"Oh, my precious Star," her mother said, coming out of the kitchen. She hugged Starla tightly, her face brightening at her daughter's presence. "I'm glad you're home. Did you have a good time at your classes?"
"Oh, yes! I had a wonderful time! Professor Banks, he's my English professor, had the most incredible news for me..........but...wait a minute.....Those are new bruises aren't they?" Starla asked as she noticed the dark, discolored skin around her beloved mother's face and arms. Her father used to be careful not to leave bruises but lately he'd gotten careless. "Oh, I knew I shouldn't have left when I heard father screaming at you!" she exclaimed morosely.
"Oh, dear, sweet Star. Your being here wouldn't have helped a thing. You couldn't have stopped him and he'd only go after you too. No, it's best that you left."
"But Maman -"
"Let's not talk about this anymore," her mother interjected. "I want to hear all about the wonderful news you have for me."
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Starla said, visibly brightening. "I won first place in the Young Poets Across America contest! Can you believe it?!"
"That's magnificient, darling! I knew you could do it. And to think that you almost didn't enter that contest."
"I know. I'm so glad you convinced me to........I still can't believe I won!!" Starla said laughing happily. Her mother stared at her tenderly, thanking the heavens above that her beautiful daughter was finally receiving some happiness in life. God knows she deserved it.
"Yo, Lance! It's your turn," Justin called impatiently from the other side of the monopoly board. He couldn't figure out what was going on with Lance. His mind had seemed very preoccupied all evening. The worst of it was when Justin had been talking to him for five minutes straight before realizing Lance hadn't even heard a word he'd said.
"I'm sorry, man," Lance apologized, coming out of his daze. "I guess I kinda just spaced there for a minute."
"You've been spaced out all evening.....Wanna talk about it?" Justin asked.
"There's nothing to talk about," Lance replied. Other than the fact that I ran into the most amazing girl today and I can't seem to get her out of her mind, he thought to himself. Then, before I could even get her name, she just disappeared. Just like that!
"Ohh, I think little Poo Foo has a crush..." Justin teased, figuring that was the reason for his friend's strange behavior. "C'mon who is she? You can tell me."
"It's nobody. I mean, we've only been in NY for one day. The only girls I've met so far are exactly that...girls. I think the oldest female I've seen today has been like 15 years old." Lance paused for a minute, his mind wandering to the gorgeous stranger he encountered earlier, and he decided to go ahead and tell Justin about her. "Well, except for this one girl...she looked to be about nineteen or so -"
"I knew it! You do have a crush on someone!" Justin interrupted.
"No, it's not like that. I don't even know her name. I was wandering around an old building when I came across her, standing on this stage and singing. As soon as she realized I was there she fled."
"So are you trying to tell me that you've spent the entire evening thinking of this girl, and yet you don't have a crush on her?" Justin asked disbelievingly.
"Yep, that's right."
"Okay, man...whatever you say," Justin replied, still not convinced.
"Well, it's true," Lance said stubbornly. "I'm not the kind of guy to fall for some mysterious stranger." Even if she is breathtakenly beautiful, he added silently to himself.
As Starla got ready for bed she found herself thinking of that handsome blond guy she had encountered earlier that day. She wished that she wasn't so shy and that she had talked to him. He looked so sweet and caring - the total opposite of her father. And she was just so lonely. She really needed someone to talk to.....someone who would understand her.
Starla had never really had any friends because she'd always felt so different from everyone else. Most of the time, when she was around girls her age, she felt like a naive little fool. She was nineteen years old and had never even been kissed. Not so much because of lack of offers, but because she didn't want to waste her kisses on someone she didn't love.
And every single night Starla sat on her cushioned window seat, surrounded by her beautifully decorated room and expensive things, and wish that she were someone - anyone - else. Many nights she prayed to God, begging him to make her normal. She wanted to be like those girls whose biggest worries consisted of who they should go out with on Saturday or how they could extend their curfew. What she wanted the most though, was to come home to a father who wouldn't hurt his family.
Early in the morning, before the sun had even come up, Starla was awakened by her father's arrival. She could hear his heavy, uneven footsteps as he walked down the hallway.
Please God, don't let him hurt Maman. She's been hurt enough today. Let him take his anger out on me instead.
Starla held her breath as she heard his footsteps come nearer and nearer to her room. The door creaked open and she felt tears fill her eyes. C'mon, Starla, be strong, she told herself. Don't let him see your fear........it's not so bad.....it'll be over before you know it.
The first blow landed squarely on her cheek and it took all of her self-control not to cry out. She knew that it would only make it worse though. As her father continued to hit her Starla just lied there, motionless. In her mind she was no longer in her room but far away, on a sandy white beach with the waves splashing lightly against her legs. And in the distance she could hear an angelic voice singing......
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens / Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens /
Brown paper packages tied up with strings / These are a few of my favorite things
