Read Starbound: A Starstruck Novel for Free Online Page A

in, Mrs. George called Rigel and me and both O’Garas up front.
    “You’ve all been asked to go to the office. No, I don’t know why,” she said when Sean started to ask, “but try to come back as quickly as possible, since you all still have a lot of work to do on your projects.”
    After the tension at lunch, my first thought was that Rigel and Sean had been caught fighting, but that didn’t explain Molly and me being summoned, too. Maybe it had something to do with our upcoming trip?
    My second guess was right.
    “Congratulations, all of you!” Principal Johannsen greeted us when we were shown into her office. “I’ve just received word that the four of you have each finaled in an essay contest, which means full scholarships to a study-abroad program in Ireland that I take it you’ve all applied for? I hadn’t heard about it before, but the paperwork seems clear enough. Was this something your guidance counselors told you about?”
    “Our mum, actually,” Molly replied while I was still groping for a good answer. “She heard about it from friends in Ireland and suggested we all apply.”
    The principal nodded. “I see. Very resourceful of you all to have followed through. Now, we’ll have to work out transfer of credits and other details, but assuming you decide to go…?” We all nodded. “It shouldn’t set back your graduations. Would you like to tell your parents, or shall I call them?”
    This time I spoke up. “Uh, I think my aunt would really like to hear it from you, Ma’am. Just so she knows it’s official and everything.”
    “Of course.” From the principal’s knowing smile, she was well enough acquainted with Aunt Theresa (who taught third grade at Jewel Elementary and knew everybody in the school system) to understand why I requested that. “The rest of you?”
    “We can tell our folks, since they already know about the program,” Sean said.
    Rigel nodded. “Me, too. But thanks for offering.”
    Principal Johannsen beamed around at us. “Wonderful. That’s settled, then. You’ll want to make appointments with your guidance counselors this week to be sure you’re on track with everything, since it’s a very short time frame. Congratulations again!”
    “That was pretty slick,” Rigel murmured as we headed back through the mostly deserted hallways. “I didn’t think they could manage it that fast.”
    Sean glanced at me. “Mum said the Council started setting things up a few days ago. I think they just wanted to run it past you first, M.”
    Though I was still feeling a little stunned, I had to laugh. “Run it past me? You make it sound like I was given a choice.”

    I didn’t usually pay attention to the morning announcements, since Trina was one of the announcers, but I glanced up at the video monitor the next day when I heard, “And special congratulations to four Jewel students for winning full scholarships to the Irish-American Cultural Enrichment program, which will allow them to spend the spring studying in Bally . . . Bail . . . in Ireland. The winners are—” Suddenly Trina looked like she’d swallowed something disgusting. “—are Sean and Molly O’Gara, Rigel Stuart…and Marsha Truitt. Now, here’s Carly Morehouse with an update on tonight’s game.”
    The camera switched to Carly. Next to me, Deb started laughing.
    “Did you see her face? That was awesome! I mean, I already thought it was way cool that you guys won this thing, but that makes it even better.”
    I had to agree. Especially when Trina came into the room a few minutes later, her expression still sour as she glared across at me. I just smiled sweetly.
    She didn’t look at me again for the rest of class. But as we were all leaving for second period, she sidled up to me. “There’s no way you won that thing on your own, Marsha,” she hissed furiously. “I’m going to find out who pulled what strings to get you in, and then I’m going to make sure everybody knows about it. So