Luna

Chapter 8

It was almost midnight when we got home. I hurried in.

"Sorry, Mum, I - Mum?" She was slumped over in her chair. Orion, who had come in with me, bent over her.

"Luna, I'm sorry. She's gone."

The hospital had said that it was a heart attack. I hadn't known she had a bad heart. Her funeral was simple and small. Astra and her husband were there, of course, although she still thought me strange and didn't even talk to me. I kept a few photos and memorable items of my parents, but Astra got rid of most of it.

I was very glad to return to school that fall. I'd received a letter saying that I'd been made Head Girl. I was glad, but nothing really seemed to help the loss that I felt. I had never really talked to mum. She'd done so much for me, and I had simply taken it for granted. I pushed myself into my studies even harder. I did not want to have to live in my sister's house at all after school was over.

Orion was there for me all that year. He and I both knew that we loved each other; there was no need to talk about it. Toward the end of the year, as I began to cheer up and move on, I realized that we'd have to discuss our relationship soon. It was late April, and the first flowers were just beginning to bloom. I was studying outside in the warm evening. Suddenly, a shower of shimmery stardust fell into my lap. I looked up. Orion was floating a few feet above my head, dressed in his Spaceball suit and holding a ball. He came down to sit next to me.

"Hello, Lily," he said.

"I thought you were practicing Spaceball."

"In a few minutes. I thought there was something I ought to do first."

"What, drop stardust on me?"

"No, ask you to marry me." I stared at him.

"You're not serious, are you?"

"No, I'm Sirius," said Sirius, sticking his head out of the bushes. I'd noticed that he had been hanging out with the boys lately.

"And I'm Aries," said Aries as he, too, appeared.

"And I'm Leo," said Leo as his head popped out of the bushes.

"And I'm Aurora," she said as she finished the small group

"I told you guys to go away," said Orion crossly. "Where's Cosmo?"

"Oh, he decided you were serious about killing us if we showed up," Aries said with a grin on his face.

"Anyway, we decided we just had to spy on you."

"Aries, I am going to murder you."

"What, the best friend you've got, Orion? Besides, you'll never get another Goalie in time for the big game."

"All right, I'll kill you later. Now please go away."

"Not until Luna says yes." Leo said stubbornly.

"And what if I say no?"

"Oh, come on Luna, I know that you won't say no," Aurora said. "Not after the way you've been heads-over-heels over Orion for years."

"Aurora! I'm going to kill you for that."

"She moons over Orion?" asked Aries in an interested tone of voice. "We should compare notes and see who's worse. Sometimes Orion gets so-"

"Will you all shut up?" Orion bellowed. "This is not very romantic."

"It was hardly romantic in the first place, but I'll say yes anyway," I said.

"Well, I didn't think - wait, what did you say?"

"I said yes, Orion," I repeated, and kissed him. It looked as though Aries had just hit himself with a staret bat.

"Um, you three leave now," Orion said, more seriously now. They laughed, but left. He looked at me, and I smiled at him. " Luna, I love you so much. I can't even say how much I love you."

"And I love you, Orion. I will always love you, and that's a promise." He kissed me, and then we just stood there for a minute.

"I think I'm the luckiest person in the world, Luna," he said. "And I'd stay here all night with you if I could, but I have to go to Spaceball practice now."

"That's all right, I have homework to finish anyway."

I didn't walk up the corridors, I flew. I felt like I was queen of the world. I was so happy, that I didn't even notice where I was going. I turned the corner and ran into Jupiter, who was just standing there, holding a starlet.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Jupiter, I wasn't looking where I was going." I smiled with the joy that filled me. I could help but say, "I'm so happy! Orion has asked me to marry him!" Jupiter just scowled, and feeling foolish, I hurried along the corridor to Nebula tower.