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Chapter 45: The Little Starlet

Behind the darkest depths and the blackest pits of the night lie the brightest, most brilliant stars. One day, from wherever you come from, you're going to contrast against the dark and shine the most dazzling beam you'd have ever imagined.

~Starlight24

I smoothened out my dress and took a long, nervously excited breath as I waited for Dylan, my boyfriend who'd been with me for a year now, to come over. He was just a few minutes late, but I could tell he wasn't near ready. The fact that he slipped up by saying he was stuck in traffic to pick me up when he lived right next door proved enough.

It was funny how last year, he'd literally had to drag me along to prom and I'd been so reluctant. I'm pretty sure a pig was involved along the way. And here I am, walking into my senior prom before I never see any of these people again.

Well, not for a while, at least.

Deeds had applied to a college in art down south, and Jase was going to UCLA for sports. The two of them were still going strong, so I knew they'd work things out despite the distance. Hailey and Damon had kind of patched things up now, but I knew things weren't perfect. The thing is, their parents were filing for a divorce, which meant the two of them might stand a chance, even if it would be really awkward. However, I know that it'll work out because the two of them are just kind of perfect.

Not as perfect as Dylan and me, but perfect nonetheless.

Speaking of Dylan and me, we'd both actually applied to colleges close by. I'd gotten into... wait for it... UPenn! It was crazy. I actually broke down when I saw my acceptance letter. Dylan got into a college in NYC. Although the two places weren't the closest, it was close enough and I'd stay with Dylan in a little service apartment every weekend.

Max and Nat had broken up because things hadn't been working out between them, and Nat was had unfortunately been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma two months ago. The good thing was the doctors had caught on early, and we all were praying that the cancer wouldn't kill her. It was weird how close the two of us had become, but Deeds and I were still the closest of the lot.

Cady had been coming in the papers a lot for starting her own fashion line called Vinaigrette which was apparently really high end, and made custom-made stuff for celebrities. If she was the villain in a fairytale, she would have had to face some sort of super sticky ending and karma would have gotten to her. However, this was real life, and I knew that wasn't possible.

I couldn't believe I was running for Prom Queen this year. My friends had convinced me to go, and Deirdre had even said that she didn't want to go. In the end, none of my friends decided to apply just because they wanted to spend every minute supporting me, so I think my competition revolved mainly around a girl called Stacey in my language class and a couple of other girls I'd had minimal interaction with, to be honest.

The doorbell rang, and I squealed, taking one last glance in the mirror. I guess I looked okay.

My mom's eyes widened as she saw me, and so did the breathtaking guy standing at the front door. "Honey!" Mom gushed, before pulling me into a long hug. "You look stunning, Sweetheart," she said, before her eyes began to water like crazy.

I blushed and mumbled a quick thanks, before Dad took out his camera and asked the two of us to stand side-by-side. My parents had found out about Dylan and me being together two months after the Ian incident (which is kind of how I refer to it now, sue me) and have been so extremely supportive it's crazy. Also, it would be kind of awkward if they weren't, considering how our parents literally live at each other's houses.

"You look so beautiful, Snowflake," Dylan said, and I felt his breath fan across my bare neck and I shivered, both with delight and nervousness. His voice was husky, and I could smell his wood-scented aftershave that I loved so much on his skin.

"You don't look to bad yourself," I said, my voice sounding breathier than I would have liked.

"Okay, guys, smile!" Dad exclaimed, before snapping at least two dozen photos of us. I grinned, my smile not feeling forced at all. I was just so happy.

Then, after a lot of fussing over how adorable the two of us looked, I hopped into Dylan's beautiful BMW convertible he'd gotten for his birthday that I'd practically stolen from him.

"Nervous?" he asked, and I realized I'd been playing with the keychain on my phone and looking extremely jittery.

I acted surprised. "Me? Pfffft, never would I be nervous! Seriously, why would I be scared? It's just prom night. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? Maybe I'll end up spilling some punch over my dress or something, which might be a bit of a shame, but apart from that I've got nothing to worry about! Jeez, Dylan! Stop overthinking everything. I mean-"

He shot me a flat look. "We've been dating for over a year, Winters. You can't possibly think you can fool me."

I sighed loudly and dramatically. "Oh, how I wish you didn't know me so well," I said, placing a hand on my forehead.

He rolled his eyes. "Do you, now?"

I giggled and pecked him on the lips. "Nah, not really," I drawled. "Just kidding, I love you."

He grinned. "Well, you'd better," he said, before placing a hand on my thigh. Even if we'd been together forever now, these small gestures kind of made my heart stop.

He heard my breath hitch and smirked. "You're such a jerk," I muttered, feeling my face heat up.

"No, you're just too adorable," he countered, and I grinned, playfully.

"I second that!" I exclaimed, and he pinched my nose, a habit he'd picked up over the last month.

I remembered how he'd asked me to Prom. He'd given me a bunch of CDs to play at home, and I'd played the one that he loved the most, and he'd told me that it was worth it but would join me only later. I played it on the screen, only to find a simple recording: LOOK OUTSIDE, SNOWFLAKE!

I'd immediately jumped out of bed and nearly burst into tears as I saw he'd written 'Prom?' using fairy lights in my backyard. I swear to the gods, the two of us just got cuter and cuter by the Day.

Pun intended, of course.

We rounded up at the school, and I saw people rushing in. My heartrate quickened, and Dylan squeezed my shoulders reassuringly. "It'll be okay, Snowflake. You're my little starlet, and you'll obviously get through this with that crown," he said, before leaving a lingering kiss on my lips.

I laughed shakily. "Now your lips are red," I pointed out, wiping off the lipstick (that I'd been forced to wear, by the way) from his mouth.

He grinned. "I don't care. Now I'll look like the Joker," he said, wriggling his eyebrows.

"Oh," I said, placing a hand on my heart. "That's so attractive, Daniels."

He scoffed. "Please, everything about me is attractive, okay?"

I giggled and pinched his cheek, and he swatted away my arm.

We both went in, his arm around my waist possessively and he shot glares at any member of the male population that happened to look our way.

"Wow, I'm sure they're not interested in me," I assured him, rolling my eyes.

He shrugged, nonchalantly. "Yeah, I know. They're all interested in me. I'm just glaring at them to show them I'm taken," he then glanced at my horrified expression and burst out laughing, kissing me again. "Yeah, Day. I'm so attractive that I turn straight guys gay," he whispered, and I felt the goosebumps spread across my body from his touch.

Gosh, Day, get a grip.

I smiled slyly and turned to George, who'd made his feelings towards me very clear during math class when he shot not-so-subtle glances at me.

"Hi George," I gushed, batting my eyes. I felt Dylan visibly stiffen next to me. "So, how would you feel if I won Prom Queen?" I purred.

His eyes took three milliseconds to glaze over with lust. I internally cringed, but feigned a bright smile. "You'd look hotter than usual in a tiara," he admitted, barely noticing Dylan looking like he was about to have an aneurysm right there.

I widened his eyes at his gall, but didn't tone it down. Instead, I placed a hand on my mouth in an over exaggerated manner. "Aw, that's so cute! You're such a sweet guy, you know that?"

"Well," he said, waggling his eyebrows. "I'm even sweeter in b-"

"OKAY GET AWAY FROM MY GIRLFRIEND IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU."

I burst out laughing at Dylan's incredulous and seething expression, and poor George looked like he was going to faint on the spot, before scurrying away hurriedly.

"So," I said, feigning innocence. "I could tell, he was totally into you," I said, playing with his tie, my blue eyes bigger than usual.

"Shut up," he growled, and I laughed and kissed him hard across the mouth, the gesture sending the butterflies in my stomach insane.

"I love you and only you, Daniels. No other guy here or anywhere stands a chance when I only deserve the best," I said, honestly.

Notice how I complimented both of us in that sentence.

We walked in, and I was immediately swooped by many people, asking me various questions. I smiled amicably enough in front of all of them, but inside, I was a complete and total wreck. I was so darn scared. What if I didn't win? Honestly, it wasn't like I'd be losing a lot, but still. It would hurt like hell.

I sighed loudly. In three hours, they'd announce Prom Queen. All I'd have to do was wait.

*****

"Hello students of Northdale High!" yelled Mrs. Colden, our Vice Principal. I gulped and I felt Dylan side up to me, squeezing my hand softly. "Today, the seniors of our school will be attending their last Prom," well, no shit, "And I'd like to say that they've been a perfectly wonderful batch of students and I am proud to say that they've been one of our best yet."

The juniors all began whooping, and I felt my cheeks begin to heat up and my palms become clammy.

"Here we have the nominees for what you've all been eagerly anticipating... the Prom King and Prom Queen."

Holy hell, I'd completely forgotten that Dylan had gone for King! "Are you scared?" I asked, sliding my arm around his waist and leaning my head on his shoulder.

He looked down at me and shook his head. "I'm scared for you, not for me. Although, what's the worst that can happen? We'll both walk out without anything. How does that even matter?"

I smiled wanly, before turning back to Mrs. Colden. "Here are your nominees for Prom King. Dylan Daniels," there was a thundering applause and I beamed with pride. "Hunter Gordon," I had no idea who that was, so I just clapped politely. "Adrien Smith and Josh Thatcher," she cleared her throat. "GIVE IT UP FOR THIS YEAR'S NOMINEES!"

I threw my arms around my boyfriend, feeling elated for him. It was obvious he was going to win. He smiled and hugged me tight.

"I'm so proud of you, Daniels," I said, beaming up at him. He looked down at me with the same adoration I'd held in my eyes.

"Well," he said, his voice low, deep and silken. "Dating the best girl in the world has bound to give a girl some popularity, you know."

I think I melted a bit.

"Alright, and here are your nominees for Prom Queen!" she exclaimed, and my heart started pumping extra hard in my chest. "We've got Stacey Chase," there was a loud applause, and I felt myself get more nervous. Stacey was Cady's best friend from cheerleading, so I automatically fostered hatred towards her. "Linda McKinney, Felicia Callowright and finally... Day June Winters!"

There was a huge whoop from the audience and Dylan hoisted me up in the air, twirling me around. Deirdre and Jase wolf whistled and I was sure a couple of other people shouted super loud as well. I felt tears spring to my eyes and I blew kisses to everyone, feeling intensely emotional for some reason.

"Now... For the moment you've all been waiting for, the RESULTS! Miss. Kelsey Sparrow, please hand me the envelopes with the names of the Prom Queen and King."

My heart went into overdrive, and I clutched onto Dylan's hand like it was my lifeline, afraid that if I didn't have him to stabilize me, I'd pass out cold on the floor then and there.

"Come on, it's just Prom," Dylan mimicked, and I punched him lightly, remembering what I'd said when my friends had made me sign up. I'd thought the whole ordeal was insanely stupid, and that there was no way I'd even be interested in this kind of stuff.

"Shut up," I hissed.

Kelsey, a cute looking junior in a plum dress tripped a little on stage as she hurried up, earning a lot of snickers but I sympathized completely. I'd have probably fallen flat, too. My hospital record speaks wonders of my balancing skills.

"Thank you, Kelsey," Mrs. Colden said, before opening the envelope in a painfully slow manner. I was sure I was digging my nails into Dylan's palms, but he didn't flinch. "Now... the Prom King is..." she took a deep breath. "DYLAN DANIELS!"

I let out a huge sigh of relief, and I hugged Dylan super tight. He looked kind of frazzled, but he brushed it off by lifting me and placing me on his shoulders as if I was a trophy. I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered, "I knew you'd win!"

Mrs. Colden smiled at the two of us, before looking at the name below. "And your Prom Queen is..." she furrowed her brows. "Sta-"

My heart dropped to my feet. Stacey had won? Why had Mrs. Colden stopped talking? Was she really that surprised that the head cheerleader had won?

As if on cue, Mrs. Colden roared. "Is this some kind of joke!?"

Well, that was a bit rude to Stacey, to be honest. There was a shocked silence, and Dylan slowly placed me down, not meeting my eyes. "What?" I hissed, sensing something was wrong.

Dylan shook his head and turned away. "Nothing, Snowflake," he said, but I could tell he was lying.

"What's going on?" I whisper- screamed, feeling frustrated and angry and sad all at once.

"WHO IS STARLIGHT24!?" she boomed, and suddenly, my whole world stopped and a shocked silence descended the area.

WHAT?

There was a wave of murmurs in the crowd, and I felt myself melt because I was so dizzy. What was going on here?

"Kelsey, kindly tell us what's going on, please?" asked Mrs. Colden, her voice venomously quiet.

Kelsey semi-hobbled on stage, and I could tell she was quaking. I could bet a million that I looked the same. "Um, hey everyone," she stuttered, and I would have rushed to her rescue if I wasn't paralyzed. "So, a few weeks ago, we received an anonymous tip that Starlight24, the famous blogger, goes to our school..." she coughed, awkwardly. "Well, I actually got it and sent it to the rest of the student body, minus the nominees. The person who sent it told me that I'd better vote for her and give her the Prom Queen title she deserved, and the person who sent it signed off as Miss. X," she said, and I felt my knees buckle beneath me.

Cady Hunt, my enemy from last year, had told everyone to make me QUEEN?

"Alright, can whoever this is please step up?" ordered Mrs. Colden, and I felt Dylan nudge me.

As if I was in a trance, I walked towards the stage. There was a dramatic gasp from the rest of the school, and I felt my face heat up. Over the past one year, without Cady being there to torment and torture me, I'd raised my following to a whopping 15 million people. I was shaking, and I could hear my teeth chattering and my legs quavering like two leaves in the wind.

Dylan had probably known about this. EVERYONE had probably known about this, but no one had bothered telling me?

"H-hi, Mrs. Colden," I stammered.

Mrs. Colden raised her eyebrows. "Yes, Miss. Winters?" she asked, seemingly miffed that our school's Prom had been ruined.

"Um, I'd like to make a little announcement," I whispered, before holding the mic. From my peripheral vision, I saw Dylan Daniels shoot me a thumbs up. "Before I start talking, I'd like to quickly do something," I said, before taking out my phone and placing it in my palm.

With shaking fingers, I logged onto Onlinathon. The silence in the room was deafening, and I could hear the blood rushing to my ears as I typed a message out.

Hey Lighters!

Here's a major thanks to all the students of Northdale High for voting for me and making me Prom Queen. Thanks so much for believing in me and staying with me through this entire nerve-wracking journey. I hope you all can share my joy and excitement with me.

Much love ❤

Tnxoxo,
Starlight24

A rush of emotions hit me as I clicked on the little post button at the corner of my phone, and I heard the little chirps of the notifications on each person's phone. I squeezed my eyes shut, my hands clattering with anticipation by my sides.

"Hello, people of Northdale High!" I said, praying to the lords above that I didn't sound as scared as I felt. "I'm sure you all got that notification that only means one thing... yes, it's true, I'm Starlight24."

There was a chatter that broke through the silence, like a dam had just been broken and the flurries of comments were all gushing out torrentially.

"Silence!" yelled Mrs. Colden, before looking at me with a strange emotion in her eyes. "Continue, Day."

I gulped as the talk died down. "Um, yeah, as I was saying, it's me. I know, I told everyone that I knew her to begin with. The thing is, I'd been homeschooled my entire life until last year, and finally being able to meet new people and find friends seemed like a breath of fresh air to me," I paused and inhaled loudly to add to effect, and there was a chuckle from the crowd. "The thing is, I'd accidently given away the fact that Starlight and I were connected at a sleepover I'd had, and things went downhill from there. You all must be curious as to why I kept something this important a secret, but place yourselves in my shoes. Imagine you'd just started a new life, and you'd never had friends before. Wouldn't you want the joy of having people love you for who you are, and not for someone they liked just because you were famous? Wouldn't everyone just seem incredibly shallow if they befriended you simply for your status?"

There was a soft mumble of agreement, and I took a deep breath again, feeling my frazzled nerves beginning to cool down.

"Then, all hell broke loose when I finally confessed to everyone that I actually didn't know the famous blogger, Starlight. Everyone was looking at me like I was nothing but a pathetic, attention seeking little brat who'd just tried to get friends by saying she was someone she wasn't. Little did everyone know... I was practically doing the entire opposite of that! I was bullied, teased and taunted by the whole student body, and I also started receiving nasty notes from someone... Miss. X, who is actually the reason I'm actually standing up here today."

There was another loud bout of talking when I'd mentioned the fact that I'd been bullied, and once again, Mrs. Colden told them to formally shut up.

"Now, what I wanted to ask you all was your forgiveness. Will you forgive me for keeping something like this from you? The thing is, you all mean so much more to me than I'd ever let on. You all are the reason I actually kept myself from, well, not dying of boredom when I was homeschooled, by constantly motivating me and telling me to keep pushing forward, and always being there to support me at every step of my journey. If I have to say anything from this experience, it's that everyone is a star in their own ways. Everyone is the main character in their own stories, and everyone has that light deep inside them. What I want everyone to do is to be able to show the world around how brightly you can shine. Be daring and be who you are, and don't be afraid of what the rest of the world might think. The thing is, the universe is what it is because of all the stars and galaxies beaming brightly across. The Earth is what it is because of the diverse people around that shine just as brightly and differently as the stars above them. If people keep trying to dim these stars out, how is the Earth as a whole going to be able to glisten the way it should?"

I took a deep breath and wiped the thin sheen of sweat that had formed across my forehead.

"Once again, I thank you all for letting me stand up here. Thanks for your constant compassion, care and support towards me. I love you all, and..." I paused, grinning at the lot. "Tnxoxo, Starlight."

I stepped down, and an ear splitting applause shattered through the air, and I beamed as Dylan picked me up, kissing me deeply. "I'm so proud of you, Snowflake," he whispered against my mouth, and he then let me down, allowing me to be squeezed by various other human beings.

Tears pricked my eyes. If anyone had told me that this was how I was going to spend my Senior Prom, I'd have called them crazy.

I smiled at everyone as they held me tight, telling me that they loved me for who I was and would never change that. Even Stacey Chase, my rival, had come and hugged me, and she'd looked so genuine. I could feel everyone's love radiating off and I was sure I was shining brighter than before.

I opened my phone, and I saw one new text message from someone, and my heart stopped.

Miss. X.

Dear Day, I'm so proud that you won. You don't deserve any of the crap I'd given you last year. I hope you spread your glow to the rest of the world, because we all need you. The whole wide universe needs you, okay, Winters? Don't you ever forget that.

I love you to bits and I'm extremely sorry for being the worst possible friend in the universe,
Cady Hunt

A smile broke through my features, and anything I'd ever felt bad about all melted away. Things had all completely fallen into place, and I couldn't be happier.

As Mrs. Colden placed the tiara on my head, I knew I had exactly what I needed. A wonderful set of friends, an amazing boyfriend and the best high school experience ever.

Looks like Dylan was right, I am the little starlet after all.

A/N:

Yes! I hope you liked that chapter! I loved writing it so much.

Okay, I'm really excited to announce that I've made an @Starlights24 account (because @Starlight24 without the s was already taken) on Instagram! I've added the external link here, and it would be so cool if you guys could check it out and follow!

https://www.instagram.com/starlights24/

I loved this photo of Marina Laswick, Day, so much. She's so pretty, right? =)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've just got one more left, and then this book will finally be complete. Don't worry, I've got an epilogue and a bonus chapter coming up, but this is still such a bittersweet moment for me.

Thank you all so much for being there with me through this crazy journey. I love you all to the ends of the universe and back.

Song of the Day: Let me Love you by DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber

Teaser: Everything wrapped up

Thoughts on this chapter? Day? Dylan? The Prom? Cady?

Were any of you expecting that?

Love you all,

~Lexiii