Our Calm

Avery: *place clever witty intro and disclaimer that nobody will read here*

The sun was shining through the window when Star and Marco woke up in the morning. It was another beautiful day in the beautiful city of Rome. Rome was such a wonderful city, the city was rich in history, old architecture, and the food was amazing. They had been there for a week already, and all they did was eat. But who could blame them? The food in Italy was delicious, everything was freshly made. But today they would do more than just eat.

"Let's rent a Vespa." Star suggested. "We can drive around Rome like in the movie."

"I don't see anything wrong with that." Marco said as he grabbed his wallet.

The house was in a nice place, a little bit out of the way, it was quite a walk to get to the heart of the city. Every day they walked to The Spanish Steps, there were a lot of great restaurants there but it was also one of the best places to rent Vespa in Rome. Marco paid for the rental with his debit card, it was a bit pricey for a one day rental but it was worth it. The two of them hopped on the Vespa, Marco first, Star sat directly behind him with her arms around his waist. He liked being close to her, it made him feel warm. The two sped off down the streets of Rome, with Star spewing random facts that she learned in Ancient History class.

"There's the Pantheon," Star pointed out as they past the temple. "Pantheon is a Greek word, meaning 'honor all Gods."

Star had learned so much since coming to Earth. She loved learning about history, science, philosophy, she loved reading and poetry. Learning made her feel less alienated, less alone. Sure there were many aliens on Earth, living among normal people. But learning made Star feel more human. That is what she wanted to be, more than anything, she wanted to be human. Suddenly the Vespa screeched to a halt.

"Look at that." Marco gasped in amazement.

They were stopped in front of the Colosseum, the massive arena that was once used for gladiator battles. The two teens were so tiny compared to the massive structure. They say you never forget the first time you see the Colosseum. You see the pictures in movies and on TV, but the first time you're there, looking up. Star had spent months studying Ancient Rome, she thought about all the Emperors and warriors who have walked these streets. All the history that surrounded her, and she was standing right in the middle of it.

"It's fantastic." She breathed.

"Do you have any facts about the Colosseum?" Marco asked.

"What don't I know about this place?" Star asked. "The Flavian Amphitheatre. Slaves turned into brutal savages fighting to the death to claim their freedom. The maze under the floor that they used to keep animals in."

The two just stared up at the massive structure for a moment while tourists and locals buzzed around them. Eventually they decided to leave the Colosseum and get gelato, nocciola for Star and amarena for Marco. They ate and talked, they talked about college, and about home, and about nothing at all. And for the first time, Star felt like Princess Ann. She didn't care about disobeying her mother, she was free. She was in The Eternal City, with the boy she loved eternally. Even if she was too shy to tell him. The sun was beginning to set on the city, the sky turned gold and the clouds turned pink and purple. The sunset was somehow even more breathtaking here, there was something magical to it.

"There's one more stop we need to make." Marco said after finishing his gelato.

He and Star hopped on the rented Vespa and rode off down the streets. The bright red vehicle drove them through the town, passing old churches and historical sites along the way. Star wondered where they were going, Marco hadn't told her. But she didn't care, they could get lost in Rome forever for all she cared. All she cared about was Marco.

"Here we are." Marco said, stopping the scooter in front of a large fountain. "Welcome to the Trevi Fountain."

This was one of the places that Princess Ann visited in the movie. This fountain was a famous for making wishes. There were tourists everywhere, taking pictures and making wishes. Marco stood at the edge of the fountain and took two coins out of his pocket. He handed Star a coin and turned his back to the fountain, holding the coin in his right hand.

"You're supposed to make a wish and throw the coin over your left shoulder." Marco explained.

Star took the coin in her right hand, she squeezed it tightly and closed her eyes.

I wish… She thought to herself. What do I wish for?

She looked at Marco, who was still rubbing his own coin between his fingers. Should I be cliché and wish for him? Should I wish for a good life? For good health? Or something else?

She kept thinking, what did she want? She wanted what every princess wanted, to live happily ever after. But not the "with a prince in a castle" happily ever after, she wanted her own happily ever after. One that only she could live. One with the person that she loved. She closed her eyes again.

I wish for my happily ever after, not anyone else's. Mine.

And with that she tossed her coin over her left shoulder, she heard it plunk into the fountain as it sank to the bottom. She looked at Marco, who had already tossed his coin into the fountain. He sported a foolish grin. She couldn't help but smile back, because for the first time in a long time she felt happy.

"What did you wish for?" Star asked.

"Can't say," Marco said, taking hold of Star's hand. "If I tell you then it won't come true."

They returned the Vespa to the rental place and walked back to the little house hand in hand. It was a pretty little villa with white stone walls and a terracotta roof. The house was next to a pretty little vineyard with rows and rows of grapes. They were still too young to drink wine, even if there was no drinking age in Italy.

Marco took a set of keys out of his pocket and turned the lock. He threw open the door and walked inside, Star following close behind him. There was a light coming from the kitchen, had they forgotten to turn the light out before they left this morning? The two of them walked into the kitchen to find a stranger sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hello Star," The stranger said, holding up the wand that they had buried into the ground. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Avery: Dun dun daaaa. Sorry if italics are annoying, they're just there so you know when somebody is thinking.