The Inheritance of Shadows

Chapter 4

I pushed the thoughts aside and returned to the kitchen, determined to get dinner right this time. I filled a new pot halfway with water—guessing, like always—and set it on the burner. Then I walked down the hallway and opened the door to my room.

The sight that greeted me made me cringe.

Absolute chaos. A tornado of clothes, books, half-eaten snacks, forgotten notebooks, and random objects. My bed was buried under layers of unfolded laundry and old schoolwork. The floor was an obstacle course of shoes, wrappers, and stuffed animals. My desk looked like a war zone.
I hadn't cleaned in weeks. Clearly.

With a loud groan, I began clearing the bed. Halfway through, I knocked something metallic to the floor. Curious, I bent down to retrieve it and discovered my missing necklace. The one I'd been sure was lost forever. Well—at least cleaning had paid off somehow.

My phone timer buzzed, and I rushed back to the kitchen to toss in salt and pasta.
This time, no explosions. Small victory.

While the pasta boiled, I finished tidying my room. It felt like hours had passed, but when I finally sat back on the edge of the bed, I barely recognized the space. Clean. Fresh. Almost... inviting.

I went to drain the pasta and added sauce. I was just sitting back down on the couch when the front door clicked open.
My body stiffened.
I turned around slowly, standing up just as my mother walked in—followed by Star.

My mother's face was worn, pale and grim, like someone who hadn't slept in days. But Star... her face was expressionless, carved into a quiet mask. Her amber eyes, however, betrayed everything. They shimmered with confusion, fear, and exhaustion.

I didn't hesitate. I ran toward her and wrapped my arms around her. But it wasn't the usual hug filled with laughter and inside jokes. It was quiet. Heavy. Like we were holding each other up, keeping one another from falling into the same dark pit.

When we pulled away, I gave her a small, heartfelt smile. She returned it, barely.

Trying to ease the tension, I looked between them and said, "I made pasta. Please, tell me you're impressed."

My mom gave a weak smile. "Thank you, sweetheart. You didn't have to."

Then she turned to Star.

"Elsa, could you help Star get settled in your room?"

I nodded immediately, and so did Star. I grabbed one of her bags and led her down the hall to my now surprisingly clean bedroom. As soon as she stepped inside, she looked around, raising an amused eyebrow.

"You totally cleaned this because I was coming over, didn't you?" she asked, grinning.

I laughed, slightly embarrassed. "Maybe."

I set her suitcase on the bed and opened it. We began unpacking her things together, placing her clothes into the spare drawers of my closet.

"Hey," I said softly after a moment, "Tomorrow's Friday. I already made plans with four of my friends—we're grabbing food after school and having a sleepover. You should come with us."

I paused and glanced at her. "I'll tell you the name of my school so you can join us for lunch, and we'll head home together."

Star looked at me as if she hadn't expected the offer. Her eyes softened. "I'd love to."

Then, after a moment, she added casually, "As long as I'm not a burden. I mean, if you'd rather spend the afternoon with just your friends, I totally get it. I don't want to intrude. I'm not going anywhere, anyway."

I put of the clothes I was holding on the bed and knelt beside her. She was still on the floor, pulling out pajamas from her suitcase.

"Star. Look at me."

She raised her eyes.

"You are never a burden to me. I love you. So much. And you know that."

Then I pulled out a familiar t-shirt from under her stack of clothes. I gasped.

"Wait—is this my One Direction shirt?!"

I held it up. The tag was torn, but I knew it had once said Elsa C. She burst out laughing.

"So you were the one who took it!" I said. "I blamed poor Alhena!"

"I didn't steal it," she teased. "It didn't fit you anymore, and honestly? It looks better on me."

I faked an offended gasp but let it slide.

We continued unpacking while chatting. After we both changed into pajamas, we made our way back to the kitchen, where Mom was already setting the table. We ate together, talking about normal things. Nothing heavy. For the first time since Star arrived, I saw her laugh.

Later, we brought the dishes to the sink and returned to my room.
But that night, as we lay in bed, I realized something, or maybe just admitted something i already knew but kept denying.

She had been pretending the entire evening.