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Just a few words and I feel like crying.
I don’t think I’ve cried at all since the start of this mess.
“I…” I don’t know what to say. Suddenly, I’m not entirely sure of my course of action.
I remember Lucas’s words.“You’re not atarget. You’re anAstrella.”I dismissed him at the time, but he’s right. I am.
Dad might have been too busy with his work to have passed on the family motto to me, but Uncle Lucius did. I remember him teaching me how to ride my bike without training wheels. When I wanted to give up after my umpteenth fall, he told me, “You’re an Astrella, tesoro. You’re stronger than that.”
Then there had been my first boxing lesson. I found the instructor—a professional he also hired to teach Lucas mixed martial arts—unnecessarily discouraging and demeaning. Of course I sucked on my first day. He didn’t have to scream at me.
“He told me I’m weak,” I snarled.
Uncle Lucius laughed. “Are you going to prove him right?”
He wasn’t one to give up—on anything. He wouldn’t stand where he was, dining with Fortune 500 CEOs and socialites every night, if folding had been in his nature.
I know that if I admit to being in over my head and ask to be pulled out of here, Uncle Lucius will have another school lined up by the end of the day, no questions asked.
I also suspect he'll be disappointed in me.
I think back to last night and rage immediately rises to the surface.
I was embarrassed. Embarrassed of being trapped, of losing, of being prey to Jason. I was also afraid of how far he intended to take it, but bottom line, my pride had been more hurt than anything else.
Jason had started a game and I was losing.
Astrellas didn’t like losing.
“I was wondering when Lucas is coming back. I only saw him last Friday.”
My uncle pauses on the other end of the line. “We’re closing an important deal. Lucas has been pivotal for its completion, and I don’t want him to miss out on it. He should be back more regularly starting next week, I promise.”
I nod, then realize, dumbly, he can’t see me. “All right, thank you, Zio.”
“Your mother let me know you came home this weekend. Will you be in town this week? We could do brunch.”
I hop inside the bus back to the dorm. “Brunch sounds amazing. Sunday?”
“I’ll arrange the time and send a car. I’m in the middle of a meeting—was there anything else, tesoro?”
I can’t believe he answered me in the middle of a meeting. This morning’s message must have freaked him out.
“No, that’s it. Thank you.”
I'm thanking him for unknowingly infusing strength back into me, not for brunch, but he doesn’t have to know.
I head straight to the administrative building. The receptionist seems frazzled and too busy for my request, but at my insistence, she buzzes Ms. Casey. I have to wait five minutes until the assistant calls me into her office.
“Ms. Reyes. I hope there were no more incidents.” Her eyes size me up.
“None.” None I’m going to report.
“Ah. Then why are you here during the school day?”
“Cramps,” I blurt out. “I had to grab pain killers.”
She nods, understanding. “I’ll write you a note for your next class, but don’t make a habit of being unprepared.”
