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Chapter 12
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The star that has to choose Chapter 13
Toby stood up as soon as he noticed the door start to open. She came out wearing the nightgown and robe, which fit her perfectly."Did you have a nice bath?" He asked, leaning forward a little."Yeah, thank you." Maia's voice wasn't as strong as it was before. She almost sounded like she was afraid of him."Great." He led her back into the room and headed toward the bathroom himself. "You know, you can sit on one of the chairs or get in the bed, it's up to you. You don't have to stand there all awkward." He joked and smiled as her cheeks flushed red. "I'm going to go get ready for bed myself. Feel free to do whatever. As I said, you have free range." He slipped out of the room.Maia looked around and noticed how comfortable the bed looked. She wanted to crawl under the blankets and snuggle in, having the best sleep of her life; however, she decided to wait until Toby was ready for bed. Walking over to the chairs, she chose one and sat down.Looking into the crackling fire, Maia began
The star that has to choose Chapter 1
Maia sat in the corner of the dusty attic she called home. Some floorboards were missing, leaving dark holes. There was only one very simple square window in the back that overlooked the street below. It had been tinted so you could see out but no one could see in. She hugged her legs and a thin blanket closer, hoping to feel even slightly warmer. Even the rats, who usually scurried around the room and kept her company were nowhere to be seen.She wore a gray dress that hung just above her knees. It once reflected the light every time she moved and highlighted her green eyes. Now it was dull and full of holes, highlighting nothing more but her neglect and abuse.It is winter now. The winter months were the worst, she felt. It was always so cold and reminded her of how alone she was. She had no one to rely on. No one to go to for help and support. No one to talk to.Maia held her breath as she heard footsteps coming toward the attic. That was never a good sign. It never ended well for
The star that has to choose Chapter 2
Maia walked through the doors of the orphanage led by a child’s caseworker. It was in an old house and run by a single lady who seemed like she would rather be doing anything else than sit at her desk.“Are you Maia Ragsdill?” She asked as she pulled out a folder and looked at her over her glasses.“Yes ma’am,” Maia responded quietly. She may have escaped her father but she will never escape the scars he wrote all over her.“Okay. You’ll be staying in the room...” she checked the folder and flipped a few pages as Maia’s heart was nearly pounding out of her chest. “Ah, room 2A upstairs with Vanessa, Jasmine, and Nicole. Your stuff is already up there so feel free to look around.” She said, gently waving her off and offering a smile.Maia looked around the room she was currently in first. It was small, it had a desk, two file cabinets, and two chairs. On the desk sat a small cactus with a little red flower on top and lots of papers and pens. The walls were welcoming and calming sky blue
The star that has to choose Chapter 3
Maia sat in a chair, picking at her fingernails. Her hands were still slightly bruised in some areas but the doctor said she was healing nicely. Physically, anyway.“Are you sure you want me to cut this? Your hair is just beautiful, Maia.” Mrs. Belvour asked, holding a pair of hair-cutting scissors and a comb.“Yes ma’am,” Maia answered. She loved her long hair now that it was detangled and washed. But she needed it cut. She needed to be someone new. Start fresh.“Okay, dear. If you’re sure..” she started slowly combing through Maia’s long hair that went past her elbows and slowly started snipping it up to her shoulders, being careful to make it even. After about an hour of Maia anticipating her new look, and Mrs. Belvour adding layers and trying to style it, it was done. The first step to her recovery was finished.“All done, honey bun.” Mrs. Belvour smiled, satisfied with her work. With a sigh, Maia stood up from the chair and made her way to the bathroom mirror. She looked complete
The star that has to choose Chapter 4
Maia had never seen anything so wonderful. They rode through a couple of little towns that sold all kinds of different clothing, sweets, baked goods, jewelry, fresh produce, and hot meals. She wanted to stop at every single one but decided not to mention it.As she looked away from the town, she saw where they were headed. It was so grand she couldn’t process it. The building was so large and had so many different sections. It was made of brick and had plenty of windows so whoever lived there would have plenty of natural light. It was guarded by a large black gate and some guards in uniform, fully armed.Once they made it through the gate, she saw a large lake to her right with a nice wooden bench under a large tree so she could sit and watch the water. There were dirt paths that lead to different areas. One went to the lake, one went to the garden on the left and the other went to different areas.The garden was something she had never even dreamt of. Flowers bloomed everywhere, fres
The star that has to choose Chapter 5
That night, Maia lay in bed, thinking, when there was a light knock on the door.“Yes?” Maia called out, and Mr. Sween walked in.“I just wanted to wish you a goodnight.” He smiled.“You too. I do have a question.” Maia sat up.“Yes?”“What’s a boyfriend?”“Why do you ask?” He smiled, already knowing the answer, and sat down on the foot of the bed.“My father said I’d never have one. But Oliver says he wants to be my boyfriend. I said yes but... I’m not sure what that means.”“Well, typically, a boy asks a girl out like that if he thinks she’s pretty. Which you are, very much so. You will have many boys chasing after you, you just have to choose the right one.”“How do I know which is the right one?” Maia wondered.“It will be the one you love.” Mr. Sween put a hand on her leg.“What’s love?” Maia asked, never hearing that word before, causing Mr. Sween’s heart to ache.“Love is a very special thing, my dear. Love means something different to everyone, but usually, it means you’d do a
The star that has to choose Chapter 6
Dear Oliver,I know we barely know each other. And please, forgive me for any issues with words. But I have things I want you to know. I'm just afraid to tell you in person. I do not want your sympathy, just your understanding, and knowledge. I know I act differently than the others. And I hope you are not with me because you feel sorry for me. You have no reason to feel sorry for me.But let me get started. I want to tell you why I am not as advanced as most people my age. It's a story I haven't told many, and I want to keep it that way. I gave you this letter when I knew I could trust you."When I knew I could trust you..." Oliver read to himself and then sat there for a moment. He wanted to read the rest, although it was lengthy, he knew it would let him inside her mind. But she didn't mean for him to have it. He doesn't want to hurt her or break her trust.After a few hours of debating, he folded the letter back up and headed out to go see June.He knocked on the door but got noth
The star that has to choose Chapter 7
Dear Oliver,I know we barely know each other. And please, forgive me for any issues with words. But I have things I want you to know. I’m just afraid to tell you in person. I do not want your sympathy, just your understanding, and knowledge. I know I act differently than the others. And I hope you are not with me because you feel sorry for me. You have no reason to feel sorry for me.But let me get started. I want to tell you why I am not as advanced as most people my age. It’s a story I haven’t told many, and I want to keep it that way. I gave you this letter when I knew I could trust you.I don't know how long this will end up being, so I apologize if it ends up being too long.But, it all started when I was born. There were complications and my mother died giving birth, leaving me alone with my father. After my mom died, he raised me until I was around four years old, then it all started getting bad.He started drinking more. More of the hard stuff. More often. He always reeked of
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The star that has to choose Chapter 13
Toby stood up as soon as he noticed the door start to open. She came out wearing the nightgown and robe, which fit her perfectly."Did you have a nice bath?" He asked, leaning forward a little."Yeah, thank you." Maia's voice wasn't as strong as it was before. She almost sounded like she was afraid of him."Great." He led her back into the room and headed toward the bathroom himself. "You know, you can sit on one of the chairs or get in the bed, it's up to you. You don't have to stand there all awkward." He joked and smiled as her cheeks flushed red. "I'm going to go get ready for bed myself. Feel free to do whatever. As I said, you have free range." He slipped out of the room.Maia looked around and noticed how comfortable the bed looked. She wanted to crawl under the blankets and snuggle in, having the best sleep of her life; however, she decided to wait until Toby was ready for bed. Walking over to the chairs, she chose one and sat down.Looking into the crackling fire, Maia began
The star that has to choose Chapter 12
Toby and Maia spent all night getting to know each other. She felt something different. She found herself missing him as soon as he left.But he made sure to not leave without a promise for another dinner the next night.Maia laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling and replaying the night over and over in her head. What was it about him that she liked so much?What was it about anyone that she liked? She quickly named off a few things about each person but took her time with Asher and Toby. She wanted theirs to be special.She didn't understand what it was about those two, but she felt the same way differently about both of them.The next night at dinner, she sat there, looking at the prince. His outfit was similar, except this one was green.But there was something different in the air tonight. Maia just couldn't figure out what it was."So, Maia," Toby started. "I've been thinking. What if we do something other than just dinner?"She looked at him with confusion."Not like that, but
The star that has to choose Chapter 11
The next day was quiet. Maia didn't have classes, so she sat in her room, drawing to pass the time."Maia! You have mail!" she heard Mr. Sween call from outside her door as he knocked a couple of times.She jumped up and opened the door. She was hoping it was a letter back from Jasmine.It was a small purple envelope addressed to Maia. She ripped it open and started reading.Dear Maia,I'm so glad you're liking your new life!! You definitely deserve it. There's not much going on around here. It's a lot more lonely without you, though.But I have some good news! I've been adopted too! Don't worry about replying to this letter, I plan on sending you another one as soon as I get to my new home so you have my new address.I'm happy to see you're able to read and write now. Everyone needs to know how to do that. I'm so glad we met, Maia. You're my best friend.JasmineMaia held the note close to her chest, taking a moment to remember her time with Jasmine. In a way, she missed it.There wa
The star that has to choose Chapter 10
Maia sat on her bed, waiting for Oliver to come to pick her up. She had her nicest dress on, but she didn't own much. She was shaking a little bit and her hands felt sweaty.Then there was a knock on the door.She slowly stood and walked towards the door, taking a deep breath.Once she opened it, she was welcomed by both Oliver and Asher."Oh, hey guys," she said, confused."Hey! I figured we could just have dinner here. It'd be more private." Asher said, walking in with a picnic basket."Oh, okay." Maia stood aside and Oliver walked in. They all sat in a small circle on the floor as Asher started passing out sandwiches and drinks."So, Maia. Asher said you needed to talk to me." Oliver opened his sandwich. Maia didn't miss the hint of sternness that was hidden in his voice. She could tell Asher didn't miss it either."Yeah, um, about earlier-""Nothing happened earlier." he cut her off."Oh." Maia shut up and opened her sandwich, her stomach was twisted into all sorts of knots and he
The star that has to choose Chapter 9
Maia was awoken by the sound of knocking on her door. She was afraid she had overslept for her lessons, so she jumped up and quickly opened the door."I'm sorry, I'll be ready in a" she stopped as she became face to face with Oliver. "Oh, hey, Oliver.""Hey there. Are you free today?" she had to check her schedule. Today was Wednesday, so she had classes at 9."Sorry, I have classes at 9 every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday." she went to close the door, feeling anxious about the whole thing, but Oliver stopped her."Well, it's only 7 now. Would you like to grab breakfast before class?""I don't usually eat breakfast but... I guess I could do this once." she didn't see a way out of it and she did like Oliver and want to spend time with him. But the words that Asher told her the day before still rang in her head.Who was Oliver? Is it all just a front he's putting up to take advantage of her? In the end, what's he getting out of it? Thoughts and questions twisted and turned in Maia's hea
The star that has to choose Chapter 8
Maia lay on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. She just couldn't get Asher out of her mind. There was something about him and the way he acted... She wanted to be around him more.She thought Oliver seemed kind, but Asher was something else. Compared to Asher, Oliver seemed almost... up to something. But she pushed that thought from her mind. She already bit the bullet and trusted Oliver more than she probably should have. Now is not the time to get worried that he's not who he says he is.She wanted to get to know Asher better. So, she went to Mr. Sween.Standing at his bedroom door, she knocked three times with a shaky hand.He opened the door with a smile."Maia! What can I do for you?" he asked cheerfully with that kind smile he seemed to always wear."I have a question. Do you know Asher?" Maia looked up at Mr. Sween."Asher, as in, Oliver's brother?""Yeah.""I do. What about him?""I want to get to know him," she said plainly, hoping he'd tell her some basic facts and she coul
The star that has to choose Chapter 7
Dear Oliver,I know we barely know each other. And please, forgive me for any issues with words. But I have things I want you to know. I’m just afraid to tell you in person. I do not want your sympathy, just your understanding, and knowledge. I know I act differently than the others. And I hope you are not with me because you feel sorry for me. You have no reason to feel sorry for me.But let me get started. I want to tell you why I am not as advanced as most people my age. It’s a story I haven’t told many, and I want to keep it that way. I gave you this letter when I knew I could trust you.I don't know how long this will end up being, so I apologize if it ends up being too long.But, it all started when I was born. There were complications and my mother died giving birth, leaving me alone with my father. After my mom died, he raised me until I was around four years old, then it all started getting bad.He started drinking more. More of the hard stuff. More often. He always reeked of
The star that has to choose Chapter 6
Dear Oliver,I know we barely know each other. And please, forgive me for any issues with words. But I have things I want you to know. I'm just afraid to tell you in person. I do not want your sympathy, just your understanding, and knowledge. I know I act differently than the others. And I hope you are not with me because you feel sorry for me. You have no reason to feel sorry for me.But let me get started. I want to tell you why I am not as advanced as most people my age. It's a story I haven't told many, and I want to keep it that way. I gave you this letter when I knew I could trust you."When I knew I could trust you..." Oliver read to himself and then sat there for a moment. He wanted to read the rest, although it was lengthy, he knew it would let him inside her mind. But she didn't mean for him to have it. He doesn't want to hurt her or break her trust.After a few hours of debating, he folded the letter back up and headed out to go see June.He knocked on the door but got noth
The star that has to choose Chapter 5
That night, Maia lay in bed, thinking, when there was a light knock on the door.“Yes?” Maia called out, and Mr. Sween walked in.“I just wanted to wish you a goodnight.” He smiled.“You too. I do have a question.” Maia sat up.“Yes?”“What’s a boyfriend?”“Why do you ask?” He smiled, already knowing the answer, and sat down on the foot of the bed.“My father said I’d never have one. But Oliver says he wants to be my boyfriend. I said yes but... I’m not sure what that means.”“Well, typically, a boy asks a girl out like that if he thinks she’s pretty. Which you are, very much so. You will have many boys chasing after you, you just have to choose the right one.”“How do I know which is the right one?” Maia wondered.“It will be the one you love.” Mr. Sween put a hand on her leg.“What’s love?” Maia asked, never hearing that word before, causing Mr. Sween’s heart to ache.“Love is a very special thing, my dear. Love means something different to everyone, but usually, it means you’d do a
