First Day – Special Star

Darcy halted running and touched her knees. She wheezed as she scanned her surroundings. It was definite. She was miserably lost.

Room 109. I need to find room 109. Gaaaah, I should've asked someone by the entrance where to go instead of running inside. Stupid Darcy, real stupid. I should go back to the entrance…. Ugh where's the entrance?

She took out a piece of crumpled paper from her pockets and smoothed it open. Homeroom was located in room 109, but she knew she was already far away from it.

How did I end up near the gym? This is not a good start…

The other kids around her were already on their way to their respective classes, completely knowledgeable of the directions. She wanted to hit herself for not thinking about memorizing the map the night before. Darcy could just stop one of the kids but all of them were moving so quickly as if she was stuck in the middle of Times Square's rush hour. Then she realized that she was just standing in the middle of the hallway, looking like a lost puppy. Many older students were looking at her weirdly, so she decided to walk slowly along the current of people to avoid any further humiliation.

Maybe I should ask JARVIS…

She pushed her schedule back to her pocket and looked at her watch inward. Asking JARVIS would immediately help her but she knew it was too risky. Things would get complicated if people find her talking to her watch, and finding the watch talking back. Things would get even more complicated if she activated JARVIS. The computer would surely report back to her father that she was already having trouble before class starts.

Nope. Bad idea. She thought, pulling her sleeve back to hide the watch and continued walking. After three minutes she managed to find the entrance again. Breathing a sigh of relief, she figured she should take another route.

Since I ran straight last time, maybe I should try going right this time…

Just as she was turning to her right, the entrance doors were banged open by a girl screaming, "I'M LATE. I'M LATE." The girl was so frantic that she blindly ran towards Darcy's way and crashed into her painfully. Both of the two girls collided with so much impact that they both fell down on the floor. Darcy reflexively maneuvered herself so that bag would cushion her fall, but the fall caused her headband to topple to the marble floor. The other girl however devastatingly landed on her bottom, her tail bone hitting the hard surface.

"OW!" the girl yelled while rubbing the affected area. Darcy sighed loudly and stood up to pick up her headband. She looked down at herself, realizing that her perfectly smooth uniform that Pepper worked so hard on was now wrinkled. Great, my tie is loose and my hair is now a mess. Fantastic. She took a minute to re-adjust her tie and blazer. She inserted her headband inside her bag knowing that putting it back on wouldn't help taming her wildly curled mane. She sighed again loudly as she slips her bag back on and went to help the girl up.

"You okay?" Darcy exhaled out, offering her hand. The girl stopped whining; just grasping the fact she just bumped into somebody. Quickly taking Darcy's hand, she pulled herself up to face her. "I'm so sorry. I forgot to put my glasses on. It happens when I refuse to wake up early in the morning." The girl apologized. Darcy just smiled flatly as the girl went to dig through her bag for her glasses. She took the moment to examine the girl's face carefully.

She donned an olive complexion, almost golden. Sheer sunlight illuminated her dark chocolate almond eyes, short eyelashes moved wistfully. Everything about her was small: her nose, ears, lips and her stature. An inky black fringe covered her forehead and long dark tresses that reached down to her waist framed her round face perfectly. The girl quietly cheered to herself after finding a pair of thickly framed glasses.

"I'm sorry, again." the almond-eyed girl squeaked as she placed her glasses on. Smiling with frank excitement, "I'm Ivy. Ivy Nguyen, spelled N-G-U-Y-E-N, and pronounced like 'win'. Don't trust other people about my last name."

"Oh it's fine. I'm sorry that I was in your way," Darcy smirked and the Ivy laughed. "Name's Darcy. Darcy Lewis."

"I like you, Darcy, you're funny." Ivy grinned, "Are you new here?"

"Yup, this is my first year."

"You're in Year One? I'm pretty sure you looked older…" Ivy joked, "I'm just kidding. Welcome to BIS. I'm in Year Three, and you?"

Darcy began to beam at her widely. This day wasn't so bad after all. "That's awesome! I'm in Year Three too!"

"Don't tell me…" Ivy said, pulling out her schedule and reading the contents, "…Room 109?"

Darcy screamed internally. She has been blessed with someone who'll be in the same class as her. To make it even better, she's someone who actually knows the directions. "Yes!"

"Lost, huh?" Ivy smirked.

"Yes!"

"Then let's go, my dear friend Darcy, to Room 109."

Darcy grinned widely, nodding to her new friend. She didn't need JARVIS right after all. Ivy seemed like a reliable friend, funny too. She hoped that there would be more people like her in her new school. Continuing her intended route, she heard Ivy laughed.

"Darcy, Room 109 is this way," Ivy said, gesturing her head towards the left of the entrance. Darcy sheepishly smiled and toddled towards her. "Ha… I knew that."

The two managed to reach their homeroom just before the late bell rang. Ivy started rambling about the school, while Darcy stayed quiet. While listening to her new friend, she silently memorized the ways to the classroom from the entrance. Left, straight four rooms, right, straight ahead then three rooms after the girl's bathroom. ..

Ivy reached for the knob when suddenly Darcy felt a heavy feeling in her stomach, grumbling, and circling. She knew it wasn't hunger; Pepper gave her a hearty breakfast of omelet du jambon and fruits. It was unsettling, uncomfortable tingling in the back of her neck, sliding up and down her spine. Was this anxiety? Was she actually feeling nervous? Ivy was about to turn the knob when Darcy yelped loudly. Ivy looked at her questioningly.

"What's wrong?" she asked warily.

Darcy looked at her, blue eyes morphing into dark cerulean fright. "There…" she gulped loudly, "… there are people in there…."

"And so does the rest of the world, Darcy. What? Scared of people your age?" Ivy giggled but Darcy glowered, "No! Maybe. Yes. I don't know. I don't know how to talk to people my age…"

"You're talking to me right now. "She countered.

"No, um, it's just that… I've been homeschooled." Darcy looked down sadly to the floor, "You're kinda… my first friend…." She bit her lower lip, embarrassed.

Ivy blinked at her for a moment then her lips began to twitch into a toothy grin. She reached for Darcy's hands and cupped them with hers, "Darcy! Don't worry! People will like you! I'm here with you, aren't I? Here, how about this. I'll go in first. People don't really notice me, so you just stay close behind me, and then we can find someplace we can sit together?"

Darcy looked up to see Ivy's smiling face... The gentleness of her gaze made her warm inside, just like Pepper's warm grey eyes. She nodded shyly, inching and crouching close to her. Ivy took the cue to turn around and open the door.

The room was sufficiently lighted, not too dark, and not too bright. Vanilla cream walls surround nine square tables, neatly arranged into rows. Each white table consisted of eight chairs, two on each side of the square. The blackboard was completely cleared, even the surrounding bulletin boards, all waiting for the new school year to start. Darcy slightly extended her knees up to peer up over Ivy's shoulder, and Ivy was right. No one noticed her come in. All tables were occupied by students, talking loudly and lively with each other, all filled except one in the back. She stared in awe of the number of kids in the room; all of them looked differently from each other. Some even spoke in different languages. She then noticed the center table where she sees a young girl with long wavy blonde hair. She had the same blue eyes as herself, only seemingly brighter. It glimmered as the girl laughed with her other friends. Her hair looked like it was properly brushed unlike her untamed hair. If only she didn't make friends with the floor earlier…

Ivy began to tug her towards the unoccupied table in the back. They took the seats next to each other and Ivy immediately went digging through her bag again. Darcy took the chance to fix her hair, conscious of the pretty-haired girl on the table diagonal to her. Parting her hair into two, she twisted them into braids. She then took out her headband to keep away stray hair from her face.

"Nice headband," Ivy commented, her almond-eyes smiling at her behind her glasses, "Who gave you that?"

"My mom. It was her gift to me for my very first day of school." Darcy replied proudly, tilting her head so that Ivy can see it better.

"Let me guess, she bought it from Times Square?" Ivy sneered. Darcy looked at her incredulously, "Yeah, how did you know?"

"Nothing. Just a guess." Ivy chuckled. Darcy was about to protest but the almond-eyed girl suddenly hissed, "Great. Here she comes." Darcy followed her friend's unfriendly gaze, just to see the pretty-haired girl she saw before strutting her way to them. She saw Ivy open her notebook, and acted like as she was sketching something, concealing herself with her long black hair. Darcy put her hands under the table, holding her watch around her left wrist. She didn't know why but having something that her father has given her was somewhat comforting. Her dad maybe the most narcissistic person in the universe, but his material presence gave her needed confidence. She stared blankly at the pretty-haired girl who sat just across them, poised with an air of sophistication. The girl crossed her legs and laced her fingers together on the desk and smirked. The way her right eyebrow perked up as she smirked made a tingling sensation on the back of her head.

Darcy inhaled loudly. She has enough experience to diagnose the girl in front of her. Seven years with Tony Stark has made her exposed to all varieties of textbook narcissism and indescribable arrogance. Those seven years also allowed Darcy to build immunity and some kind of awareness to sense overconfident, supercilious individuals. She never used that sensor of hers to find other people. It somehow only activated when Tony comes into the room with his bombastic voice, "DADDY'S HOME!" But apparently, her "Darcy-sense" tingled when she looks at the girl sitting across.

Fortunately, Darcy was prepared to counteract the self-important contagion in the air. Pepper has taught her that in a situation where she encounters a bigheaded individual, she must become completely apathetic, utterly emotionless. If that doesn't work, Darcy must be prepared to dish out the sarcastic portion of her wits. Pepper guaranteed it always works. She does it with Tony. Inhaling deeply, she put out her best poker face and waited for the girl to speak.

"Bonjour," the pretty-haired girl greeted, raising her chin up. Darcy's eyebrow twitched. Oh, she's French. The aristocracy's language. Perfect. She thought.

Darcy knew she was aristocracy herself, almost regal in some sense since she is the heiress of a global empire. But Pepper has raised her to enjoy the mundane complexities of life with utmost humility and elegant indifference. Darcy also didn't like the idea of money being the sole identifier of an individual. Intelligence is her greatest power, not dollars. She loved learning like she loved food. Everyday lessons with JARVIS were like daily adventures to her, tackling the wild vines of Math, excavating through layers of History and digging through the ancient sites of Science. And when she opened a book from her grandfather's library, her mind starved for new enigmas and discoveries. Her thirst for knowledge defined her best. And she was thankful that she was curious enough to learn basic French with JARVIS.

"Je m'appelle Jeanne. Jeanne Delattre," the girl smiled sweetly. She noticed Ivy roll her eyes at the sound of the French girl. Darcy understood her friend's response. The way the girl communicated was impressive but somehow absurd to her. She continued to stare at the French girl with blank eyes. The girl stared back, smirking even bigger. Darcy was surprised to see her eyebrow inch even higher. Is that even possible? She thought.

"Oh right, English. Sorry, I meant to say-

"Je m'appelle Darcy Lewis. Enchantée!" Darcy suddenly spoke; figuring apathy wouldn't work on her so she resorted to sass. "Voulez-vous parlez français ou anglais?"

Both Ivy and Jeanne gaped at her, shocked by her response, but Jeanne quickly regained her composure and smiled, "Non, non. English is fine. Hi, Darcy."

"Hello… Jeanne." She blinked at how this conversation was going so awkwardly, "Can I… help you?"

"I just wanted to say that I like your headband," she stated, bringing her right hand up to cup her face. Darcy noticed something glimmer around her wrists. "Um, thanks? I like your bracelet…" she said, "…I think."

Jeanne then gasped with feigned innocence, "Oh this? My Papa gave this to me for today. Nothing much, just Tiffany," the girl shrugged. Ivy turned to Jeanne to gape at her next, "Their bracelets cost like $400!"

"$500," she corrected haughtily, "But Papa paid more to change the silver to platinum. So it's really around $1000." Jeanne smirked, wiggling her arm more so that they both can see her pearl bracelet.

Darcy squeezed her watch even more tightly to restrain herself. Don't show your one million dollar watch, Darcy. Don't show it. Money isn't everything. Don't show it.

"That's neat…" she choked out. Pepper should be proud of her.

"Merci!" Jeanne chirped. Then flipping her seemingly perfect blonde hair, she leaned in, "So, is this your first year, Darcy?"

"Yes…" Darcy muttered, looking at Ivy for help. Ivy just groaned inwardly and continued drawing on her sketchbook.

"Oh, I knew it! I came here just two years ago," Jeanne said, trying to sympathetic but Ivy just grumbled, "We all did, Jeanne."

Jeanne sent her a glare, sending Ivy back to drawing in her book. She faced Darcy again and smiled, "So, how many stars do you have?"

Darcy looked at her skeptically. She had no idea what was talking about. She then noticed Jeanne's right collar. Three gold stars were studded on the fabric, shining as Jeanne leaned in closer. Darcy looked to her left to see two stars adorning Ivy's collar. She looked down to see hers but she miserably found none. She pouted inwardly, "I… don't know what you're talking about."

Jeanne simply smirked again and straightened her spine to stand up. Flipping her hair once again, she said, "Don't worry. The teacher will be here any minute. Ask her." Then she walked back to seat to talk to her friends. She turned to Ivy to get an explanation but she was already ahead of her.

"You didn't tell me you knew French. Did you see her face? That was awesome, Darcy! Anyway, Jeanne is a three-star while I am a two-star." Ivy grumbled, "Two-stars are average and as you can see the three-stars are the popular ones…"

"Then what am I? How do I-

"Good morning, children. I apologize for my tardiness," a voice rang out. The classroom shushed into silence and everyone returned to their seats. Darcy looked up to see a woman come in. she looked like she was in her early forties, wearing a burgundy suit. Her sun-streaked hair was pulled tightly into a bun, revealing an enigmatic expression. A smooth British accent came out of her mouth. Clapping her hands together to get everyone's attention, she smiled, "Hello, children, as you can probably see, I'm your teacher again." the woman said.

Ivy leaned in to whisper to Darcy, "That's Ms. Brodie. She was our teacher last year too. She teaches English."

"Welcome to another year here in BIS. I trust you all had a wonderful vacation." She said while scanning the room, "It is great to see all of your faces again, my sweets. "

"It's great seeing you again too, Madame," Jeanne rang out, earning a gagging noise from Ivy. Darcy couldn't help but giggle out loud. Everyone's attention turned towards Darcy with emotionless eyes, including the teachers. "Wonderful to see you again, Ms. Delattre… and Ms. Nguyen…" then Darcy gulped as felt Brodie's stare cast upon her, "…a fresh face, I see. Would you like to introduce yourself to us?"

Darcy stared at her wide-eyed. She wasn't ready for any public speaking. She'd only gone public for one month!

"It's all right, child, we won't bite." Brodie chuckled, "Come on, stand up."

Clutching her watch once again, hoping to muster some confidence from the watch's creator, she slowly stood up from her seat. After taking a deep breath, she recited the lines she rehearsed with Pepper. "Hi, my name is Darcy Lewis. I came from Ojai, California."

"What do your parents do?" someone asked from the front. Darcy just stared back, wide-eyed.

"I apologize for that, Darcy," Brodie glared at the student who called out, "Most of the students here are sons and daughters of diplomats. Like young Jeanne here, is the daughter of the Press and Communications Director of the French Embassy. You don't have to tell us anything you're uncomfortable with."

"My parents work for Stark Industries," Darcy blurted out of annoyance. She didn't like the atmosphere of the classroom. She didn't expect to be in a room full of snobby people. Since when did schools classify people by their parent's jobs?

"They work in the public relations department. And this is my first time going to school. I've been learning at home."

She noticed some of the students nod in approval. Apparently, having parents that work under Stark Industries is admirable.

"That's very incredible, I say, Ms. Lewis. Getting a job in Stark Industries is quite difficult." Ms. Brodie commented.

Darcy nodded and went to sit down again but a voice, annoying to her, spoke out.

"Madame, Darcy hasn't received her star rating." Jeanne informed. Ms. Brodie looked at Darcy incredulously, "Oh, is that right, Ms. Lewis?"

"Yes…" she stuttered shyly.

"Do you know the fundamentals of the star system, child?" the teacher asked but Darcy just shook her head.

"Well, sit down, lass. It'll be quite a mouthful to explain." Ms. Brodie gently said and Darcy sat down immediately. The teacher walked slowly up to the blackboard and took out a chalk. The class watched intently as Brodie drew a large triangle on the board. Then she parted it with four parallel lines, making five distinct levels. Then she began to draw one star inside the bottom level, two on the next, and three and so on. Upon reaching the pinnacle of the pyramid, she drew one star inside a circle. She then turned around to face Darcy.

"The British International School has a unique system to encourage students to work on their studies. To put it on a nutshell, the more stars you acquire, the more, let's say, privileges you are given. There are five ranks in this school: one-star, two-star, three-star, four-star, and the highest one five-star or as we like to call, Special Star. The higher your rank means that you will get better lodging, better lunches, and more money to spend in the campus et cetera. Your rank will be determined by the level of your intelligence potential, academic progress, and behavioral conduct. I trust that you have taken the entrance exam, Ms. Lewis?"

"Yes…" Darcy gripped her watch tightly. She was getting really nervous. She had actually finished the test in 34 minutes under an hour allotment time. But her results weren't given to her.

"Do you know your score?" Ms. Brodie asked but Darcy shook her head again.

"Then how would we know her rank, Madame?" Jeanne asked. Ms. Brodie smiled at her knowingly, "Once we know that she has taken the entrance exams, we can determine her star level easily. Ms. Lewis, I assume you have been given a dormitory room?"

Darcy nodded, "Yes…"

"Then can you tell us which floor you reside on? I must remind you that star ranks give certain privileges. One of them is having an improved dorm room…" Ms. Brodie explained.

Darcy was silent for the moment.

"Darcy? Tell us." Ivy whispered, "It's okay."

"It doesn't make sense, Ms. Brodie..." Her eyebrows furrowed in thought, "If they did rank us by grade, why would they place me in the attic? Did I fail the test?"

Darcy recalled the time when she and Tony first opened the room, everything was dusty and dark. Cobwebs plagued every nook and cranny of the room. The big windows were veiled with heavy velvet curtains and the carpet coughed dust as they stepped on it. Tony had to steal Peppers wig to call a cleaning service and some his robots to help design the room.

Everyone stared at her in disbelief.

"The room was dusty when I got it and I think I'm the only one living on the floor. Well I think there's another one in room 1 but I've never seen him or her."

"Darcy... There is no attic in the dormitories," Ms. Brodie simply said.

"Then what's the fifth floor?" she retorted.

Almost unison, everybody gasped but Jeanne's voice rang out egregiously.

"You're a Special Star?"

Ms. Brodie simply smiled again at her and called the class in session to distribute handouts. "You didn't tell me that you're a Special Star!" Ivy hissed under her breath.

"What? I didn't know!" Darcy hissed back.

"Getting four stars is really hard, you know? You have to be really smart. But you! You're higher!"

Darcy wanted to explain to her, but she didn't know what to say. She only sighed in response.
After an hour of orientation, the teacher excused herself to go to the Main Office to get Darcy's star. After the shutting the door close, all of the students in room scrambled towards the Darcy's table to surround her. Darcy crept closer to Ivy, daunted by the crowd closing in on them. She gripped her watch tighter to the point she thought she might actually break it as she tried to process the student's incessant questioning.

"Who are you really?" someone asked, then followed by, "What did you get on the entrance exam?" then "What does your room look like?" then "Have you met Alex?"

"W-what? I'm Darcy. I don't know w-what I got on the test. My room looks like… a room. Who's Alex?" Darcy stuttered. The kids continued asking her more questions like a buzzing paparazzi. So much for keeping on the down low.

"Move." A voice demanded, and the kids across Darcy immediately moved back to let Jeanne in. Darcy found no traces of the arrogant smirk she wore earlier, when she thought that she was actually superior to Darcy. Her blonde eyebrows drew together, forming an angry scowl. She placed her hand on her hip and flicked her chin up at her. Darcy gulped.

"There's only one Special Star in this school and it's Alex Mayr. 8- year old violin prodigy from Austria. Papa says that he was enrolled here when he was only three. He learned the violin at 2." She said proudly, "I met him last year and we became best friends."

The students around gaped at Jeanne widely. Darcy was shocked too but for an entirely different reason. "You mean that was him playing yesterday? It sounded aweso-

"'Awesome' doesn't describe Alex's music." Jeanne corrected her sternly, "He's the only one living in the fifth floor because he is a genius. Only geniuses can live in the fifth floor. Now… who are you really?" she narrowed her eyes.

Darcy swallowed again. She was supposed to smart not genius. But the school wasn't giving her any chance to hide it. If people find out that she actually had an affinity with the intricacies of engineering and technology, it wouldn't take long until someone figures out that she's a Stark. She hated lying and she was actually a bad liar herself. But Pepper and Tony have taught her well. When someone asks her a conflicting question, she must answer with the most straightforward answer.

"I told you. I'm Darcy. Darcy Lewis," she affirmed.

"You know what I mean," Jeanne huffed, "Who are you?"

Nothing but a bit of a Stark's brazen attitude wouldn't hurt, Darcy thought. "I just told you. My name is Darcy Lewis. Are you deaf?"

Jeanne crossed her arms on her chest in response, eyes narrowing by the second. "I mean, what are your talents?"

"Talents?" Darcy asked, "I think I have the talent to end this conversation." She was getting annoyed. She actually took that phrase from Pepper when she was arguing with Tony. Her mother should make a book of comebacks. Nevertheless, she was aggravated. She was planning to talk to her new friend today, to know more about Ivy but these people are being too troublesome. She picked up her bag and slipped in on her back. Then she took Ivy's left wrist and tugged it, "Come on Ivy, let's go."

"Go where? Ms. Brodie will be back any minute now from the Office." Ivy asked, clutching her sketchbook to her chest. The students around them dispersed as Darcy loudly stood up from her table and pulled Ivy towards the door. "Look at your schedule. We have a free period after homeroom. We're going to the library. And we'll meet Ms. Brodie on the way." She was about to turn the door open when she heard Jeanne yell.

"Hey! You didn't answer my question!"

"A bientot, Jeanne!" Darcy sang, not looking back and the two disappeared.

"Ms. Lewis? Ms. Nguyen? Is that you?" a voice rang. Darcy and Ivy were about to go up the stairs to the library when they heard their teachers voice call them. The two turned around slowly, smoothing their skirts to act cool. "Hello, Ms. Brodie," they both greeted sheepishly.

The teacher wore a flat smile as she approached the two girls on the bottom of the hallway. Her eyebrow crept up, somehow amused by the sight. "…and where are you two planning on going?"

Ivy started stuttering, unable to produce a coherent response. Darcy sighed and just answered truthfully, "We're going to the library, Ms. Brodie."

"Why is that, Ms. Lewis? Does my classroom not suit your tastes?" Ms Brodie sneered. Ivy just stuttered again, and wormed behind Darcy.

The girl however was completely unfazed. She learned that the best way to achieve her way was to answer with short concise truthful ways. "No, I like your classroom, Ms. Brodie, I like it very much. I just don't like the people in it."

Ms. Brodie jerked her back, dazed by the girl's frank honesty. Dazzling azure eyes just stared at her with utter indifference and confidence. This girl is interesting.

"Well, Ms. Lewis, I am sorry for that. But I have to inform you that the library is restricted to unsupervised students." Brodie expected the girl to show some kind of disappointment but the little maintained a blank façade.

"I'll supervise Ivy. And Ivy will supervise me. How does that sound?" Darcy smirked, nudging Ivy.

Ms. Brodie was now beyond amused. "As much as I esteem your witty remark, Ms. Lewis, I'm afraid I still have to say no." Darcy finally groaned in defeat, her shoulder slumped down in frustration.

"But I should also inform you, Ms. Lewis," Brodie grinned as she reached for Darcy's uniform. Darcy felt her collar tugged as the teacher spoke, "Special-stars do live up to their name… they get special privileges, as I have explained earlier." She raised Darcy's chin and smiled, "Luckily for you, I think one of them is the entitlement to full access to the library." Ms. Brodie pulled back her hand and sneered.

Darcy heard Ivy gasp, her full attention directed towards her collar. Looking down, she sees a golden star set upon a crimson circle, glimmering. Before she could look up fully to thank her teacher, Ms. Brodie was already on her way back to the classroom. Without looking back, the teacher just waved, "Be sure that you bring Ms. Nguyen back by 3rd period, Ms. Lewis."

"This is so cool!" Darcy whispered. The library was conveniently situated at the side of the school. It mimicked a hallway, long and vast. Big panes of glass replaced the walls to reveal a panoramic view of the East River. The cerulean waters and sky gave a calming semblance on the establishment, providing sufficient sunlight for its visitors. She gasped in awe as she saw all the arcade of bookshelves populating the long room. Ivy followed her and shrugged, "It's just the library. No one ever comes here unless we have to."

"You're right, darling. No one comes to the library," someone said behind them. Both of them turned around to find an old man behind the librarian counter. He took down the newspaper that was veiling his face and set it down on the desk. They hear his bones crack as he pushed himself up from his swivel chair. He fixed the suspenders on his checkered shirt and adjusted his thick, amber-colored glasses to see his two new visitors, "To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

Ivy smiled weakly at the man, "Hey Stan. Nice to see you again." the old man slicked his silky ashen hair back and gave a brassy trumpet-like laugh, "New school year again, huh? Who's the doll-face?"

"I'm Darcy!" the girl chirped, "Hi, Stan!"

"Stan the Library Man, at your service, Darcy," Stan greeted. Then he paused for a little bit, staring pensively at Darcy. After a minute, he raised two fingers to gesture her. "Come a little closer, I have to tell you a secret."

Darcy froze in reluctance. The old man's appearance wasn't exactly warming and he was looking at her weirdly. But Ivy nudged her, indicating that it was safe. She slowly stepped towards the counter and leaned in.

"I have been watching the library for at least a decade, child." Stan murmured, smiling gently at her, "And I have to tell you that this is my first time seeing that kind of star on your collar," he said while poking the star on her collar.

The little girl pulled back to grin at Stan, smirking widely, "No way! Me too!" she giggled. The old man broke into laughter too then happily sighed, "I guess I have to let you in the restricted area, then, huh?"

Both the girl tilted their heads, puzzled. Ivy has been in the library school before but she has never come across of any restricted area. But then again, she never really explored the library unless it was required.

"Come on, I'll show you," Stan gestured them to follow him. He dug his hand into his pocket to get his keys and led them through the hallway of books. The two followed closely, filled with overwhelming curiosity. Darcy on the other hand was excited. She thought that being a Special Star was a bad idea since it attracts so much unwanted attention. But after finding out that they have reserved a secluded place for her, it wasn't so bad after all. As she walked, she realized Stan's first statement before. Increasing her pace to catch up to Stan, she asked, "What do you mean it's your first time seeing a Special Star? You never met Alex?"

"Who's Alex? Never heard of him." The man merely grunted.

"He's a Special Star like me. Apparently he has been here since he was little. Today is just my first day."

"You see Ms. Darcy, I only stay here in the library, most of the time. So it's natural for me to just associate myself with library visitors, you know? Seeing that you chose this place for your free period, I assume you have an affinity with books?"

"Yes! I like reading! I used to read some from my Grandpa's library when I'm bored. Sometimes I don't understand them so I ask JARVIS to explain it to or my dad." She happily explained.

"Jarvis?" Ivy asked from behind.

"My tutor." Darcy pursed her lips together. She forgot to not ramble again. Next thing she knows she accidentally blurts out that Tony Stark is her father. Not good.

"Your grandfather must have an excellent collection." Stan chuckled.

"Indeed. Grandpa has a lot of books! A plethora!" Darcy waved her hands in a circular motion to demonstrate how big it was. "I actually came here to see if you have the book I'm currently reading. But I forgot it back home…"

"You sure don't talk like a kid, huh?" Stan pointed out. Darcy squeaked. She needs to remind herself to stop talking like JARVIS. "What book are you reading now?"

"The New Science of Strong Materials," Darcy answered. Tony allowed her to bring some books with her to New York City. She only picked out the simplest ones to avoid suspicion if anyone enters her room. What would somebody say if they found a book with Howard Stark's name on it?

"By James E. Gordon? Why, Ms. Darcy, aren't you a little too young to read an engineering book?" Stan asked, astonished by the little girl's choice of leisure reading. Darcy found no strength to answer back. She just looked down as they reached the end of the hallway. Stan scratched his scruffy white mustache as he jingled his keys, "I guess that's what Special Stars read in their spare time. I'm sure I don't. And here we are."

The three stopped in front of antique-looking double doors. Birched wood coated with a dark cherry finish were ornamented with obscure yet elaborate leaf carvings, snaking up and down the strokes of the wood. Above the doors placed a golden plaque, dull of any metallic sheen, that read black letters, "Restricted". The old man scrolled through his keys to find muted, lackluster bronze key and inserted it on one of the golden door knobs. A clicking sound rang through their ears as Stan twisted the key. Darcy waited for him to open, holding her breath in anticipation, but Stan only pulled back the key. She looked up to him in suspicion.

"I'm going to tell you another secret, Ms. Darcy," the man chuckled through golden tinted glasses, "Truth is, I've been inside this room a million times. Well, I'm not allowed to, for God knows why, but I've slipped in there to drink a couple cups of coffee. And I have to tell you, drinking there is pure bliss." The man smirked at the two. "If you ever feel unsatisfied with the books outside, this room has it all. I've heard that this used to be the first headmaster's office but now they have relocated it in the West Wing, they are reserving this for students- dignified ones who are smart enough to treasure the knowledge contained inside. And I am very confident that you are one of those people, am I right, Darcy?"

Darcy was speechless, just nodding at the grinning man. Stan gave out a deep laugh as he patted Darcy's head, "I'm sure you are kiddo. And here," he then pulled the bronze key out of his key ring and held it out to Darcy, "You might as well have this. You can come here whenever you want. Once the doors close, only this key will open it. There are no other duplicates so make sure you don't lose this, okay?"

"Thank you! And I won't, Stan!" she gently took the key away and clutched it tightly to her chest. How blessed she felt she was. Unfortunate time always rewards with better endings. She wanted to jump endlessly in joy.

"I guess I should leave you and your friend alone. You use this library well, you hear me? Show that kid, what's-his-face, Alex, what he's missing. Hearing that he has been here all this time and didn't have the nerve to visit the library is vexing. If you need anything, I'll be in my desk."

The man left with a smile and sauntered back along the long hallway of books. Darcy looked at the door in front of her again and exhaled a contented sigh. Ivy crept closer her to whisper, "What's 'vexing'? 'Plethora'? Engineering books? Darcy, you gotta tell me everything!"

Darcy twisted her mouth into a smirk, "It means annoying; inconvenient; worrisome. Plethora means many; surplus; excess. Read a book sometimes. I suggest To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Riveting novel. And I'll tell you all about me when we get inside." The cool metallic sensation of the door knob almost electrified her. She didn't know if it was the static from the carpet or just the basic thrill of the experience.

"You know you could've just used the simpler words…" Ivy grumbled, stepping closer to Darcy as she opened the door, "And I read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, okay? Whole 48 pages. And oh my god…."

The two girls stepped inside the room, the carpet now replaced with light oak. Darcy let the door close on its own behind her as she marveled at the sight. "The original hardcover, Ivy, has 208 pages. I think you were reading the simplified version." She told her friend, slowly spinning in her place to completely be amazed by the library, "its okay, I think we can find the original version… here…."

The secret room was roughly the size of the normal library outside the doors. It didn't stretch, however, on the side of the building. It was horizontal to the normal library, almost making an L-shape if someone were to look at the floor plan. The windows were as big as the wall, veiled by thick red velvet drapes, adorned with golden tassels. Wispy dust floating about like miniscule dancing fairies, pirouetted in the air lingeringly in the warm sunlight's embrace. A long mahogany desk sat just a couple of feet away from the window, encumbered by dozen of old-looking books. A burgundy colored chair, largely cushion with velvet, was slanted as if someone just stood from it. The other three walls were entirely embedded with dark oak bookshelves, not one space was unoccupied. Darcy saw glimpses of vast collections of encyclopedias, atlases, novels and more on the walls. The ceiling was also a stunning display of pure art, enlivened with intricate gold-leaf paintings, swirling with the elegance of gold. A long deep ruby carpet stretched in the center, enhancing the unsullied beauty of the library. It was absolutely baroque.

"Oh my gosh, Darcy, look! There's a fireplace, and a ladder!" Ivy yelled. Her voice seemed like it was away from Darcy so she turned around only finding Ivy in the middle of the vast room. Amidst the ten feet tall bookcases, a classic hearth was framed by red bricks. Faced suitably to it were three ivory tinted sofas. A Moroccan rug sprawled under the couches evoking a classic homely atmosphere in the room. Ivy jumped on one of the sofas and lay languidly on the cushion. Grinning happily, Darcy sat on the chair beside her. Dazed by the amazing room she was in, she sighed, "This was just how I imagined Hogwarts' library. I feel like Hermione!"

Ivy sat up from her place to look at her weirdly, "What are you talking about?"

"You know? Harry Potter? Written by J.K. Rowling? The book came out last year. I got it for my birthday." She explained.

"You got a book? I got a Barbie doll for my birthday." Ivy said. Darcy pouted, "Does getting a book sound weird?"

"To some people, I think. But I guess it'll work for someone like you."

"Like me?" Darcy repeated in disbelief. Her friend just shrugged. "You're a genius!"

"Me?" she pursued again.

"Oh you don't have to hide it. My mommy says to never be ashamed of your talents. That's why she works really hard so I can go to this school," Ivy opened her pink sketchbook opened and flipped a couple of pages. Darcy gasped as her almond-eyed friend showed her a sketch, "This is my mom. She owns a little store in Times Square. She makes jewelry and accessories,"

"You drew that?" Darcy marveled at the pencil sketch before her. it was realistic, not typical of a child's drawing. Ivy smiled shyly at her, nodding quietly. Then she flicked her head, gazing at Darcy's headband then looked back at her. "My mom made that headband you're wearing right now. Pretty, right?"

"This is amazing. You two are amazing!" Darcy squealed, jumping from her seat to sit next to Ivy, "I wish I can be that amazing."

"Uh, I think you're already are." Ivy smirked, poking at the star embedded on Darcy's collar, and the two laughed.

Darcy spent the rest of the period, talking to her new friend, learning about every nook and cranny of the school. Listening intently to every advice and story, she drew the conclusion that Ivy is being inadvertently left out by her classmates because of her financial background. Apparently, she was placed in a class where 90% of the people came from the high reaches of the social hierarchy. Sons and daughters of diplomats, entrepreneurs, directors, people abundant of material wealth were enrolled in the school. She realized that some people drop their kids off in the boarding school for dignity, and power. They place their kids in overly privilege schools for competition, regardless of their children's welfare. Ivy was a different case. She got here by scholarship, graced with artistic talents. Her mother wanted her to have the best education. She pondered if she was brought to this school too of the same reasons. Did Tony and Pepper bring her to a boarding so that they don't have to encumber the burdens of child-rearing?

She quickly removed the idea in her head, feeling the weight of the watch that her father personally modified for her. Heck, he even installed JARVIS in her room to keep watch of her. He even bought a whole floor of the MetLife Building so that he can be close to her. She was loved. Exceedingly and unconditionally.

The two's conversation was brought to a stop, when a ringing sound tolled across the library. As they both fixed themselves and slipped their back packs on, Ivy reminded her again, "Just stay away from Jeanne. She's a meanie."

Darcy nodded and followed Ivy towards the exit of the library. She left the restricted room with the full understanding that Jeanne is a full diva in the making. She was produced by the lavish upbringing of her parents from Paris and the supercilious environment of New York's Upper East Side. Darcy asked Ivy if Jeanne really knew Alex Mayr, but her friend just said that she had never saw Jeanne with the said Special Star.

As they waved their goodbyes to Stan, they made their way to their classroom for English.

"Yeah, today was great, Ma!" Darcy cheerfully answered. She clutched the telephone tightly as she swiveled herself on her office chair. Her day went smoothly well. First days were usually entitled to orientations and introductions so no new materials were learned. She spent most of the day talking to her new Ivy, and explored the school. Regrettably the school did not have any workshops she hoped she would get to work in. The only thing close to an engineering fortress she had back home was the woodwork class and the library. The restricted area of the library was full of books from esteemed college like Princeton, Yale, MIT, and Harvard. She managed to take out the book she wanted. She'll need it for her next project.

It was about six in the evening, when she suddenly had the urge to call her parents. It was almost a reflex to her to quickly tell her parents what she has done during the day when they come home from work. Pepper would always bring a slice of cake for her from wherever they came from and Tony would always find the time to teach her new stuff in his workshop. But now, Pepper and Tony weren't present in her dorm room. She immediately took the phone and dialed the numbers Tony had given her. Pepper answered at the first ring and immediately asked how her day was.

"I'll put you on speaker, your father wants to talk to you," Pepper informed. After a click, a playfully deep voice reverberated through the telephone's speakers. "Kiddo! Miss me already?"

"I miss you so much, Daddy," she giggled, "I miss Mama too…"

"Then come back home. I'll have a chopper ready in ten minutes. Hey Pep, do you think the parking lot would be empty right now?" Tony said. She laughed as she heard Pepper ask him if he was serious or not.

"Daddy, I'm fine here!" she spouted, "I was just kidding…"

"What? You don't miss me? That's cruel, kid." Tony jested, "Hey, how was your first day? Did you kick any ass- argh Pepper- I meant butts… Did you kick any butts today?"

"Only mine. Apparently I'm a Special Star…" Darcy rambled on how she found out her great discovery as a Special Star. She told them about the library, Ivy and Jeanne. Tony just chuckled back.

"Come on, baby. You are brilliant! Enjoy the attention!"

"I didn't raise her to be like you, Tony." Pepper retorted, "Honey, I'm proud of you, you know that? Keep up the good job."

"Yeah, yeah. Hey, I'm starving. You guys wanna get something to eat? Pepper can pick you up…"

"No thanks, Dad. I'd like to try the food down the dinner hall. You two eat without me," Darcy smiled flatly.

"Look at this, Pepper. My daughter is less than a decade old and she's refusing to eat dinner with us. What have you done?" Tony grumbled a tint of sarcasm present in his tone. Darcy smiled as she heard Pepper stutter back.

"You go eat dinner, Darcy," the man ordered nonchalantly, "Let Pepper sulk in shame."

"Okay, Daddy."

"Don't forget your watch!" he reminded with slight haste.

"It's still on my wrists. Don't worry." she assured them while glancing down her watch, "Oh its 6:30. I have to go down now. Love you Daddy. Love you Mom."

"I love you too, kiddo," Tony sighed.

"Don't forget to eat your carrots, Darcy! It's good for your eyes! You don't want to wear glasses, do you?" she heard Pepper yell on the phone, "I love you, darling!"

"Yes, Ma…" Darcy muttered. She bid them goodbyes and returned the phone back to its place.

"JARVIS, I'm going down to eat dinner." She laughed. Oh how crazy she must look talking to a disembodied being…

Very well, Ms. Darcy. Ms. Potts has informed me to remind you bring a thin jacket with you every time you leave the premises.

"Got it," Darcy said while she pulled out a green pullover from her closet. She checked her braids in front of the mirror and adjusted her watch. She pulled on a pair of brown boots and made her way towards the door. As soon as she stepped outside of the room, unbeknownst to her, red geometric lights scattered throughout the room. The lasers hit every corner and furniture.

Defense mode activated.

Darcy pulled the door behind her and sauntered towards the stairs. After stepping down a few steps, she realized she'd forgotten something. She groaned loudly, pushing herself down to sit on the steps. Pouting, she didn't remember to ask Tony to send some tools for her. she needed a few materials for her next project and she needed them right away.

"But I don't want to go back to my room!" Darcy moaned to herself, burying her face in her hands. Luckily, she realized that she didn't have to go to back to her room. What's the point in doing so if JARVIS is right there with her. In her watch.

Without any hesitation, she tugged her sleeve back to reveal the Tourbillion watch Tony had given her. Turning the crown on the side, the face of the clock began to fade to black, after a few seconds, a blue horizontal line appeared on the center.

"JARVIS?"

The horizontal line began to morph into geometric waves.

How may I help you, Ms. Darcy?

"Did Ma and Dad leave the building yet?" she asked her watch.

Not yet, ma'am. Mr. Stark is currently speaking with Mr. Stane on the phone. Shall I leave him a message or should I connect you to Ms. Potts?

"It's fine. Ma might be busy. Can you just leave a message then?"

Certainly.

"Okay, tell Dad I need at least 5 of: Bose noise-cancelling headphones, preferably black; 2.5 mm headphone jacks; a shotgun microphone system with -60 decibel sensitivity, 40 decibel gain for the amplifier, the smallest one; 50 AA lithium ion batteries; and black and white fleece fabric, one yard each."

Will that be all, Ms. Darcy?

"Yep. Thanks." Darcy sighed in relief. She twisted the watch's crown again to turn it back to a normal watch. While drawing her sleeve back down, she stood up to continue her way down the dinner hall.

Upon reaching the midpoint of the fifth floor and the fourth floor, a voice rang out. "Neat trick. Do it again."

Darcy immediately stopped in her tracks, wide blue eyes frantically looking for the source of the voice. She looked down to her watch to see if JARVIS was activated again, but the watch was still closed. She looked left and right, and down but no one was there. "Up here," the voice was monotonous, stoic. She was confident it wasn't a girl.

She followed the voice, slowly raising her head. The boy above her was leaning nonchalantly on the fifth floor's railings, coolly looking down on her. He wore an oversized black pullover and grey jogging pants. Jet black hair spiked out from his hood, unkempt and unruly. His amber eyes stared back at her, completely lifeless. Darcy didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to think either. Part of her was screaming helplessly inside, knowing that her true existence has been found out. Part of her, however, was dying of curiosity of the boy talking to her.

Darcy gulped loudly as she whispered the name, "Alex… Mayr?"

I made a tumblr for this fanfic. I'll be posting pictures and the chapters there, maybe gifs. If anyone wants to see how I pictured little Darcy, Ivy, Jeanne and Alex, feel free to stop by: another-stark-one

The Star system derived from my old school's system. Instead of star pins, it was roses. White rose, pink rose, yellow rose, red, then blue. Students who wore a blue-colored rose pin would get esteemed mentors, cooler dorms, and etc. I was a yellow rose and there were 8 blue-roses.

Ivy Nguyen, Jeanne Delattre, and Alex Mayr are OC's. Stan Lee cameo'd :D

Also, I will be spending more time with Darcy's experiences as a kid, and a teenager. Don't worry, I will try to be as detailed with the Avengers part.

P.S.

Someone reviewed: "I'm always suprised at how quickly my grin drops when I finish reading your updates."

I'm not sure whether this was intended as a negative comment or a positive one... or maybe my Engrish is just that bad, huh? Someone tell me. The ambiguity is killing me.