When star falls

BEGINNING

CHAPTER SEVEN- Beginning

Maya stared out the cafeteria window, the chatter of students around her reduced to a soft buzz. Her tray sat untouched, the edges of her sandwich curling slightly. It felt like she was watching life happen from the outside, like someone had pressed pause on her, but not the world.

“Okay, you’ve officially gone full zombie mode,” a familiar voice broke through. A tray clattered down beside her. “Do I need to stage an intervention?”

Maya blinked, turning toward the bright-eyed girl now plopping into the seat across from her. “Hey, Elle,” she said, her voice quieter than usual.

Elle tilted her head. “Don’t ‘Hey, Elle’ me. You’ve been floating through the halls like a haunted doll all week. What’s going on?”

Maya hesitated. How could she even begin to explain what was happening? That the boy she was falling for might not be human? That she felt things around Leo that made her body hum with energy, like the air between them was charged? That Kieran—mysterious, cocky, and unsettling—seemed to know too much about her family?

“It’s… complicated,” Maya said finally.

“Let me guess. Guy trouble?”

Maya gave her a look, and Elle grinned triumphantly. “I knew it. Is it Hale?” A pause. Maya nodded once.

Elle’s smirk faded into something softer. “Okay. So what is it—he ghosting you, or are you ghosting the rest of us?”

Maya looked back out the window. “Neither. It’s like… being around him, everything feels intense. Like I can’t breathe but I also don’t want to leave. And then there’s this whole side of him I don’t get. I don’t know if I can get it.”

Elle leaned in, concern replacing her usual snark. “Maya, you’re kind of scaring me. You’re not just lovesick—you look… different lately. Like you’re not sleeping, and your eyes—sometimes they almost glow.”

Maya tensed, her hand halfway to her tray. “You’re imagining things.”

“I’m not,” Elle said, voice low. “And don’t look now, but your hands—”

Maya quickly tucked her hands beneath the table. She hadn’t even noticed it, but the faint shimmer just beneath her skin—the one that had been happening more often—was back. A subtle iridescence, like moonlight on water. It always faded fast, but Elle had seen it.

“Seriously,” Maya said quickly, standing up. “I think I just need to splash some water on my face.”

Elle was already up, matching her step for step. “Then I’m coming with you. Don’t argue.”

They walked briskly to the restroom down the hall, Maya’s heart hammering. She didn’t want Elle to see whatever was happening. Even she didn’t understand it. Inside, the fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. Maya stepped to the sink, twisting the faucet with shaking fingers. Cold water rushed out and she splashed her face, hoping to scrub away the burning heat rising in her chest.

Elle lingered near the mirror, eyes flicking to Maya’s reflection. “I’ve seen something weird before,” she said. “But this is something else.”

Maya looked up—then froze. For a moment, she didn’t see her normal reflection. Her eyes shimmered gold, not brown. Her skin, usually pale and smooth, had a faint silvery sheen along her collarbone and jaw, as if something beneath was trying to emerge. It was beautiful in a way that terrified her.

“Maya,” Elle whispered. “What the hell is happening to you?”

The shimmer faded as fast as it appeared. Maya stepped back from the mirror, wiping her face with trembling hands. “You didn’t see anything,” she said.

“Maya,” Elle said again, firmer now. “Stop. I did see something. And so did you.”

Silence stretched between them.

Maya’s throat tightened. “I don’t know what’s happening,” she admitted. “But I think… It started when I met Leo.”

Elle leaned against the sink, arms folded tightly across her chest. Her bravado had faded, replaced by something Maya rarely saw in her—fear. Not of Maya, but for her.

“I’m not going to freak out,” Elle said quietly. “But you need to tell me everything. Now.”

Maya hesitated. Her instincts screamed to protect Elle, to keep her out of this mess. But a deeper part of her, the part unraveling more every day, knew she couldn’t do this alone anymore.

She turned toward her best friend, voice barely above a whisper. “Something’s wrong with me. Or maybe… something’s always been wrong, and it’s only now waking up.”

Elle’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“It started not long after I met Leo. At first, it was just feelings—intense ones. Like being around him made me feel like I was buzzing. Alive, but unstable. Then I started noticing things. My skin shimmered. My eyes looked different in the mirror. I could hear things farther away, feel people’s moods before they said a word.”

Elle let out a breath. “You’re serious.”

Maya nodded. “There’s more. My family—they’re hiding things from me. I think they know what’s happening to me… and they’re afraid. Of Leo. Of what I might become.”

Elle stared at her, wide-eyed. “Okay, so… you’re what? A witch? A mutant? Some kind of—wait, you don’t think Leo did this to you, do you?”

“I don’t know,” Maya said. “But it’s not just him. Kieran—this new guy—he said something about my bloodline. About power. He knows things about my family that I’ve never been told.”

Elle’s expression shifted slowly from confusion to fierce loyalty. “Okay. If your family’s not giving you answers, and these two supernatural guys are playing games, then we figure it out ourselves. Together.”

“You believe me?”

“Of course I do,” Elle said without hesitation. “You’re my best friend. And clearly, we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

Maya cracked a small, grateful smile. “Thank you.”

Elle grinned. “Besides, I’ve always wanted to be the sidekick to something epic.”

Maya blinked at Elle’s sudden grin. “You’re way too excited about this.”

“Well, yeah,” Elle said, shrugging. “I mean, it’s terrifying, but also? Supernatural secrets, hidden powers, hot mysterious boys? It’s like we’ve walked into a dark fantasy series, and honestly, I’m kind of here for it.”

Maya let out a nervous laugh. It helped—just a little.

“But,” Elle added, “I do have one question.”

Maya tilted her head. “What?”

Elle bit her lip. “Why are you so sure Kieran is the bad guy?”

Maya blinked. “I didn’t say he was the bad guy. I said he’s dangerous. He knows things he shouldn’t. And the way he talks to me—it’s like he’s trying to manipulate me.”

Elle’s eyes flickered. “But maybe he’s just trying to help. I mean… he did show up when you needed answers. And he’s been honest with you, hasn’t he? More than Leo has.”

Maya’s heart thudded uneasily. “Elle. He told me my family’s been lying to me. He flirted with me and then hinted that I’m part of some ancient bloodline or something. I don’t even know what he is.”

“That doesn’t make him the enemy,” Elle said quickly. Too quickly.

Maya narrowed her eyes. “Why are you defending him?”

Elle looked away, fiddling with the sleeve of her jacket. “I just think… Maybe you’re judging him too fast. You said it yourself—your family’s hiding things. Maybe Kieran’s not the threat. Maybe he’s trying to warn you.”

Something in Elle’s voice struck Maya. Off-balance. Like she wasn’t entirely speaking for herself.

A cold knot tightened in her stomach. “Elle. Have you talked to him?”

Elle looked up—guilty. “He found me. A couple days ago. Said I looked familiar. That I was close to you. He just… asked questions.”

Maya stepped back. “Elle, that’s not okay. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to freak you out!” Elle shot back. “He wasn’t scary, Maya. He was… calm. Charming, actually. Like, weirdly charming. He didn’t do anything.”

Maya’s voice dropped. “That’s exactly what worries me.”

Maya took a breath, steadying herself. “Elle, listen to me. I don’t care how charming Kieran seemed—he’s not normal. He shows up out of nowhere, knows way too much about me, and now he’s talking to you behind my back? That’s not some innocent coincidence.”

Elle raised her eyebrows. “You sound jealous.”

“I’m not jealous,” Maya snapped, then immediately softened her tone. “Okay, maybe a little. But that’s not what this is. I think he’s dangerous. Like, actually dangerous—not just bad-boy dangerous. The way he talks, it’s like he’s playing a game none of us understand.”

Elle folded her arms, clearly trying to hide her unease. “You’re saying I shouldn’t trust him.”

“I’m saying be careful,” Maya said firmly. “Something about him feels… off. Like he’s performing. He says the right things, but it’s all too polished. Too scripted. Honestly?” She gave Elle a look. “He’s kind of corny.”

Elle snorted despite herself. “Okay, maybe a little. He did compare your eyes to eclipses or some nonsense.”

“Exactly,” Maya said, cracking a smile. “Eclipses. Who says that with a straight face?”

But then her expression sobered again. “Jokes aside, Elle… I’m serious. I think he wants something. And if he’s willing to use you to get to me, then that makes you a target too.”

That hit home. Elle’s posture shifted, her playful mask faltering. “You really think he’d hurt me?”

“I don’t know,” Maya admitted. “But I know people like him—people who smile while they lie. Who seem harmless until you realize the trap’s already set.”

Elle was quiet for a moment. Then she nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll stay away from him. And if he shows up again, I’ll tell you right away.”

Maya let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Thank you.”

Elle gave a wry grin. “But I still reserve the right to flirt if he keeps quoting poetry.”

Maya rolled her eyes. “You have a death wish.”

They shared a quiet laugh, but the tension lingered beneath the surface. Something had shifted. Kieran was getting too close and he knew it.