Written in the Stars

By Morgan Kate

There are only three things in the universe that stars can’t manipulate: life, death, and love. This, of course, doesn’t stop anyone from wishing for these things. These are the wishes that stars will dread hearing their whole existence. So when Calista is pulled from the sky with a wish for true love, her world shatters. Without her alpha star to guide her and her smaller stars to encourage her, Calista feels lost and hopeless when faced with the impossible task set before her.

Hidden in the folds of the sleepy town of Shelter Cove, she finds Jack, who makes the best coffee she’s ever had; Lily, who has a smile like sunshine and a heart to match; Grey, who hides behind his music and a charming smile; and Nate and Savanah, who love each other and their friends fiercely. Each one reminds her that humans are just as beautifully unique as the stars. But will making friends help her find true love for a human she doesn’t know? Or will she be forced to face her own fears and feelings about the reality that she may never make it back to the only home she’s ever known?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662466090

Book preview

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Written in the Stars

Morgan Kate

Copyright © 2022 Morgan Kate

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2022

ISBN 978-1-6624-6608-3 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-6609-0 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Epilogue

To all the storytellers I’ve met on my way here, I made it because of you.

And to Poppea, I wish you were here to see this. Love you ten, wash day’s Tuesday.

Grey was dreaming of the stars again, specifically the memory of his mother showing him the stars through her telescope.

Can I see my lucky stars, Mama?

Of course, my sweet prince.

And she would step back and search the sky before readjusting the telescope to focus on Cassiopeia. There she is, Grey. Queen Cassiopeia, the most beautiful stars in the sky.

But, Mama, Ms. Pok says the Big Dipper is the most beautiful.

His mother would laugh and say, They are pretty, sure. But Cassiopeia is a queen, and the Big Dipper is a spoon. And he would laugh. But the edges of the memory began to fray when he started to smell breakfast and hear his housemates laughing downstairs.

I’m gonna go get him up. It’s after 11:30, and I’m sure he’ll be upset if he misses omelets, he heard Lily explain before hearing her feet on the stairs.

Eleven thirty-two is a little on the dot, don’t you think? Jack questioned back. Grey chuckled to himself before rolling out of bed. He threw on a pair of black sweat shorts and a white T-shirt as Lily knocked on his door.

Hey, sleepyhead, do you want breakfast?

That depends on whether or not you’re the one cooking, he joked.

Oh, honey, Jack is on coffee duty. Darling could burn cereal if he poured it the wrong way. She closed the door behind her. Grey could hear Jack’s protest to his culinary critique float up the stairway while Lily made some sarcastic comment about burnt toast being the best smell to wake up to. And they laughed as the dull kitchen clatter started again.

Some things just never change. He shook his head and turned to face the mirror. He ran his hands through his pitch-dark hair in an attempt to turn his disheveled bedhead into a style. He rubbed the rest of the dream out of his dark-blue eyes and looked at the man staring back at him. Well, bud, this is as good as ordinary gets. Time for breakfast. And he padded downstairs to find Jack pouring coffee and Lily putting an omelet on one of three plates on the kitchen island.

Welcome to the land of the living, dude. You good? Jack quipped and handed him a cup of coffee.

Yeah, just having a nice dream is all. He sipped his coffee before setting it down to clear the table.

Dammit, Lily, you woke him up from a sex dream! How could you? he teased. Lily feigned disgust while she slid a second omelet onto the subsequent plate.

No, dude. Just a nice memory. Grey let the subject die while he moved the plates to the table. Their first week of their senior year was over, and it was time to enjoy the first of many classless Fridays. Grey looked over at Lily while she cooked; her long, blond hair was in a messy morning bun, a contrast to her usual perfectly styled waves. Her old soccer shorts and loose tank top were a sign that she had been running earlier. Which explains why she is particularly awake this morning, Grey thought. It was easy to forget how tall she was. Next to Jack, everyone looked short. But she never needed any help reaching for the top shelf. Lily was Nate’s height, and she was a whole head and shoulders taller than Savanah. Which had Grey thinking, Shouldn’t they be here by now?

Lily finished the third omelet and came to sit at the table just as Jack stood up for more coffee. Refill, anyone?

No, honey, I’m good. Lily smiled and grabbed her water from the counter. Jack was all muscles and hair. Lily had called him dreamboat their freshman year and it stuck. He had a mop of curly brown hair to match his golden eyes. Lily used to say if she didn’t like him so much, she’d love him. The two very much looked the part of the football star and his cheerleader, but they were really more like siblings. Lily was a few days older, and Jack took every opportunity to play the role of obnoxious little brother. It was a comforting constant Grey had come to rely on. Though lately, their usual back-and-forth left a hollow pang in his chest, like a piece was missing. Usually, he would just brush it aside, but this morning, it was persistent. Maybe I’m just homesick? he reasoned. But it felt deeper than that—he decided he wasn’t going to dwell on that today. They’d get together and have some drinks by a fire later, and he’d worry more about Monday’s homework than this hollow feeling. The sound of a car door closing was enough to pull him back to the present.

That’s gotta be Nate and Sav. They said they’d meet up with us after breakfast, Lily explained. Savanah and Nate were a couple of years older than the other three. They had taken time between high school and university to get married and travel some, which only solidified their position and the mom and dad friends of the group. My family away from family, Grey had called them halfway through their freshman year. Savanah walked in first, as per usual, while Nate closed the door behind them. Jack, who was up for coffee, pulled two more mugs from the cabinet.

None for me, dude. I’ve already had two cups. Nate laughed as he pretended to be shaking. Nate was shorter than the other two men, but it didn’t bother Savanah at all, who stood at just over five feet and three inches and was dwarfed by everyone else. Nate’s dark-brown hair was a ruffled mess, despite Savanah’s attempts to smooth it down. He had matching brown eyes and an effortless smile. Savanah had lighter brown hair that was twisted back into her signature loose braid, beautiful green eyes, a voice like honey, and a heart just as sweet.

I’ll take some, though, Jack. Just cream for me please, Savanah asked ever so kindly. A soft Southern accent dusted her words. Grey remembered the first time he met them; he thought it was odd that she had an accent and Nate didn’t until he found out that Nate’s parents had moved down South just before he started high school. He met Savanah two weeks later, and the rest was history.

There’s that hollow feeling again… I just going to stop remembering things today. We can try again tomorrow.

Lily put her hand on Grey’s shoulder before getting up to hug their friends. He was off today, she knew. But she also knew that when he needed her, he would come to her. Until then, though, it was business as usual, and he got up to greet Nate and Savanah.

Saturdays were typically the day they all got together to study, do homework, run errands, and then just relax. But somehow, all of them had managed to have no class on Fridays. At least for the fall semester, Grey thought, though he wasn’t going to argue with blind luck. So the weekly tradition continued one day earlier.

Post-coffee time and breakfast, the group settled into their usual spots between the open kitchen and living room. Nate and Savanah on either end of the couch, their legs a crisscrossed mess in the middle. Jack was in the chair at one end of the coffee table, reading glasses slid to the edge of his nose while he looked for a pen. Lily, with her projects and planner, was sprawled out across the island. And Grey was sitting at the kitchen table. The next few hours would be spent with soft music from the kitchen speaker, the occasional What the fuck? and casual small talk between tasks.

Hey, Jack? What time are you working today? It’s not on the calendar, Lily inquired. That was how Lily kept track of everyone and made sure that everyone could be around for movie nights or coffee dates.

I’m leaving in half an hour. I should be home around eight. My manager asked me to cover until the new girl is out of class. So I wasn’t originally working today, he answered, not looking up from his textbook.

All righty, can you grab drinks on the way home? We’ll have the fire going and food done by the time you get back. Lily moved from the island to retrieve a small notebook from her purse. Speaking of…what kind of snacky-type food stuff do we want for tonight? Grey and I will pick it up if you guys want to grab firewood?

Yeah, Savanah responded while putting her book down, we’ve got some errands to run, so we’ll pick up firewood while we are out. How about nachos?

Oh, babe! Nachos are a great idea! Burgers and dogs sound good too, Nate added. If you still have propane, I’ll grill them. If not, we can pick some up when we get firewood.

Yeah! Like a proper picnic! I’ll make some macaroni salad. Burgers, hotdogs, elbow macaroni… Lily trailed off as she made her list.

Who is drinking what? Lily, can you just text me a list so I remember to pick it up after work? Jack chimed in.

I’m not really feeling like drinking tonight, but orange juice actually sounds really good right now. Savanah did a little happy wiggle thinking about their picnic food.

So the usual—orange juice and a sippy cup for baby Savanah. Jack pretended to be jotting things down like Lily. Savanah tossed a pillow in his direction. And Jack pretended to cry.

Grey had joined them in the living room to discuss dinner and was genuinely enjoying the back-and-forth between Jack and Sav…almost enough to ignore the dull ache in his chest. Come on, Grey, you sap. Pull it together. What’s with you today? He couldn’t shake the feeling and decided he would talk to Lily about it when they were doing errands.

Almost an hour later, Jack had headed off to the coffee shop. Nate and Sav had finished their readings and were headed to do their own errands. And Lily and Grey were cleaning up before heading out. Hey, Lil? I can drive if you’d like. Dude, why do you all sound so pathetic all of a sudden?

Sure, honey, if you want. She looked at him for a moment before speaking again. What’s been going on with you today? Is it Jack’s comment about your dream? Because usually those don’t bother you.

Grey kept his head down and finished the dishes in the sink before talking. If anyone knows what to do, it’ll be Lily…

No, no, it’s not that. I sound pathetic, but I’ve got this weird, hollow feeling in my chest lately. Anytime I’m with you and Jack or with Nate and Sav. He paused, collected his thoughts, and continued. It’s not so bad with all of us, but Nate and Sav have each other. And you and Jack are like brother and sister. I don’t fit with anyone the way you guys fit with each other.

Oh, honey, no. She put the towel she was drying dishes with down and took his hands in hers and looked him in the eye. Greyson Nox, you beautiful soul. You are not pathetic. You feel like you don’t fit—we’ve all felt it before. I love you. Jack loves you more than his own siblings probably. Nate and Sav absolutely adore you! You are part of this family, our little family, okay? Do you remember rule one?

Feelings lie, Grey mumbled.

Exactly. You are loved. You have done amazing in school. You have a great relationship with your parents and your professors. Honey, you are thriving. Sometimes our feelings are our enemies and are only there to cause us to reject the good things we have. Lily took Grey’s face in her hands and tipped it to kiss his forehead. Lily could be harsh, but she always said exactly what he needed to hear. And he loved her for it.

*****

Grey and Lily were pulling groceries out of his truck when Nate and Savanah pulled into the driveway behind them. Nate had a bin of firewood, and Savanah pulled a propane tank out of the trunk.

I couldn’t remember if you said you had propane or not, so we picked up another tank anyway. Just in case, Nate stated as they went up the porch steps to the house.

That’s all right. It’s not like we won’t use it, Lily answered as she put the groceries on the counter. All one trip! Right, Grey?

Oh, absolutely! Bitches take two trips. He imitated Jack, which caused Nate to spit his water out and sent the room into a fit of laughs. Okay, so I know I made him spit…but I’m not cleaning it up. Grey chuckled.

Well then, you can go get the firepit set up. We won’t light it for a little bit. I want to wait until Jack says he’s leaving work, Lily instructed as she pulled a pot from the cupboard. Sav, do you wanna help me get the macaroni salad started while I cut everything up for nachos?

Of course, darlin’, Savanah obliged. Just let me wash up.

About an hour later, Jack walked in with some hard cider, a bottle of wine, and orange juice. Savanah was thrilled. Hold on, Sav. I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes and hold out your hands.

I swear, Jack, if this is a creepy-crawly thing, I’m gonna skin you, Savanah threatened playfully.

Jack just chuckled and told her, No peeking. As he placed her surprise in her hand, Lily and Grey burst out laughing. Nate was trying to hold it in, but when Savanah opened her eyes, he lost it and laughed out loud.

A sippy cup, Jack? It’s perfect! But you know I can’t open this without help from a gwon-up…pwetty pwease, Jack-Jack? Can you hewp me open it? Savanah joked in a baby voice, which only made the whole bit that much funnier. Nate almost walked into the sliding door on his way to check the grill because he was laughing so hard. Lily had to have Grey take the nachos out of the oven because she couldn’t stop laughing. Jack was pretending to pout at having his sippy cup joke upstaged. But he ruffled Savanah’s hair and opened the cup for her anyway.

What’s funnier, Grey thought, is that she’s is actually going to drink her juice out of the sippy cup.

Savanah took her cup and the macaroni salad out to the table on the deck. The sun was just starting to set. The food was just about ready. Jack had the drinks on ice. It’s going to be a good night.

And it was. They reminisced about how they all met—sitting in an intro to psych class, watching Jack try to distract the TA, Lily telling him, That’s not how you get a girl’s attention. Nate and Savanah had watched the whole interaction play out when Grey walked in late, tripped, and spilled his coffee all over the poor TA. Class let out early that day, but thanks to Jack having a thing for redheads, Lily being nosy, Nate and Savanah bored in a lecture, and Grey’s lack of grace, the five of them were sitting here around a fire four years later. They started talking about the beginning of the end. About new beginnings, Lily had called them. She didn’t like endings.

Speaking of new beginnings, guys, uh, Savanah and I have an announcement, Nate interrupted.

We’re having a baby! Savanah declared excitedly. The whole group was excited and gave congratulations. Lily was crying.

This really has been the best night. Grey thought. So why is the hollow ache back? He excused himself to think for a moment alone and walked to the front porch.

The night was clear, and the air was crisp away from the fire. He wondered if he could find his stars, and he thought about his mom. Those are your lucky stars, she would say and point up to Cassiopeia. And when he didn’t know what to make of how he felt, he always found himself outside, back under the stars, looking for the queen in the sky. He hoped that maybe by talking to her, the hollow in his chest would go away, this sinking feeling that he was never going to have anything like what Nate and Savanah had. He would never be accomplished like Lily or talented like Jack. He would never find his match. Grey looked up at his stars. I wish that I fit with someone like that. That I could have a love like that… I wish that someone would be as truly in love with me as I am with them. Grey looked back to the ground and laughed at himself. Wishing on stars—what would the gang think? And he brushed the thought away. But as he turned to go, he saw a shooting star. His parents used to say that shooting stars meant that things were going to change. Usually, Grey would think it was just one of their silly things. But this felt different. Maybe just this once, he thought, they might be on to something.

Hey, honey, you all right? Lily had come in from the fire holding plates and leftovers. Grey closed the front door behind him and started to help Lily put things away. She hated to go to bed with a messy kitchen, mostly because she didn’t like to wake up and immediately have things to clean.

Yeah, yeah, I’m all right, Grey responded. That’s really awesome about the baby, though, right?

OMG, of course it is! I remember when Mom and Daddy brought the twins home. My little heart couldn’t take it. I wouldn’t let anyone near them for weeks. Lily was practically glowing. She loved kids, and she talked about her siblings back home all the time. The twins, Eli and Levi, and the baby, Rose, had photos all through the house. She couldn’t wait to graduate and have them all come visit. Wait, have you ever held a baby?

Grey thought about it for a minute. He remembered his parents telling him that he had a new cousin. But by the time he met her, she was starting kindergarten. Other than that, he couldn’t remember ever even being around babies. Umm, no. No, this would be the first.

Well, we’ll just have to take lots of photos then, won’t we? And show the little bean how awkward Uncle Grey was. Lily got the last of the food put away while Grey finished rinsing the dishes. Let’s go back out to the fire. Have you seen the stars tonight?

And Grey followed Lily back out to the fire, where Nate and Jack were starting s’mores and Savanah was shooting down name ideas. Even if Grey could still feel the hollow, his chosen family and the fire softened the pain. And while the girls pointed out constellations and Grey told them the story of how they each got in the sky, his eyes drifted toward Cassiopeia, and he hoped that she had heard his wish.

*****

Sunlight poured through the window above the iron bed frame. It pulled at the bottom of her eyelids, threatening to evaporate the dream she had so carefully wrapped herself in. A man with hair as dark as the night sky smiled before he kissed her. Time to wake up now, Calista. The sun is calling…

Ew, the sun, she mumbled as she buried her head in her pillow. Three weeks since her first morning and she wasn’t used to the sun yet. Peppy yellow bastard, she’d called him on more than one occasion. Calista pried her eyes open to check the time. It’s 8:07 a.m. All right, time to do the human thing.

She sat up and immediately lay back down. Ha ha, very funny, Moon. Lesson learned. Can I come home now?

Silence.

Shocker, Calista snarled and got out of bed. "Of course I can’t come home. Not until I fulfill this impossible wish!" she yelled to the window. She rolled her eyes and stepped toward the mirrored closet doors. The way the sun bounced off her reflection made her look even more pale than she already was. Maybe I’ll be the first star to get a tan. She could hear the sarcasm in her own head, though she had to admit, she did make a beautiful human. Hair white as starlight and brushing her hips in loose waves. Eyes a shade of blue that only the ocean and the sky knew. Her navy slip hugged her curves before brushing loosely against her thighs. She smiled at her reflection before pulling denim shorts, a tank top, and a sweatshirt from her closet. If I have to be human, at least I can still look like me. Calista changed and padded down the spiral staircase from the loft to the open living area. The apartment the Moon had set her in was industrial and minimalistic—wrought iron and exposed brick, a perfect contrast to the soft white furniture and dark wood floors. The kitchen boasted the same iron fixtures and contrasted aesthetic.

Calista went to the kitchen and pulled a coffee mug from the cabinet before thinking better of it. She had found a little coffee shop called the Beanery in town that had a quiet corner for her to work in. And the coffee is better, she reasoned, and put her mug back in the cabinet. She gathered her schoolwork from the coffee table, where it had been resting since the afternoon before, slid on a pair of sneakers, grabbed her backpack, and locked the door behind her.

As she walked toward Main Street, she thought about the wish. She was still bitter about the human who had wished on her. Wishes like his had a way of pulling stars from the sky and dooming them. The longer a star took to fulfill a wish, the less they would remember the sky and why they were on earth in the first place. If they couldn’t fulfill the wish at all, the star would become human, and they would die a human death. The longer Calista was stuck here, the less of home she would remember. How, in the Moon’s whole sky, am I supposed to make someone fall truly in love? Calista huffed. There are three things in the whole of the universe stars can’t manipulate: life, death, and love. And he just had to wish for one of them! She thought about Zephyr, the alpha star in her constellation. He was her perfect match, her other half, and he had been ripped from the sky twenty-four years ago. She wondered if she would recognize him if she saw him, if he even remembered who he was…if he remembered who she was. Oh, Zephyr… She took a deep breath and shook her head. I’m just going to go be a human and drink coffee. I can’t deal with his silly wish today. And Calista spent the rest of her walk distracting herself with as many human thoughts as she could. The weather, how beautiful the ocean looked from the coffee shop, what kind of coffee she was going to get and if she was going to eat anything with it. She let these things occupy her mind until she walked through the door of the Beanery

Oh good, the cute one is here. Calista smiled at the man behind the counter. Hey there, he said and flashed her a smile. Look at that, nine in the morning for the third Friday in a row. Careful now, you’re becoming a regular.

Well, there are worse things I could be. She smiled back. Calista enjoyed their weekly chats. He made her feel almost human, almost like being on earth wasn’t her own personal hell. But he would make her smile, and they would laugh and talk about the day or the news or his regulars.

Whatcha gonna have today? he asked, the sun turning his golden eyes to honey. And if you tell me the usual, I will make something up that I think you’ll like.

Well, then I guess I’ll have to try the usual, won’t I? She smirked.

Perfect. Go set up in your corner and I’ll bring it over. By the way, do you have a name I should be calling you? Or…

Calista.

Do you have a last name? Or is that classified? he joked. He was smooth, she had to give him that. He was also the closest thing she currently had to a friend. Which is particularly disheartening… Polaris would never let me here the end of this if he knew.

Ster, she responded. Do I have to call you the coffee boy forever, or can I have your name in exchange for mine?

Well, look at you, being secretly charming. He smirked. Name’s Jack Crea, and I will bring your coffee right over.

Calista’s usual corner was soaked in morning sun. She pulled out her class notes, notebook, and pen before slinging her bag across the back of her chair and sitting down to get some work done. When a star is wished on, the Moon arranges all the practical things, which is how Calista assumed she had been placed in humanities classes. Very funny, Moon. Stick the star in human class. She had just started her paper on the history of war and its influence on literature when she saw Jack bringing her coffee over.

Well, aren’t you just the perfect gentleman? Thank you. Calista grinned and took the cup from him.

Well, thank you! He made an exaggerated bowing gesture. If Lily heard you say that, she’d laugh in your face. Or at least she’d strongly disagree.

Lily is your…girlfriend?

No. Lily is more or less my sister. Jack paused and looked out at the water and back to Calista. Like he had a thought and lost it. So! The usual is an iced, blond double shot with cinnamon, vanilla, and a touch of sweetened heavy cream. Let me know what you think. He winked before heading back to the counter to talk with the other barista and wait on customers. The coffee smelled amazing and tasted even better. This is why he has regulars—he’s charming and makes amazing coffee, she thought. Though she wasn’t sure which of those things brought people in and which kept them coming back. She let her mind wander as she sipped on her coffee. If Polaris, the North Star, had ever been to a sleepy little town like this. How the Orion stars would feel about Jack. The thought made her smile. Rigel would want to fight him and prove that he’s the best. Bellatrix would absolutely have fallen all over herself for his attention. Saiph wouldn’t have even looked at him, just judged the rest of her Constellation for being so taken by a human. She brushed the thoughts away and took one last look at the ocean before getting back to her paper.

An hour or so later, she was wrapping up the conclusion of her paper when Jack came and sat opposite her.

So the coffee, what’d you think? he queried. Eyes wide and open and so innocent, Calista thought.

It was perfect, thank you, Jack. And she offered her smile in response. The two sat for a moment in silence, enjoying the sun through the window and the view and the company they were keeping.

Calista?

Yes?

What are you doing later?

She thought for a moment. Lunch at some point. But other than that, nothing. Headed back to my apartment, I guess. Why?

Well, I never see you with anyone. I’ve seen you on campus a few times. But you don’t talk to anyone or sit with anyone… Jack was pulling at the pocket on his apron and looking at the floor. I figured maybe you were just anti-social. But anyway! My friends and I get together on Friday nights. Just to relax, have a fire and a few drinks. Do you want to come?

Sure. What else are you going to do? Sit in the loft and read a book? Miss Zephyr? Wonder who the stupid human was that wished for true love? "I just transferred this year. I’ve done all of my schooling via home school or online, and my dad thought it’d be good for me to finish university—you know, at a university."

Oh, all right. That makes sense, Jack responded. As smooth as he was earlier, why is he nervous now? Cool, so I get off in like half an hour. Do you want to just come over with me then? Or should I come pick you up later?

I think I’ll stick around. Can we run over to my apartment first? I want to drop off my school bag. You’re really going to go hang out with a stranger and his friends all day and half the night? But how else are strangers supposed to become friends if not spending time together? she argued with herself all while keeping a plain expression on her face.

Yeah, absolutely. You might want to grab some warmer pants while we’re there. It gets chilly at night. He walked away with what was quickly becoming his signature smile. Well, it took you three weeks, but you have a friend. And just maybe he can get you closer to the boy that wished on you.

She thought about Zephyr every time she would talk to herself. He used to catch her distracted and talking to herself and laugh. She remembered once, when she was having a heated discussion with herself about which color dress to wear, and he just started laughing. You’re making faces again, he had laughed. She pretended to be mad, and he swept her up in his arms and made some comment about not having to wear a dress at all. The memory used to leave her with flushed cheeks…now it just left her with this hollow ache in her chest. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. Everything was perfect. Why can’t humans wish for normal things? Why do they have to ask the impossible? Why did they have to wish on him? She looked up to the other regulars in the shop and wondered how many had wished on stars. How many of them actually believed in wishing on stars? It’s fine, she told herself as she tried to shake the thoughts from her mind. I’m just going to be human today. Not a star. Not stuck here. Just Calista. And she returned to her notebook to proofread her paper until Jack was done with work.

Forty-five minutes later, Jack