Our Star Has Fallen | Prologue

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Prologue It had all started the summer Melinda Wilson had moved in next door to Coraline Mackenzie. The "For Sale" sign had stood in the O'Neills' front yard for nearly the entire summer. Coral had been best friends with their kids, Charlie and Jaylen, since they were toddlers. Now that they were gone, Coral had no one to play with during the summer—until Mindy arrived. The moving truck came on July 21. Coral was sitting in her bedroom, playing with her Disney princess dolls by herself. When the truck pulled into the driveway next door, Coral perked up and walked over to the window to see what was going on. As the truck parked, two men in uniforms got out and opened the back of the truck. A red Audi parked behind the truck before a little girl leaped out and rushed to the front door. Her parents, Coral assumed, opened their doors and made a beeline for the moving truck. Coral was about to go back to her dolls when she noticed the girl had dropped something as she sprinted inside the house. Coral raced downstairs, slipped on a pair of shoes, and walked into her front yard, where a Rapunzel doll was lying face down in the grass. Coral gingerly picked her up and cradled her like a baby. A doll like this must deserve special care, Coral thought. She glanced at the house next door, thinking of the girl who had ran inside. Coral marched to the new neighbors' front door with purpose, hugging the doll to her chest the whole way. Confidently, she knocked on the door and waited for the girl to come. Soon enough, the small girl creaked open the door. She had bangs that framed her heart-shaped face perfectly, and her eyes were full of shining wonder. "Hi, I'm Coraline Mackenzie. I live next door. I think you dropped this," Coral said, handing her neighbor the Rapunzel doll. "Thank you so much! I've been looking everywhere for this! Wait—did you say Coraline? As in the movie?" the girl asked, her eyebrows scrunching up. "Yeah. My family's obsessed with kids' movies," Coral explained. "That's awesome! I love Disney movies. They're the best," the girl smiled. "Same!" Coral jumped up and down happily. "Want to come inside and check out my new house?" the girl asked, waving a hand to gesture to the interior of her house. "Sure!" Coral exclaimed. She took off her shoes and followed the girl inside. "By the way, my name is Melinda Wilson, Mindy for short," the girl said, sticking out her hand for Coral to shake. "Cool! You can call me Coral for short," Coral replied, shaking her brand-new friend's hand. — It was the best summer Mindy and Coral had ever dreamed of. They passed the days playing make-pretend with their Disney dolls, watching dozens of Disney movies during sleepovers, and stargazing in their backyards late at night. Alas, it would be the last summer they had together before they would attend kindergarten in separate classes. The night before the first day of school, the duo was lying in Coral's backyard, gazing at the stars and sharing their dreams. The stars watched over them, smiling down on the children and glowing with joy. "Mindy, I'm gonna miss you," Coral said all of a sudden, trying to hold back tears. Mindy glanced over at Coral. "Hey, don't cry, Coral! At least we'll have recess together." "Yeah, I guess. But it's not enough! I wish we had the same class," Coral sighed, rolling over to face Mindy. "Me too. But we're just gonna have to make the best of it." Mindy sat up and shrugged. "You're right, Mindy! We can still stay friends, despite being in different classes." Coral sat up next to Mindy. Suddenly, the brightest star caught Mindy's attention. "Coral, I just got the best idea! You know the song When You Wish Upon a Star?" "Yeah. What about it?" Coral wondered. "We should make a wish to be friends forever!" Mindy exclaimed, shaking Coral's shoulders dramatically. "Okay, okay, calm down! That's a great idea!" Coral smiled. She grabbed Mindy's hand and stared at the glimmering star. Together, the two wished for their eternal friendship. "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight." Then, they closed their eyes and thought about their wish. Finally, they opened their eyes and gazed at each other with a smile. Despite their wishes, though, their future would be inevitable. They didn't wish hard enough. Author's note: I decided to start a brand-new series! I hope you like it so far. Let me know if you want me to continue in the comments.