Stella blinked repeatedly in a failed effort to keep her eyes open, the words in front of her growing hazy with each passing moment. She focused in on the clock for a few moments, hoping it wouldn't be too late for her to get a good night's sleep... 3:42. Great. That idea was out the window. Shutting off her laptop with a dejected groan, she flopped back into her bed, throwing her blanket on and opening the window up a bit. Even at night, the city's neon lights never faded, and she stared out in wonder, her gaze drifting to the stars above. They seemed to dart around like excited little lightning bugs, and a smile began to form at that thought. Her old friends from childhood used to always persuade her to wish on the stars, but not to tell a soul, otherwise it wouldn't come true. She never believed that... but at a time like this, it was worth a shot.
"I wish... I could have some time off. Just a week of rest and relaxation, away from... everything. College, the blog, my job, all of it. I just need a week," she decided, hoping the stars might show mercy towards her if she wasn't too greedy with her wish. A month would be preferred, of course, but a week would be good enough to let her recharge her energy and get everything back to normal in her life. "Thank you," she murmured to the invisible listeners above, shutting her eyes and letting the sounds of late-night city life lull her to sleep.
By the time her alarm clock usually went off, Stella was still fast asleep, having grabbed a pillow and using it as a makeshift little spoon. There was no telling what disabled the alarm for her, but when she eventually rose to find that it was 10:22, all her worst fears came to mind. Someone broke in to sabotage her, and so now she would be late for her online courses, giving her a bad grade. Some family would've contacted her about her sitting services, and her failure to answer made them reconsider. The panic jolted her awake... but that burst of energy was all for naught. Class had been cancelled, and nobody had given her a call of any sort. She was fine... somehow. Maybe this was a good time to start that week of relaxation, she thought to herself with a smile. There was reasonable doubt in her mind that she wouldn't actually get a week, but it was best to enjoy what little she could get. So, with an impulse that she would probably come to regret soon enough, she booked a reservation for her favorite fancy restaurant.
Though her reservation was far in the future, Stella would be a fool not to plan out her outfit ahead of time. With such a fancy restaurant, she couldn't just show up looking like an average citizen; if she did, she'd be mocked relentlessly. Opening her closet, she perused the wide array of outfits in front of her, attempting to pick out one that would work best. It was getting increasingly hard to stay up to date on what was "fresh", but her gaze eventually fell on a sleeveless black dress, a maroon cardigan, a pair of black tights, and black ballet flats, as well as a sparkling sapphire necklace with a silver chain to tie it all together. Perfect. She couldn't get changed just yet, though; there were plenty of other things to do, grocery shopping included, and such a good look couldn't be wasted on a casual environment like that. Tossing on a simple t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and her favorite blue sneakers instead, she ran off to the produce store, trying to keep a level head. It wasn't often that she had free time to get out and do things like this without needing to be back any time soon, so it took a couple reminders before she finally slowed down.
It seemed as if the gods were sending their blessings onto her that day when she arrived at the local produce store, as they had just restocked the shelves after getting the latest shipment of fresh fruits and vegetables. She ran down the mental checklist one by one, careful to only choose the finest quality foods, now that she had the time to do so. Tomatoes, limes, cucumbers, strawberries, onions, garlic, and avocados were all subjects of this precise scouring, and while it took up the better part of a half hour, she finally brought her basket to the counter, paying for it all with a smile. Her college courses took up most of her day, usually, and the evenings were spent babysitting, so home cooked meals were a bit of a rarity for Stella, but the weekends were usually better in that regard. Key word: usually. There was no certainty that this weekend would be the same, but some part of her was holding out that hope.
By the time she had returned to her apartment, it was just a short while past noon, and for a moment, Stella wasn't sure of what to do. She had so little free time that she never really contemplated what to do on these rare occasions, and so the next ten minutes were spent in constant deliberation. She had no chores to do, no homework that needed to be finished, no tests to study for, and no clients to contact, so she was stuck in a bit of a rut. Busy work was a thing of the past (and the future, but she would worry about that when she got there). So, making a mental map of the city, she picked out what might be a good destination: the library. Reading books for pleasure was something she had often enjoyed as a kid, but the overwhelming responsibilities she took on made it hard to maintain that habit. Surely, she would have to set an alarm, as to not get carried away and miss her reservation, but she was willing to grant herself this one pleasure for now. The library was just a short walk away, and she tossed her sneakers back on, jogging over and brainstorming what kind of book she wanted. Horror was entirely out of the question, and something drenched in action might leave her wanting to keep reading past her alarm. An adventure novel might do the same, and while some good old comedy never hurt, she struggled to pay much attention to a book when comedy was its main focus. That left only one clear choice: A good old-fashioned romance novel. Scanning the shelves, she soon found a title that pulled her in, and she plucked it from the shelves with a smile. Registering for a library card only took a few minutes, and she returned home with Sugar and Spice in hand, cracking it open and setting her alarm for 5:00. That way, she'd have adequate time to get ready.
Putting on her reading glasses and leaning back on the couch, Stella slowly began to immerse herself in the world of this young woman named Carol. She was a good girl, by all means: she listened to her parents, she got good grades in school, she helped with chores around the house, and she even gave part of her allowance to the neighbors so that they could feed their kids without worrying. And as with every novel about a good girl, she had to eventually run in with someone who society would label as "bad" in one way or another. But oh, they're so misunderstood, and they just needed someone to care for them all this time... Stella knew it was far too typical a plotline, but the author had a way with words that still made her enjoy it. He had done a careful job of avoiding the common toxic tropes, and making Brianna a bad girl instead of a bad boy enhanced the story quite a bit in her eyes, even if that was just a bit of personal bias on her part. Relating to characters always made her like them more. Stella had gotten to page 419 when her alarm finally rang out to the tune of some old song whose name she forgot, and while she was a bit disappointed that she had to stop right before Carol and Brianna's first kiss, she knew it was for the best. The book would be there when she got home later, but her reservation wasn't going to wait; they could just give her table to someone else.
Stella's makeup routine wasn't the most complicated one out there, but it still took up nearly a half hour for her to finally get it all looking perfect, at which point she noticed something missing from her look. She put on a simple pair of silver hoop earrings, rather thankful that her piercing holes hadn't closed up, and cast one last glance towards the reading glasses she had just taken off. Putting them on once more, she stared up at her reflection, lifting them off and on again repeatedly to see which one looked better. They were cute, sure, but they were just one more thing that needed to match with her outfit... but eventually, she came around to the idea. It wouldn't hurt to be able to read the menu better, anyway. With her outfit finally complete, she dropped her phone and wallet into her purse, walking off into the evening light with a subtle smile. It wasn't often that she got to treat herself like this, and she felt the joy of it all beginning to sink in.
Never one to arrive late, Stella entered the restaurant at 5:57, just three minutes before her reserved time. Part of her was yelling that she should've come earlier, but she was still on time anyway, so it didn't quite matter... or so she thought. Shortly after checking in with the hostess and taking a seat in the lobby, she heard a small murmur pass around the other guests, and her gaze eventually drifted to the door, right in time to see famous pop idol (and also newscaster, but that was just a perk of the former job) Marina Ida walking in. Alone. More often than not, she was joined by her co-star Pearl everywhere she went, but tonight, it was just her. Stella edged a bit closer, hoping to make out a bit of her conversation with the hostess; despite the murmurs in the lobby, it was still quiet enough for her to make out most of the conversation.
"Hi! I'm terribly sorry, but I don't know if my reservation went through earlier. Our wi-fi was being kinda spotty when I placed it online... Is it in there?" Marina asked, keeping up that usual bubbly charm that made her such a hit. She was often regarded as the better of the duo, from what Stella could tell, though that was too hot a debate for a clear answer to emerge.
"Give me one moment to check," the hostess answered, frantically typing away at her computer. It was evident that a guest of Marina's caliber hadn't been expected tonight. "I'm terribly sorry, Miss Ida, but I can't find your name in our systems. However, we may be able to clear up a table for you."
"Oh! That'd be great, thank you so much. I just hope it's not too much of a hassle..."
"It's not a problem at all, especially for someone like you. Will you be dining alone tonight?"
"Yep!"
"Okay, let me see..." The hostess got back to typing, and while she had a bad feeling about this, Stella was sure she would be fine. It would be incredibly rude on their part to cancel the reservation of someone who was already inside the restaurant... and yet, sure enough, she felt her phone buzz inside her purse. There was one new email: a cancellation notice.
"Okay, we've opened up a table for you, just give us one moment to get everything ready." The hostess had a rather plain smile on her face, and Stella couldn't help but stare in disbelief. This woman had just cancelled her reservation while she was sitting maybe eight feet away, and she felt no remorse about it. The nerve of some people was unbelievable these days. While it would have been easier to just accept the cancellation and go home, Stella wasn't about to let her night out be ruined, and so she stepped over to the hostess's computer with a patient frown.
"How may I help you?" The hostess asked out of courtesy, though Stella could tell that "helping" anyone wasn't her first priority right now.
"Sorry to bother, but I was just notified that my reservation was cancelled, even though I checked in just a few minutes ago. Is there any particular reason for that?" Stella politely asked, trying to take on as kind a tone of voice as she could. She had come here enough to know that they saw any raised voices as a sign of someone "making a scene", and that wasn't something they wanted on their Yelp page.
"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am, but due to unforeseen circumstances, we had to cancel your reservation to free up a table. If you'd like, I could book you for the same time tomorrow evening?"
"In any other case, that would be great, but I won't be available tomorrow evening. Tonight is my only free night that I've had all month, and I don't know how soon I'll be able to free a slot in my schedule again."
"In that case, ma'am, there's nothing I can do," the hostess began, about to launch into some spiel about how they were already fully booked for the night, and reservations could only be placed within a week of the date. Before she could, though, Stella got a bit of unexpected support, albeit not in the way she expected.
"Is there any chance I could change my reservation so that it's a table for two, then?" Marina piped up, coming over to the hostess stand once more. "Sorry to butt in, but I heard about your reservation being cancelled, and I just felt really bad that it happened because of me goofing up and not double-checking that mine went though. I get it if you'd rather not, 'cause you don't know me and all, but I just... figured I'd offer."
Stella blinked a few times in disbelief as her brain tried to catch up with everything it was hearing from her eyes and ears. Marina Ida, famed popstar, was asking her to dinner? Sure, it was indirect, and in a very particular circumstance, but the offer was still the same to a degree. "I... I'd love that. Thank you so much."
"Hey, it's the least I could do. I didn't wanna ruin your night out," Marina assured her, keeping up a pleasant smile the whole time. Stella could only hope that she wouldn't be the one ruining anyone's night. As the hostess changed their reservation, the two of them returned to the waiting area, sitting side by side and trying to ignore the tension. It was clear by Stella's blush that she was quite familiar with who Marina was, and starting a conversation with a celebrity was never easy; it only made it worse when she had invited you to sit with her at dinner. The silence felt like it lasted an eternity, but it was truthfully just about two minutes before a server called out to them. "Marina, party of two? Right this way."
The short walk to their table felt like a mile to Stella, and the instant that she sat down across from Marina, she felt the inexplicable urge to apologize. Marina had surely been hoping for a night out alone, and now she'd have to spend it with a total stranger. It sounded like a nightmare to her, but the idol seemed to be taking it in stride, keeping up that usual pleasant smile of hers. Marina must have seen the blush on Stella's cheeks, as she wasted no time starting a conversation and finally breaking the silence. "So, I didn't catch your name before. And if I'm gonna be treating you to dinner, the least I can do is get to know you a bit," she lightly teased, only to end up making Stella blush harder. How was she doing this so effortlessly?!
"I'm Stella... Stella Okasan. And uh, I feel like it goes without saying that you don't really need an introduction," she answered after a moment, trying to keep a level head through all of this. If she could at least keep Marina smiling, that'd be a success in her books.
"Heh, yeah, guess not. When your face is on billboards and you run the news, you kinda have to get used to everyone knowing your name. But hey, enough about me. We all know that stuff. What's your deal? Like, what do you do?"
"Well, uh... A lot. For one, I'm taking courses over at Shellendorf Institute to become an elementary school teacher. Not sure what exactly I wanna teach yet, but I just like working with kids, and I figure that'd be a real nice way to do it. I also work as a sitter in my spare time, and I run a blog about that, which leaves me with pretty much no free time. Only reason I made it out tonight is because class got cancelled."
"No way, really? That, like, never happens in college! Did the professor get sick or something?"
"I don't remember what he said in the email, but even if he was sick, he probably would've sent us some assignment anyway. I hope everything's alright with him... but like, a free day really doesn't hurt once in a while."
"Yeah, no kidding. Sounds like your schedule's just as packed as mine... The only reason there's no concert tonight is 'cause Pearlie ended up getting sick. If I had to make a guess as to why, it'd be the two tubs of ice cream that she plowed through last night, but hey, that's her business, not mine." As Marina giggled at her own story, Stella couldn't help but notice how strangely casual their conversation felt. She was a simple college student sitting across from one of the most recognizable faces around, and yet they were just hitting it off as if they had been buds since elementary.
"Pfft, yeah... That'll probably do it. One tub is pushing it, honestly, but two is bound to cause at least some problems."
"That's what I was saying! Ooh, hey, speaking of concerts. Have you been to one of ours? Your schedule seems like it'd kinda get in the way, but I'm still curious."
"Oh, yeah, nah. I don't have the time in the evenings... Too many papers to write and stuff. Heck, sometimes I'm even up past midnight 'cause of how much I gotta do."
"Oof, yeah, kinda figured. I totally get it, though. I've been meaning to make a trip over to Wahoo World some time, but work's always just keeping me over here."
"Me too! I heard about it opening, and it sounds really cool, but I don't even have time to go out for dinner, let alone spend the whole day at an amusement park. There's always spring break, but that's also a month away."
"Well, just let me know if you're heading over some time, 'cause I'd love to tag along!"
When she heard that last bit from Marina, Stella had to take a few seconds to properly process it. The gears in her brain were grinding to a halt, and error messages were popping up all across her mind before she finally felt the need to double check. "Wait, are— Are you serious? Like, don't get me wrong, that'd be amazing. But we just met," Stella reminded her, not wanting to work her way into a friendship she didn't actually feel like she earned.
"Well, yeah, but you're real nice, you're funny, and you're not treating me all weird and stuff 'cause I'm a celebrity! Sure, you were kinda flattered when I asked you to join me, but anyone would be at an offer like that. You're just... very genuine, Stella. I like that." Though Marina kept up her usual smile and lighthearted tone, this was far from a joke, and Stella's mind entered Error 404 mode for a few seconds. As she was contemplating a response, however, she heard Marina speak up once more, and immediately tuned back into reality. "... Oh shoot, did I kill the mood?"
"Oh, no no no, not at all! I was just... a bit shocked, is all. Guess it's been longer than I thought since I last made a friend," Stella elaborated, feeling her cheeks grow hot just as their drinks arrived. Most of her conversations lately had been with clients and teachers; she only ever reached out to other students just to double-check the homework. So, to sit down with someone her age and have a genuine talk... It gave her a certain fuzzy feeling inside that she had missed.
"... Same here, honestly. Fans are great and all, but a good friend is hard to come by," Marina agreed, scribbling her number out on a napkin and sliding it over to Stella. "Here. Feel free to text me any time. I might not reply immediately, but I'll get back to you when I can."
Once the two had exchanged numbers, they eased back on the conversation for the rest of the night, hoping to save some fun stories for another time. Fancy restaurants like this were never the best for storytelling anyway, as the other patrons were bound to overhear to some degree. Instead, they just kept to their fish dinners, sharing the occasional anecdote from the past week that they thought was particularly funny or weird. And despite the wild scenario of it all, it just felt... normal. As if they had always been friends, just meeting up after a long time apart. Or a couple, one of whom had just returned from a family vacation. When the evening had finished, they said one last goodbye, and parted ways with a wave that seemed to last a lifetime. And yet, when Stella returned to her apartment after that busy excursion, it was only 7:30. She would probably have to get to bed early tonight, as she never had a chance when she needed to type up some new paper.
Stella was in bed by eight, though her book came with her this time; hopefully, she would be able to finish it before she dozed off. Flipping back open to page 419 of Sugar and Spice, she immersed herself in Carol and Brianna's world once more... only to find her attention continuously drawn away. Some word choice or scenario would ring a bell, and her mind would drift back to her earlier evening with Marina. Eventually, it became hard to distinguish the word on the page from the words in her mind, and she took a sip of water to try and clear her thoughts. When she did, however, she was just left more befuddled than ever at what was on the page.
"Carol's heart began to race as Brianna drew closer. There was no contact, no signs of a desire to take it further than just intimidate gazes... and her face grew redder all the same, emboldened by the other girl's mere presence. The hot sensation in her cheeks never ceased, and a tingling spread across her chest as they stared into each other's eyes... She could not rest at the sight of Brianna, and for that, she knew she was in love."
Stella had to read over that short chapter-ending paragraph maybe five times just to be sure she wasn't making things up in a dizzy haze. The way that this author described their feelings for each other felt so generic, yet incredibly specific at the same time, and it bugged Stella in a way that she couldn't explain. Setting the book down, she tried to convince herself that a good night's sleep would help her get over this... only for a new conclusion to pop into her mind while she sat under the covers. That feeling only seemed so specific because she had felt it earlier that evening, while she dined with Marina. Their shared gaze was innocent, yet that passion burned bright under the surface, drawing them closer together... At least, it did for one of them. Stella had no clue if the feelings could ever be returned, and part of her didn't want to find out. So, letting her tentacles free from their loose ponytail, she buried her face in her pillow and dozed off for the night.