Scarlet Discovers True Strength Read Free Page A

the old woman. “That Mira is quite an actor! Destined for stardom! Don’t you think?”
    â€œIs she? I don’t know,” Scarlet confessed. “I’ve never seen her act.” Since leaving her parents to attend Starling Academy, she’d tried to steer clear of theaters and auditoriums. Quite frankly, she also had yet to see the appeal in running around, dressed up like a fool, pretending to be somebody else.
    â€œMoon and stars!” Mira’s grandmother gasped. “Never? What a shame. Oh, but surely you’ve seen her act
sometime
….”
    Scarlet shook her head. “Star apologies. No.”
    â€œNever?” The old woman leaned forward, twisting slightly. The corners of her mouth twitched, one at a time. A bluish star-shaped freckle on her cheek began to sparkle. Scarlet watched it closely, the familiarity clicking at last. How hadn’t she noticed it before?
    â€œAll right, I’ll admit it.” Scarlet sighed to hold back a groan. “I saw her once.”
    â€œReally? You did see her? When?”
    â€œThe Time of Shadows production. Our first year at school.”
    â€œOh, that was a good one!”
    Scarlet stifled a smile as she clicked her tongue and slowly shook her head.
    â€œIt wasn’t?” The woman’s blue eyes grew round. “You really don’t think so? Why not?”
    â€œWell, some parts were good…like the scenery….And the props could have been worse.”
    â€œWhat about the acting?” croaked the old woman.
    Scarlet looked down and smiled.
    â€œ
Well?
” Mira’s “grandmother” waited, tapping her cane against the floor, sending sparks into the air. “Wasn’t it good? Of course it was! We got a standing ovation at the end!”
    â€œ
We?
” Scarlet glanced back up, raising one eyebrow in a sharp arch.
    The old woman threw back her head. “
Starf!
You knew it was me!” she groaned. Then she laughed and tossed off her shawl so it dangled behind her. “Tell me I had you going there for a while, though,” Mira said as she pulled off her wig. Her long indigo hair spilled down her back in shimmering waves. Beneath a thick layer of stage makeup, a whole galaxy of bright blue freckles flashed like sunlight on a lake.
    â€œFor a starmin,” muttered Scarlet. She did have to live with her, after all.
    â€œReally? Is that all?” Mira sighed. “Sunspots. I guess that’s why you’re not in that remedial group anymore.” She grinned at Scarlet—then blanched in the heat of Scarlet’s simmering glare. “No offense!” she said quickly. Like everyone at Starling Academy, it seemed, Mira assumed the special class the Star Darlings went to last period was for extra help so they didn’t fail out of school. “Star apologies. I just thought…you know…since it was a mistake and all…”
    â€œIt was a mistake, all right,” hissed Scarlet.
    â€œAre you mad?”
    Am I mad?
thought Scarlet. Did a glowfur eat green globules? She was mad, all right. Madder than Leona when she’d had to try out for her own band!
    Suddenly, Scarlet’s Star-Zap beeped. A holo-text was coming in.
    She read it: IN THE HEDGE MAZE. R U STILL COMING?
    It was Vega, waiting to meet.
    â€œForget about it. I’ll be fine,” Scarlet snapped as she climbed off her bed.
    She’d be perfectly
startacular
…just as soon as she set everything straight again.

Scarlet burst out of the Big Dipper Dorm and hopped onto the Cosmic transporter. She passed the dancing fountain as she headed to the hedge maze, ignoring the water’s friendly wave. She knew all too well that once encouraged, the fountain would only work harder to try to keep a Starling there.
    The campus was quiet, as it often was after dinner, when most students flocked to the Lightning Lounge. That was a place, though, that Scarlet usually avoided. Everyone