☆circinus
the compass☆

Stella woke up feeling like she'd just taken a round trip around a black hole.

She'd done it once before and it had knocked her out for good. When she'd woken up, she'd barely travelled one light year before giving up with exhaustion.

But this time when she woke up, she felt much much worse.

As if she'd plummeted from space and had an extremely uncomfortable landing.

Oh wait. That's exactly what had happened.

Stella supposed any human in her place would have hoped for it all to be a dream, something that felt so real but in the end was all just a figment of the individuals imagination.

But stars didn't dream.
She didn't know whether it was because stars couldn't dream or they simply lacked the imagination to do so but she'd never heard a star, be it a supernova or a sun ever wonder about anything really.

No star except her.

"Good morning!" A voice called out making Stella jump.

Darcy stood at the foot of her bed, bright and happy as ever. Stella wondered if the little girl ever stopped smiling.

Another thing that humans did that stars albeit ventured into; smiling.

She tried to wonder what Darcy would look without the ever present smile but then decided against it.

"You're very pretty even when you sleep." Darcy said earnestly.

Stella blinked.

Stella had been called pretty several time yes, but more than an adjective to describe her features it had always been used as a word to put emphasis on the insult that followed.

She's pretty dim.
She's pretty slow.
She's pretty stupid.

After all she was the shooting star who granted too many wishes, who went way too slow and asked way too many questions.

Amongst her own kind she'd been an outcast.

And yet on Earth, where she was truly the outcast, she'd been accepted far more widely than back in her galaxy.

"Thank you for calling me pretty." Stella said, "But I'm nothing compared to you. You're dazzling. "

Darcy's eyes widened, "What's dazzling? Is it something cool?"

Stella nodded earnestly, "It's the highest compliment any star can get. Only the ones with the best starlight are deserving of it."

"Oooh." Darcy said, "That's awesome!"

"Darcy." A boys voice called out, "Breakfast is re- oh you're awake."

The boy- No, Breyden stood at the doorway.

"I was just telling Stella how pretty she was." Darcy announced, "Don't you think she's pretty too?"

Breyden sighed, "She's not one of your dolls Darcy. Just come down for breakfast."

"Only if you admit that you find Stella pretty."

Breyden sighed exasparated, "I obviously find her pretty. Anybody with eyes would."

Suddenly Stella felt her cheeks heat up. What was wrong with her?

Did she not have any control over her powers? Was her starlight getting out of hand on this planet?

"You're glowing." Darcy pointed out.

Stella looked down to find out that she was; but barely.

"Darcy let's leave the fantasies for later." Breyden said, "It's your turn to hold up your end of the deal. Breakfast. Now."

"Okay. Okay I'm going." Darcy said and she practically skipped out the door with Breyden following her.

Stella sat their awkwardly wondering what to do. She'd have to think of something quick considering there was only so long that she could stay with them.

She'd probably have to find a way back soon. There was only so long she could stay here in this unknown planet.

Besides she'd come here by pure accident and a misplaced desire for something impossible, she had to go back at some point.

But how?

"Aren't you coming?" Breyden poked his head through the door. He was smiling at her,"I'm making Nutella sandwiches."

His hair was covered with bits of flour and a large smear of something brown- Nutella perhaps was smeared on his nose. He'd been down with Darcy for only two minutes and Stella could see that Darcy had already started putting her oddly chaotic yet happy personality to work.

It was funny, seeing him like that made Stella feel nostalgic for something she'd never had with her siblings.

All she'd had to do was start racing right from the very beginning.  Competing with them to be the best, to shine the brightest.

And she knew she had to go back, go back to the stars,go back to granting wishes from above, go back to her reality.

But seeing Breyden with his unkempt dark hair, his twinkling blue eyes and a smile that could have lit a thousand stars Stella decided she could allow herself a day.

One day on Earth which was practically nothing for an ordinary star. She'd allow herself one day before she'd go back home where nobody would have even noticed that she'd gone.

Yes, after all one day meant nothing to an ordinary star, but it could mean everything to her.

So she took a deep breath and looked at Breyden,"What's Nutella?"
________________

"You don't have to do this." Breyden said, "It's not your job to be Darcy's driver."

"Its alright." Stella said gripping the handles of the marvelous invention called a trolley atop which sat Darcy, "I enjoy doing it too."

"Well er-"

"I won't go too fast if that's what you are worried about." Stella said. By now she'd come to understand that for an earthling Breyden seemed exceptionally smart. Before every decision a set of calculations were made in his head trying to predict every outcome before deciding on one.

Darcy on the other hand was the best form of chaos. Happy, exceptionally energetic, she seemed to light a room better than any star Stella knew.

So when Darcy heard that Stella had never tasted Nutella in her life or even chocolate for that matter, Darcy insisted that they go to the nearest store to make her taste the various delicacies of earth.

Breyden had tried to fight her but when Stella had accidently slipped up and let out that she'd actually really liked the Nutella, Darcy finally won.

So there they were at a store with Stella at the helm of Darcy's trolley. Stella was currently even wearing earthling clothes, Breyden had explained to hers that they were his mother's. 

"Okay." He nodded,"I'll get all the stuff. We'll meet by the chocolate aisle, Darcy will guide you."

And just like that he was gone. Disappeared into a maze of shelves filled with things that Stella had never seen before in her life. Sure she'd read about some of these things but it was nothing compared to the real experience.

And that's how it began. Stella's adventure.

She'd seen countless galaxies, stars, sun's and just about everything that the universe had to offer and yet she'd never found any of those things as oddly fascinating and exciting as a convineance store on Earth.

Darcy sat on the trolley giving Stella a blow by blow description of everything Stella wheeled her past. By the time Darcy finally got down to go to the bathroom Stella could safely say that she knew just about every section in the store.

Stella picked up a chocolate that lay on the shelf admiring it's packaging.

MILKY WAY, it read.

Stella looked at it baffled. How could something to eat be called Milky Way? She'd been there several times and it didn't look anything like in he picture on the package and she could safely vouch for the fact that the milky way neither contained chocolate nor caramel (whatever that was).

Stella made a mental note to ask Darcy how caramel tasted.

"You're a very pretty little thing." A man said and Stella turned to look at the earthling.

He was relatively older and he look like he was under the influence of some type of alcohol.

She'd still not gotten used to people physically touching her, Breyden being the only one who had done so and the way the man was way too close for comfort.

"Err well thank you." Stella replied. Although she didn't really want to, she supposed it was social curtesy to respond,"You're very twinkly too."

The man raised his eyebrows up,"Twinkly. Is that something kinky, you pretty thing?" He stepped forward and reached for Stella who instantly backed away. 

She didn't get very far though as her back hit the shelf and the man closed in. 

"Yeah, no I don't think so." Breyden said as he swatted the man's hand away and stood in front of her,"You touch her and I'll make sure the only pretty thing you'll get to see is the other side of a jail cell."

The man grumbled as he walked away,"Kids these days, I tell you, they are no fun."

"Darcy's in the bathroom." Stella managed to say. For some reason her cheeks felt hot, as if she was embarrassed but not quite.

"I figured." Breyden said. He paused for a moment,"You shouldn't interact with men like those.Just walk- no better yet run away from them."

"But he paid me a compliment." Stella stated,"Isn't it only polite that I return it?"

Breyden looked at her curiously, "Trust me that's not really a compliment."

"It's not?"

"Are you not used to being called pretty?" Breyden asked her, his eyed twinkling with amusement.

This though, was the good kind of twinkling. 

"N-no not really." Stella admitted, "Stars rarely focus on physical aspects while giving compliments."

"Riiight." Breyden said, "Stars."

Stella blinked, "Do you not believe me?"

"Err-"

Stella shook her head, "It's alright. I suppose it's rather unbelievable for any inhabitant on this level Z planet. Everyone here is still rather ignorant about what's really going on. I suppose you've not seen anything beyond your beliefs."

"No trust me I have." He said, "I've seen the display of your power with my own two eyes."

He paused. 

"It's just that I don't believe what I see very often."

"I'd always thought that seeing believing according to earthlings."

Breyden laughed.

"Well for most of them it is."

"Are you not part of the majority?"

"Sometimes I wish I was."

Stella hadn't known Breyden for very long and yet there was something about him that she just understood.

She'd always been the outcast too, part of a group yet not quite

"Here's a piece of advice though. " Breyden said drinking sonething that was labelled Cola, "When some calls you pretty try to return it back with something more- more human."

"Human?"

"Dazzling isn't exactly something an ordinary person would say."

Stella supposed he was right. Humans had a far more varied vocabulary when it came to complimenting looks.

She thought long and hard as to what she'd read about Earth as well as 

"Well I think you're very very sexy."

Breyden choked on what he was drinking.

Darcy's head popped up, "What's the meaning of sexy?"

Immediately the dictionary meaning was out of Stella's mouth,"Someone with sex appeal."

"What's sex?"

"Something you do when you want to have children I think."

Darcy's eyes widened,"I'll be an aunt then?  That's so-"

"Woah. Woah." Breyden shook his head vigourously looking at both Darcy and Stella, "Stop."

"You." He pointed at Darcy, "Stop getting so hyper. Forget you ever heard about this. And you-" He looked at Stella,  the amusement back on his face, "The next time somebody compliments you I think the safest thing to say would be only a thank you."

"Isn't it a compliment?" Stella asked , "Wouldn't you only want to have kids with someone who you happen to like and respect and according to you is a good person?"

Breyden's mouth fell open but he threw a cursory glance Darcy's way, "Well- err-yeah. But that's when you're much much older. Like thirty."

"Thirty million years?" Stella said confused,"I didn't think humans lived that long."

"Woah how big is million?" Darcy asked,"It comes after the thousand series doesn't it?"

"Yes." Breyden nodded.

"So cool." Darcy saif,"How old are you?"

"Seventeen." Stella responded,"Star years. That's approximately 1.7 million years on earth."

Breyden choked on his Cola.
Again.

"So cool." Darcy responded,"You're not old and wrinkly at all. I wish we all could live that long."

"Thank you?" Stella said taking Breyden's advice into consideration. She wasn't sure if it was a compliment or not.

Breyden simply laughed and yet this time when he looked at her there was something rather sad about his eyes,"Yes. If only all of us could live that long."
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By the time they reached the house it was already mid afternoon.

Stella had never realised how fast time could pass especially when a person had very little of it.

Her day was almost half over and Stella couldn't believe how quickly it had all happened as the three of them entered the house with Darcy bouncing all the way.

Stella found the concept of a home very interesting. A constant in the lives of the earthlings,where they could spend their entire lives. 

She supposed it was stood for the North in the internal compass for any earthling. No matter how lost a person was they could still find their way back home just like in a compass.
No matter how lost you were, you'd always know where North was.

Stella wished she had something like that.

"These pictures." Stella commented looking at the collage of still pictures that cluttered the wall,"Are they all yours?"

Breyden laughed,"No, not all of them. Most of them are Darcy."

Stella peered at a picture of a small boy with wild curly hair and a missing tooth who was grinning  up at her. Another one depicted a boy even smaller with curious deep blue eyes. He was laughing surrounded by foam in what seemed like a bath.

"You looked very different when you were younger."

Breyden turned an interesting shade of red and quickly stood in front of her blocking her view.

"Breyden was very cute when he was younger." Darcy said.

"Shut up Darcy." Breyden muttered still red.

Stella would have laughed but her eye caught something far more interesting.

Breyden noticed where she was looking and said,"Those were my parents when they were younger."

Stella's eyes widened.

Because the teenagers depicted there were the same ones that Stella had seen before she'd made her wish to fall in love.
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