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Chapter 46: One Last Post

Sometimes, it's not the first times that matter. It's not the first touch, the first conversation or the first kiss. It's the time where everything wraps up and the last moments stand out, showing you that they stayed until the very end.

~Starlight24

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dylan asked, interlacing his fingers with mine, concern evident in his tone.

I nodded, feeling a mix of emotions. "Yeah, I guess," I said, not really sounding as convinced as I would have hoped to.

"It's okay, you don't have to do it today," he whispered, tentative.

I turned to him and snapped, "You forget that I have a major role in deciding whether or not I want to do this." I watched his face fall and bit my lip. "Sorry," I apologized. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. All I'm saying is I'm definitely, most certainly ready for this."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "Okay, you ready?" he asked, confirming.

I smiled wanly. "As ready as I'll ever be," I said, not really believing it myself. With that, I opened Onlinathon, biting my lips in anticipation.

Up and shining, my profile blinked onto the screen and tears bit the sides of my eyes. I was going to be deleting my account today.

It had been three weeks since Prom, and now pretty much everyone had gotten hold of the information as to who I was. As great as this may seem, Starlight24 just brought on too many memories for me to handle. Now that my secret was out in the open, I wanted to live a normal life without people gazing at me and wondering how the amazing Starlight seemed so... normal.

"I love you," Dylan whispered, and we both kind of rested our heads against the back of my sofa, curled up in fetal positions on my couch.

I looked back at Dylan, feeling the normal buzz of just being with him wash over me. He'd proven to be the best boyfriend any girl could ever even dream of. The kinds who'd freak out if I didn't come to school but would tease me all the same. The kinds who were overprotective unknowingly but not overly clingy. The kinds who were just what people would fantasize over and not really have. The kinds that practically didn't exist, but I'd kind of just been lucky.

I smiled. "I love you too. So, so much," I said, honestly and sincerely. Then, out of habit, I clicked on my messages and laughed at the first person who popped up, Popcorned. "You know," I said, deciding to humor Dylan. "There's this guy I really, really like who I chat with a lot. His name is Popcorned."

Dylan's eyes widened in mock-horror. "Do you like him as much as me?"

I paused in thought, before finally saying, "Possibly a little more."

Dylan gasped and snatched my phone. "Let me give this little asshole a piece of my mind," he said, acting completely serious before he began to send hate to himself.

Unable to contain it, I burst out laughing as he swore and muttered an array of colorful insults directed towards Popcorned, AKA himself.

"You're such an idiot," I said, pulling my phone back and kissing him lightly.

He shrugged. "It's one of my best qualities," he said, acting bashful.

This was actually not true at all. Surprisingly, Dylan had gotten class Valedictorian last year and I was pretty sure he'd get it this year too. Throughout last year, he'd mooched off my notes but during the actual exams, he had his own which made mine look like scribbles by a toddler. I was surprised, because who knew the school's 'baddie' was secretly a closeted nerd?

I'd been chosen to speak for Graduation, which was actually looming close now. It was so hard to believe I'd never see any of my friends on these very school corridors ever again.

"So... I guess I'll have to write one last post?" I asked, my fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Dylan shrugged. "Just so that your fans know you've not been abducted by aliens or something."

I giggled and playfully shoved him. "You're not planning on abducting me are you?"

He furrowed his brows in confusion before turning to me, rolling his eyes. "I'm way more attractive than all the aliens combined."

I shook my head. "Nope, I'm sure you're extraterrestrial. In fact, you even look a bit like ET from that movie," I said, chuckling.

He then dug his fingers into my sides and proceeded to tickle me. "You didn't mean that," he said, and I could see his eyes mildly dilated.

I squirmed under him, sounding like a faulty steam engine or something with my crazy laughter. "I didn't, I didn't," I squealed, trying to shove him off with my flailing arms. 

He finally got off me, and I shoved his rock hard torso back, rolling my eyes. "So, you gonna write that post?" he asked, propping himself up with his elbow, and I sighed loudly.

"What am I supposed to write?" I whined, feeling blank.

He shrugged. "That's your department, not mine," he said, staring at my screen intently as if conjuring up a sentimental message.

I groaned in frustration, before suddenly a little light snapped in my head. I'd just do what I was best at.

I'd be honest, crisp and a little awkward.

HEY LIGHTERS!

By now, I'm sure 90% of you know who I am. You all probably already know my name, my age and a whole lot of other creepy stuff ;)

Anyway, that's not what I was intending to put across today. What I wanted to tell you was... Well, I wanted to thank you.

The thing is, I never get to say how grateful I am to you guys enough. When I first started this account, I was a cringe-worthy, diseased and lonely eighth grader, who sat alone for countless weeks on end trying to figure out a way to get myself known. I'd read and watched every chick flick known to man, and I was kind of at this state where I didn't know where the world was taking me anymore. I thought I'd forever be frozen in my homeschooled state, far away from the rest of human activity. I had a governess, @KristyTatin who sat with me during my free time, spurring me forward and giving me the inspiration to actually continue Starlight.

By roughly the third month, I had a thousand followers. I'm still unsure as to what compelled people to even try to have any contact with awkward, fetus me, but I'm definitely not complaining. I had so many people telling me they related to what I experienced, and I found so many people like me. At last, I could feel like I wasn't cooped up in a tent of solitude.

Fast forward and here we are, with me over 6M and a bunch of people closer than close. Sure, I had more than a little share of drama along the way, but it all turned out to be okay at the end. The whole @Miss.X drama is more than resolved now, and @Popcorned, the sweetest guy ever, happens to be my boyfriend of over one year now (I love you).

It's been a hell of a journey. There has been an endless rollercoaster of love, secrets, lies, fights and friendship, and I was forced to accept the fact that even a Star's light will eventually burn out, and that even my own flame may flicker out into an overrated Daydream. It was a crazy reality check, but a check nonetheless.

I'm a human, and what I've been through over the past one year is definitely more than the average high schooler deserves to face in a year. Don't get me wrong, I know that a lot of people out there face a LOT more than I do in their lives, but this is still something we can never completely overlook, you know what I mean?

So I'm going to stop beating around the bush now, and come to the point. I'm deleting this account.

Yeah, I know. It's a bit of a shocker, but it's something I've been thinking of doing ever since everyone found out about who I was at Prom three weeks ago. The thing is, there was a certain thrill of being anonymous that came with the whole experience of being an online celebrity.

There are a lot of memories associated with Starlight. There's the fact that I fell in love, but also lost someone who'd I'd thought was an absolutely irreplaceable friend. There's the fact that I started off as nothing, but now 6M+ people know my name.

So everyone, for one last time, I'm going to say thank you. Thank you for being able to experience this incredible journey with me, and thank you for supporting me each step of the way, no matter how early or late you showed up.

Yeah, I know, Starlight was overrated for a while, but hey. Who said that being overrated was necessarily a bad thing? It just means a lot of people happen to know your name (tries to make myself feel better, but fails pathetically).

So guys, this is Day June Winters signing off. Thanks once again for being there for me.

Tnxoxo,
~Starlight24

By the end, there were tears streaming down my face in hopeless rivulets, and Dylan was awkwardly rubbing my back. I looked at the corner of the article and clicked on the tiny button that said 'post'.

I gasped as it went in, before a flurry of emotions took over me again.

"I did it," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "I really did it, Daniels," I sniffed loudly and rubbed my nose with the back of my full sleeved knit sweater.

"You really did it, Snowflake," he whispered. "Read a couple of comments, just for last time's sake."

I nodded again, before glancing back at the rush of comments.

@KristyTatin: Oh my gosh, honey you've grown so much! I miss teaching you and all of our crazy moments together. I'm going to call you up soon, okay? The last one year has been so crazy, with me getting married and I even had a little baby two months ago! I'm missing my little ray of sunshine so much. We'll talk soon, okay? Love you loads.

@SUMMERGURL101: What? You're taking down your account!? NO. PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS A DREAM NO. SCRATCH THAT- A NIGHTMARE. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, DON'T GO PLEASE!

@Suckerpunch260: Why are you leaving? Your inspo was just bomb.

@HoneyNutCrunch: What? When I first read this, I had to reread it over and over again. It's sad to know I won't have any more starlight to brighten my feed, but in the end, it's your decision...
>
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>
PS YOU HAVE A NICE NAME. KAY BYE.

@SunnyDaysAndColdNights: You're so cute and sweet and according to your private account profile pic, you're pretty hot too. Keep being awesome and I respect your decision even if I'm crying my eyes out.

@Miss.X: Ugh, I don't even know why I still have this account. I totally sicken myself, to be honest. Anyway, I really am sorry for all the crap I put you through... You can expect a little gift that I mailed to your house from my new fashion line. Love you! Cady.

@Popcorned: I know I'm sitting down right next to you, but I just wanted to say that you're the bravest girl I know and that I'm so lucky to tell the world that you're mine. Keep being awesome and lightening up my Day (I'm hilarious okay?) and hopefully, I won't darken yours. I'm so proud of you for actually doing this, although I still expect a daily dose of Starlight okay? Love you =)

I turned to the boy next to me, my heart thudding loudly as I leaned in to kiss him deeply, with so much passion it made him gasp. It was a stream of emotions, and I was probably a wreck but I didn't care.

I pulled back reluctantly, and he pouted in response.

"I love you, but give me a minute," I said, mustering a smile before I went back to my profile. People would see this message after my account was gone. All my posts would still be there for the people who were following me. It was just that I wouldn't be able to continue the account.

I watched as I clicked on the little button that asked whether I wanted to edit, log out or delete my profile. I chose the last option: to delete.

I watched, helpless as the profile loaded again, wiping out everything before a heartbreaking message displayed across my screen: PROFILE DELETED.

Instead of crying again, this time I felt something weird as I snuggled into Dylan's outstretched arms as he turned on the TV, wanting to get my mind off this.

I felt... free.

So yeah, this whole thing had been a bit too much emotion for me to handle, but I didn't care. It was like the Starlight was finally ending, darkening the rest of the surrounding, but that only meant the night was beginning. Nothing was over; not really, anyway. There was so much of a life left for me, and such a large story ahead. I had college to look forward to, and then a whole new beginning afterward of adulthood. I had so much left for me.

So what if the Starlight had dipped below the horizon? Even the darkest of nights contain the deepest of stories, after all. Who knew what would happen when tomorrow arrived?

After all, even through the cloudy nights of gloom and gray, it's a star's light that brings out a new Day.

A/N:

THIS IS THE END.

HOLD YOUR BREATH AND COUNT TO TEN.

Guys it's over. Whoa, what a crazy moment this is for me. Thanks so much for being there. Yeah, there's going to be an epilogue, don't worry, but... the book is over.

I'm going to have my acknowledgements at the very end, don't worry. But I'm still going to mark this book as completed. Thanks so much to everyone for being on this wild ride with me. It means a lot.

Thanks to everyone who actually found this interesting enough to be here with me at this last chapter.

Aarushi08 thanks a ton for allowing me to rant this plot out to you and sitting by me, encouraging me to go on and telling me it was great. Look at where we've come today, bbg! I still can't fathom the fact that it's over...

Enjoy this random picture of Day xD

Song of the Day: Scars to your Beautiful by Alessia Cara

ANYWAY...

How'd you like that chapter? I really hope it wrapped things up. And yes, Cady is 100% good now and she won't be trying anymore stunts.

Dedicated to sonderingly because she's such an amazing author and such a nice person ((:

Love you all,

~Lexi

P.S. Follow Day's account and be up-to-date with her online life by checking out @Starlights24 on Instagram!