to listen. Many began to dance to the rock ânâ roll beat.
The girl ended the song with an intense power chord.
Neeeer! Deedle! Waaaaaanng!
Everyone cheered.
Starr turned to the guitar player. âThat was cool!â
But then she noticed tears in the girlâs eyes. âAre you crying?â she asked.
âNo!â the girl barked before unplugging her guitar and running out of the lounge.
Yikes!
Starr thought.
I wonder why sheâs so upset
.
Chapter Three
The passengers celebrated their first night at sea with a special buffet in the elegant main dining room. Everyone wore fancy clothes. Starr had on a new dress that was covered in hot pink, orange, and red shimmery sequins. It sparkled every time she moved.
The Rubio family was seated at a long table decorated with a gold silk tablecloth and glistening dishes. At the end sat three empty chairs.
âIâm hungry!â Randy whined.
âPlease be patient. Walter and his family should be here soon,â said Abuela. âI canât wait for you to meet him.â
Starr was hungry too, but her mind was on the sad guitar player.
What could be bothering her?
she wondered. Starr could never be happy when others were unhappy.
Suddenly, an older man with gray hair and wire-rimmed glasses approached the table.
âWalter!â Abuela rushed to his side.
âIâm sorry, Nina. My daughter and granddaughter are still getting ready, andââ
He was interrupted by a shout coming from the dining room entrance.
âWeâre here!â
Starr turned to see a woman wearing a long silver dress dashing toward their table. Lagging behind her was a young girl. Starr instantly recognized the green streaks in her hair.
âHello! Iâm Diane, Walterâs daughter,â the woman said, trying to catch her breath. âAnd this is my daughter, Ivy.â
Ivy was wearing a shredded denim jacket over a black dress. Her lips, which formed a frown, were covered in blue lip gloss.
âSorry to keep you waiting,â Diane continued. âIvy and I have been feeling seasick.â
âIs that why her lips are blue?â Ricky blurted out.
âRicky!â said Starr, knowing that Ivy was already having a bad day. âI think she looks prettyâ.
Ivy looked away. Starrâs mother spoke to Diane. âIâm Regina. Itâs nice to meet you.â Then she introduced the Rubios one by one.
Regina turned back to Starr. âYou and Ivy are the same age. I bet you have a lot in common.â
Everyone at the table looked back and forth between Starrâs fancy, bright outfit and Ivyâs edgy, dark one. What could they possibly have in common?
âLetâs eat!â Abuela suggested, breaking the awkward silence.
The buffet was an all-you-can-eat feast of yummy food. Stations included soup, salad, pizza, pasta, seafood, and meat, along with a dessert table filled with cakes and cookies.
Starr filled her plate three times. Once her belly was full, she mustered the courage to talk to Ivy. Maybe she could help her feel less sad.
Starr sat down next to Ivy. âDid you try the steak? It was so juicy.â
âI donât eat meat.â Ivy didnât look up. âIâm a vegetarian.â
Starr quickly thought of something else to say. âYouâre a great guitar player.â
âThanks,â said Ivy.
âIâm a singer,â Starr went on. âMaybe we can perform a song together when our grandparents get married!â
Ivy glared at Starr. Suddenly, she burst into tears and ran out of the dining room.
Oh no!
thought Starr.
Not again!
She raced after Ivy, finally catching up with her at the top of the grand staircase.
âAre you okay? Did I say something wrong?â
Ivy choked back tears. âItâs not you. Itâs your grandmother.â
Starrâs mouth dropped open. âAbuela? What did she do?â
âSheâs going to
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