Chapter 1 - A bloom in Starlight

 

Amidst the endless celestial beauty of Xi, a falling star loomed over the horizon, going unnoticed by the upper classmen of Echostar Academy. The extensive institute in all its modern geometric architecture was shrouded in a tint of pink as this streak flew past, and then returned to

reflecting the gentle blues of the daylight on planet Cera. In a crater, a petite figure emerged from a pod and stretched out to greet the open air. They slung a bag around their arms

ornamented with unicorns and Pearl’s riding them with halberds, and grabbed a boombox from the pod. Shortly after their steps made headway onto pavement and sidewalks, squishy neon- purple boots walking on by for all to witness. “So this is Xi..” Their innocent smile widened.

“I am, going to make so many new friends!” She said, looking up at the gigantic structure with a dozen floors built to house students and staff alike.

The next day

 

Inside the school locker rooms, a took advantage of Xyra’s distraction to check her out. As she walked past, he ogled as usual, and as she exited the bathroom he caught her from behind,

pushing a pink tongue into her mouth. She gasped in shock, and tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he was a bully with an advantage, keeping her tight.

“You’re gonna enjoy this,” he grinned. “CALEB! EEEEEEEEEEEEP!” Mirad Morishad shoved her sneakers into his face and kicked the autumn haired boy flying through the locker rooms and out sliding into the expanse directly under the stairs. Above him, holding a strange wand with two mint-blue petal decorations was a strange girl he’d never seen before. She’s awfully cute.

Tits a little small though. Caleb thought. “Um..” She scratched her head. “You okay?” She asked. Caleb got up and dusted off his pants. “Yep, I’m Caleb, Cal for short.” Caleb shrugged.

“Caleb of?” She asked, the rainbow hairclips in her raven hair abit cutesy for her age. “Caleb,” he replied. “Just… call me by my first name. It’s my identity.”

“I think that’s a little strange.” She said. “Usually boys take the last name of their owners, while the females take their own.” She scratched the side of her head. “Hey, do you mind telling me who owns you?” she asked.

“Owns? I guess, I get owned pretty oft yeah. Aha..” He chuckled to himself. Suddenly a bucket fell on her head, a golden splash of slime coating her. The girl looked up at the top of the stairs.

Thatti looked up, wiping the squelching drips out of her eyes. The stinging sensation she felt was nothing compared to the scorn she sensed from the girls above, her gaze pierced up the top school, her hand clutching her wand for but a moment, before releasing her grip. They caught her glare back and shook just a slight. “She’s so weird..” The girl heard one of them mutter.

“Why don’t you go back to Orchid, you flowery freak.” Vanessa said from way up high, turning around with Ruth and Blair. Caleb stood watching her, stepping to wipe some of the slime off her chest, hands reaching down below her midsection until she grabbed his wrists. “Where’s the bathroom?” She asked, sounding serene. “Uh, just left the end of the hall. Let me help y-” She pushed him aside and marched her way out of his sight.

Caleb was puzzled, and decided he liked her better for it.

 

In a bathroom stall, he was relieved to see she was fine when he entered, just sitting on the toilet peeling her clothes out of the goo. Squishy shoes were the only thing that remained. Caleb stepped back out, and just as he was about to leave, a voice behind him made him jump.

“You got a boyfriend?” the boy asked, making him turn around. “I don’t think so.. not presently. Why?”

He grinned, revealing a set of small sharp teeth, the top and bottom jutting. “I’d love to go out with you sometime,” she said. She scratched her head. “You don’t even know my name.” She peaked out of the bathroom door after wiping her head. “Besides, think I’ll be a little busy. Do

yourself a favor, take caution.”“Busy? With w-” And just like that she was off again, zipping thru the halls.

Caleb shrugged. A weird incident for sure, but weirder things went on in Xi, especially at this school. The rich kids here had more wealth than the local police department.

Around ten minutes later he headed to homeroom. just as the bell rang to signal the start of first period. He found a free desk at the back of the room and looked at his timetable for the week, which classes were at what time. The teacher of the class began rolling in on a wheelchair, and the class quietened down. "Now now quiet down. That goes for you, Jelena." She pointed the beanie-wearing llavalite teen throwing paper crumpled paper and leaning back as to legs on her desk. She took a sip of soda and crumpled it too. "Lame."

The Teacher cleared her throat. "I'd like your full attention, today we have a new exchange student in our midst."

The class started looking at each other, and soon enough, a new figure made their way to the

classroom, sitting in the front row, her bag by her feet, and then it became clear. "Y-you!" Caleb gasped.

"Hey there everyone, I'm Thatti Noceda. An exchange student from Orchid!" She waved her bright ponytail swaying, blondish white bangs cut in a short-cut style over her hair. Caleb

noticed she was wearing purple oversized-boots, looking a bit ridiculous for someone who was just transferring over to their academy.

"You're the pair of tits that I ran into this morning!" Caleb yelled, to the hilarity of the class. Thatti blushed and nodded.

The teacher interrupted, "Now now, I know many of you know of my rule, don't let your opinions get the better of you, I know Caleb didn't mean it as an insult.

"Also... You're the new student in our class so you should know the rules." She handed a sheet to Thatti. "This contains your off-campus dorm and class schedule. Your mother is quite the figure, so we have high expectations for you here at Echostar." She read the number. "Westside.. #1178, 2nd floor."

Caleb's eyes went wide. "That is, 3 doors down from my place!"

 

The teacher smiled. "That's right, Caleb. I expect you to take her around, show her the ropes, don't let her get lost."

Caleb and Thatti made their way into the elevator, pressing 2. "So what brings you to Echostar, if you don't mind me asking?" Caleb pressed 2, then pressed it again when nothing happened.

"Why of course, I would love to tell you!" She rubbed her hands together and pulled her head up, adjusting her hair clips. "I'm here as an exchange student! My parents are richly invested in Orchid's own industry, my mothers invested heavily in my.." She pulled out a card with letters handwritten and she squinted. "Ed.u..cation." She sighed.

"Uh, that's the reason?" Caleb asked. "Because that sounds made up."

 

"Why would I make my reason up? I'm here to school." She insisted. Caleb shrugged. "Because you are a little weird. Idunno, anyway here's my dorm."

He opened it up, only to see that horrid llavalite from class on his couch, chewing a dozen licorice twistybars in her mouth. She looked at them with a wide-eyed stare, took a bottle of whipped cream for a shake and then sprayed it all in her mouth.

"And that's.. Jelena. My fine green classmate, and definitely NOT roommate. Eating on my couch." He grumbled.

"Call me Jel or Jezebel, cuz I make others so Jelly. She/Her, nice ta meet'chu." She stretched her beanie over her eyes and slumped back.

"Oh, how lovely." Thatti ran forward. "It's so nice to meet other girls in this school. Even if on a biological level you are technically neither."

"Hey, no judgments!" Jelena said.

 

Thatti rubbed her hands together and smiled. "And you'll learn that I can't be judged either. I'm here to make some friends!"

"Makin friends." She grabbed one of her thighs, stretching out her legs and her tights. "Is easy. You stuff a dozen Fight-o-Turtle action figures in a kids locker, then you're broski's for life." Jelena snarled.

"Are you, his owner?" Thatti asked.

 

"We are NOT friends, Jel is a complete weirdo." Caleb yelled.

 

Jelena shrugged. "You wanna come over to my dorm? I got some fresh cookies made, and a fresh batch of weed just in time."

"ANYWAY, your dorm is right there 3 doors down." The boy dragged the girl out away from Jezebel and showed her an identical, if emptier room. He showcased her the coffee synthesizer, the closets, the bathroom and Galanet screen along with some of her furniture. Soon they sat down on her new couch as she unpacked her stuff, putting the wand of hers on a nearby table carefully.

"What's wrong?" Thatti asked.

 

Caleb looked to the window to make sure he was alone. "Jelena's mother is a prostitute, she lives in the rooms right next to us, so it's all a bit weird."

"Well, I don't blame her for being a prostitute. I mean, she probably didn't have any other options."

"Really.. I guess so. The money's good, but still."

 

"Still.. what? Why?" Thatti asked. "What's wrong with it? I think embracing sex is excellent, she seems like a virtuous woman."

"Well, it's a.. hard thing to explain. Just... I dunno. She's not the type of woman I'd want MY mom to be. I hate dumb whores like that." He scratched his head. "Y'know?"

Thatti crossed her hands on her lap demurely and looked around the room. "I have a more than a few, complications with my mom. I get it. Stuffs complicated."

"I can't get that. I mean, being a whore is probably the most simple thing to be, and yet most women still fail at it. When I ask them to showup, they never impress." He shook his head. "I dunno, I just don't get it, don't ever try to understand it. I'm just gonna leave that to someone else."

"Well I would love to discuss this further, but I have to catch up with my own schedule." She put a lock of hair behind her ear and stood up. "I look forward to you showing me further around the school, Caleb!" She kissed him on the forehead, a customary tradition for new greetings. He was smitten as she closed the door and left him red as a tomato in the hall.

With no one around, she took the wand and headed into the shower. As it started to drizzle she closed her eyes and waited for her time to pass. Hearing a voice beside her she opened her eyes and sighed. "I know I know, it's hard, but don't worry, I won't stay. I'm just.." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm just, having trouble getting along with people. I'm just, weird." She rubbed her back and sighed.

"And I love that about you. I will make new friends in no time."

She looked around and pulled her eyes towards the door, pulling her bathrobe and hiding her nakedness from the door. She hugged her wand tightly.

"You and me... our destiny is together."

 

The voice from her wand laughed. "Are you nuts?" She was silent for a few seconds. "N-no." She replied.

The following three days whirrled by Thatti got used to the academy, and soon enough became a fixture in Caleb's life. The pair were never apart, Caleb always guiding her around town and the academy, making sure her friends and classmates were pleasant to her. After all, he was already a bit sick of his own friends.

"Look what I got! It's my new phone! My parents bought it for me!" Thatti said. “They’re always kinda busy leaving messages, so they send me them months in advance. Reminders, holidays, even birthdays haha. It’s, so embarrassing.“

Caleb was in awe. "Holy... that's amazing!" He exclaimed. The phone was sleek with pink accents, and all-purple hues for its backgrounds, the text on the surface resembling purple holographic numbers. "The most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"I know! It's amazing isn't it? Now I don't have to be away from you anymore!"

 

"No, I just got off a call with my friend. Do you want to get a coffee? Caleb's always on the move with Thatti." Jelena said. "Let me call you."

Caleb frowned. "Sorry, I can't.. I need to get on top of the school, it's super important." He said, taking binoculars out of his backpack.

"Why, what's at the top?"

 

Jelena snickered. "Babe watching." She flicked a piece of popcorn from her bag at Caleb.

"Shut up, it's just.." He said. "I need to watch over the school from the top floor. To do my job as self-appointed student security." He said, then walked away to head to his post.

"Yeah, he needs to get off all those drugs." "I'm not on drugs! I just-" He stopped.

"Look, it's just Caleb in his own stupid world. It's no fun, but it's what he likes to do." Jelena said. "Don't mind me."

Thatti sighed. "She's so strange... and yet, very sweet. I need to get to know her better. May I join this particular 'Babe watch'?"

"Sure, come on up!"

 

"Oh, that would be awesome!" She cheered, following him through Echostar's halls, up the

institution's platnium stairs and up to the top floor. Soon they found a spot on the roof. "This seems, terribly irresponsible dudes." A voice said from behind. Caleb and Thatti looked behind them, sighting a student with long straight blond hair, a black t-shirt with silvery leggings and sneakers with wheels on them, a silver streak in the front bangs of her hair. "I'm Veronica, do you still not know me? Surprised Caleb hasn't introduced us." She told Thatti. Veronica Lakewood skated forward on her sneakerblades until she rotated around the Orchid girl. "Thatti Noceda, it is my pleasure to meet you." Thatti bowed her head respectfully. Veronica looked at her awkwardly, then chuckled. "You're so adorkable, I love it." She pinched the girls cheek. "Unlike Caleb over here, up to his same old tricks. Just like the old days. Tsk tsk." She shook her head.

The three huddled towards the perch as they watched something unfold, the three students Thatti had 'greeted' earlier with their mean little gesture were taunting a member of the Astrological Weather club.

Thatti shrugged. "I'm not going to get upset or anything. I just feel like all these girls need to watch each other out. I dunno... I can't think of any reason why they would be mean to one another."

"Oh come on! They are clearly a bad bunch, they all have the same features.. The purple highlights, a few piercings. I'd stay away from them!" Caleb said. "They're a bad influence, and they're a bad group." The three watched a strange figure walking up, a slinky phantom stranger in a stretchy black jumpsuit, a scarf flowing around her neck back as she glided along, a white ribbon winding around her face and covering her left eye like an eyepatch. "Hm.. who is that?" Caleb looked towards Veronica. "She is one of the most popular in the school. You haven't heard of Diane?" The girl had a sultry body with short blond hair cut in a perky style just above her shoulders, the shade of lemons. Her shoulders were exposed, the jumpsuit going into sleeves that ended flowing freely at her wrists.

"Who?" Thatti asked.

 

"Diane." Veronica replied. "Diane Feylan. She's so much of a phantom, it's like she's the same shade as everyone else. She's the popular new goth. You know. Only got here a month or few ago."

"I don't know, what is this goth?" Thatti asked, getting a strange feeling from this girl. Caleb shushed her. "Just.. just watch the show."

The three below continued to stare at this weird student in town. They started mocking her as she walked past, grabbing her and laughing at her covered up eye. Diane turned around and stopped. "Well.. if you aren't gonna be so rude." She took out a mirror and admired her eye, turning around slowly and looking at the students around her. They were all looking. She took out a cigarette and lit it, exhaling smoke. Then she stepped forward. "Let's keep our tempers in check, princess." And jabbed Vanessa in the eye with her lit cig. She screamed, and Ruth and

Blair gasped Diane turned around, taking another drag of the cigarette. "And the rest of you are going to keep your claws to yourself."

"Who the fuck is she?" Ruth asked.

 

"Who are you?" Thatti asked, peering through the binoculars.

 

The other two stepped back nervous, before she grabbed Ruth by the hair and slapped Blair to the ground, her heel on her cheek. "I'm Diane, and I will be the only one to tell you what to do in this school." She said, pulling harder on Ruth's scalp, her cigarette still in her mouth. The wind blew her ribbon slightly, she ran one hand with finely manicured nails over until a scarlet glimmer caught Thatti's eye. "Oh.. what's that on her?" She asked. "Thatti, there's nothing we

can do. Just-" Thatti ssh'd Caleb. She smiled.

 

“Don’t worry, I can beat her like a mint tulip wilted in june.” She winked.

 

The girl took out the minty wand from her belt and then leapt off the building to the surprise of Caleb and Veronica.