The Loneliest Stars

Prologue

Hello and welcome to the first part of The Loneliest Stars! I'm so excited to share this story with you all! Please let me know you're thoughts x

Prologue

"Wow, I didn't have you pegged for a nitty..." Lima's surprised voice filtered through FaceTime, distorted by the VPN app she was no doubt using.

"Lima, two co-codamols does not a nitty make," Natalia harrumphed. "I'm in pain, okay?"

"You're stressed more like. How many times do I have to tell you to come back to join me in sunny Dubai?"

"A couple of million more times. You'll never catch me in the Middle East again!" she said it with so much conviction and distaste both Lima and Natalia burst into laughter remembering the traumatic year they had met as English teachers abroad. They had met in the shuttle bus to work and hatched a daring plan to escape their toxic workplace in Kuwait to work in Dubai instead.

"Okay moving on, Natty the Nitty. What's got you so stressed?" Lima asked laughingly, taking great pleasure in the nickname she had just invented.

Natalia rolled her eyes heavenward at the nickname, but continued anyway, "I find out where I'll be assigned to tomorrow." She said softly, the familiar feeling of anxiety gripping her by the stomach, and this is exactly why she was in the process of taking two painkillers for her headache and a nap when Lima's FaceTime call came in.

"And you're nervous?" Lima filled in.

"Yep - they could send me anywhere! Imagine me in Utah or Idaho? I don't even know where they are on the map!"

"Or you could end up somewhere exciting like New York or Boston. You can finally be the East Coast babe you were meant to be!" Lima the eternal optimist squealed.

"I would make an excellent East Coast babe," Natalia surmised despite having never been to the States or it's Eastern coast.

She was having real concerns about the programme she had signed up for. She didn't do well with change. It had taken her almost a year to get back to normal in London after her Arabian adventure. But she also didn't do well with routine which is how she got herself in this mess, to begin with.

"Where you headed tonight?" Natalia distracted herself by shifting the focus onto Lima's lively social life.

"Me - just a quick one with the work colleagues," Lima lied smoothly as she squinted, putting on some lashes.

"Right - and it's the work colleagues you're putting on your good eyelashes for?" Natalia questioned.

Lima laughed, "You caught me, I have a date."

"Thursday night date," Natalia commented. Thursday was the start of the weekend in Dubai and it was when most residents partied hard or hibernated after a long week of slogging to work in the unbearable heat. "Must be serious, do tell."

"There's nothing to tell. We're going out for some tea and shisha, he's cute but I don't really know him yet, I hope he brings a personality or it could be a really long night."

"Don't forget that trick I taught you."

"How could I forget. Do you know how many of my shishas you've ruined over the years?"

"Oops!" Natalia laughed. Her spirits lifted after speaking to her friend.

"Lima - I gotta go my painkillers are kicking in and I need to nap. Text me when you get in from your date."

"Aight babes. Love you."

"Love you too."

Natalia woke up somewhat refreshed the next morning, earlier than she would usually wake up. Falling asleep at 7 in the evening would do that to you. She was just happy that she had managed to take off her makeup and contact lenses before she had succumbed to the badly needed stress-nap.

She had a paper to submit in person at advanced teaching course she was taking at the Institute of Education. She had already finished it a couple of days before but just needed to double-check the references.

The course was part of the programme she had signed up for. A part-time classroom-based course at the Institute, whilst still teaching four days a week at a high school. The last part of the course was a year's long placement at a participating school in the States. The aim of the programme was to exchange skills and knowledge between teachers facing similar inner-city school problems in Britain and the States.

Natalia would never have applied of her own accord but her head of department had encouraged her, saying she had a real way with the children and this was a way to climb up the ranks to become a Deputy Head and eventually a Headteacher much quicker. Making a difference.

That's why she got into teaching. To make a difference. She just needed to remember that to get through the next year.

Lima FaceTimed her as soon as she got off the tube. Natalia picked up as she walked to her favourite cafe before she went to class. She needed some caffeine before she was confronted with the new direction her life was going to take.

"You're up early," Natalia observed.

"Yes, duty calls. Off to the mosque in a bit but I just wanted to check-in," Lima was the only person that never missed a Friday prayer whatever happened the night before. She had gotten in from her date at 3 am the night before and was up a couple of hours later.

"How was your date?"

"Amazing. We talked all night. We're meeting up for a late brunch."

"Wow, so he did bring a personality."

"And some." Lima agreed. "So how are you feeling?"

"I'm good." Natalia wasn't one for sharing her feelings.

"Hmm...lucky for you I know how to decode that. Order tea. No coffee, that will only make your anxiety worse."

"Yes, mum!" Natalia saluted like a soldier.

"You're so silly." Lima laughed. "I'm going to pray for you."

To which Natalia rolled her eyes. Her relationship with God was complicated, to say the least. She said goodbye to Lima with her milky tea in tow and briskly walked down the winding Bloomsbury streets to her campus.

When she got to class, her tutor was handing out envelopes and calling out names.

"Natalia Burton."

Her heart hammered in her chest as she approached the envelope.

Her palms were itchy and wet. Her mouth was dry. She suddenly needed to pee.

"Yes."

"Good luck," Her tutor smiled, handing her the envelope.

She took a couple of deep cleansing breaths and opened the envelope.

The words she read made her want to vomit.

Anderson High School. Manor, Texas.

Texas?

Texas!

TEXAS.