Adrian Clark had known Star practically his entire life. He’d known him before “Star,” back when it was ‘Bastian Galileo that had run wild in the back alleys of Oceanview. Finding trouble wherever he went. Dragging the neighbor boy along for the ride… much to the disapproval of Mr. and Mrs. Clark.

Adrian knew what shaped Star and what made him tick.

There was a long stretch of time, starting before ‘Bastian had learned the ever useful sense of self preservation, that Adrian was the only one who worried about the reckless Italian. Sometimes Adrian wondered if that ever changed.