1 Part 10
Star entered her house, going over in her mind the best excuses to not go to Draco's party. She had no idea what on earth had possessed her to say she would go with him. "What a jerk," she grumbled softly to herself. He had just sprung the question on her, and she had answered without thinking. And now that she had thought, she decided that she really didn't want to go, but it looked as if she had no other choice.
Star climbed the stairs slowly. She had six days to come up with a conceivable story as to why she couldn't come.
Maybe…maybe she could tell Draco that…that she had to do the dishes. Star administered a mental kick to herself. 'Don't be stupid,' she told herself severely. 'There's no way he'd believe that—dishes wouldn't take all night to finish, anyway.'
Star continued to think.
1.1 Five days to the party…
Star stood before the mirror, practicing her story.
"Draco, I can't come to your party, because I have to go to Diagon Alley- I'm nearly out of 'Owl Chow' for Orion…" she gestured vaguely toward her Great Horned owl in his cage.
Star groaned, and ran a hand through her short, almost-black hair. 'He'll never buy it…'
1.2
1.3 Four days to the party…
(To the mirror) Star said, "I have a cold," *cough!* "and I might be contagious." *cough-cough!* "I wouldn't want to pass it on to anyone at your party…" *cough!*
1.4 Three days to the party…
"My grandpa died…" *sniff* "I'm not really feeling up to a party…"
1.5 Two days to the party…
"I have to baby-sit my little brother…"
None of these excuses seemed to work for Star, and she grew more anxious and irritable as the day of Draco's party drew nearer.
The day of the party, Star woke up with a new story in her head, as if she had been mulling it over all night in her sleep.
Once again, Star found herself before her mirror, rehearsing her lines:
"My parents had this special 'night out' planned for me tonight; I didn't even know until-"
"Star, come down for breakfast!" came her mother's call.
"Alright, I'm coming!" Star yelled, irritated. She resumed rehearsing.
"I didn't even know-they wanted to surprise me, I guess…" She shrugged her shoulders, trying to look disappointed.
"STAR!" her mother screeched. "We are waiting!"
"OKAY!" Star screeched back. 'Jeez, that woman's annoying!'
1.5.1 She turned back to the mirror:
1.5.2 "I'm really sorry, I wish-"
"Star! If you are not down here in TEN SECONDS, you're not going to Draco's party!" her mother threatened.
Star's eyes lit up. Her mother began the countdown. ("TEN!") Star moseyed out of her bedroom. ("NINE!") She ambled down the corridor. ("EIGHT!") She reached the staircase. ("SEVEN!") Star sat down on the top step, waiting. ("SIX! FIVE! FOUR!") On her mother's "THREE!" Star jumped to her feet making a lot of noise as she ran down the stairs. ("TWO!") She raced down the hall to the dining room, entering right after her mother had shouted "ONE!"
"Sit down, Star," said her mother, not even looking up at her. "You can tell Draco you won't be attending his party after breakfast." Star pulled off a convincing expression of shock and disappointment.
"But-" she stammered. "But I only got here just one second too late!"
"I don't care, Star." Her mother snapped unfeelingly. "I gave you ten seconds, not eleven." Star willed her eyes to well up with tears.
"That's not fair!" she cried shrilly.
"I think it's perfectly fair," replied her mother calmly, buttering herself some toast.
"But I promised Draco I'd come!" Star shrieked, rather enjoying her little debut.
"Sorry." her mother retorted, sounding far from it. "Sit down, your eggs are getting cold."
Star stamped her foot furiously, then ran from the room in a flurry of fake tears.
Up in her room, Star was in an unusually good mood. She had pulled it off! She hummed happily to herself as she stroked Orion, pacing back and forth in front of the window.
She heard a tapping on her window-Draco was magically drumming on it from his own window, to get her attention. Star crossed over to it, and pushed it open, Orion took flight from her arm and disappeared from sight.
"Hey!" Draco called to her, smiling.
"Hey," Star answered, looking glum.
Draco didn't notice, however, and said, "What are you wearing to the party tonight?"
"Nothing," Star answered.
Draco grinned. "Well, that'll cause a sensation, for I'll dress to match!"
*Star's mother was just passing by her daughter's door in time to hear a sniffle, and voices.*
"I can't go," Star said.
"What do you mean?" said Draco.
"I got in trouble, and now my mom won't let me go."
"Are serious? Man, that's rough…"
"Yeah…but I deserve it, though, not being able to go…" *sniff*
"Why?"
"I did something really bad…"
Star's mother couldn't take it anymore. She stepped into Star's room.
"Star?" she said. "I think you've learned your lesson. I'm going to let you go to Draco's party."
Star's jaw hit the floor. Her mother, mistaking it for a look of surprised joy, went on.
That's right, you've acted very grown-up about this, accepting the blame the way you did…"
Star couldn't believe her ears.
"So!" Her mother said, clapping her hands together briskly. "Let's get you ready for this party, shall we?"
Star entered her house, going over in her mind the best excuses to not go to Draco's party. She had no idea what on earth had possessed her to say she would go with him. "What a jerk," she grumbled softly to herself. He had just sprung the question on her, and she had answered without thinking. And now that she had thought, she decided that she really didn't want to go, but it looked as if she had no other choice.
Star climbed the stairs slowly. She had six days to come up with a conceivable story as to why she couldn't come.
Maybe…maybe she could tell Draco that…that she had to do the dishes. Star administered a mental kick to herself. 'Don't be stupid,' she told herself severely. 'There's no way he'd believe that—dishes wouldn't take all night to finish, anyway.'
Star continued to think.
1.1 Five days to the party…
Star stood before the mirror, practicing her story.
"Draco, I can't come to your party, because I have to go to Diagon Alley- I'm nearly out of 'Owl Chow' for Orion…" she gestured vaguely toward her Great Horned owl in his cage.
Star groaned, and ran a hand through her short, almost-black hair. 'He'll never buy it…'
1.2
1.3 Four days to the party…
(To the mirror) Star said, "I have a cold," *cough!* "and I might be contagious." *cough-cough!* "I wouldn't want to pass it on to anyone at your party…" *cough!*
1.4 Three days to the party…
"My grandpa died…" *sniff* "I'm not really feeling up to a party…"
1.5 Two days to the party…
"I have to baby-sit my little brother…"
None of these excuses seemed to work for Star, and she grew more anxious and irritable as the day of Draco's party drew nearer.
The day of the party, Star woke up with a new story in her head, as if she had been mulling it over all night in her sleep.
Once again, Star found herself before her mirror, rehearsing her lines:
"My parents had this special 'night out' planned for me tonight; I didn't even know until-"
"Star, come down for breakfast!" came her mother's call.
"Alright, I'm coming!" Star yelled, irritated. She resumed rehearsing.
"I didn't even know-they wanted to surprise me, I guess…" She shrugged her shoulders, trying to look disappointed.
"STAR!" her mother screeched. "We are waiting!"
"OKAY!" Star screeched back. 'Jeez, that woman's annoying!'
1.5.1 She turned back to the mirror:
1.5.2 "I'm really sorry, I wish-"
"Star! If you are not down here in TEN SECONDS, you're not going to Draco's party!" her mother threatened.
Star's eyes lit up. Her mother began the countdown. ("TEN!") Star moseyed out of her bedroom. ("NINE!") She ambled down the corridor. ("EIGHT!") She reached the staircase. ("SEVEN!") Star sat down on the top step, waiting. ("SIX! FIVE! FOUR!") On her mother's "THREE!" Star jumped to her feet making a lot of noise as she ran down the stairs. ("TWO!") She raced down the hall to the dining room, entering right after her mother had shouted "ONE!"
"Sit down, Star," said her mother, not even looking up at her. "You can tell Draco you won't be attending his party after breakfast." Star pulled off a convincing expression of shock and disappointment.
"But-" she stammered. "But I only got here just one second too late!"
"I don't care, Star." Her mother snapped unfeelingly. "I gave you ten seconds, not eleven." Star willed her eyes to well up with tears.
"That's not fair!" she cried shrilly.
"I think it's perfectly fair," replied her mother calmly, buttering herself some toast.
"But I promised Draco I'd come!" Star shrieked, rather enjoying her little debut.
"Sorry." her mother retorted, sounding far from it. "Sit down, your eggs are getting cold."
Star stamped her foot furiously, then ran from the room in a flurry of fake tears.
Up in her room, Star was in an unusually good mood. She had pulled it off! She hummed happily to herself as she stroked Orion, pacing back and forth in front of the window.
She heard a tapping on her window-Draco was magically drumming on it from his own window, to get her attention. Star crossed over to it, and pushed it open, Orion took flight from her arm and disappeared from sight.
"Hey!" Draco called to her, smiling.
"Hey," Star answered, looking glum.
Draco didn't notice, however, and said, "What are you wearing to the party tonight?"
"Nothing," Star answered.
Draco grinned. "Well, that'll cause a sensation, for I'll dress to match!"
*Star's mother was just passing by her daughter's door in time to hear a sniffle, and voices.*
"I can't go," Star said.
"What do you mean?" said Draco.
"I got in trouble, and now my mom won't let me go."
"Are serious? Man, that's rough…"
"Yeah…but I deserve it, though, not being able to go…" *sniff*
"Why?"
"I did something really bad…"
Star's mother couldn't take it anymore. She stepped into Star's room.
"Star?" she said. "I think you've learned your lesson. I'm going to let you go to Draco's party."
Star's jaw hit the floor. Her mother, mistaking it for a look of surprised joy, went on.
That's right, you've acted very grown-up about this, accepting the blame the way you did…"
Star couldn't believe her ears.
"So!" Her mother said, clapping her hands together briskly. "Let's get you ready for this party, shall we?"