A Fractured Light (Beautiful Dark)

only seven thirty.”
    She placed a stack of banana chocolate-chip pancakes on a blue-and-white floral plate and set it hesitantly on the kitchen table. I put the milk back in the fridge and turned to face her, raising my eyebrows.
    “I’m sorry I’ve been so hard on you,” she said, fidgeting with her own mug of coffee as we sat down. “I was scared, too, okay? You are growing up and . . .” She stopped. “Oh god, this is so hard for me to admit, but you’re not going to live here with me forever. And it’ll just be a little lonely when you’re gone, that’s all.” She sighed. “You’ve always been one to follow your own star, Skye. Just make sure to pick a good one to guide you.”
    I stared down at my pancakes and took a thoughtful bite. How was I supposed to know which star was the best one to follow?
    “Do you want to have your friends over for dinner tonight?” Aunt Jo asked. “Cassie, Dan, Ian?” She took a deep breath. “Asher, if it means that much to you?”
    “Really?” I said through a mouthful of pancake, perking up.
    “Yeah, why not.” She smiled back. “I need to properly meet Asher. He’s your boyfriend, isn’t he?” She kicked me under the table.
    I grinned. “What gave it away?”
    “He can’t take his eyes off you. I don’t know what you’ve done to that boy, but that’s the kind of look that’s hard to erase from someone’s eyes, once it’s there.”
    I felt something expand in my heart.
    “Yeah, well, you know,” I muttered, trying not to let my burning cheeks give too much away.
    Aunt Jo smiled and cocked her head. “I know what that feels like,” she said. “But just make sure you don’t pick your star because it’s the star he’s chosen. Be your own person.”
    “Jeez, Aunt Jo. Seriously.”
    “I’m just saying!”
    “Okay,” I said, swallowing my last mouthful of banana chocolate-chip mushiness and standing up. “If you’re done with the lecture, I have to get to school.”
    “Listen to me, Skye. I know what I’m talking about!”
    I kissed the top of her head.
    “Love you, crazy,” I said.
    “Yeah, yeah.” She grinned. “Get to class.”
     
    I hesitated in the door to homeroom. Cassie sat in her usual seat by the window, her blue cast sticking out into the aisle so that people had to go out of their way to walk around her. I wished my old seat hadn’t been given up when I’d been out. With a sigh, I turned to the back of the room—and stopped short. Asher was leaning over my empty seat, talking heatedly with Devin.
    I couldn’t suppress the creepy feeling that they were talking about me. Devin remained stiff in his seat. He said something in a low tone, and it seemed to enrage Asher, who leaned forward and gestured heatedly. The animosity between the two of them was so electric that I could feel it all the way across the room.
    My presence must have been palpable, because Asher looked up right then and spotted me, guilt flashing across his face. Devin turned, too, and when he saw me, he dropped his gaze to his desk. I didn’t want to get between them again, but I had no choice. Asher sat down, and slowly I walked down the aisle and slid into my seat, aware that Devin was watching me again out of the corner of his eye. I didn’t look at him, but glanced over at Asher instead. He looked away. His foot was tapping loudly against the floor.
    “Hey,” I whispered, putting my hand on his arm. He was so angry that he was shaking under my touch. “Hey,” I said again. “Calm down.”
    He muttered something I couldn’t hear.
    “Asher,” I said. “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing,” he said, his voice a storm in the blackest night.
    “Is now a bad time to ask if you want to come to dinner tonight?” I asked. “Special request from Aunt Jo.”
    His resolve faltered, and he looked at me questioningly. “Really?”
    “Yeah.” I gave him a small, persuasive smile. “Will you come?” His foot kept tapping a constant rhythm in the background.
    “Yeah,” he said. The worry line dissolved from his forehead. He took my hand tightly in his and lifted his dark eyes to meet mine. “I’d love to.”
    I felt a swell of happiness, had a brief vision of Asher and Aunt Jo and all my friends getting along in one big wonderful, happy family. But Asher’s foot tapping continued, and a dark, uneasy feeling edged out my joy. What had they been talking about?
     
    At lunch, Cassie had that gleam in her eye.
    “Uh-oh,” I said, sliding