The Last Star(The Last Star Trilogy #1)

I always get nervous in hospitals but this time I have a good feeling, hopefully this therapist or phsycologist will help me kill my nightmares. Tristan texted me a bunch of times, he kept telling me to not tell anyone about my nightmares and for some reason that annoyed me. Why shouldn’t I? Doesn’t he want me to sleep in peace at night?

The waiting room of the hospital smelled of medicine and freshly washed floors. The other patients were staring at me with weird faces, and the quietness in the room gave me a sad and for some reason suspicious feeling. Taking in the sight of the room brought up this question in my head, should I trust the person who will hopefully help me? Before I could think more Dad started talking.

Dad told me to answer all of the questions that the doctor asks and also to trust her. Both those tasks were impossible to accomplish because I am not good at opening up to people and I have trust issues.

Five minutes later an old lady on a wheelchair was pushed out of the room and I my name was called out.

“Annabelle Virgo” said the women who was the doctor’s assistant.

I looked at Dad and he gave me a nod. I grabbed my bag and coat and took small steps towards the room, the assistant gestured for me to go in.

“Dr. Hope, Annabelle Virgo is here” she pointed out. I smiled at the name, it’s funny how she’s named ‘Hope’ and people hope that she will make them better.

The figure sitting behind the desk, writing furiously looked up with a half-smile on her face. “Good afternoon” she greeted.

“Good afternoon” I replied. My eye caught the many framed awards and certificates that decorated the wall of her tiny room. There was one framed photo of Dr. Hope receiving the royal medal from the King. Dad did mention she worked for him, she must be really good.

“Anabelle”

“Yes” I said.

“Please take a seat” she offered.

“Okay” I answered.

I pulled out one of the chairs and threw my coat and bag on the floor.

“Your father tells me that you’ve been having nightmares.” She starts

“That is true” I say with a wobbly voice.

“And recently they have gotten worse” she says

Recently? Dad said recently? My nightmares have always been terrible.

“Not exactly” I explain “My nightmares have practically scarred me and ruined my childhood”

Dr. Hope scribbles down every word I say, which annoys me a bit.

“I am going to ask you some questions and please be honest” as the words slip off her tongue I feel beads of sweat on my forehead. I just nod.

“Tell me, how long have you been having nightmares?” she questions “Any special time when you...”

“After my Mom died” I cut her off. Might as well be honest with Dr. Hope she looks trustworthy to me.

“When did your mother pass?” she asks and already has the pen between her fingers to write down the words that are about to come out of my mouth.

“She died when I was young, Two years old, I think” I hesitated. I wasn’t sure about the exact time she passed away. I remember nothing about her.

Dr. Hope’s eyes almost pop out. “That is a really young age. You should have been in therapy a long time ago” she pointed out. Yes, thank you. Finally someone says something.

“You don’t say” I joked.

“Annabelle, I need you to understand that you can trust me and tell me everything” she said with sweet and hushed tone. I still wasn’t going to trust her completely but this is a start.

The next two hours of my day were filled with all sorts of questions.

“Do you ever have lucid dreams?” she asked casually, like she asks these questions every day.

I cursed myself, obviously she asks these questions every day. She’s a phycologist.

“I don’t think so” I answered “I have never been aware that I’m in a dream” I added quickly.

Dr. Hope opened her mouth to protest but I cut her off. “Most of the times I wake up from my nightmares is because I thought they were real”

She scribbled down the words before she could process them in her brain. My eyes fell on the wall with all the awards and photographs, and I couldn’t help but ask.

“Did you really met the King?” I blurted. Dr. Hope looked up from her notepad “What makes you think I’ve had the pleasure to meet the King?” she quizzed.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe.... the picture hanging on the wall and the framed award” I pointed out.

Dr. Hope blushed and I managed a giggle. “I did see the King.....and the royal family” she explained “When he presented me with the King’s Award”

“That must have been an honor” I said

“It was....it still is. I even gave his son therapy sessions” she exclaimed “Prince Alec, defender of the people, he was timid and shy. Which could have costed him his crown because the King thought that his people wouldn’t bow down to a weak king” Dr. Hope recited as if she had memorized every person she had helped.

“Huh, I didn’t know that about the Prince” I said

“Not many people know about it” Dr. Hope stated. She went back to the questions and she didn’t stop for two hours.

Dad came to get me and Dr. Hope talked to him for what felt like forever. I heard whispers and laughs from Dr. Hope’s room but I couldn’t figure out what they were talking about. When Dad finally came out he was grinning. Something I hadn’t seen him do since....well...forever! I didn’t ask why. We drove home in silence, I helped Granny with dinner. She taught me how to mash the potatoes properly, how to chop vegetables, how much salt and spice to add. We also had an interesting conversation, while we prepared our food.

“Annabelle, you have to learn how to cook now” Granny started “You’re growing up and soon you will have to take care of your own family”

I almost passed out when those words came out of my grandmother’s mouth. My own family. I never think about those things. About my future.

“What does that suppose do mean? I say irritatingly

“You know what I mean” Granny replied with a smirk, which annoyed me. “You only have one year of high school left and then college.....” she trailed off.

In Stellaregno every student graduates at the age of seventeen and then we have two and a half years of college. Our jobs and career depends on our scores and performance in class. Most people work in their family business and others get assigned jobs. After a few years of work, some of us get married in their early twenties. But I never thought about that and after the new changes in our country, with the pairing system and not being allowed to fall in love with someone who isn’t compatible for my constellation. I never want to get married because if I do they’ll pair me with a Scorpio. I don’t know what Scorpio’s are like but I want my future to be my decision.

“I still have a whole year of high school ahead of me, I don’t graduate till I’m seventeen” I say, hoping to change the subject.

“You turn seventeen in Febuary” Granny points out with joy.

Every year I always look forward to my birthday, Febuary 28th is the day when I wake up and feel reborn. When I feel like I can start fresh and new because it’s the day when I’m a year older, and this yea

“Yeah, my birthday is in February” I say

“One month after New Year” Granny sighed as she set down the plate of chicken next to the soft, warm buns.

This thing was getting irritating, we have to talk about something else. “Can we talk about something else?” I practically shouted

“Please” I begged in a lower voice. “Can we talk about someone who isn’t me?”

Dad called from the living room “What’s going on?” I don’t know how he can hear us over the loud noise coming from the TV, which was the news. Dad had been watching the news a lot lately and he had been working non-stop, something about that worried me.

“Nothing. Dinner is ready” I yelled again. And at that Dad half walked, half ran to the kitchen table. I quietly nibbled on two pieces of chicken and the buns made my mouth dry so I poured some iced tea into my glass. It was just another night at the Virgo’s house but no dinner is completed without talking about Dad’s work.

“Did you find out about the Kingdom’s Banquet?” Granny asked Dad. That opened my ears. The Kingdom’s Banquet was a huge ball hosted by the royal family at the palace to celebrate the Stars and Constellations. Only the descendants of the Twelve Major are invited to the palace for three nights a week for six weeks. The kingdom celebrates this every year and the party lasts all night.

“Do I have to go to the banquet?” I muttered.

“Of coarse you do!” Dad said immediately. “Especially you do”

“Why?” I questioned. “The whole point is to make political relations with other Constellations and I’m never going to be the Duchess of Virgus. I’m not going to take care of Virgus like you so what’s the point for me to go?”

I wasn’t allowed to be the Duchess of Virgus just because I’m a girl. None of the women of the Twelve Major Constellations get to ruler over their province, city or territory.

“You’re not supposed to be a Duchess, Annabelle” Dad said. “You are a Lady”

“I know” I snorted. “I’m a lady so I don’t get to have Virgus to myself”

“No!” Dad said. “I mean you’re the daughter of the Duke of Virgus, so you’re Lady Virgo”

I snorted. I helped Granny with the dishes and made a mental list of my problems, I am having nightmares, I am in therapy, I pushed my friends away and to top it all off I have insomnia.

I wish I had someone to talk to, I know I have my friends but I wish I had siblings. Just one little brother or sister. Lyra says I’m crazy for thinking that siblings are fun to talk to. Lyra has four younger siblings, two twin brothers and two twin sisters. Gemini children are mostly twins and they have this superstition that if a Gemini child doesn’t have a twin it’s bad luck and that they’re full of flaws but Lyra is perfect. When she was born and everyone found out she wasn’t a twin, they didn’t take it well. That brought shame in her family, she promised that she would prove everyone wrong and be perfect like every other Gemini. Lyra’s sisters didn’t help, when they were born everyone was joyful. She stayed distant from her family and didn’t invite us to her house that much, she didn’t like to talk about them because they made her feel like she was a mistake and a few people have said that to her sometimes. I would hate if that happened to me.