Starlight is for Always

Chapter 2: "I Am a Giant"

Los Angeles, CA

"And this is your room."

Rio Pacheco assisted his daughter with her bags as he directed her toward a simple bedroom that included a private bathroom.

Even at forty-five years old, the former Holograms road manager now turned computer entrepreneur still look dashing for his age. Exotic, tanned skin complimented his structured Mexican features as a small glint of gray streaks added extra character to his dark hair and beard. Sixteen years of maturation had not changed the intelligent Mexican American man in the slightest.

"I know, Pilar, that it's pretty plain but you can decorate it any way you please," explained her father.

Analyzing his little girl's appearance, Rio attempted to be supported of his daughter's experimentation in style and clothing.

Wearing a torn Misfits t-shirt with black shorts, fishnet stockings, and combat boots, Pilar's father turned away when she exhibited the dark eye make-up and nose ring on her face. In addition, her dark hair had been curled in greasy gelled tendrils which hid her thick, black glasses that she needed to see with. In short, the sixteen-year old was a complete fright.

"Daddy, why did you choose to live in a simple beach house instead of a huge mansion like the one Auntie Asa and Uncle Craig live in?" Pilar wondered.

She was right. Her father's tiny beach home paled in comparison to sprawling the estate of his business partners in Bel-Air.

Rio explained. "I was never into big homes. I prefer a house that I can clean all by myself. Plus, this house is perfect. It has a nice view of the ocean. It's near the beach. More importantly, it's quiet."

Pilar could not argue with that. The prime Malibu location of her father's home was in a nice gated neighborhood and included a private beach for its residents. She intended on taking every advantage of going to the beach. Helping her father with the rest of her bags, she followed him downstairs to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

"I'm not much of cook," Rio remarked. He opened the fridge to reveal his stack of frozen dinners. "Pick one. Frozen Salisbury steak or pasta?"

"How about we order a pizza?" Pilar suggested.

"Good thinking. I know a great pizza place down the street that delivers." He grabbed the cordless phone and dialed his order.

Pilar waited until her father finished to grill him about his current love life. "So, anything new you want to share, Daddy?"

"Not much," the entrepreneur admitted. "Mostly work. Here, I want to show you something."

Gesturing to his offspring, he led her down to the basement area of the house that served as his office. However, Rio had an interior designer remake the dank, bottom level of the home to something nice and trendy.

Pilar followed her father toward the center of his office where a microscope and small glass slide had been placed on the counter. Beckoning the young teen forward, Rio held up the glass slide for her to see.

She raised her eyebrows confused. "You're showing me small piece of glass because...?"

"It's not the glass slide," Rio informed her. "It's what contained inside."

The teen looked closer. "I don't see anything."

"Of course, you can't," Rio agreed. "It's too little to be seen by the naked eye. However, if we put the slide under a high-density microscope..." He slid the glass slide into the device. Then he had Pilar watch through the peephole.