Almost a year had passed since Alex first met Starr. Starr came almost daily now. She always appeared early in the morning and never seemed to stay for more than ten hours before disappearing, which never stopped making Alex jump. They still couldn't find Starr's lost memories or make anyone beside Alex see her. Starr sometimes goes to school with Alex, and her English improved a lot.
It was when Alex and Starr came back home after one of those school days that they found a woman sitting in the living room.
"Alex," Ian's voice was serious, "I'm going on a business trip. This nice lady is going to take care of you while I'm gone. I need you to listen to her, OK?"
"Hello Alex, I'm Jack Starbright, you can call me Jack." Jack was dressed casually in a white T-shirt and blue jeans. Her red hair was pulled hurriedly back with a green band.
Starr smiled, "Her name is star too! I like her."
Alex smiled too. Even though Jack couldn't see star, he felt that he could like Jack. But… "I don't need a babysitter!"
Alex did not like bullies, so when he stumbled across a boy with blood running from his nose and books scattered on the floor after an obvious beating, he had to force down his ire.
"You OK?" Alex asked.
"Yeah. I've got a broken nose. I've lost my lunch money. And they've told me they're going to do it all again tomorrow. But otherwise I'm fine." The other boy answered.
"Mike Cook?" Starr, who was standing just behind Alex, couldn't help but ask.
"Yeah." The boy looked up at Starr as he wiped away the blood with a paper napkin.
Alex froze and nearly dropped the books he had just collected from the floor. "You can see her?"
"Yeah, if you mean the girl behind you, she isn't exactly hiding."
"I guess you're special too." Starr beamed.
Alex regarded the boy, he had spiky black hair and there was a mischievous gleam in his blue eyes. Alex hoped that the boy would keep Starr a secret. "So …"
"Tom, I'm Tom."
"So Tom, I'm Alex and she's Starr. Can you meet us after class tomorrow? I think we both have Maths. Meanwhile, I should have a word with Mike."
"Yeah, Maths." Tom scowled, the he brightened a bit, "DO you think Mike will listen to you?"
Starr giggled, "Oh yes. Alex is very, very good with words."
* * 1944 * *
A six-year-old girl with messy black hair sat straight up in bed.
"Mama!"
A woman came in, her hair was as dark as her daughter's. She sat at the foot of her bed. "What's bothering you?"
"I had a dream. There was a room. And a boy, he was strange looking. The man couldn't see me, I didn't like him much. It's so fuzzy, mama."
"Shh, it's just a dream. Do you feel better now?"
"Yes."
"wan'an, my little Liu Xing."
"Wan'an mama."