A Pair of Stars

Morning Star.

There was a sense of urgency in the way Ambar walked, every impact against the floor more distressed than the last. But where was she? Somewhere in the mansion for sure, but not anywhere that she had ever entered. Ambar cursed under her breath. It was just like her godmother to hide an entire corridor from her.

A force of rage roared through her, elongating down her spine and up to the tips of her fingers. Giving out a long breath, her face blushed with newfound anger. Wasn't it enough that Matteo preferred Luna? Or that Vidia had alienated Ambar, and painted her as the villain? And now, not only was Luna popular at her school, roller rink, and social media channel, but she was also a common word in Alfedo's vocabulary. Luna's destruction in Ambar's life never stopped growing.

Luna consumed everything Ambar held dear, with her bright ugly smile and dumb perky positive additude. Ambar was perfect, every single detail about her was ideal, and yet her popularity and social life kept drowning by the minute.

The last thing Ambar wanted to deal with was with Lunita at 2 in the morning. But if she could catch Luna in the act of anything slightly wrong, maybe she could frame her and finally get Luna out of her life. What was Luna doing roaming around the mansion anyways?

Ambar turned left, or was it right? Towards what seemed like another side of the mansion, hidden and worn down from years of abandonment. And then suddenly she was back in her living room.

Letting out a deep breath she walked towards the picture frames lined up against the chimney's rim. At least she was somewhere familiar now. First she would take a small rest and then try to turn back to the hidden hallway. That is, if she could find it again.

There were more pictures on the ledge than normal. The usual few pictures of her godmother were now replaced by dozens of pictures of their family. Alfredo with her and Sol, Lily running through the house chasing the two toddlers, Lily and Bernie watching the sunset, her godmother having dinner with extended family. Everything that Ambar never got to know, everything that was taken from her and everything her godmother locked in the past.

A pit of sorrow rang within Ambar, she could have had a family, a real one. Not Sharon and her pity excuse of love and attention, not the mere expectation of being perfect in order to fit in under this roof. Maybe Lily and Bernie would have listened to her, on those long nights when her godmother locked herself in her room for days. Or at least she would have had a cousin growing up, whom she could talk to. These pictures proved it.

Ambar's eyes watered as she picked up a picture of Sharon. It was one of the newer ones. Sharon sat in the garden with her cold stare triumphant smile. Sharon had never loved Ambar like she deserved, instead Sharon was guiltlessly proud of the quiet emotionless girl Ambar had become. Sharon never cared about damage she had done to Ambar's heart.

Ambar lifted her arm, and with the strength of her anger and jealousy from the past year, she lifted her arm to strike. Luna had all the love Ambar deserved to have, and even excess of it. So why did she have to take the small amount of love Alfredo gave Ambar? Why was Luna so self-

The picture frame splattered with a crash, braking in a million splintering pieces across the floor.

Sharon's stern yell called out from another room. Her voice was scratchy and panicked Ambar!! Ambar!! Where are you?

Ambar rolled her eyes as she tried to gather up her emotions, "I'm over here godmother, it's not a big deal, we literally bought this ages ago," her voice bounced back with annoyance. Bending down to start cleaning Ambar noticed something strange. On the ground made out of the billions of shards scattered on the paved floor was a small word. Run!