Star-Crossed

Part 27

"I'm glad you kept your original eye color, Pika Pika," I say. "That's how I knew without a doubt that it was you."

She smiles and takes my hand.

"So, how did all of this happen?" I ask. "How did you become so famous?"

"I was performing at an end-of-the-year talent show," she begins. "And there just happened to be an agent in the audience one of the nights. She loved me."

"And that was that," she adds. "She asked if I wanted to become a star, and obviously I said yes, and she's helped me ever since."

"What's her name?" I ask.

"Cecil," she responds.

"Cecil has been like a mother to me," continues Pikar. "She's wonderful. I hope you get to meet her."

"I hope so too," I smile. "Does Cecil know the whole story?" I ask.

"No," Pikar answers. "There's no point. No one knows the real story except me and now, you."

I nod. "I guess it's safest that way."

"Yes," Pikar says. "Who knows where mom and dad are, if they're even alive..."

"They are alive," I answer. "They have to be."

"I hope so, too, Kishmish," she responds. "I really do."

Pikar gets up from the couch and goes to her closet. "I have something for you," she says.

She comes back to the couch and sits down, holding out her hand.

"What's this?" I say, picking up the pile of muted gold from her hand.

"It's a locket," she answers. "Open it."

I open the delicate head of the rose-gold locket and inside, I see a picture of my mom on the left and my dad on the right.

"Did you ever try to look for me, Piks?" I ask, tears rolling down my face.

"Kish, are you serious?" she answers. "Of course. I tried, but there was so little I could do without giving away my identity, my safety, and this life."

"I'm so happy to see you," she adds. "I'll do anything for you. You know that, right?"

I nod, "Do you have any idea where mom and dad might be?"

"No, not really," answers Pikar. "I had to stop caring, because it got too depressing."

"Thank you for this locket," I say, giving Pikar a big, long hug. "It's beautiful, and I love it. Will you put it on me?"

"Of course," she says, taking the locket from my hand. "Turn around."

I turn around and lift up my hair, but as I do, a small piece of paper falls out of my jumpsuit. It's the blank sheet I found inside the well on Mimba, along with the ring. Pikar wraps the locket's chain around my neck and snaps the clasp together. I pick up the piece of paper from the floor.

"All set," she says, as I turn back around to face her. "What's that piece of paper?"

"Oh, nothing," I answer. "It's blank."

She takes it from my hand and examines it a bit more closely.

"I think it's been written-on with invisible ink," she asserts. "I use invisible ink to write letters sometimes, so that I can say what I want without worrying about anyone seeing."

"How do you read it?" I ask.

Pikar grabs a small tube - it looks like a pen - and presses the button on its side. A small, purple light turns on. She points it toward the paper. There's writing on it!