Chapter Two

Stella's POV

Back in my room, I kept thinking about everything that had happened tonight.

Victoria's full moon party, the cloying scent on Kyle, and the way those people had mocked me.

Then my phone buzzed with a reminder.

Kyle's birthday was the day after tomorrow.

I told myself it was only because his birthday was coming up.

I wanted to give him the gift I'd prepared with my own hands.

Because it was something I'd started making a long, long time ago.

Even though he'd been so impatient with me lately, I wanted to try one more time.

The next day, I went to Kyle's place.

His mother, Selene, answered the door.

"Stella? Come in, come in. The sun's so strong out there — why didn't you let us know you were coming?"

She stepped aside to let me in, then called up the stairs.

"Kyle! Stella's here!"

His voice drifted down, annoyed.

"Got it, Mom."

But he never came down.

Selene shook her head helplessly and went to the kitchen to grab me some fruit.

"The adult trials are coming up. Isn't this exactly the time he should be training hard?"

She handed me the fruit plate and glanced up the stairs again.

"That boy, though — he's been glued to his games since this morning."

I carried the fruit into Kyle's room.

He had his headphones on and didn't notice me come in. I walked over and set the plate down quietly on the table beside him. He grabbed a piece of fruit without looking up and shoved it in his mouth, his eyes never leaving the screen. He didn't so much as glance at me. I sat down quietly in the chair behind him.

The battle on his screen moved too fast for me to follow the details, and I couldn't understand the tactical chatter between him and his teammates either. Only when the match finally ended did Kyle pull off his headphones and turn to look at me.

"What are you doing here?"

I held out the gift box. "Kyle, happy birthday."

He took the box and set it aside on the table.

"Thanks."

I watched him, waiting for him to open it.

But his communicator chose that exact moment to ring.

"Kyle, get into the training grounds!" a guy's voice barked through the line. "Show Victoria and the others what you've got!"

"On my way." Kyle put his headphones back on.

I sat behind him, watching him focus on his character, laughing along sometimes at his teammates' jokes.

Suddenly I didn't know what I was even doing here.

I didn't understand their games, and I couldn't find a way into their conversations.

It was like I was sitting right there, but I could never quite step into his world.

After a while, I said softly, "I should head back."

Kyle didn't answer right away.

Figuring he hadn't heard me, I got up and started for the door.

Just as I reached it, he spoke up.

"Stella."

I stopped.

"You're still applying to the Silvermoon Advanced Academy, right?"

I froze.

That was the place we'd agreed on together, all those years ago.

"Yeah. You?"

"We'll see. Haven't decided yet."

He said it so casually, like he was discussing something that didn't matter at all.

I wanted to ask what he meant, but he'd already started another match.

I looked down at the gift box on the table.

It was a custom silver bone-blade I'd saved up for a long time to get made for him. I'd asked the craftsman to spend a whole month polishing it, and I'd had his initials engraved on the hilt.

I'd thought that at least, when he opened it, he'd show a little surprise.

But now it just sat on the corner of the table, not worth a second glance from him.

I didn't say anything else. I turned to leave.

As I reached the door, I heard him talking with his teammates.

Someone brought up the Silvermoon Advanced Academy.

Kyle answered offhandedly: "Not sure I'll go. I've got too many options."

My hand froze on the doorknob.

If he'd never planned on going anyway, why had he asked me specifically?

Just to make sure I'd keep waiting for him?

Or had he wanted to shake off that old promise for a while now, and simply never told me?

Selene happened to come back with her shopping bags.

"Stella, you're leaving already? Stay for lunch."

I managed a faint smile.

"No, thank you."

And with that, I left.

So it turned out that the place we'd once promised to go together was the only thing I still cared about.

And since he no longer did...

Then there was no reason for me to keep that promise anymore.

The day before the adult trials, I got a message from Kyle.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow."

I stared at my communicator for a long time.

On every important day, he'd always been there for me.

I'd believed this time would be no exception.

But now, I didn't want to wait anymore.

"No need. My mom's driving me tomorrow."