When Stars Burn

Chapter Nine: Fright, Flight and Burning Bright

A/N: Hi everyone! Hope you're excited for the newest chapter. I am because I think this is where Star and Julian both start to really crack. Hope you enjoy it!

***

Halloween gets real crazy around here and I was told by the other Uni-Save staff to brace myself.

First of all, today was the day for all Halloween merchandise to go. We slashed prices like there was no tomorrow to get rid of the items before they used up more valuable shelf space when we'd have to sell them at a loss pretty soon anyway. Since the doors opened at six in the morning, tons of people had come in to buy candy, party snacks, decorations, and what small stock of costumes and related items we'd brought in.

The cosmetics counter was busy, even with both me and Jessica there.

Lots of girls came in asking to be made over with more creative styles that went with whatever Halloween-themed look they were going for that day. The line had cleared up a little after four in the afternoon. I was just finishing a heavy Cleopatra eye make-up on a customer who'd begged me to show her some tricks when the door swung open and a nearly palpable shift of energy was felt at the cosmetics counter. A bunch of girls had been clustered there, chatting away with each other, arms already loaded with bags of beauty products as they waited for me to finish working on their friend.

I was darkening the cat-eye with some black liquid liner when I heard a couple of the girls to my side whisper urgently to each other.

"I think that's him."

"Are you sure? I mean, he's hot but—"

"I'm positive. I saw him at that beach party a month ago. I would never forget that face."

"Don't look. He's coming this way."

"You should look. It's all in the eye contact."

"Star!"

I sucked in a breath as I narrowly avoided stabbing my customer's eye when she suddenly teetered forward like she was about to faint.

The little smear on the wing tip of the cat-eye was annoying but I was more irritated by the fact that my heart started a nervous rhythm the moment I recognized his voice.

I've only known him three weeks and he shouldn't feel this familiar.

Well, you do live with the guy. You've also been replaying the things he said in your head until they're permanently stuck there.

"Star!"

I decided that there was no point in hoping he would go away if I simply ignored him because Julian didn't let those kinds of things get in his way when he had a plan. And he didn't come to Uni-Save without one so I might as well hear it.

I finally turned and saw him sauntering toward the counter, smiling and politely nodding at the girls who were staring up at him with such dreamy eyes. I couldn't blame them really because he was a heart-stopping sight with the mussed up hair, the big grin stretched across his face, and those dark, mossy green eyes all lit up and crinkling at the corners. And that was all they could appreciate so far. They haven't eaten food he'd made or had him wash the puke off their sheets or read his short but sweet little notes.

"I'm working," was my clipped greeting as I briefly glanced at Jessica who'd paused from ringing in a purchase at the till to turn wide eyes to me. She looked surprised but impressed. She and I got along well enough since we started working together and she was always trying to convince me to let her set me up with some cute boy she knew, insisting I should enjoy the full college experience. I knew the experience I came to get and neither friends nor boys were part of it. It was easier that way for everyone.