Chapter 2: "Now What?"
"You're a star? Like, a burning ball of gas kind of star?" Harper said, still gaping at me.
"Ugh!" I rolled my eyes in frustration.
"What is it?" Alex asked, surprised at my reaction.
"That is such a stereotype! Not all stars are a ball of burning gas, I mean; we start out that way when we're born. Then we grow up, still shining but no longer in our gaseous form." They stared at me.
"You didn't understand a word I just said, did you?" I gathered. They nodded in perfect unison.
"All right, let me break it down." I giggled.
"What?" They said.
" 'Break it down'! I've never said that before and it sounds funny to me." I explained.
"You're so weird, Yvette!" Alex said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Thank you!" I said, pleased. Alex and Harper exchanged a look.
"Anyway… What were you gonna say?" Harper said, facing me again.
"Oh. Right. The whole… Yeah. Okay. So, when a star is born…" I was interrupted by the arrival of a pretty brunette woman who I assumed was Alex's mother. She had her arms full with brown grocery bags.
"Alex? Would you mind helping me, please?" She said, in a strained voice. Alex didn't move, so I decided to help her out. I took the bags from her. She sighed in relief.
"Thank you, dear." She did a double take.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Russo!" I gently set the bags on the island (as I was later informed about).
"I'm Alex's friend, Yvette. I just came here." I said, hoping she wouldn't question me. I set my hopes way too high.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Yvette. I'm happy to hear that you already know who I am, but we know next to nothing about you." She said, sitting next to Alex and Harper.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean by 'we'?" My voice trailed away as the rest of the Russo family came up the stairs. Well, except for Max that is. I sighed.
"I'll get you a glass of water." Harper said, patting my back.
"Water? But I'm not thirsty!" I protested.
"You're gonna be!" She replied, filling up a glass at the sink. She wasn't wrong, either. No sooner had she given me the glass, then the interrogation began.
"So, Yvette, is it?" Mrs. Russo said, as the men sat down. I nodded.
"Do you have a last name?" She continued.
"Yes, but I'd rather not say it."
"Say it!" Mr. Russo commanded, yelling into his daughter's ear. She flinched and grabbed her ear, falling out of her chair.
"All right! It's 'de Luna'." I said, helping Alex up.
"Wait a minute! That means 'of the moon'!" Justin said, pointing his finger straight up into the air. I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Right?" He asked, suddenly unsure. I looked away from him.
"Yes, that's a rough translation of it." I said.
"Hang on, that name sounds familiar. Harper, will you go get Max please?" Mr. Russo asked. She looked miffed, but didn't protest. She did however stomp down the stairs.
"How did you get here?" He continued, as though nothing had happened.
"Well, one minute I was in the sky minding my own business when suddenly a great big burst of energy punched me in my side and I tumbled down to Earth, to be more accurate, through the roof of your restaurant. Again, I do apologize for that!" I explained.
"What were you doing in the sky?" Mrs. Russo asked, and then she closed her eyes as if she'd just remembered something.
"Are you a wizard too?" She said.
"No, I'm not, I'm a star! Hold on a micro light-year, what do you mean by 'too'? Have you met a wizard lately?" The silence that followed my question was unsettling. Something triggered in my memory.
"Oh, of course! Wow, talk about being slow! You're the Russo family of wizards, aren't you?" I said, excited.
"You know about us?" Mr. Russo asked, skeptically.
"Not a star in the sky doesn't! You're legendary!" I breathed in admiration.
"Really? What do the stars say about me?" Mrs. Russo said.
"Oh, we all think you're absolutely wonderful! Honestly we do! After all, I can't remember the last time that a wizard gave up his powers just to be with a human. I mean it's one of the most romantic things I've ever seen for 1,000 years!" I sighed, thinking back on the memory.
"How did you know that I gave up my powers?" Mr. Russo asked, still unsettled.
"Hello? Star! We're awake at night!" I reminded him.
"Dad, I remember reading about stars. They're beautiful, good listeners, feisty, powerful, and eternal! They also shine when they're happy. Some shine brighter than others because they're in love with mortals." Justin supplied.
"Thank you! At least somebody knows about us. Oh, my sisters and mother would be so proud!" I said, touched.
"How do stars fall in love with mortals if they're in the sky?" Alex asked.
"Just because we're in the sky, doesn't mean we always have to be. Many of my sisters disappear every so often during the day and come down to Earth to mingle with the humans. This is the first time I've ever set foot on Earth, but I've gotta say: it was worth it!" I beamed at their shocked faces.
"Can a star love more than once?" Justin asked, snapping everyone else out of his or her stupor.
"Sadly no. You see, once a star gives their heart to another, they can never return to the skies again."
"So they stop being a star?" Mr. Russo said, sitting down again.
"Oh no, they're still a star, but they can only visit their family not live with them. It's a gift and a curse. That way they'll be able to be with the person they love and still keep their powers. Cool, huh?"
"Aw, man!" Max said, crestfallen. He'd just appeared with a breathless Harper. We all looked at them.
"I missed the angel's story! Now how can I find out what it's like to fly?" He sighed. Alex, Harper, and I exchanged looks. Later that night, I explained several times to Max that I was a star not an angel. I don't think I got through to him because he asked me the same question five minutes later.
"Max, if I wasn't an angel five minutes ago, I'm not an angel now." I said, exasperated.
"Ooooh! You're a star!" He smiled and nodded at me. Alex, Harper, and I face palmed.
"All right, chicas, time for bed!" Mrs. Russo said, about an hour or so later.
"Mom, can we adopt Yvette?" Alex asked.
"Sweetheart, she's a star. I don't think her mother would approve."
"Actually, Mrs. Russo, she's been nagging at me to drop down to Earth and find an available life form to fall in love with and get married to. She also told me to make new friends. Probably should have mentioned that first." I thought about the order of my sentences. After that, Mrs. Russo left and I promptly passed out in exhaustion. I woke up the next morning, disoriented. I shook my head, realizing where I was and resumed what I'd been doing previously which was: slightly mouthing words and gesturing in the air in small motions, trying to figure out how best I could word my next sentence, when my stomach growled loudly at me. I quickly wrapped my arms around my waist, muffling the sound. It was 9 am and I didn't want to wake up Alex and Harper, who'd fallen asleep six hours ago. I'd fallen asleep at midnight, even though I had no idea why I hadn't slept earlier than that. I was up all the previous day, after all. I yawned and silently got up. I slipped downstairs and went out on the terrace.
"Wow! The view from up here is amazing!" I breathed in awe, looking down at the busy street below me.
"Sleep well, Ms. De Luna?" Justin asked, suddenly appearing at my side. I jumped a bit and then laughed.
"Yes I did, thank you, Mr. Russo! Did you use a spell to suddenly appear?"
"No, I haven't learned how to teleport yet. And you've proved, so far, to be trustworthy. Please, call me Justin." He smiled at me. I liked his smile because it made him seem more relaxed.
"Then I insist that you call me Yvette!" I returned his smile. We stood there side by side and talked until Mrs. Russo came out two hours later to tell us that breakfast was ready.
