Starlight Academy Part 9 - Don't Let Go

As night fell over the tops of the academy Juliana was approached by Prince, looking dashing in a suit made of rose red silk. He was smiling, and she had to fight to keep from blushing. "Don't you look handsome," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind one ear. "What's the occasion?"

"I am talking to you," he said. "That is occasion enough." He took her hand, kissed it, and began to lead her down a cobbled walkway. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

She nodded mutely, and followed him into a warmly lit courtyard. There were candles everywhere, mingling with the naturally bright starlight. Juliana had to breath in deeply to keep from staggering at the beauty.
"Do you like it?" he whispered in her ear.

"It's... amazing!" she gasped.

"Well, let's not let it waste away," he said, pulling her up against him.

"Prince?" she breathed, surprised.

"Dance with me," he insisted.

She took a minute, then smiled and nodded. "Okay."

Then, they were spinning, slowly, but surely, across the stone ground. He held her firmly, gently, and kissed her every now and then. It was a few minutes before a low humming sound interrupted the silence.
"Did you hear that?" she asked, as they slowed to a oceanic sway.

"Hear what?" he asked, staring fixedly at her face.

"N-nothing," she said, and smiled it away.

But the humming grew louder until it was unbearable, and suddenly cut off. When, Juliana looked up at Prince she could see nothing but a blank look in his eyes. "P-Prince?" she asked.

"Who are you?" he asked, backing away. "What's going on?"

"Prince, what's wrong? Why are you acting like this?" A cold chill was wafting through the night, scraping her cheek.

"I'm sorry," he said, stepping away. "I have to go."

"Prince, no!" she whispered. "Don't leave. Don't."

"I'm sorry. Goodbye." Then, he was hurrying off, while Juliana tried to find the strength to simply stand.

Starlight Academy Part 8 - Only the Beginning

"Juliana," Prince said as they strolled back toward the dining hall, "I have something that I would like to give you. So you will always think of me." He smiled, and dipped into his pants' pocket for a moment. He pulled out a necklace with a black chain and a pendant that shone like fire. It looked like there might have been something blazing behind the smooth, stony surface.

Juliana's mouth popped open, and she took the necklace carefully in her fingers. "Prince! It's gorgeous!" she breathed, turning it over every which way to get a good look at it. She turned her face up to him, grinning. "Thank you so much! I'll wear it always!"

"Let me help you," he said, taking it back, and looping it over her head so that the pendant settled into the ruffles of her shirt. He kissed her delicately on her lips, and they continued on.

"I'd like to give you something to remind you of me...." Juliana murmured, looking around and rifling through her pockets. She came up empty, but, overcome with inspiration, she plucked the purple flower from her hair and handed it to him. "Here! You said you liked it. Keep it, will you?" she asked, smiling shyly.

He nodded, rubbing the petals gently with his thumb. "I will, and I will never be able to look at it without thinking of you." He hugged her, and soon they had parted to return to their respective tables.

Marlo was practically falling out of her seat with excitement at Juliana's approach. "Well!" she insisted, beaming. "What happened? I see he gave you something!"

"Yeah, isn't it beautiful?" she asked, holding the ruby jewel up for Marlo to see.

"It's stunning!" she gasped, tracing the edges with her finger. "I can't believe he gave you something so... fancy! You are so incredibly lucky!"

"I'd be cautious," Diana said from just a few seats away. "Everyone's luck runs out eventually, and the prince is known for his forgetfulness."

"What are you going on about?" Marlo inquired testily.

"All I'm saying is that he might get bored, and forget about you," she said with a shrug. "It's only the beginning of the year."

"Well, I don't think Juli's gonna have any problems holding on to Prince," Marlo said, her frown deepening.

"She should probably get some velcro then," Diana said, examing her nails with the utmost interest. "Or at least some tape."

"I'll tell you what you can do with that tape...." Marlo growled, making a move like she was about to tackle the older girl.

"Down, Marlo," Juliana said, pressing a warning hand onto her friend's shoulder. "Let it go." She looked at Diana. "I hope you aren't threatening me, Diana," she said, her confidence growing with Marlo's earlier defense, and her building agitation. "Because if you are then I would have no choice but defend myself and my friends. All of them," she said, glancing at Prince for a brief second.

Diana scoffed, and stood from her seat. "Whatever you say, newbie. But I'd keep an eye on your guy there. After all, the year is far from over."

When she had left Juliana could not help but mutter, "It looks like a new rivalry is growing."

"And this is just the beginning," Marlo added, glaring at the retreating form of Diana, a dark splotch in the sea of white ruffles and silk.

Starlight Academy Part 7 - I Will Never Hurt You

The next morning Juliana woke feeling tired, and anxious. The events of the night before still plagued her haggard mind, and she dressed mechanically. Marlo noticed this, and asked, "Hey, you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," she yawned, adjusting the ruffles around her neck. "Just a little tired."

"First night take its toll on you?"

"Yeah," she said, deciding that telling her new friend about the night before would not bode well if she had not heard anything either. So she kept it to herself, and they headed off to breakfast. They stopped once, because Marlo had tugged at Juliana's arm, jerking her to a stop beside a small garden.

"What?" Juliana asked, irritated at her friend's sudden stop. "Did you lose something? Like your mind?" She smoothed out the wrinkles in her sleeve, watching as Marlo crouched in front of a clump of purple flowers.

"Aha!" she exclaimed, plucking a flower and leaping to her feet. "This will look great in your hair!" She lunged at Juliana, tucking the gorgeous flower behind her ear before she could protest.

"Thanks. Why did you just put a flower in my hair?" she asked, fixing the flower into a better position.

"It brings out your eyes. Prince will love it," she said, grinning.

"Wait a second! What makes you think he would like this?" she asked, trying to brush away the blush blooming in her cheeks.

Marlo scoffed, waving the question away. "He likes you, Juliana. It's obvious. Trust me, I know guys." She winked, and pulled her helpless friend along behind her. They strolled into the dining hall, arm in arm until Marlo spotted Prince moving toward them. "Good luck," she whispered, smiling, and hurried off.

"Wait! Marlo, what do you mean? Marlo!" she would have tried again, but Prince was already at her side, touching her elbow gently.

"Good morning, Juliana," he whispered, his voice rumbling within his chest. It made Juliana's heart beat a little faster.

"Good morning, Prince," she returned, turning half-way around to smile at him. It made her feel like she was some sort of beautiful vixen, the way he smiled at her, his eyes smoldering just above that sweet grin.

"I trust that you slept well?" he asked, his hand migrating to the middle of her back, his palm hot through the material of her shirt.

She did not have the heart to tell him otherwise, and said, "Yes. It was a very good night."

"Excellent," he said, his voice giving away his excitement. "I would like it very much if you would do me the favor of taking a morning walk with me. We won't have our classes until tomorrow. Today is the day for exploring, and making new friends. Why don't we explore a little?"

She nodded, completely forgetting her empty stomach in preference for his company. "I would like that," she said, barely able to find her voice beneath the feel of his hand.

"Then, come with me, and I'll show you my favorite paths to walk down." He guided her from the hall, his hand still pressed gently to her back, and they started down a deserted path.

Bushes, flowers, and small trees sprang up all around them, sometimes encroaching on their path, other times shrinking away from them. They walked along, enjoying the silence of the calm morning and the small touches that they exchanged occasionally. At last he stopped them, and leaned against a tree.

He took her hand, pulling her toward him. "You look positively stunning this morning, especially with that flower in your hair."

Juliana chuckled. "Thank Marlo," she said, smiling.

"I will. Juliana, I would like very much to kiss you now, if it's alright with you."

A flush exploded in her face, and she could not keep the joyous smile from her face. "That's perfectly fine with me, Prince," she whispered, hardly believing what was happening.
He smiled, and tugged her closer to him so that she was pressed up against his chest. His left hand found its way to the back of her head, cradling it carefully, while his right hand moved to the small of her back. He held her off for a moment, his lips just an inch from hers and his breath lolling over her face. Her chest heaved a bit, and she struggled to keep from shuddering. He let his mouth fall against hers in a firm, loving kiss.

This one was so much different from the first sort-of-kiss. It was in the moment, and impossible to ignore. There was a fire as hot as a bolt of lightning in the kiss, and their lips crashing against each other's were like thunder. When they pulled away, Juliana's head rested against his chest, and she whispered, "Prince!" Her breathing was shallow with passion.

"I care for you so much, Juliana," he said. "And you can trust me. I will never hurt you. I promise."

"And I won't ever hurt you," she said, and they embraced, wrapped in each other's arms.

Starlight Academy Part 6 - And the Earth Began to Tremble

Juliana woke in the middle of the night to strange, subdued noise. She listened intently, straining to pick up the sound. It was high pitched, and lilting, like an occult chant. Worried, but more curious than anything, Juliana climbed out of bed, winding a robe around her pyjamas, and slipping her feet into a pair of slippers.

She padded out into the hall, and toward the sound. She passed door after door, and it grew steadily louder, but it was still restrained, as if someone was trying to muffle it. But soon she found herself standing before a door with only one name on it, and the sound resonated from behind it.

She stared at the name, blank with fear. It read, "Diana Millennium."

Juliana bit her lip, and pressed her ear to the oaken door, tensing her body for any threat to her person.

The sound pulsated from within, but it was someone speaking, crooning, in an unknown language that made a shiver reach all the way to the tips of Juliana's fingers. There was thick beat, like someone banging on something repeatedly.

The sound swelled, building and building. Juliana staggered backward at the immense volume, and wondered if anyone would appear in the hall to investigate.

But no one came, and the words became a keening shout that rattled the door, and knocked Juliana off of her feet. Still, no one came.

She tried to get to her feet, but the quaking of the floor brought her back to her knees so that she had crawl to her room.

Marlo was still sleeping, and the moment Juliana felt the silk of her sheets she was asleep.

Starlight Academy Part 5 - Nice

Juliana was stretched out in bed, reading by the light of her bedside lamp. It was as she was finishing her current paragraph when Marlo kicked open the door, stumbling into the room, her arms stacked with two, cumbersome packages. "A little help here!" she called out from behind them, wobbling uncertainly under the weight of the boxes.

Juliana hopped up, rushing to take one of them from her. "What are these?" she asked, setting it down by her bed, and examining the sticker on it bearing her name in neat print.

"No clue!" Marlo said happily, plopping hers down on the floor, and rifling beneath her bed. She pulled out a pair of scissors with red handles. "But we're about to find out." She slit open the tape, and pried the box's lid open. "Oh! Awesome!" She slid the scissors over to Juliana, and plunged her hands into the box.

Juliana opened her own box, and was faced with a few sets of neatly folded uniform clothes. She lifted out a white, long-sleeved shirt with ruffles around the neck. The material was soft to the touch, and smelled of lavender. "Wow," Juliana said. "Cool."

"Totally," Marlo said; she was standing, holding a pair of tan slacks up to her legs to see if they would fit. "Looks like they already figured out our sizes. Weird."

"There are a lot of creepers in this school," Juliana muttered to herself as she put away her new clothes.

"Yeah, but it makes it a whole lot easier to get things done."

"I guess," Juliana relented.

"So," Marlo said, a sly tone creeping into her tone, "how was Prince?"

Juliana blushed, but said, "He's nice."

"Just nice?"

"Yes!" Juilana rounded, blushing hotly. "Nice. He's very... nice." She turned away from Marlo's smile, and climbed into bed. "I'm goin' to bed. See you in the morning, Marlo."

"Yeah, see ya in the morning, Julie."

It was not until some hours later that Juliana fell asleep, smiling at the memory of the innocent kiss Prince had given her.

Starlight Academy Part 4 - Stars

The night was bright outside, with millions of stars having been lobbed up into the sky. There were no lights on, allowing the sky to sparkle at its full potential. Juliana understood now why the school was named Starlight Academy; it was not only because of the headmaster's name, but because of the beautiful scenery. She tipped her head back to watch the stars blink at her, and felt her heart lift with awe, and pure happiness. She was brought back down to earth by Prince's voice.

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" he asked, in a voice so soft that she did not jump, but let her head drift back down so she could smile at him.

"Yeah," she agreed. "You don't even need porch lights."

"True. The position of the school makes it a great setting for stargazing." He noticed her look. "I learned that bit of trivia from Gerard. But it's confirmed every year when all of the families journey here to sleep under the stars with their children."

"Do your parents come over?" She ran a hand through her hair, glancing away, at the perfectly trimmed grass.

"Not often," he said nonchalantly. "Their busy with work. My dad is in the Navy, and my mom is a famous pianist." He smiled, obviously proud of his heritage.

"So, why do they call you 'Prince?'"

"My dad is descended from some royal family that was very wealthy, and charitable. People found out, and just tagged me with the nickname. I kinda like it." He smiled. "Sounds regal."
Juliana laughed, and Prince joined her.

"I like your laugh," he said, stepping closer to her, and shortening the few yards that separated them. "It sounds like a child's laugh. Carefree, innocent. It's nice to have that kind of innocence in a world so full of tragedy and evil."

Juliana looked at him, amazed at the sudden somberness of his tone. He was closer; she could have reached out, and touched him.

"I like you, Juliana," he whispered, as she took a few steps toward him. "I hope I can hear you laugh again."

"I like you too, Prince," Juliana breathed, blushing.

They smiled, and his lips lit upon hers, and they shone like two stars, paired together in the sky.

Starlight Academy Part 3 - Welcome to Starlight Academy

There, lying on a bed, and reading, was another girl with black hair, but hers was a soft shade, and her face was kind. She looked up at Juliana, and smiled, setting aside her book on a nightstand. "Hey. Are you my roommate?"

"I guess so. I'm Juliana. Are you Marlo?"

"Yep. These your bags?" she asked, pointing to a large bag, and Juliana's purse, both with tags attached to their straps, with her name on them.

"Yeah," Juliana said, going to them.

"They brought them in a while ago, so I figured you'd be following them." She approached her. "I hope everything made it okay."

"Yep. Everything's fine." She stood. "So, this is my bed?" she asked, pointing at a bed with a purple comforter, and silver sheets.

"Mhmm. It's all yours. Make yourself at home." Marlo smiled, and climbed back onto her bed, which was covered with a dark green comforter, and white sheets that peeked out from behind them.

"Hey. What time is it?" Juliana asked.

"Five forty-five," she said, glancing at a chunky watch strapped to her wrist. Then, she did a double-take, and leapt from her bed. "Crap! We gotta go! Dinner's in fifteen minutes, and we've got a way to go! Come on!" She grabbed Juliana's wrist, and dragged her from the room, down the hall, and out of the building.

They ran as fast as they could down several cement paths, through a flowery courtyard, and into an echoing dining room that held three long tables, and one at the far end running parrallel to the wall. They were all full of people.

Marlo looked at her watch, gave the time as being nearly six o' clock, and began scouring the tables for empty seats. They found a pair at the middle table, and sat down just as a woman with silver hair down to her waist stood from the table at the back of the room. She had a bright, young face and a gentle, motherly smile as she gazed at the students.

Finally, she was handed a microphone, and said, in a clear resonant voice, "May I have your attention, please? Thank you. Hello, everyone. I am Selina Starlight, the headmaster of Starlight Academy, and I am pleased to have you all here. It's good to see some familiar faces tonight. It's even better to see some unfamiliar ones. I hope you will enjoy this school.

"Now, before we eat, I would like to take this time to tell you all something: being here is a priviledge, not a right. If you don't understand how lucky you are to be attending here, then I suggest you realize that now. I do not tolerate any ill behavior from my students, and I will not hesitate to send you back to your families if I hear of it. Know this, and, with that, I wish you a good school year. Thank you." There was applause, and she sat down, still smiling.

Juliana looked at Marlo, with more than a hint of worry in her features. Marlo just shrugged as she was handed a plate of steaming food.

Juliana sighed, glanced aorund, froze; she had found herself looking, once again, into Prince's eyes.

He was at the first table, sandwiched between Gerard and Alexander. He smiled at her, and waved. He nudged his friends, who followed his example. Juliana returned the waves, and went back to her food as a blush started rising in her cheeks.

"I think that guy likes you," Marlo said, excitement creeping into her voice.

"What d'you mean?" Juliana asked innocently.

"He keeps looking over here, and smiling. Oh! Look!"

Juliana glanced up just as Prince stood from his seat. He winked at her, then left the building.

"He wants you to follow him," Marlo said.

"How do you know?"

"Because his friends are pointing after him and mouthing, 'Follow him!'"

It was true. So, she went, with a red face, outside.