Under the Light of the Stars

Chapter 1

At six in the morning, when the sun rose on the third day of the fall semester, Evelyn was already awake. To be more accurate, she had never actually fallen asleep.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature has no mercy for the anxious night owl. So, as birds greeted one another and moonlight made way for golden sun, Evelyn sat up and rubbed at her eyes. They were straining with an ache for rest that she simply could not quench. She had spent her uneasy night staring out the window and watching the foggy mist of clouds flow across the purple sky. One restless moment quickly turned into an hour, two hours, four, six.

Before she knew it, her bedside alarm was ringing, making her jump in surprise. It woke her from a daze as enveloping and time-traveling as sleep, but lacking in all of the benefits. She wondered if the blaring noise in the extended silence of her bedroom was what made her jump or if her lack of sleep would make her jumpy all day long.

No matter the answer, she knew European History was awaiting her, and she couldn't afford missing the second session of her most challenging class. She went about getting ready, carrying a sensation of being more ghostly than human as she pulled on a clean, albeit plain, uniform and brushed her teeth.

As Evelyn began making her way to breakfast by navigating down the seemingly endless staircases, clambering footsteps sounded behind her until a girl fell into pace at her side.

"Good morning, Evelyn dear," Lydia greeted.

"Morning, Lydia," Evelyn replied.

"Going to breakfast without me? I don't think I've ever felt so hurt," Lydia said, feigning offense with her hand pressed to her heart and her face twisted in disbelief.

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Yes, I thought today I might finally be able to eat breakfast without my sausages disappearing off my plate. Know anything about that?"

"Well aren't you just a little ball of sunshine this morning! And no. Not a clue," Lydia shook her head, and Evelyn couldn't help but laugh at her feeble attempt at innocence. It was just a small moment, just a handful of seconds, and it was as though Lydia had shattered a thin layer of glass trapping Evelyn within. She could breath easier. She no longer felt fuzzy. The previous night was in the past, far behind her.

By the time they arrived at the dining hall, the tables were already crowded with chattering students. The room's entrance was two grand, ceiling high doors with intricate wooden designs, and on the inside of the hall was five long tables with benches on either side. The ceiling consisted of stunning glass patterns arranged in four sections - each quadrant depicting one of the four seasons. Evelyn's favorite was winter. The glistening blue and crystal white glass formed countless snowflakes that looked like they were falling, which she always found to be absolutely mesmerizing. She imagined if she could reach out and touch it, it would be ice cold.

Lydia and Evelyn settled themselves in at a table to the far right of the dining hall, and they then began filling their plates with various foods placed on porcelain platters at the table's center. Lydia went for her usual savory breakfast of eggs and meats, while Evelyn decided to take a more sweet approach, placing several pastries and maple french toast on her plate.

"You know what? They really have done a better job of cooking these sausages this year," Lydia noted. "I wonder if they read my letter."

Evelyn poured herself a glass of orange juice. "I'm sure they did. All seven of them." Lydia was picky about her food.

"It was only six," Lydia mumbled. "And you're just upset that they fixed my sausages and not your library restrictions."

That was true. Evelyn had written several lengthy letters about the school's library hours, which Evelyn insisted should be extended to twenty-four hour access. Why should she only be able to study there between the hours of six in the morning and eight in the evening? She'd always gotten the most work done while in the library, and on sleepless nights like the one she'd just had, she could make good use of a place to take her mind off of things.

"Oh my God, look who it is."

Evelyn didn't have to look up from her strawberry jam pastry to know who Lydia was talking about. Tall, dark, and handsome Tyson Keller. Even Evelyn wouldn't argue that any of those qualities weren't true. As far as she was concerned, Tyson being attractive was a fact of life, no less valid than Hydrogen being the most common element in the universe or oil separating from water. Would Evelyn date him? Absolutely not. Would Lydia? In a heartbeat - if he ever knew she existed.

Evelyn always thought they would make a good couple visually, since Lydia had the same dark look going on, from her raven eyes to her bouncy brown curls. However, Evelyn would never, ever approve of Tyson's personality, which was plain obnoxious and entitled.

That didn't stop Lydia from drooling over him since their first year.

"Who's that?"

Evelyn snapped away from her thought, looking up at Lydia and following her gaze across the dining hall.

She'd never seen him before, although she could have sworn she knew every student in the school. He certainly couldn't be a first year student, since they didn't arrive for another week, and he looked way too mature anyways.

Next to Tyson, he looked like you'd hit copy and paste, and then sucked out the color, thinned the muscles, and added style. He had pale skin in a shade identical to his platinum blond hair, and he dressed in all black - a turtleneck, jacket, plaid pants, and boots.

He was laughing with Tyson's group, hands relaxed in his pant pockets.

"I have no idea," Evelyn finally answered Lydia.

Across the dining hall, as if he'd felt her talking about him, his gaze shifted from Tyson to what was unmistakably her. She froze, feeling her heart jump to her throat and the rate of her pulse rise. His laughter paused, and his smile faltered slightly in exchange for what seemed to be... pondering. Or... curiosity?

Whatever it was, it was certainly too much for Evelyn. Not today, not this morning. Not this year, better yet.

"Is he... looking at you?" Lydia questioned.

Evelyn finished her breakfast without looking anywhere but her plate.