Rising Star: Book 3 of The Orion Series

Violence

**TRIGGER WARNING** Eludes to an eating disorder, reader discretion is advised.

You're looking at the crisscross crescent crown of thorns

Combining it at twilight

Infiltrate the soil

Tumble and boil

Our life is the foil

Don't bury your cross here

Wake me up at the wrong intersection

Dissecting the day

Bisecting the night

Moving into twilight

You found a cover for me

Now set me free

Into the night

--the song Untitled, by Orion Bauwens

"Shit."

We're about to go on tour after releasing yet another album. We had gone out to lunch and just got back to Orion's house. When we got back, he excused himself to the washroom. I thought nothing of it, seeing as he had the largest sized pop the restaurant had.

Now he was back, scooping up his cell from off the table that Ben and I sat across from each other on his two light blue couches.

"What?" Ben says.

Orion's brow furrows, drinking some more of his pop and swishing it around his mouth before answering. "I have a shit ton of missed calls from Gloria and a few voicemails..."

"That can't be good," Ben grumbles.

Orion puts his phone on speaker and plays the first message. It's the only message we need to hear, really. It gets the point across smashingly, her icy voice slicing through the air. Gloria can be scary when she wants to be.

"Get your scrawny ass in the office. Now."

~

Half an hour later, Gloria is in front of us. She paces back and forth angrily before throwing a magazine down in front of us. We crane our necks down. Before any of us can actually read the article, Gloria leans forward, palms flat on the table.

"Care to explain, Orion?"

He gives his nervous laugh.

"It isn't funny."

"I didn't say it was," he squeaks.

I feel really uncomfortable. I feel like I'm back in high school, sitting in detention. I don't like this, not at all.

"Explain."

"The guy got up in my face--"

She snatches the magazine away and starts shouting. "Oh, so this really, actually happened--"

"Gloria," Orion literally whines at her, "he was following me--"

"That doesn't mean you take a swing at him!"

Orion gets to his feet. Oh shit. He's gone from scared to angry. This...is not good.

"So what, I'm just supposed to let the douche bag follow me and invade my personal space?"

"Orion, he could've pressed charges against you! He still might! You're not some fucking teen anymore!"

"He's lucky I didn't slap him with a harassment lawsuit for stalking! He's also lucky I missed!"