Synopsis:
Fiona Lavender is the new girl at school. She has a chip on her shoulder and a penchant for poetry. Dario Martinez is the star quarterback, and the most unattainable guy on campus. Their stars cross when they are paired to study Romeo and Juliet for a senior English project. Their attraction is fragile and undeniable. But, Dario is afraid of what love will do; and Fiona is waiting for love to claim her.
Will they uncross the stars and find the love they both need to heal their pasts?
Uncross The Stars
by Janell Rhiannon
Chapter 1
At midnight, Fiona and her mother finally pulled into the driveway
of their new rental. Her mom cut the engine, but not the parking lights.
“Looks like we made it, Fee.”
“Barely. I thought you were going to kill us a few times weaving all
over the road like you were,” Fiona said.
“It’s not easy driving and towing a U-haul trailer. It’s heavy,” her
mom replied and began rummaging through her purse.
Fiona ignored her mother and squinted through the dust and bug
splats on the windshield at the dark house. She noticed the crooked light
fixture on the left side of the garage, and the rain gutter hanging askew.
“Looks like we’re the haunted house on the block,” Fiona said.
Her mom hit the high beams spotlighting the garage door like a stage.
“Not so helpful, Mom.” Fiona got out of the car and stretched her
neck and back. She inhaled the cool fall air. Peering through the darkness, she
noticed the bushes lining the dead grass yard needed trimming, the thinly
branched tree in the front stood naked of leaves, and mounds of dried up flowers
filled the flower bed under the front window. Shadows darkened the walkway to
the front door. A pair of windows stared out at the street like rectangular
evil eyes.
“Looks sturdy and dirty. And creepy. I can hardly wait to go inside,
Mom.”
Fiona peered inside the car. Under the dim dome light, her mom had
dumped the entire contents of her purse on the passenger side seat.
“Mom, what are you doing?”
“I think I left the key back in Watsonville.”
“Great,” Fiona said. She glanced back at the windows. They remained
staring blankly into the night. Fiona looked down the street in both
directions. Every single house had a lit porch, except theirs.
“Ahhh-ha! I found it. It was in the ash tray. I forgot I put it in
there for safe keeping.”
“Hurry up, Mom. It’s dark outside.”
“Fine. I’m coming. Have some patience, Fee,” her mom said, as she
got out of the car.
They walked the dark pathway to the front door. A powdery dust
covered everything. Fiona’s mom tried to fit the key in the lock and open the
door. She jiggled and twisted the knob, syncing the internal mechanisms with
difficulty, until the door finally creaked open into a darkness blacker than
night.
“Where’s the light switch?” her mom asked, as she ran her hand over
the wall next to the door frame. “Ah!”
Fiona heard the light switch click. She heard her mom toggle it up
and down several times in rapid succession, but nothing happened.
“Ummm,” her mom mumbled.
“There aren’t any lights on outside either. Don’t tell me we don’t
have any electricity,” Fiona said.
“Well, either that or we need several dozen light bulbs,” her mother
answered.
“Figures.” Fiona heard her mother rummaging through her purse again.
“What are you doing?”
“Wait. I think I’ve got it.”
Fiona heard jangling keys, a soft snap and a beam of blue light
appeared from her mother’s hand. “There we go.” Her mom walked into the house
waving the thin light in front of her. When she found the kitchen, she searched
through random drawers. “There we go,” she said again.
“There we go what?” Fiona asked completely annoyed.
“Candles. Now, all I need is some fire.”
Fiona flipped a pack of paper matches at her mom.
“Where’d you get these? You aren’t smoking again, are you?”
“From the counter, Mom! Jeez. I smoke one time three years ago and
you act like I’m going to die of lung cancer or some crap. Light the dumb
candle already.” As her mom lit the candles, it occurred to Fiona, “Did you
call ahead to get the power turned on?”
“What?” Her mom asked.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
“Maybe I can get my old job back.” Fiona’s mom rerouted the
conversation.
“What job?” Fiona asked, rolling her eyes.
“The one at Red Lobster. Ah. There we go. Light.” Fiona’s mom smiled
triumphantly, holding up a lit candle.
Fiona stared at her mother through the candlelight. “Are you
serious? That was ten years ago.”
“I was good at that job. The manager, oh, what was her name? Mandy?”
“Who cares what her name was. It was ten years ago. No one’s going
to remember you.”
Undeterred by Fiona’s negativity, her mother continued, “I think it
was Valerie. Yes, I’m pretty sure it was Valerie. Maybe she’s still there.”
“Ten years ago, Mom. And nice try.” Fiona said.
“Nice try what?” Her mom paused. “I noticed you didn’t use the
F-word. I’m proud of you sticking to your promise.”
“Nice try not answering my question. The power company. You didn’t
call ahead, did you?”
“I was so busy getting the U-haul loaded—”
“I’ll take that as a no,” Fiona said flatly.
“I’m sorry, Fee. I’ll get on it first thing in the morning.”
“Can we just unload some things, so I can go to bed, preferably not
on the floor?”
***
After an hour of wrestling the flimsy mattresses to their rooms,
moving boxes, and ignoring her mom the whole time, Fiona finally had the
solitude she craved. She found the box she’d packed Mr. Lion-Bear in for the
trip from Watsonville to Sierra Crest. She opened it and pulled him out and
hugged him to her chest, like she did when she was a little girl.
Ten years ago, when her mother decided in her typical impulsive
fashion to get married to Dominic, some guy she barely knew, two important
things happened. Her mom had a huge yard sale and lion-bear became her best
friend. Fiona hated the yard sale because she watched bits and pieces of her
life walk away, like her little Star Wars figurines, her too small ballet
shoes, and her favorite Beauty and the Beast comforter. She had cried so hard
that her mom bought her a new stuffed animal. The instant she saw him she’d
loved him because he promised with his fuzzy black nose to her neck that he’d
never leave her. She named him lion-bear because he was a lion, but soft like a
teddy bear. She had whispered all her secrets into his fuzzy ears.
Within days of the dreaded yard sale and the purchase of her beloved
companion, they had packed up the remaining pieces of wreckage from their life in
Sierra Crest, crammed them into the car, and drove two hundred miles northwest
to Watsonville never to look back.
At the time, Fiona’s mother reassured her that Dominic epitomized
fun and happy, and most important of all he had a job and promised to take care
of them. They’d been struggling for months, going without electricity or water
more than once, because her mom couldn’t keep a steady job. Her mom always made
a game out of the darkness and the droughts. She said it was good to find the
silver lining in the rain clouds. Usually, that meant her mom reading to her by
candle light.
“Here we are again, Mr. Lion-Bear. Back where we started,” Fiona
said to the worn stuffed animal in her lap. “This time better be different. If
my mom meets another guy, I swear I’ll never talk to her again. I’m so
absolutely sick of moving. Sick of changing schools.”
Moving to Watsonville was supposed to have been a fresh start for Fiona
and her mother, but once they got there the beautiful dream quickly eroded into
a familiar disaster. Dominic turned out to be as flaky as all the rest of the men
her mom dated. Fiona couldn’t believe anyone could be worse at holding down a
regular job than her mother, but Dominic proved otherwise. Dominic also turned
out to be some kind of moody jerkwad. Weeks before Fiona’s mom had decided to
leave for good, he had been diagnosed as bi-polar—which answered a lot of
questions, but the damage had been done. Her mom packed them up to move again.
She promised Fiona life would be different this time if they went back to
Sierra Crest and recovered the life they dumped years ago.
“I hope Mom’s being honest with herself. I want to finish my senior
year at the same school. I don’t think I can take moving one more time.” She
plopped Mr. Lion-Bear on her bed. “We need some blankets, little friend.” She
opened another box marked FIONA’S ROOM and pulled out a well-worn quilt.
“This’ll do.” Fiona smoothed it on the top mattress, blew out the candle and
lay down exhausted. “God, I hope she’s being honest with herself.”
What are your favorite books?
I love young adult and new adult fiction. I have read some awesome indie books in these genres by: Randi Cooley Wilson, Stacey Rourke, and Deena Remiel and Chastity Bush. As for books that have influenced my entire world, the Iliad and the Odyssey hands down. Cold Mountain. Historical romance or historical based anything, and fantasy all float my boat. As I was growing up, I read Spartacus by Howard Fast and a book called Beloved, which I have never been able to find since. I loved historical "anything genre" books. I also loved the Lord of the Rings, the Robe...and a series called the The Chronicles of the Deryni by Katherine Kurtz. I wasn't allowed to watch television growing up, so books were a HUGE part of my life. My sister and I used to tell each other stories at night when we went to bed...we'd pretend we were in the stories...I am pretty sure we recited the entire Star Wars movies in sequence more than once.
What movies do you like?
The Fountain, Gladiator, 300, Cold Mountain, Last Samurai, Under the Tuscan Sun, Braveheart, Anna and the King, The Lucky One. I just realized all these movies make me cry...sob, is a better description. I also love Lord of The Rings and Star Wars. If you haven't seen The Fountain, watch, reflect and be amazed. I have to add Cloud Atlas to this list. There is something about this film (based on a novel) and the music that haunts me every time I hear it. Time and destiny wrap us in a cosmic dance, and we stumble, we float, and we live...again.
What inspires you?
Ironically, good films and music. My crazy, wild dreams, random thoughts, and red wine. Sometimes inspiration just comes out of no where. I am inspired by learning new things. People with crazy passion for life. I’m blessed with amazing friends and Facebook friends.
What are you reading right now?
Saving Tatum by Micalea Smeltzer
Requiem’s Song by Daniel Arenson
In the line to be read: Wreck Me and Who We Were and Haunted Haven
Six Favorite Things
1. hot coffee anytime, anywhere
2. my Crixus poster next to my treadmill
3. sleeping hard during a nap
4. things that make me dance and cry
5. working out to my David Guetta Pandora station
6. when my phone chimes that it’s Superman texting me :)
Janell has been writing since she was in grade school. In high school, her 9th grade English teacher suggested she consider a career in writing. After a decade in college and a Master's degree in history, she settled into teaching.
Writing never stopped. Stories never stopped. READING fiction never stopped. Now, she writes and publishes on-line. Invisible Wings is her first YA novel, a compilation of short stories centered on teenage life triumphs and tragedies. She believes being a teenager is difficult and wrote Invisible Wings to let teens know they aren't alone. That they matter. That even though life is rough, they can still find beauty and love.
Beside the YA stories close to her heart, she adores Mythology and Fairy tales. Anything magical and mystical. And dragons. And gargoyles.
She currently lives in CA.
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