorry,' Justice apologised, 'I didn't mean what I said.'

One point to Casanova!

Alistair shook his head in response to what she had said. He had expected her to say something like that.

'But how do your parents earn their money? They must have pretty fantastic jobs.'

Justice turned her head towards the ceiling and thought about her answer. She couldn't lie, nor could she tell the truth. Because the truth was, she didn't even know how her parents earned their money. Each time she asked them where they were going for work, they would answer with 'It's confidential. You will find out eventually.'

Every single time. Since the day she turned 13, that was all she had been told.

'I grew up thinking that my parents were celebrities. They had so much money, and we lived in a massive home – a mansion as it is sometimes called. We were so wealthy that it was ridiculous, and we still are. Every weekend there would be people everywhere. Fancy dressed, bringing gifts and blessings. It was weird.

'Then when I was around 13, some . . . things started happening. Events. I have no idea how it all happened, but soon enough, my Mother was sent to the other side of the world for who knows what. My Dad started working more hours, coming home only to eat and sleep before taking off again. My grandmother lived with me, she stayed and helped. But . . .'