Starcrossed

Chapter 15a: Cinnwund Rioga (part 1)

Chapter 15 (part 1)

Cinnwund Rioga (KIN-wund ree-OH-gah): Royal Destiny

I tried to hurry through my chores Saturday, hoping I might be able to get to Rigel's party a little early. Already our walk—and makeout session—the day before yesterday seemed forever ago.

But Aunt Theresa kept thinking of more and more things for me to do. At least my taekwondo class in the middle of the day gave me a chance to swing by Glitterby's on the way home, to pick up the present I'd had made for Rigel's birthday. I thought it was gorgeous, but worried he might think it was too girly.

Talking so much about the graell yesterday made me even more aware of how "off" I felt when Rigel and I were apart. By late afternoon, I was positively antsy to see him again.

Finally I finished mulching the roses, my last chore. I showered, put on the outfit I'd carefully selected—a top in shades of green that Rigel had once said he liked and dark khaki slacks—and primped until I felt ready. Anticipating Rigel's smile when he saw me, I practically skipped down the stairs.

"Can you take me over to Rigel's now?" I asked Uncle Louie, who'd gotten home from the car lot a little while ago.

"Oh, your friend Brianna called while you were in the shower," Aunt Theresa informed me, coming out of the kitchen. "Her father offered to pick you up, so they'll be here in about half an hour."

I tried not to let my irritation show. "Oh. Okay. Thanks." So much for getting a few minutes of private time with Rigel. Knowing Bri, it would be more like an hour before they got here, so the party would be well underway. I went back upstairs a lot more slowly than I'd come down, to pass the time with homework.

"Allister probably wouldn't have let us be alone for more than two seconds anyway," I mumbled to myself. Not that it was much comfort.

Sure enough, a solid fifty minutes passed before I finally heard the doorbell. I grabbed Rigel's present and raced downstairs, reaching the door just as Aunt Theresa opened it.

"Ready?" Bri asked.

"Duh. Let's go," I said, hurrying to the car ahead of her.

She laughed as she followed me. "You've still got it bad, don't you? You just saw him yesterday, you know."

I just slid into the back seat next to Deb. "Hey, Deb. Thanks, Mr. Morrison." Thanks for making me so late, I added silently.

When we arrived, the long driveway leading to the yellow farmhouse was already lined with cars, a couple dozen, at least. Definitely no alone time with Rigel tonight.

"Huh. Somehow I thought their house would be fancier," Bri said as we headed up the front walk.

"Why? He told you it was just a big old farmhouse. They've fixed it up, though." Including a few "special" renovations, but of course those were well camouflaged.

"Do you realize this is the first party Rigel's ever had?" Bri commented. "Almost every other guy on the team has had at least one since the start of the year."

Since Rigel and I had been together, Bri and Deb had gone out with a few football players and Bri, especially, had been going to a lot of parties. The one or two times I'd mentioned it, she'd shut me down immediately, which worried me a little.

"What are you giving Rigel for his birthday?" Deb asked, distracting me. "I hope he'll like the Jewel Jaguars football mug I got him."

"How could he not?" I rang the doorbell rather than answer her question, worrying again my present was stupid.

But then Rigel opened the door and my jitters disappeared. "Hey, M." His smile was the one he reserved just for me. For a long moment we were lost in each other's eyes, but then he remembered his manners. "Hey, Bri, Deb. Glad you could come." He opened the door wide for all of us to enter.

As the others went past him into the house, he touched my arm and murmured, "I should warn you, some friends of my parents came and I don't think they're really here because it's my birthday."

I cringed. "You mean . . . because of me?"

He nodded, but then gave me a quick kiss that drove every other thought from my head—for a moment. I followed him into the house, trying to be upset that he knew so well how to distract me. Because even though I now understood better how most Echtrans felt, it was not okay if virtual strangers had come to gawk at me. Today was Rigel's big day, not mine.

But we hadn't taken three steps before Rigel's dad came up with three strangers in tow, two women and a man. "Ah, here you are, M," he greeted me. "Some friends of ours would like to meet you."

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