The Finale

Saying goodbye was a lot easier than Star thought, at least in the beginning. It was kind of like a movie, where she was standing on her porch waving goodbye to him as the tour bus pulled off. Of course she was crying, but her happiness for him to be able to live his dream and help his family overpowered any pain she was feeling. After all, it would be selfish to guilt him into staying when he had so much he was working towards. She was proud of his accomplishments and she put her true feelings on the backburner. That's what made it easier to cope with.

She kept telling herself that it would only be a few months. She told herself that daily. She talked to Caleb almost everyday but she was human after all and she began to feel empty inside. At the end of the day, who could she call up and hang out with? Tim was out filming another movie, and it wasn't like  he'd actually hang out with her anyway. She couldn't exactly go out and make friends, she was still a household name. People whispered in her passing and she just didn't feel comfortable opening up to a new group of people. Talking to Caleb though did make her feel a little bit better and she waited patiently for him to come home.

There was only a few more weeks until Caleb's tour would be over. His last show would be in Bridgeport and she planned on going to see him again. This time she'd be front row. She had reached out to her parents who were more than happy to let her stay with them. Even if their love was rooted in greed, it was still love and she knew better than anyone that things worth feeling were never on the surface. Her parents loved her and she knew it, but she knew on the surface fame and glamour was on their mind. Either way, they were still her parents and she had recently become homesick. Visiting them would be great for her. She had made enough money from appearances to buy her own car. It wasn't too extravagant but it worked for her.

Telling Harper about everything initially made her nervous. Her stomach hurt just thinking about it. She didn't have any reason to, Harper had never judged her and this time was no different. She thought that it was amazing that Star stepped out of her comfort zone and actually blackmailed Time Levesque. The two talked about moving in together and being roommates again. Harper would come to Starlight Shores and stay in Star's place until the two could afford to move to a slightly bigger home. Honestly, Star was tired of waking up to an empty house. She shut her phone and began to drive to Bridgeport. She popped Caleb's CD into the radio and began to sing along. Bridgeport was a long drive away, but it was much cheaper than airfare.
                          
Caleb had just finished rehearsal for the day and he grabbed his phone to check the time. He had a few hours until showtime and he decided to call Star. He missed her voice. They talked every opportunity Caleb was free. He didn't know she was planning on surprising him on the the last day of his tour. He began to worry when there was no answer on the other line. Star never let it get passed the second ring. She hadn't told him that she was doing any appearances today. As far as Caleb knew, she was free. He found it strange, but he figured she was probably busy. He decided to just go and eat some dinner and try calling her again later. In the mean time he left her a voicemail and texted her. It wasn't until halfway through his food that his phone began to ring.

"Guys, can you excuse me for a minute?" He asked his stage crew. The nodded and he got up to see who was calling him. It wasn't Star, but a private number. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mr. Gray?"

"Yes, that's me. How can I help you?"

"Do you know someone by the name of Star Upton?"

Thoughts began to glide through his head frantically. Who was this guy and why was he calling about Star? "Yes...why...what happened?"

"There's been an accident."

Caleb tried to remain calm as the person explained to him what had happened. He kept telling himself it was some sort of practical joke. It had to be. He found out that the person he was talking to was Star's dad. Apparently, she had been on her way to see his last show and she was going to be staying  with her parents. He hadn't known any of this, in fact he wished she would have told him. On the drive up she had been rear-ended by a truck. The driver had fallen asleep behind the wheel. The impact had been enough to kill him. Though Star was still alive, according to her father, things didn't look so good. She was completely unresponsive. The doctors said it was a miracle she survived the impact. He couldn't stop the tears from falling down his face. He was waiting for the cameras to come out and for someone to tell him he was on a television show, but it never came.

"Damnit Star!" Caleb banged the brick wall angrily. "Why?" His hand would be bruised, but he didn't care. he only had one thing on his mind. Star. He had to go to her. He had to see her. She would be fine. She would survive this. 

"Caleb, listen to me, please!" Glenn grabbed a hold of his arms. "You don't even know if its that bad. All the doctors said was that she was unresponsive. Thats kind of vague, right? She's still breathing, she could pull through all of this."

They were sitting in the hospital waiting room. At the request of Mr. Upton, a doctor had met with Caleb to discuss Star's condition. He had told Caleb that Star would basically be a vegetable for the rest of her life. The decision was up to her parents whether they wanted her to live like that or not.  "Glenn, this is all my fault...!" Caleb choked out. "I killed her...!"

"Kid, what are you talking about? You heard the guy, it was a freak accident. The one to blame is that guy who was driving the truck."

"She was coming to see me, don't you get it?" Caleb said angrily. Glenn could see the helplessness in his eyes.

"This has nothing to do with you Caleb. She was at the wrong place at the wrong time. You didn't do anything."

Caleb wasn't listening. He was crying even harder. He didn't care who saw him, with his unkempt hair and red puffy eyes.

"Mr. Gray?" He heard the same familiar voice and looked up, tears relentlessly falling down his cheeks.

'Yes?"

"I'm Star's father. We spoke over the phone. Her mother is in the room with Star. On behalf of both of us, we'd like to thank you for everything you have done for our daughter. When she had called us over the phone and told us she wanted to stay with us for the weekend, we were kind of skeptical. My wife was ecstatic but I was confused. I had thought she wanted nothing to do with us after we dismissed her dream. She told us that she knew that we cared about her and were looking out for her. She explained why she was coming and told us how much she was in love with you. She spoke so highly of you. So much so that I was looking forward to meeting you, but I didn't think  it would be like this."

"Thank you sir, that means the world to me..." He said softly. Caleb was mad at himself for letting Star get hurt, but here her father stood in front of him praising him. "but...you're not mad at me?"

"It's not your fault Caleb. She would hate us for placing blame on you. She loves you to death," He looked at Caleb reassuringly and somehow Caleb felt ten times better.

"How is she, can I see her?" Caleb asked quietly.

"This is extremely hard for me to say to you right now Caleb. I thought about not telling you until later, but I think you deserve my complete honesty. Right now, things aren't looking so good. Star is breathing through a machine. She hasn't moved at all since they brought her in. We've been here for hours." Mr. Upton was trying to fight back the tears to look strong in front of Caleb, but it was no use, a small tear escaped his left eye. "I feel like such a jackass. I've caused my entire family to split apart. The lack of contact was all my fault. Her mother wanted to cave so many times and call Star, but I forbid her. I told her that Star needed tough love. One day, my wife said to me that I wouldn't understand until my daughter was in a body bag. Now, I'll never get to see her smile again, or hear her laugh..."

"Sir...what are you talking about?" Caleb cried out desperately. "You can apologize to her face when she gets better."

"She's not going to get better!" Letting his emotions get the better of him, Mr. Upton began to shout at Caleb. "There's neurological damage. Her brain will never heal. We can watch her deteriorate or end her suffering now. I don't want to kill my own daughter, I really don't but she will never be able to speak, move or interact with us. She'll be trapped in her own body damn it. Is that fair to her!?"

"There has to be another way! There has to be!" Caleb shook.

"Think of what's best for her Caleb. We have to pull the plug. We'll give you time to say goodbye. We have to son...I'm so sorry. We all wish it could be different. Star was a wonderful girl..."

"Star is a wonderful girl!" Caleb interrupted angrily. "She always will be. She isn't just some dispensable thing. She's a human being...she's everything to me!" Caleb was angrier than he had ever been before. He had absolutely no say in how things would go and from his point of view it looked like Mr. and Mrs. Upton weren't willing to give Star an extra chance. "What do you need, money? Anything...I'll pay for her medical treatment. Anything!" His finances were designated to his family already to help find his brother, but right now he was desperate. he would do anything to have Star healthy and in his arms once more.

"I wish it was that simple...you can't reverse brain damage. You can spend all the money you want on different doctors but all you're going to do is pile up more and more medical bills. She isn't going to get better, son. I'm sorry."

More tears began to fall down Caleb's face and he walked away from Mr. Upton. Listening to him was making Caleb sick to his stomach. Deep down, even if Caleb hated to admit it, this wasn't his decision to make. Star was their daughter and if they thought that pulling the plug would be the best thing for her then he couldn't stop them. Caleb could sense the regret in Mr. Upton's voice. Though Star was estranged from her parents, she never showed any animosity at the thought of them. She always seemed to upset, but never angry. Caleb, thinking back to this and his own family, understood the intention of Mr. Upton, yet he was human and his heart hurt at the thought of losing somebody so precious to him.  "Can I see her?" All Mr. Upton could do was nod.

Sitting in the all white hospital room was who Caleb could only assume was Star's mother. Her dark hair and outfit were a stark contrast to the radiance the room was trying to convey. But, there was nothing radiant about this room. Star's mother looked drained of all life. There were prominent dark spots under her eyes. Star lay motionlessly on the bed. Her legs were curled up as if she was sleeping. He was hesitant upon entering the room. Caleb was terrified of seeing Star's face. What if he didn't recognize her? His heart began to beat faster and faster. He hoped she was still the same girl that he knew.

"Come on in Sweetheart. Star told us so much about you. I'm Sarah, I'm sure my husband told you I was here." Caleb nodded meekly. Sarah tried to smile but it looked forced. "Its weird meeting me like this, isn't it? When I pictured meeting my daughter's first boyfriend, I thought it would be over a small dinner or something. I didn't even think she'd go all the way to Starlight Shores by herself. She was always such a quiet girl, but we knew she'd bring home a nice guy. It took her a while, but when she finally found you, she couldn't stop talking about you...Oh, I'm sorry. I'm rambling. Please don't mind me."

Caleb took a seat next to Star's mother. "In a way, I'm kind of like Star. I never was that proactive with relationships. I've only been in love once, and it's been with Star," He confided.

"When Star told me about you, I was so nervous. She had gotten so famous so quickly, that I didn't think she'd actually want to come back and see us. We didn't exactly leave off on the best terms. I knew she'd be a little skeptical, thinking we'd only want to see her to leech off her fame. I wanted to apologize and explain everything to her. I was also a bit nervous because you're so famous. I didn't know what you'd be like, or if you even cared about her, but just from sitting near next to you, I can tell that you're a sweet boy."

"Thank you Mrs. Upton." That's all Caleb could manage to say. The environment was tense and Sarah seemed to try to fix it with her talking. But, even she didn't know what to say to the torn superstar. Finally, she gave up and decided to give Caleb some time on his own with Star. She was trying to be strong for her husband, but being around Caleb was too much. His depression was breaking down the hard exterior she put up for those around her. She was hurting the most out of everyone, and each second she remained with Caleb, made her heart break even more than she thought it was possible.

"Star..." Caleb whispered. "Your parents are wonderful people." He watched her lay there in silence, half expecting her to open her eyes and thank him for the compliment. She never did.

"Star..." He breathed again. She looked so peaceful. If it wasn't for the environment, he'd think she was just taking a nap. Her face wasn't scratched up, battered or bruised. Her arms were a bit bloodied up, but other than that there really was no visible damage to her body. he couldn't understand how this could happen to someone like her. The real problem wasn't outward, it was neurological damage. How could something hidden be so destructive? "Damnit...this is my fault isn't it?"

Her beautiful hair was down straight. Believe it or not, he had never seen Star's natural hair. She kept it up whenever they went out, and looking at her now, he wished she wore it down more often. She was truly beautiful. "Say something..." Of course she wouldn't. This was worse than anything he could imagine. She was in front of him, unable to respond to anything he would say to her. What was she feeling right now? Did she even feel anything at all? Was she conscious but unable to move? He wished she would do something, anything. Even just twitching her nose would be enough for him. Anything for him to know that she still existed.

Watching her now felt so foreign to him. "Star please...you have to do something, anything. Show them that you're stronger than this. Don't let them win, please..."

"Sir, we need to take some tests. If you could wait outside, that would be great," A nurse said as she came into the room.

Caleb looked at Star one last time and kissed her forehead before leaving the room.

It wasn't the last time he saw Star. Glenn made a call and canceled Caleb's show that night. Fans all over the world were sending him messages wishing him, Star and even Tim well. Caleb had spoken to Tim for hours. it consisted mostly of Caleb's sobs and Tim's breathing. It was just comforting to know someone was there for him in all of this. He hadn't the time to contact his family, but they somehow knew to take a step back as they sent him well wishes but told him to call them if he needed them. They didn't pry, and Caleb was so thankful. He had returned to the hospital daily for a few days, and on the last day, the inevitable happened. Mr. and Mrs. Upton had to make the hardest decision of their life and at exactly 2:45 am, Star was pronounced dead. Caleb couldn't function at all. the news destroyed him but deep down he knew there was no avoiding it. He was angry, upset and confused all at the same time. How could something like this happen to him? Why was it always him? How was he supposed to go on like this? Eventually, Caleb was prompted to go back to Starlight Shores until a funeral was planned. Caleb refused to leave Bridgeport and Mr. and Mrs. Upton offered him a room in their house. He politely refused, wanted to morn in absolute solidarity. He rented out a hotel room and cried for days. It was a horrible time for Caleb and his manager could do nothing but watch him suffer. Glenn's actions weren't able to reach Caleb, and he wasn't actually able to snap out of his funk until the day of the actual funeral.

Star was wearing a beautiful pink gown. She looked stunning to Caleb, which only hurt him more. He swore, despite the situation she was in, Star looked peaceful and content, almost like an Angel. Her smile was burned into his mind and every time someone mentioned her name it flashed across his eyes. He heard her laugh constantly, but he knew she wasn't there, and never would be again.

Fans and paparazzi both lined up outside of the funeral home that evening. Mr. and Mrs. Upton asked politely if they would remain outside and not disturb the holy ceremony, and out of respect they did. Not even the paparazzi were that hurtful. It was a weird funeral in that only a few people really were allowed inside. Mrs. Upton told Caleb that Star was like that, she didn't want unnecessary attention on her from those who truly didn't care. So despite all the best wishes, the only people in the funeral home were Star's parents, Caleb, Tim, Glenn, Harper and  Mya.

Tim, believe it or not, didn't take the news well. He was distraught. The idea of someone he once interacted with, never walking the earth again scared the crap out of him. He regretted dismissing Star so readily. Even though she blackmailed him, he knew it was innocent. Not once did she ever mean him harm. She was never going to sell his picture to the paparazzi. He had dragged her into the fame game even further but, despite it all she was never changed. She was awkward and not cut out for all the fame, but thats why his best friend loved her. Even more than anything, he was distraught for Caleb, who he thought was finally going to be completely happy. It was all just a pipe dream, and once again Caleb was dealt a bad hand. Tim was ready to pick up the pieces, he had promised Caleb he would be there for him always. They would get through this together.

Glenn, normally he was pretty indifferent to Star's existence. There had been some talks between him and Caleb about taking her in as one of his clients. Glenn approached Caleb about it on a whim, he had never seen her act, but she was passionate about her art, at least according to Caleb. Glenn was dedicated to Caleb. He wasn't just a client, but like a son as well. Caleb was the whole reason he took Tim under his wing as well, otherwise he'd have avoided the smug superstar altogether. It was a shame to see such a young girl in this predicament and it brought tears even to his hard heart.

Everyone was shocked with Mya's appearance. Even Star's parent had heart about their fight. It was infamous. When Tim asked her what she was doing there she replied with a cold, "I'm human too, you know." She felt absolutely horrible. Star and her weren't particularly close at all. After their altercation, Mya felt Star to be beneath her. Yet, seeing her corpse woke up something inside of her. She had realized how empty her life really was. How could someone as low as Star, who barely could fill a room at her own funeral, be so much more loved than her? For the first time, she had felt lonely and watching the scene progress, she had wished she was nicer to Star. Maybe she would have made a friend. She would never know.

Harper took it harder than Caleb. She was unable to even utter a word between her rigid sobs. She was collapsed in front of the casket, shaking uncontrollably.

"Harper?" Caleb asked calmly.

She looked up at him, eyes red and swollen. "She's dead! I told her to stay safe!" Realizing, it was the last conversation Star would have while she was alive made Harper feel even worse. "Oh my gosh!" She felt the sobs rack her entire body. "I won't ever talk to her again...I...I...." She began to stutter and she couldn't think straight to even formulate the words.

Caleb kneeled down beside her and held her. "Everything will be alright."

"No it won't. It isn't fair. She was finally happy, living out her dream. We were going to move in together!" She crumpled into his arms and cried into his chest. Her face was red, her makeup was running and probably staining his white shirt and her cheeks were drenched. "Why?"

"I'm asking myself the same thing. How could someone so amazing, just be gone? I thought about it for awhile, and maybe it's because heaven needed someone like her. She had helped so many of us, but now she's needed to spread her love somewhere else."

Harper cried harder, but still found comfort in his words. It was incredibly hard for her to face this now, but she knew she'd have to get over it one day and maybe later on in life, something good would come of it. For now, she couldn't help but think that Star wouldn't want her to be so upset, but how could she not? Star was like the sister she wished she had. They had so many big things planned. This would be the first time seeing her since university. She pictured a girls night out, not this. She held tightly onto Caleb and let all of her tears out. Caleb held on to her tighter, willing to be the punching bag she needed to cope.

"Sweetheart..." Star's dad began.

"Don't say it. This is our fault. We shouldn't have made her feel like we didn't care. I've always loved her. If she'd known that, maybe none of this would have happened!"

"This couldn't have been avoided. She was hit but a truck. You couldn't stop that even if you tried. Don't beat yourself up about any of this. I'm positive that she knew we loved her. She lived a happy life. Even if only for a little while, she met that boy. Just by the way she spoke about him you could tell he was something special to her."

"I wanted to help her plan a wedding, be there at her children's birth....a parent should never have to watch their child die before them..." Sarah clutched her husband's shirt tightly. "This isn't natural."

"I hate this just as much as you do, but the only thing we can do now is be strong. For each other, for Caleb, for Harper and for Star. We need to stand together right now."

She sniffled but nodded. Losing her daughter the first time was rough. Having her come back in and then losing her again, permanently was even harder. Right now, all Sarah could feel was guilt. She felt like Star hated her and thought she was money hungry. She felt dead inside. There were so many things she wished she did with Star, and said to her, but it was too late now.

Caleb looked into the crowd of six people. Each held a significant place in Star's heart. His hands began to shake, never had he felt so nervous to address a crowd before. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of a beautiful young woman, Star Upton." He didn't know why he was being so formal, or why Star's parents had asked him, instead of Harper to say a speech. "I could stand here and talk about Star all day, but I think we all just want to go home and cry into our pillows. I met Star completely by accident. She intrigued me from the beginning. She started as one of my fan's coming to talk to me after one of my shows. I could tell she was different. The way she held herself was with dignity and honor. She didn't throw herself at me or disrespect my body guard or manager in any way. There were others who of course were respectful, but none like Star. She told me about how I inspired her to reach for her dreams. Honestly, she inspired me. She was so nervous and humble around other celebrities. She never saw herself truly as a star, yet she was the brightest thing in my world. Star..." He paused as a tear fell down his cheek. "Star Upton had a way of impacting everyone she met, even those you'd least expect." He looked towards Tim and Mya who both tried to hide from his gaze. "She was an incredible friend, daughter, and girlfriend. I thought about this a lot. Star came to Starlight Shores and laid her heart out there for everyone to see. She did things she normally wouldn't have, she tried new things, and even when she lost her path, she was able to find her way back. She touched people's lives around her, whether it be for her bubbly television appearances, or her horrible jokes, she made us feel like we were human beings who mattered. Even when she was given the taste of fame, she was true to herself and those around her. Looking back on it now, I believe, that is how to truly be a star." 

Looking into the crowd, Caleb wondered where everyone would go from here. Would Harper still come out to Starlight Shores without Star? Would Tim still be there for Caleb, to mend his broken heart? Would Glenn still be there to support them both? Would Mya change her lifestyle for the better? Would Star's parents be able to move passed their guilt and live their lives out to the fullest? Would anyone ever be the same again?

Caleb wiped his eyes and stepped down from the mic. He would go to Lunar Lakes to be with his own family, to find his brother. Pushing all of this behind him would be hard, and leaving his best friend would be even harder. But, everyone had their own lives to live, people they cared about and responsibilities they had to put in front of them. Caleb would never forget these people, or his amazing girlfriend. At the end of all of this, Caleb came out a better person. Star Upton taught him how to be a star.
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This is the end of How To Be A Star. I'm sorry for such a dramatic ending. I felt like this was inevitable for Caleb to grow as a character. He had a hard childhood and was thrust into this famous lifestyle yet he was always so humble about everything. Sometimes, it's the nicest people who get dealt the worst hand. I needed a way to present Caleb's character in A Graying World, as one that is serious yet also caring. Somehow, I felt like he wasn't meant to be the big famous rockstar I had originally planned for him to be. So, with that being said, I couldn't leave Caleb with a happy ending. He's much too complicated a character. If anyone would like to read more about Caleb (either his past or future) you can in my legacy here: A Graying World.  (The end of the first generation has Caleb as a child and the middle of the second to the end has him as an adult). Thanks for all of your support and I hope you enjoyed the story!