Free Fae Star by Sara Brock

 
     
    Chapter 1
     
    I’m sure that the coffee shop was filled with sounds, but I had cranked the volume up so loud on my dollar-store earbuds that I couldn’t hear any of it, and that is just the way I liked it. Jumpin’ Java was my haven, my place to relax. The walls were full of colorful pictures and witty sayings, like, If it is important to you, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse. Comfy chairs and little tables filled the cafe, making it seem cozy, and the air always smelled like coffee and cinnamon buns.
    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone sit on the arm of my chair, which was annoying, but I could live with it. As I drummed my fingers on the table to the beat of the music in my ears, I heard a voice speaking over the rhythm. I ignored it. It spoke again, a little louder.
     
    “Hello, I need to talk to you.”
     
    I looked over and saw a guy with dark hair and intense-looking eyes. He looked about the same age as me. I had never seen him at Ross High, but I felt like I had met him somewhere before. He spoke again, but I ignored him and turned up my music even louder.
    I felt two fingers reach into my ear and yank out my earbud.
    Oh. no. he. did. not.
    “Do you mind ?” I asked, with as much ice in my voice as I could manage. I swept my long brown hair behind my shoulder and gave the guy sitting next to me a glare that I hope gave him nightmares. I almost lost my edge when I realized how handsome he was, but then I caught myself and gave him the extra evil eye.
    At least he had the decency to look alarmed. His dark eyes widened as he jumped back just a tiny bit.
    “Um, I’m sorry, Erica. I just really need to talk to you,”
    “My name’s not Erica.” I was lying, of course, but why should I let this stranger know my name?
    “Oh, okay, well, I still need to talk to you.”
    “Talk away,” I said, putting my earbud back in and closing my eyes.
    I dozed off for a second, and when I woke up, the mysterious guy was gone.
    I stood up and stretched before swinging my backpack over my shoulder. Locating my ancient Chevy in the parking lot was easy; no one else’s car was so rusty that the owner couldn’t identify the original color. I never risked locking my doors because half the time, the locks were too rusted to open again.
    I walked over to my car and patted it lovingly. Even though it was old, I knew I was lucky. Not every sixteen-year-old has her own car, especially not when they have three siblings like I do.
    When I got home, I almost didn’t notice the note on our table, which was already cluttered with unread magazines, mail, and dishes that no one had picked up yet.

     
    Kids,
    We’re both working late again. There’s no food in the fridge, but there’s money
    on the table for you to eat out.
    Love,
    Mom and Dad
    It took me a full seven minutes to locate the envelope that my parents had mentioned.
    I had learned long ago not to ask Julia, Stephen, and Joey what they wanted for dinner, because they could never agree on anything. I simply took the envelope of money with me, and returned with two pepperoni pizzas.
    “Julia! Stephen! Joey!” I yelled up the stairs, “Food’s here! It’s pizza!”
    Stephen and Joey appeared at the bottom of the stairs before I had even finished my sentence. Julia walked daintily down the stairs a few moments later.
    When Julia saw what the boys were putting on their plates, she wrinkled her nose.
    “Pepperoni?” she asked, “but you know I’m a vegetarian.”
    “You’ve only been a vegetarian for two days,” I said, “but if you feel that strongly about it, you can pick them off.”
    “Whatever.” By the time Julia had started picking off the pepperoni, the boys were already back in the bedroom that they shared. I could hear the music from their video game drifting down the stairs. They weren’t up there doing their homework, but at least they weren’t fighting.
    I opened my mouth to tell Julia about the annoying stranger