Falling Stars

"WAKE UP, YOU HAVE A GUEST YOU UNGRATEFUL, SPOILED LITTLE BRAT"

Julian was woken up so roughly, he fell out of the bed. He groaned and rubbed his eyes as Roark roared loudly, panting heavily with his teeth bared. Julian scrambled to his feet, unsure of what to do or say. His father was really trying to make a point by hiring this guy. Roark threw some clothes at him, stomping around in search of shoes.

"Did you say I have a guest?" Julian frowned, putting on the clothes he'd given.

"You need to work on your LISTENING SKILLS!" Roark yelled, tossing the shoes at his feet.

"Why are you always so angry?" Julian asked.

Roark didn't answer, yelling out what almost sounded like a battle cry before punching Julian's pillow three times. Julian went silent and dressed quickly, letting Roark pull at his hair with a comb before he was shoved out and told to go down to meet his guest. He was glad not to have an escort from Roark, curiously escorting himself over.

He was surprised to find the girl from Kaleb's wedding sitting at a neatly set tea table. She stood and curtsied with a polite smile as he entered, a little suspicious. She looked innocent enough, wearing a more casual pastel pink gown and her pale blonde hair in a braid over her shoulder. Julian noticed the crystal hair pins from before were still in her hair, but he didn't say anything about it. There was still something wrong with the scene, but he couldn't place his finger on it. He smiled back at her, hesitantly taking a seat.

"It's past noon," she said. "Did you just wake up?"

"No," Julian lied. "I've been up all morning. You actually came back, did you?"

"I said I'd find you, didn't I?"

"And so here you are," Julian remarked. "I can't imagine why."

"You're different than most men," she said sweetly, as a servant poured out the tea for them. "A good different."

"Right," Julian said slowly, not used to this. "I take it you share my interests, then?"

"Of course," she said.

"Like what?" Julian tested.

"Well, I know you're quite the scholar," she started, sipping her tea.

"Someone has to be," Julian mumbled. "Or this galaxy would probably disappear into a self-created accidental black hole."

She raised a brow at him, her demeanor changing slightly when he said that. She seemed a little less sweet, and not so much hanging off his every word. Rather, she seemed surprised that Julian would talk about his father's and brothers like that. That was the moment that Julian realized she really didn't care about what he had to say. He wasn't sure why she was there, but she was quite the actress. He was lucky not to fall for it. He still hadn’t touched the tea, leaning back in his chair.

“Scholar, sure,” he shrugged. “What else?”

“And you’re an artist, aren’t you?” she said.

“You’ve done your research,” he remarked.

“I’m a very dedicated person,” she told him.

“Should I be worried?” Julian frowned.

“Not at all, I won’t hurt you,” she laughed. “I just want to know more about you.”

“Oh yeah?” Julian said, testing her. “Well, where do I start? I’m a pretty big enthusiast on Sujib farming.”

“Sujibs?” she asked. “You mean those little rodent things? Are you serious?”

“As the plague,” he said. “Sujibs are fascinating.”

“I agree,” she said, only confirming Julian’s suspicions. “You study them, then?”

Julian just gave a humorless laugh, shaking his head. That unimpressed look returned to her face, though she quickly plastered her fake smile back over it.

“Alright, cut the shit, then,” Julian said. “It’s all an act. You’re just pretending to be interested in Sujibs so you get on my good side. What do you really want, money? Power?”

“Excuse me?” she scoffed.

“You’re not here because you like me,” he shrugged, leaning forward on the table. “You’re acting like a little finishing school poster child, and clearly, it’s making you miserable. What are you trying to impress me for?”

She dropped the fake smile, a more natural, bored look on her face now as she leaned back comfortably for the first time.

“Fine, you caught me,” she said. “Good job.”

“What do you really want?” Julian asked again.

She was silent for a moment, looking down at her feet, then looked up at him with a shrug that almost seemed shy.

“The honest truth is… I wanted to see some of your work,” she admitted. “I figured you wouldn’t let me get close to you unless you thought I was interested in you like that. I heard you’re quite a fantastic artist, but they won’t let that side of you show because of your family’s image.”

Julian frowned. She wasn’t wrong. He couldn’t tell if she was lying to him again, but as far as he could tell, she was being genuine.

“You never told me your name,” he said.

“You can call me Calli,” she said. “But only if I can call you Julian instead of calling you by your title.”

“Deal,” he said, cracking an amused half smile at the bold comment. She wasn’t acting like a perfect lady, but they were alone, and Julian preferred when she was herself. “Well, Calli, are you really interested? No more lies?”

“None,” she promised. “I’m serious as the grave.”

“Then I’ll show you,” he shrugged. “But no more shmoozing. Not with me, at least. It creeped me out.”

“Trust me, I have no interest in trying to shmooze you,” she said.

“Ouch, that kind of hurt,” he joked.

“Can we please stop drinking tea? If we’re not lying anymore, I absolutely hate tea.”

“I hate it, too.”