Hey! I'm super excited to be joining Star-Crossed fanfic. This is my first fanfic that I'm actually putting online, and I hope that you enjoy it. I can't wait to add more to my story, read more SC fanfic, and of course watch more Star-Crossed. My narrative is told from Julia's POV and starts the morning after the Arrival Day Anniversary. More chapters to come soon.

Star-Crossed: Beginning of the End

Chapter 1

Something felt different. Of course when you spend most of your life in a hospital being pumped up with chemo, pills, and marrow transplants, a cancer free body will take some time getting used to. Could it be that I'm just not used to being normal? I thought to my reflection.

My skin had once been translucent enough to see my veins, and dark circles were a permanent accessory under my eyes. Just two weeks ago, I looked like an empty shell. The ghost of a girl who had never been given the chance to live. I was the walking ghost of Julia Yeung.

Now I was looking at a reflection that couldn't possibly be my own. I looked like a photo shopped verison of myself. My skin was glowing, and my cheeks had a natural light blush to them. My brown eyes had become darker. When I turned slightly away from the light, they could become almost black. It made me look dangerous, mysterious...even sexy? Could Roman's magical cancer cure have made me better looking on top of saving my life, or was I supposed to look like this from the get go?

I don't think I was meant to look like a Victoria Secret model though. I didn't look like this when Roman first cured me. I was also preoccupied with being mysteriously cured of cancer, and then there were those glowing blue veins I had to deal with. Is it possible I was so focused on those things, that I hadn't noticed I went from ugly duckling to a swan seemingly over night? Seemingly overnight. I thought about that for a minute, then I remembered the vyre.

It was only yesterday at the arrival day tenth anniversary that I had taken vyre. Roman's solution to keeping just how my cancer was cured under wraps must also be responsible for this makeover. I smiled at my reflection, shook my head, and let out a soft chuckle. Atrians can cure diseases, and have plants that can make people look like supermodels, but we just keep them locked away in their own version of the Jewish ghettos from world war ii.

It was late October, but in Louisiana it might as well have been spring. I decided to wear something that would help show off my new look. In the back of my closet was a white sun dress with lace accents and a sweetheart neckline. It was the the dress I wore to my cousins backyard wedding last year. At that time I had lost so much weight that it hung on me like a little girl playing dress up with her mom's clothes. With some healthy weight gain in all the right places, I now filled out the dress perfectly. It clung to my upper body just right and flared out at the gem just a couple inches above the knee. I looked older, but at the same time I looked my age. Girly but grown. Is this what they would have dressed me in if I hadn't been cured? I put a bright red cashmere sweater on to keep my sleeveless arms from getting too cold and borrowed my older sister's suede beige ankle booties with the chunky heel. I switched my books from my blue Puma backpack to my large brown leather messenger bag and headed out the door. I looked at myself in the floor length mirror that hung on my bedroom door. My hand rested on the silver doorknob while my eyes examined myself from top to bottom.

I looked good. I looked amazing, in fact. I wonder if maybe it was too much. Locked away for most of my life like Repunzel. Screw it. I deserve to look good. I don't have anything to hide anymore. No cancer, and no blue veins. As far as my new look is concerned for anyone who wants to ask questions, good health just agrees with me. I smiled at my reflection, let out a breath, and was ready.

Emery was waiting for me in her dad's gorgeous silver BMW with the black interior. Her dad was taking a leave of absence from work, following the death of Roman's father, Nox. I guess Emery's dad wasn't leaving the house very much since Emery had been given unlimited use of the car since the accident in the Atrian compound.

I waived at Emery from the top of the driveway, but she wasn't looking at me. Emery was staring straight into the steering wheel. Her forehead was covered in worry lines, and she was biting the inside of her cheek. I felt bad for Em. Everything that was going on with her Dad, her complicated relationship with Roman, and the sabotage of her video presentation yesterday during the Arrival Day Anniversary. All of this drama was clearly taking its toll on my bestie.

When I opened the passenger door to the car, I was nearly blown over with Em's greeting. "Whoa! Julia, you look incredible!"

"Thanks. Honestly, I was wondering if you would even notice me; you were staring at that steering wheel so hard, I was expecting it to burst into flames." I gave Em a sympathetic smile and slide into the passenger seat.

Emery frowned and let out a painful sigh. "You're not going to believe it, Julia. Grayson is a Red Hawke! Or his parents are. Or they all are. I don't know, I'm so confused!" She was right. I didn't believe it. Emery had just told me a couple of days ago the Grayson was responsible for saving Atrian bad boy wannabe, Drake from becoming an example of what the Red Hawkes were capable of at the homecoming carnival.

"What do you mean?", I asked Em with surprise.

"I overheard Grayson's parents talking about how they were responsible for what happend with my Atrian video. His mom asked his dad if the video could be traced back to them or Grayson. Grayson told me it was all his parents, but I just don't know what to believe. Roman told me it's dangerous, and we don't know who's watching. I guess he was right."

Emery looked like she was on the verge of tears. When she and I had met in a leukemia support group for kids, all we talked about was what our lives would be like once we got better. At the time, it felt like empty fantasies to pass the time and forget our real lives. Now that both of our dreams had come true and we were free to be normal teenagers, life had never felt more complex. "This is huge, Grayson's dad is the mayor. You have to tell Roman.", was all I could think to say. Roman hadn't been wrong yet.

"I can't tell Roman. Roman said we don't know who's watching. What if Grayson finds out I leaked to the Atrians his family's head of a terrorist anti-Atrian organization? I can't risk that. That's why I'm telling you here, away from prying eyes.", Emery quickly glanced around the car, which further emphasized her anxiety. I didn't blame her for being scared. Em had a target on her back from most Atrians for who her dad was, and some of the "less progressive" students at school had labeled her a traitor to her family and species for showing such enthusiasm for integrating humans and Atrians. I have to help my friends, and not just Emery but Roman too.

"I'll tell Roman. I've talked to him a couple times, so it isn't suspect. And no one except you, me, and your dear old dad's Beamer even knows that you told me. There isn't much that can be done about the Red Hawkes right now, but the Atrian's should know who to be weary of."

Emery looked relieved, "Thanks, Julia. At least I know that you and I are on the same side. Let's head to school before we're late."

It was then that I wanted to tell Emery how Roman, the boy she loved had saved me not once but twice. I wanted to tell my best friend that over night I had become an Atrian magical plant guinea pig. She trusted me with all this, but I felt compelled to keep so much from her. Before I knew it, we were a block away from school and the moment to spill my secret had past. Both of us sat in silence, no doubt that we both felt guilty for missing the simple days of day dreams, jell-o, and nurse Carla.