by Ahmet Zappa
Sage then looked curiously at the others around the table, matching each face with the name on the place card. Adora, Tessa, Gemma (who was chatting away; Sage recognized her as the girl who had stuck out her tongue in the auditorium), Vega, Leona (who had been singing and dancing on the quad), Clover, Libby (the girl in pink who had tripped on her train during the procession), Piper, Astra, Cassie, and Scarlet (the masked upperclassman). Sage noticed that Vega looked a bit worried and Piper seemed lost in thought, twirling a piece of her seafoam-green hair around her finger. Libby was studying everyone intently.
Astra, who somehow managed to make her bright red gown look sporty, was attempting to have a friendly chat with Cassie, who was shooting glances around the room, apparently unable to concentrate on small talk. Sage herself felt like she was going to jump out of her skin if she didn’t find out what was going on. Immediately.
Then the office door slid open and Lady Stella glided inside. She looked at the girls assembled around the table, carefully studying each one. Sage gazed right back at her. Lady Stella was even lovelier up close. Her sparkling olive skin was smooth and flawless, and her eyes danced in the light from her glimmering headpiece.
Sage watched as the headmistress closed her eyes for a moment, as if to collect her thoughts. Then she said something truly incredible.
“You twelve girls are about to make Starling history,” she pronounced solemnly.
There were several gasps. “Moons and stars!” Cassie cried, looking apprehensive. Sage, on the other hand, felt elated. This was good. Very good.
“What in the stars are you talking about?” cried Gemma.
“Gemma!” scolded Tessa. “Don’t be rude!”
Sage stared at the two girls. Did they know each other?
“But I really want to know!” Gemma exclaimed. “I mean, you can’t just say something like that and leave us hanging! I mean, I’m really…”
Tessa leaned forward and placed her hand over Gemma’s mouth.
Everyone stared. That seemed pretty inappropriate.
Lady Stella laughed at their shocked faces. “Gemma and Tessa are sisters,” she told everyone.
“Okay, back to business. Let me explain what I mean. We have always known that the greatest amount of positive energy is generated by granting the wishes of young Wishlings. Traditionally, this has been done only by Starling adults who have graduated from a wish-granting academy. But I have a theory that if the wishes of young Wishlings were to be granted by young Starlings, this special combination would produce an even greater amount of positive wish energy. My plan is for Starling Academy students to go down to Wishworld for the first time in history and test this theory.”
A stunned silence filled the room.
“It makes perfect sense,” she said. “Young Starlings could attend school, join teams and clubs, and blend in seamlessly with young Wishlings.”
Sage looked down at the table, barely holding back a small smile. Starling Academy students traveling to Wishworld and granting wishes? Amazing! She was pretty sure she knew what was coming next, and she held her breath in anticipation.
“And who are these lucky students? All of you, of course! Twelve talented girls who are as unique as those they are going to help. Four third years—Scarlet, Leona, Tessa, and Adora. Four second years—Piper, Vega, Clover, and Astra. And four first years—Sage, Cassie, Libby, and Gemma.”
The twelve girls stared at Lady Stella in silence as the weight of her words sank in.
Cassie was the first to speak. She looked stricken. “I don’t get it!” she cried. “Why me? Why us?”
Lady Stella smiled a secret smile. “It will all be revealed in due time,” she said.
The room began to buzz with excited chatter. Sage could see why Cassie might be apprehensive—Starlings had to train for four years before they were allowed to travel down to Wishworld to grant wishes! But to Sage, this was nothing but a thrilling, unexpected gift.
Lady Stella held up a hand for silence, and everyone immediately stopped talking.
“If our calculations are correct, the amount of positive energy you collect could be up to a thousand times greater than usual.”
The headmistress had a serious look on her face. “There is just one thing you must know: this is highly controversial and must remain a secret. To the rest of the school, you are students, just like them. You will attend classes with your fellow classmates. You will join teams and participate in clubs. To the rest of Starling Academy, you will be no different from any other student.”
She smiled. “Except for one small thing: during the last period of each starday, you will report to a specially built soundproof classroom for a class only for you. In order to divert attention away from our secret plans, the rest of the school will think you are part of a monitored study group.”
“You can’t possibly mean us, too!” exclaimed Leona, indicating herself and the other seven older girls.
“I mean every one of you,” Lady Stella answered.
“Wait a starmin,” said Vega, clearly dismayed. “You mean no one will know that we’re on this special mission? That they will think we need extra help?”
“This is not about personal glory,” Lady Stella said sternly. “If you don’t want to be a part of Starling history, you can turn down your spot. Another student will certainly jump at the opportunity.”
Lady Stella extended her arms dramatically. “So,” she said. “Are you all in?”
“Yes!” shouted Sage right away.
Astra gave her a dirty look. Clearly she had wanted to be the first to speak. “Yes,” she said.
All around the table, the girls accepted the challenge. Some were more emphatic in their response than others. When it was finally Cassie’s turn, she paused for what felt like an eternity before stealing a glance at Sage, who nodded at her encouragingly. “Yes,” she whispered.
“Starmendous!” said Lady Stella. She then pointed to the middle of the table, where a large pile of glittery golden boxes in all shapes and sizes sat. Sage blinked. She was fairly certain the center of the table had been empty just a moment ago. From the looks on the other girls’ faces, they thought the same thing.
The headmistress picked up a small square box. “Clover,” she announced. “Please stand up.” She opened the box to reveal a jeweled purple barrette. She clipped it into Clover’s hair, where it winked in the light.
“This is your Wish Pendant,” Lady Stella explained to Clover. She looked around the room. “You will each receive your own. As you all know, students usually receive these upon graduating, but you are getting them now. You may take it off at night, but you should wear it every day. Wish Pendants are of utmost importance on Wish Missions. They will glow when you make initial contact with your Wisher. They will collect the wish energy when the wish is granted. And, since you are Star Darlings, your Wish Pendants will hold extra special powers,” she explained mysteriously. “This will be revealed as your education progresses.”
Lady Stella continued to hand out the boxes. A watch for Adora. Bracelets for Piper. Sporty Astra looked quite pleased with her wristband. Tessa admired her brooch. Gemma was presented with earrings. Libby got a necklace of tiny clustered stars, and Scarlet received star-shaped buckles for her boots. Leona fastened a thick cuff on her arm. Cassie received a pair of very cool-looking star-shaped glasses, which she seemed delighted with, despite herself. Vega accepted her belt buckle solemnly.
Lady Stella slipped a sparkling gold star pendant around Sage’s neck. It hung from a long lavender rope accented with tiny stars. It was beautiful to look at, and she could somehow sense that it had great powers. She found herself trembling as she admired it.
There was a rap at the door. Lady Stella inclined her head and the door slid open. A short, stocky woman with purple hair stood uncomfortably in the doorway. “Allow me to introduce Lady Cordial, our head of admissions,” Lady Stella said.
“Hello, s-s-s-students,” Lady Cordial said in a l
ow voice.
“Lady Cordial is our admissions director and is instrumental in helping select each incoming class. I have decided to share your secret mission with her. She, a Wish-Watcher who will notify us when our wishes are ready to be granted, and a few of your professors will be the only Starling Academy members who know of your mission. Please introduce yourselves to her.” So one by one, the girls stood up and said their names, doing the traditional Starling bow. Lady Cordial clasped her hands together after each bow, the Starling way.
“S-s-s-star s-s-s-salutations, girls,” she said when they were done.
“Star salutations, Lady Cordial,” the girls chorused.
“Now go to the Celestial Café, have a nice dinner, and get a good night’s sleep. Your classes begin first thing tomorrow morning. Your schedules have already been sent to your communicators,” Lady Stella told them.
Sage felt a shiver of excitement run down her spine as she stood up from the table. Cassie, her eyes large behind her glasses and her face even paler than usual, made a beeline for Sage. “I don’t know about this, Sage. What have we gotten ourselves into?”
Sage patted her roommate’s arm reassuringly. What have we gotten ourselves into? she thought. Just the most amazingly startastic thing ever! Cassie turned and headed out the door. Sage followed her and paused to tap her elbows together three times as inconspicuously as she could.
“Three times for good luck,” someone said.
Startled, Sage turned around to find the headmistress smiling down at her. “You are eager to begin,” Lady Stella said. “I like that!” She turned to walk away.
“Lady Stella!” Sage called.
“Yes?” said the headmistress.
“What does SD stand for, anyway?” Sage asked.
Lady Stella nodded. “I was wondering when someone was going to ask. You will be known—in private only, of course—as the Star Darlings.”
Sage smiled. “Star Darlings,” she whispered to herself. It was a good name. She liked it. A lot.
“Let me see your schedule,” said Sage that evening, standing in the middle of the room in a lavender nightgown. She had cleaned her teeth with her brand-new toothlight and taken a sparkle shower to keep her skin shiny and glittery, and she was almost ready for bed. Cassie accessed her holo-schedule, and Sage synced hers up with a flick of her wrist. Their one class in common—Lighterature, fifth period—lit up.
As first years, they had all introductory classes. Sage had Wishers 101 first period, Intro to Wish Identification second, and Intro to Wishful Thinking third. After lunch she had Astral Accounting, Lighterature, Intro to Wish Fulfillment, and The Golden Days. On Shinedays she had P.E.—Physical Energy—and every Lunaday she had Aspirational Art. And, as Lady Stella had told them, the last-period class of each starday was labeled Study Group.
“Well, we’ll have Lighterature and our SD classes together—better than nothing,” said Cassie as she crawled into bed and pulled up her patchwork quilt to her chin. “So do you think it’s going to be hard to be in classes with everyone else? We have this huge secret we have to keep from basically everybody.”
Sage fluffed her pillow. “It’s not going to be easy,” she agreed. But she couldn’t help grinning. “But it’s just so exciting! I don’t even know how I am going to sleep tonight!”
“Speak for yourself,” said Cassie, yawning. “Are you ready for me to shut off the lights?”
“Sure,” said Sage. She watched with amusement as Cassie squinched up her face, concentrating on dimming the lights. The girl was having so much trouble that Sage secretly gave her a little help.
“There,” said Cassie. “I’m getting much better at my energy manipulation!”
Sage smiled and pulled the covers over her head. She anticipated tossing and turning, but she was out in moments. It had been a draining starday.
Sage was in the Illumination Library, doing some research. She wasn’t making a peep. But for some reason, the librarian was telling her to be quiet. “Shhhhhhh!” she hissed.
Confused, Sage looked up from her Star-Zap and gave her a “Who, me?” look.
“Shhhhh!” said the librarian, more loudly this time.
Sage shook her head. “But I’m not talking,” she said in a loud whisper.
“Shhhhhhh!” the librarian said again, suddenly morphing into the tall, rude girl with the pale blue bangs from the auditorium. “Didn’t you hear me say shhhhh?” Her eyes grew mean. “Oh, that’s right, you’re an SD—Sad Disappointment!”
“That’s not what it stands for!” Sage yelled. “I’m a Star Darling! I’m going to travel to Wishworld right now! I’m going to collect one thousand times the wish energy of anyone else.”
Everyone in the library spun around and goggled at her, their mouths open in surprise. All too late, Sage realized what she had done.
“Oops,” she said, her heart sinking.
Her adversary laughed cruelly. “You told the secret. Now you can’t be a Star Darling anymore,” she screeched. “Too bad for you!” She put her finger to her lips: “Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
Sage woke with a start. The room was still dark. It was the middle of the night and she had been dreaming. But then she heard that strange shushing noise again—and it was coming from right across the room. Sage rubbed her eyes. Cassie, whispering and giggling, was bathed in a golden glow. Was it Sage’s imagination, or did she hear a funny little musical buzzing sound? It was quite lovely, actually.
I must still be dreaming, Sage thought. And she promptly fell back asleep.
When she woke up the next morning, Cassie was sliding her closet door closed. “Hey, Cassie,” said Sage, sitting up in bed. “I had the weirdest dream last night. You were giggling and there was this weird, beautiful sound….”
Cassie’s eyes widened behind her glasses. “Dreams can be so strange,” she said quickly.
Sage frowned. It had all seemed so real. She got out of bed, opened her closet door, and pulled on a long sleeveless lavender dress, lavender tights, and gladiator sandals that laced up her legs. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Nice: flowing and comfortable, her favorite combination.
“Ready for breakfast?” asked Cassie.
Sage’s stomach rumbled. “Sounds good to me!” she said. She picked up her communicator from the desk and put it in her pocket. As she took one quick glance back over her shoulder, she thought she saw a faint glow coming from Cassie’s closet. She was about to say something, but Cassie practically pushed her out of the room. By the time the door slid shut behind them with a whoosh, it had completely slipped Sage’s mind.
They hopped on the Cosmic Transporter and joined other students as they made their way to the Celestial Café. Adora was waving to them from across the room, where she sat with her roommate, Tessa, as well as Libby and Gemma. “Nice table,” said Sage, pulling out a chair and sitting down. The view of the Crystal Mountains was starmendous.
As the rest of the Star Darlings arrived for breakfast, Adora waved them over.
“I have an idea,” said Astra, looking around. “Let’s make this our table. A bunch of girls who graduated last year used to sit here, so now it could be ours.”
Scarlet rolled her eyes, but everyone else seemed to think that was a good idea.
When Sage’s breakfast arrived, she discovered that she didn’t have much of an appetite. Too excited to eat, she picked at her starcakes. She was amused that the usually anxious Cassie polished off her bowl of Sparkle-O’s (a glimmering cereal that Sage’s mom would never buy, despite her little brothers’ begging and pleading) and even asked the Bot-Bot waiter for seconds.
“Certainly, Cassie,” it said, zipping off to the kitchen. Sage sipped at her steaming mug of Zing and moved her food around on her plate.
“So tell me where you’re from, Cassie,” she said to her roommate.
“Old Prism,” Cassie told her. Sage nodded. Old Prism was a medium-sized city about an hour from campus
. It was one of Starland’s original settlements and was a popular tourist destination. Sage had gone there once on a class trip.
“Do you have any starkin?” Sage asked.
Cassie shook her head.
“Lucky!” said Sage. “So it’s just you and your mom and dad, huh?”
Cassie paused a moment, then nodded.
“What do your parents do?” Sage asked. “My mom is a scientist and my dad works for the government. Gran stays with us while my parents are at work.”
Cassie thought for a moment. “My mom works at the Old Prism museum and my dad is a doctor,” she said softly.
“Well, I’m sorry I missed them at drop-off,” Sage said. “I guess I’ll meet them at Parents’ Weekend. We could all go out for lunch or something. If you don’t mind my crazy little brothers, that is.”
Cassie stared at her bowl. “Maybe,” she said.
Their Star-Zaps began to vibrate and flash. It was time for first period. The girls all stood and gave each other encouraging smiles.
“I’m off to Wishers 101,” said Sage.
“Well, that sounds way better than Astral Accounting,” said Cassie. “Bo-ring.”
“I’ll have that soon enough,” said Sage. “Have fun, Cassie.” The two girls left the cafeteria and headed in opposite directions, Sage walking to Constellation Classroom 113. She stepped inside the room and immediately felt the nervous excitement of all the students. The first class of the first starday at the top wish-granting school on Starland. Pretty starmendous. Sage settled into a seat, which immediately adjusted itself to her body. Ahhhh…comfort.
She listened carefully as the teacher began to speak. Her Star-Zap was recording everything, and when she went to bed that night, she would put on her headphones and play back the lectures from the starday so she would absorb the information as she slept. It was the most efficient way to study.
