Uncross the Stars by Janell Rhiannon
Publication date: December 15th, 2014
Genres: Romance, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Publication date: December 15th, 2014
Genres: Romance, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Fiona Lavender is the new girl at school. She has a chip on her shoulder and a penchant for poetry. Dario Martinez is the star quarterback, and the most unattainable guy on campus. Their stars cross when they are paired to study Romeo and Juliet for a senior English project. Their attraction is fragile and undeniable. But, Dario is afraid of what love will do; and Fiona is waiting for love to claim her.
Will they uncross the stars and find the love they both need to heal their pasts?
Will they uncross the stars and find the love they both need to heal their pasts?
UNCROSS THE STARS
Chapter 1
At midnight, Fiona and her mother finally
pulled into the driveway of their new rental. Her mom cut the engine, but not
the parking lights.
“Looks like we made it, Fee.”
“Barely. I thought you were going to kill
us a few times weaving all over the road like you were,” Fiona said.
“It’s not easy driving and towing a U-haul
trailer. It’s heavy,” her mom replied and began rummaging through her purse.
Fiona ignored her mother and squinted
through the dust and bug splats on the windshield at the dark house. She
noticed the crooked light fixture on the left side of the garage, and the rain
gutter hanging askew.
“Looks like we’re the haunted house on the
block,” Fiona said.
Her mom hit the high beams spotlighting the
garage door like a stage.
“Not so helpful, Mom.” Fiona got out of the
car and stretched her neck and back. She inhaled the cool fall air. Peering
through the darkness, she noticed the bushes lining the dead grass yard needed
trimming, the thinly branched tree in the front stood naked of leaves, and
mounds of dried up flowers filled the flower bed under the front window.
Shadows darkened the walkway to the front door. A pair of windows stared out at
the street like rectangular evil eyes.
“Looks sturdy and dirty. And creepy. I can
hardly wait to go inside, Mom.”
Fiona peered inside the car. Under the dim
dome light, her mom had dumped the entire contents of her purse on the
passenger side seat.
“Mom, what are you doing?”
“I think I left the key back in Watsonville.”
“Great,” Fiona said. She glanced back at
the windows. They remained staring blankly into the night. Fiona looked down
the street in both directions. Every single house had a lit porch, except
theirs.
“Ahhh-ha! I found it. It was in the ash
tray. I forgot I put it in there for safe keeping.”
“Hurry up, Mom. It’s dark outside.”
“Fine. I’m coming. Have some patience,
Fee,” her mom said, as she got out of the car.
They walked the dark pathway to the front
door. A powdery dust covered everything. Fiona’s mom tried to fit the key in
the lock and open the door. She jiggled and twisted the knob, syncing the
internal mechanisms with difficulty, until the door finally creaked open into a
darkness blacker than night.
“Where’s the light switch?” her mom asked,
as she ran her hand over the wall next to the door frame. “Ah!”
Fiona heard the light switch click. She
heard her mom toggle it up and down several times in rapid succession, but
nothing happened.
“Ummm,” her mom mumbled.
“There aren’t any lights on outside either.
Don’t tell me we don’t have any electricity,” Fiona said.
“Well, either that or we need several dozen
light bulbs,” her mother answered.
“Figures.” Fiona heard her mother rummaging
through her purse again. “What are you doing?”
“Wait. I think I’ve got it.”
Fiona heard jangling keys, a soft snap and
a beam of blue light appeared from her mother’s hand. “There we go.” Her mom walked
into the house waving the thin light in front of her. When she found the
kitchen, she searched through random drawers. “There we go,” she said again.
“There we go what?” Fiona asked completely
annoyed.
“Candles. Now, all I need is some fire.”
Fiona flipped a pack of paper matches at
her mom.
“Where’d you get these? You aren’t smoking
again, are you?”
“From the counter, Mom! Jeez. I smoke one time
three years ago and you act like I’m going to die of lung cancer or some crap.
Light the dumb candle already.” As her mom lit the candles, it occurred to
Fiona, “Did you call ahead to get the power turned on?”
“What?” Her mom asked.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
“Maybe I can get my old job back.” Fiona’s
mom rerouted the conversation.
“What job?” Fiona asked, rolling her eyes.
“The one at Red Lobster. Ah. There we go.
Light.” Fiona’s mom smiled triumphantly, holding up a lit candle.
Fiona stared at her mother through the
candlelight. “Are you serious? That was ten years ago.”
“I was good at that job. The manager, oh,
what was her name? Mandy?”
“Who cares what her name was. It was ten
years ago. No one’s going to remember you.”
Undeterred by Fiona’s negativity, her
mother continued, “I think it was Valerie. Yes, I’m pretty sure it was Valerie.
Maybe she’s still there.”
“Ten years ago, Mom. And nice try.” Fiona
said.
“Nice try what?” Her mom paused. “I noticed
you didn’t use the F-word. I’m proud of you sticking to your promise.”
“Nice try not answering my question. The
power company. You didn’t call ahead, did you?”
“I was so busy getting the U-haul loaded—”
“I’ll take that as a no,” Fiona said
flatly.
“I’m sorry, Fee. I’ll get on it first thing
in the morning.”
“Can we just unload some things, so I can
go to bed, preferably not on the floor?”
***
After an hour of wrestling the flimsy
mattresses to their rooms, moving boxes, and ignoring her mom the whole time,
Fiona finally had the solitude she craved. She found the box she’d packed Mr.
Lion-Bear in for the trip from Watsonville to Sierra Crest. She opened it and
pulled him out and hugged him to her chest, like she did when she was a little
girl.
Ten years ago, when her mother decided in
her typical impulsive fashion to get married to Dominic, some guy she barely
knew, two important things happened. Her mom had a huge yard sale and lion-bear
became her best friend. Fiona hated the yard sale because she watched bits and
pieces of her life walk away, like her little Star Wars figurines, her too
small ballet shoes, and her favorite Beauty and the Beast comforter. She had
cried so hard that her mom bought her a new stuffed animal. The instant she saw
him she’d loved him because he promised with his fuzzy black nose to her neck
that he’d never leave her. She named him lion-bear because he was a lion, but
soft like a teddy bear. She had whispered all her secrets into his fuzzy ears.
Within days of the dreaded yard sale and
the purchase of her beloved companion, they had packed up the remaining pieces
of wreckage from their life in Sierra Crest, crammed them into the car, and
drove two hundred miles northwest to Watsonville never to look back.
At the time, Fiona’s mother reassured her
that Dominic epitomized fun and happy, and most important of all he had a job
and promised to take care of them. They’d been struggling for months, going
without electricity or water more than once, because her mom couldn’t keep a
steady job. Her mom always made a game out of the darkness and the droughts.
She said it was good to find the silver lining in the rain clouds. Usually,
that meant her mom reading to her by candle light.
“Here we are again, Mr. Lion-Bear. Back
where we started,” Fiona said to the worn stuffed animal in her lap. “This time
better be different. If my mom meets another guy, I swear I’ll never talk to
her again. I’m so absolutely sick of moving. Sick of changing schools.”
Moving to Watsonville was supposed to have
been a fresh start for Fiona and her mother, but once they got there the
beautiful dream quickly eroded into a familiar disaster. Dominic turned out to
be as flaky as all the rest of the men her mom dated. Fiona couldn’t believe
anyone could be worse at holding down a regular job than her mother, but
Dominic proved otherwise. Dominic also turned out to be some kind of moody
jerkwad. Weeks before Fiona’s mom had decided to leave for good, he had been
diagnosed as bi-polar—which answered a lot of questions, but the damage had
been done. Her mom packed them up to move again. She promised Fiona life would
be different this time if they went back to Sierra Crest and recovered the life
they dumped years ago.
“I hope Mom’s being honest with herself. I
want to finish my senior year at the same school. I don’t think I can take
moving one more time.” She plopped Mr. Lion-Bear on her bed. “We need some
blankets, little friend.” She opened another box marked FIONA’S ROOM and pulled
out a well-worn quilt. “This’ll do.” Fiona smoothed it on the top mattress,
blew out the candle and lay down exhausted. “God, I hope she’s being honest
with herself.”
********************************************************
Author Bio:
Janell has been writing since she was in grade school. In high school, her 9th grade English teacher suggested she consider a career in writing. After a decade in college and a Master's degree in history, she settled into teaching.
Writing never stopped. Stories never stopped. READING fiction never stopped. Now, she writes and publishes on-line. Invisible Wings is her first YA novel, a compilation of short stories centered on teenage life triumphs and tragedies. She believes being a teenager is difficult and wrote Invisible Wings to let teens know they aren't alone. That they matter. That even though life is rough, they can still find beauty and love.
Beside the YA stories close to her heart, she adores Mythology and Fairy tales. Anything magical and mystical. And dragons. And gargoyles.
She currently lives in CA.
Visit her at Facebook @Janell Rhiannon Author. If you want to see what projects are in the works or find out more about the her, visit
Writing never stopped. Stories never stopped. READING fiction never stopped. Now, she writes and publishes on-line. Invisible Wings is her first YA novel, a compilation of short stories centered on teenage life triumphs and tragedies. She believes being a teenager is difficult and wrote Invisible Wings to let teens know they aren't alone. That they matter. That even though life is rough, they can still find beauty and love.
Beside the YA stories close to her heart, she adores Mythology and Fairy tales. Anything magical and mystical. And dragons. And gargoyles.
She currently lives in CA.
Visit her at Facebook @Janell Rhiannon Author. If you want to see what projects are in the works or find out more about the her, visit
