☆vela
the sail☆

Breyden needed to stop staring at the girl.

Just because he needed to, that didn't necessarily mean that he actually could.

Darcy on the other hand didn't care and was staring shamelessly. To be honest Breyden couldn't really blame the new arrival for looking between the both of them with a mixture of terror and nervousness. Even Breyden would have been nervous if he was getting shamelessly stared at by two complete strangers.

At least Darcy had the I'm young and curious thing going on for her while Breyden was starting to look purely stalkerish.

She's a girl, Breyden he said to himself, it's not like you haven't seen a girl before.

Breyden had his fair share of girls, more than he would ever care to admit but he had never seen one quite like her.

Her hair was a pale platinum blonde that was almost white and fell around her in waves, curling downwards at the end and her eyes- they were the an odd grey, the kind that was almost silvery on the edges with a dark steely grey in the center and they-

Yup it's official, Breyden thought to himself, He was definitely creeping on this girl like some kind of weirdo. 

But she was staring at him too.

Or more accurately she was staring his hand, which was currently outstretched in front of her.

She was staring at it with a wide eyed shocked gaze as if it was something alien being presented in front of her.

Breyden still didn't know whether to believe the whole I'm a star thing. If any other girl had done it he would have easily just brushed is off as an act of desperate need for attention but something about this girl seemed genuine.

No not something, he thought looking her up and down once again, everything seemed genuine.

He couldn't deny what he had seen with his own eyes, the rocks spiralling down towards them and suddenly a poof of white light and all the lose rocks from the top of the crater as well as the ones speeding towards them were just..... gone.

But if experience had told Breyden anything it would be the fact that his own eyes weren't always as reliable as he'd hoped them to be.

So Breyden was still on the rocks, (pun completely intended) with the star theory which his little sister seemed to be eating up, but one thing he did know was that he wanted to get out of this damn crater as fast as possible.

But by the way this girl was staring at his hand it seemed like as fast as possible may just stretch to forever.

He thought about withdrawing his hand for a moment before deciding against it. This girl barely looked like she had the energy to sit up forget keep standing.

And besides Breyden had no doubt that if it came to leaving this girl here then Darcy would most definitely follow through with her promise and stay in the crater, consequences be damned.

Consequences being their father quite possibly beheading Breyden for even thinking of doing such a stupid thing.

But leaving Darcy aside Breyden didn't want to leave this girl alone in the cold forest on her own either. Maybe taking her to their house wasn't the best idea considering this girl ended up alone in a crater caked in mud in the middle of woods which naturally meant there was no way that anything remotely associated with how she got here could be good but Breyden decided that their father would know best.

Breyden didn't know how long he would have stood there his hand outstretched if the girl didn't finally very hesitantly put her dainty hand in his.

She almost pulled back immediately as if she'd been electrocuted by the touch of their hands.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Breyden said slowly.

"If he does, though." Darcy pipped up,"I pinky promise you that I'll hurt him."

Something sparkled in grey eyes that could only resemble amusement and she stretched her hand once again and put it in his.

Breyden waited for her to tug on his hand to pull her up but instead all he could do was just stare at her.

Oh god he really needed help.

He finally managed to tug her up gently and she got to her feet, carefully leaning on him.

"Yay, I thought you both would never stop staring into each others eyes." Darcy commented,"Now let's get out of here, this place gives me the creeps."

"You were planning to spend the night here." Breyden stated and she shrugged.

"We both know you would never let me do that." She says and Breyden rolled his eyes. His sister had him wrapped around her finger and she knew exactly which way to turn him.

Darcy turned her gaze to the girl beside him, who was still looking around unsurely.

"What's your name?" Darcy asked and the girls grey gaze landed on his sister surprised as if she couldn't believe that someone was actually asking her something.

"S-Stella." She stammered out,"My name is Stella."

Breyden decided that the quite liked the name Stella for her.

"Well then come on Stella let's get out of here." Darcy says,"I can't wait to show you my room. It's so awesome and completley purple!"

Stella tried to smile but Breyden noticed the underlying panic in her eyes.

"Okay Darce, you climb first." He nudged his sister up. Breyden knew Darcy would be fine on her climb up, she was somewhat of a monkey. It was the exact reason why no cookie jar no matter how high Breyden kept it, was safe in their house from Darcy's small fingers. Darcy would be fine but Stella...

She looked far too unsteady on her feet to stand much rather climb the side of the crater.

"I'll meet you on top." Darcy said and then started climbing up the side of the crater.

Breyden turned to Stella and realised that he had been holding her hand all along. He dropped it instantly but Stella didn't seem to notice. She simply kept on staring at Darcy as she made her way up.

"Do you think you can climb up?" Breyden asked her.

"Climb?" Stella asked him as if he had never heard the word before.

"Can you climb?" He asked once again.

"N-no." Her voice came far and distant,"I've never climbed anything in my life."

Breyden didn't find that all too surprising considering the fact that she resembled somewhat of a porcelain doll who looked like she could break any second.

"Come on I'll help." He started walking towards the edge of the crater only to realise that Stella was still frozen in her spot her head tilted to the side as if she

"Come on." Breyden said,"We don't-"

Stella's eyes widened dramatically and she became paler than usual. And then suddenly she grabbed his hand tightly nearly cutting off the circulation in his arm.

For a second Breyden didn't realise what was going on but the next moment there was a short burst of light and the feeling that he was flying before it all ended as suddenly as it started.

"What the hell?" Breyden started but at the precise moment Stella beside him tilted head first towards the ground and Breyden managed to catch her just in time.

"That was so cool!" Darcy exclaimed,"One moment you were inside and now you're on top."

Breyden was having difficulty comprehending what exactly his sister meant especially since he was more worried with the fact that Stella had practically collapsed on him.

She wasn't heavy, not at all in fact not even a little bit which was was what bothered him. She was literally as light as a feather.

"Come on we need to go." Darcy said bounding ahead into the forest,"She doesn't look well."

And then it hit him.

Moments ago they were inside the crater and now...

And now they were on top.

They hadn't climbed, had they?
No they definitely hadn't climbed.

Had Stella done it? Breyden thought, Could she do it?

Breyden glanced at the girl in his arms who was cold as ice and pale as snow. Her eyes were closed and she was fervently muttering something under her breath.

"Hunter." She muttered softly,"The hunter is coming."

Breyden didn't know what she meant but he highly doubted that the hunter would be someone they wanted to meet.

"Come on." Darcy urged and this time Breyden complied putting his hands under Stella's knees and lifting her up as he started to walk home.
_____________

When they reached the house it was still dark.

Thank god, Breyden sighed,His father would have called the police by now and-

At that moment the lights switched on to reveal his father looking extremely angry.

Breyden bit back a curse when he realised that saying certain four letter words in front of Darcy would hardly make him win the award for best brother of the year.

"Where were-" Their father started but he stopped when his eyes landed on Stella.

"Look daddy!" Darcy said running up to their father quickly,"We found an angel."

"A- A what?"

His previous anger had dissolved into complete confusion and he was looking at Breyden questioningly.

"An angel." Darcy repeated once again,"She fell from the sky and she saved our lives. I know she can help bring Mommy back."

Almost instantly Breyden saw the light in his father's eye die a little bit at the mention of his mother and Darcy's impossible hope.

"Okay Darcy." Breyden cut in,"Go up to your room now."

"But I want to be with Stella." Darcy pouted.

"She'll still be there tomorrow." Breyden quickly said ignoring his father who had narrowed his eyes,"I promise. So does dad doesn't he?"

It was a cheap blow but it was the best way Breyden could think of to back his father into a corner.

It was a unspoken rule in their house that promises, especially promises made to Darcy were held above anything else.

"Yes." His father sighed, "She will still be here in the morning, Darcy. I promise."

Darcy nodded convinced.

"Okay! " She said cheerfully bounding towards the girl that still lay motionless in Breyden's arms. Darcy carefully lay her small palm on Stella's head.

"I promise we will take good care of you." She said and then looked up Breyden.

"You better not drop her." She said sternly.

Breyden managed a small smile, "Yes Ma'am."

Darcy looked convinced. With one last look she bounded up the stairs leaving Breyden behind with his father.

"I thought that you would know better." His father started as he gently lay Stella on the couch,"Better than letting your sister run around in the middle of the night to feed her fantasies."

"I couldn't stop her." Breyden said,"Darcy would have gone with or without me."

"You could have stopped her, if you'd tried."

"No I couldn't have." Breyden sighed,"And you wouldn't have been able to either."

"So getting a muddy unknown girl to our house that you found somehwere was the next best thing."

"She was scared and lost in the woods." Breyden said calmly. Getting into a fight with his father was not something that he wanted to indulge in especially with Darcy home."Leaving her alone in the middle of the night hardly seemed like the right thing to do."

"And when did you of all people start doing the right thing?"

It was a cheap blow but Breyden knew it was well deserved. The years after his mother's death he'd gone off tangent and made more than a few messes that his father had to clean up for him.

His relationship with his father had been strained ever since because even though he hadn't been told in so many words, Breyden knew that his father had given up on him.

And the worst part?
Breyden didn't even have it in him to be angry about it.

Because Breyden knew how torn his father was between loving him and blaming him for his mother's death.

Breyden blamed himself of course, his depression and weekly visit to the pyschiatrist proved it. But his father was still on the fence with the decision while Darcy was too young to understand. But Breyden was sure she'd hate him once she figured it out. 

But till then Breyden would always put what Darcy wanted first. 

"Helping this girl... It's what mom would have done." Breyden said quietly. His dad stood frozen his spot and Breyden knew he's crossed a certain line, but this girl whoever she was, there was something about her that Breyden needed to protect.

But more than that he'd promised his little sister that he would protect her.

His father sighed.  It was a universal sign of surrender and Breyden understood that he'd won this round. 

"Fine." His father said walking up the stairs, "But I want her gone as soon as possible. And it will be your responsibility to break Darcy's far fetched fantasy after she's left."

Of course Stella would be his responsibility.  He'd expected as much. And breaking Darcy's delusion- well,  that would also be another burden on his shoulders. 

To be honest any other ordinary girl wouldn't have been worth it.  Sure he'd have brought her home like a good citizen but then he would have left the decision making to his father.

For any othee girl Breyden would have tried harder to convince his sister to leave behind her fantasy and tried to show her that the girl was no angel, she was absolutely ordinary. 

But Stella didn't seem ordinary. 
Not even to Breyden.

Because unlike others there was something about her. Something about this particular girl,  with her pale long hair and silvery eyes that made Breyden believe that maybe Darcy's fantasy wasn't that far fetched after all.

It was a ridiculous belief. 
But it had been a while since Breyden had believed in anything much at all.

And the more he looked at this girl...
The more he believed. 

Yes,  Breyden really needed to stop staring at the girl. 

But he just couldn't.