Leona''s Unlucky Mission Read Online Free

crowd in her palette of hot pink and jet black. The four Star Darlings scanned the wavy rows of tables. One by one, each shook her head. If Scarlet had been in the café, they would have spotted her in the rainbow of students, without a doubt.
    â€œIt wouldn’t be the first meal she ever skipped,” said Leona. “You know how antisocial she can be. Honestly, I never could see how Lady Stella ever sensed Star Darling potential in her, let alone see her granting wishes.”
    â€œWell, don’t tell Libby that,” Gemma warned. “She’s really upset about the whole thing. And her stars get out of line so easily lately. You’d think a successful mission would have helped, but
nooooo
,” Gemma groaned. “Honestly, I don’t know how much longer I can room with her.”
    â€œHey, here come Clover and Astra,” observed Piper, pointing with her chin.
    Leona and the others turned, eager to find out what news the second-year roommates might have. If they did have any, though, it didn’t look like it was very good.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Cassie asked as they reached the table.
    Clover shrugged and nodded toward Astra. “Ask her.”
    â€œNo, ask her.” Astra slid her warm auburn eyes to Clover. “Seriously, what were we fighting about again?”
    â€œWell…if I remember correctly, you were cheating.”
    â€œBut I wasn’t.”
    â€œBut you were.”
    â€œOh, just admit it, Astra,” Gemma cut in. “Everyone knows you hate to lose.”
    Astra glared down her nose at the ginger-haired Starling. Her own flame-red hair flickered indignantly. “That doesn’t mean I’d cheat, Gemma. Who asked you, anyway?”
    â€œCould somebody please start from the beginning?” said Cassie.
    â€œIt’s no big deal,” said Clover, shrugging the whole episode away. She shook off her plum jacket and tossed it over the back of her chair. With a flick of her head, she shook her violet bangs out of her eyes and sank into her seat. “I’m not even mad…anymore….We were playing a friendly game of holo-cards in our room, and Astra cheated. The end.”
    â€œBut I didn’t cheat,” groaned Astra. “I mean, what kind of Starling do you think I am? Besides, Clover, I didn’t even need to cheat to win. You tried to shoot the moon when you knew I’d broken hearts.”
    â€œLet’s just forget about it,” said Clover, bowing her head.
    â€œYou know, I was kind of missing having a roommate,” said Leona, chuckling. “But not so much anymore.”
    â€œIt’s not funny,” Piper said, leaning intently over her salad. “I don’t know if you Starlings have noticed it, but lately I’ve been sensing a lot of tension in the air, including from my own roommate, Vega. She wasn’t talking to me this morning when she left. In fact”—Piper frowned and slowly sat back—“I wonder if that’s why she’s not here, because she’s still so mad…”
    â€œLike Tessa and Adora!” exclaimed Cassie.
    â€œWhat about Tessa?” Gemma’s ears glistened at her sister’s name.
    By that time, though, a duo of Bot-Bot waiters had returned to take Clover’s and Astra’s orders and serve Leona’s and Cassie’s food.
    â€œMmm! Star salutations!” Leona licked her lips and used her wish energy manipulation skills to mentally flick open her napkin, a crisp cloth square, which she then laid across her lap. “Could we worry about all that stuff later and worry about eating right now?” she begged.

In the end, there was no discussion of Star Darlings tension, because the rest of the girls soon arrived and the talk at the lunch table shifted quickly to Scarlet and her dismissal and, most important, what it meant. Did it really matter that there were only eleven of them now?
    â€œI don’t see