Stardust

same panic, different disco

Used to stick together. You're my best friend,

I'll love you forever. - The Neighborhood

Stella

"My" bedroom in Cousins is the cutest. The walls are white painted wood, there's a balcony with ocean view and a hammock, plus a big closet and high windows. It's tiny, adorable and minimalist.

Back home, my room is madness. There are posters and photos spread on every corner available, including the ceiling and the back of the door. I have my own bathroom and a dog bed for whenever Freddie stays with us. To this day I don't know why, but the band pitbull refuses to sleep anywhere else.

Things here are different. More polished. Even the fucking bedroom represents that. I'm pulled out of my head by my phone ringing.

- Hey, sexy! - My best friend giggles as her face comes on screen.

Ashley's dark roots are hidden under a blue beanie, so from afar she looks completely blond. The red lipstick contrasts with her pale skin. She's gorgeous.

- Hey! - Seeing her face is enough to lift my mood, even after that disastrous dinner. - How's Chile treating you?

One of Ashley's mothers was born and lived most of her life in Chile. The Lennoxs actually met when they attended the same university in Santiago and they like to spend the summers there with Ash's grandparents. It's winter in Chile so she must be freezing.

- Grandpa made ceviche, I have no complaints. - She moves the phone to show me the colorful dish. - Oh my god, you'll never believe who texted me today asking about you.

Dread builds in the pit of my stomach. The worst part is that I can think of more than one name and they're all bad.

- Who?

She waits a few seconds, solely because there's no one more dramatic than Ashley Lennox, before loudly announcing.

- Nathaniel Rivers.

I plop down on the bed, hiding my face in a pillow. Of course Nathaniel is asking about me, I haven't replied to any of his texts. Ever. I don't even know how he got my number. Boys like him ghost people all the time, but they can't handle it when it's the other way around.

- He made sure to casually mention he has been listening to Honeycomb. - Ashley continues, trying to conceal the smirk on her face. She has my back, but she also loves the theatricality of my sex life. - I think someone has a little crush on you.

The next grunt comes even louder than the first. Nathaniel is listening to my song. I have two original singles on Spotify, one of them is called Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl and the other Honeycomb.

Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl is kind of a silly song about not fitting in as a teenager, also known as the most relatable shit on the planet. It's my most popular track and I'm proud of it. Honeycomb is different. It's more personal. A sad/hopeful song about seeing a happy ending after everything goes wrong.

I wrote it after the neon party. It was the last song I ever wrote.

- Stella, my love, you are the fuckboy whisperer. - Ashley says, her mouth full of fish. - Why do you keep putting yourself in this position?

- Me? - My voice is screeched. - Nathaniel was telling everyone at that stupid Halloween party that he'd never have a girlfriend. That he was a free spirit and an artist of life. Where did that attitude go?