It was six-thirty in the afternoon on a Thursday in The Glades of Starling City. Luna Hawthorne was walking home with her sister, Bianca, after her shift at the local Big Belly Burger. She worked nine thirty to five every weekday while Bianca went to school and then to the library, where Luna would pick her up. They wore threadbare, ratty clothing and scuffed shoes. 

"How was your day at school?" Luna asked her sister. 

Bianca stayed quiet the entire way to their apartment building. Luna recognized the look on her sister's face as one of contemplation.

Earlier today, Luna had noticed the other kids staring at Bianca. She recognized the look they gave her. It was the sneer of people who thought they were better than you. 

Bianca was a smart kid, but she never fit in very well. Luna had been bullied at that age, too, until eventually she fought back. However, Bianca would never fight anyone and that worried Luna. 

When they finally arrived at their apartment, Luna slipped the key out of her pocket and into the lock. Before Luna turned the knob, she gave her sister's hand a reassuring squeeze. Luna went ahead and opened the door. 

Immediately, a glass beer bottle came soaring at them. Luna had instinctually placed herself in front of her sister and was the one the bottle hit. 

"Where have you two been? " their father asked with a grunt, standing at the fridge. He had been an alcoholic even before their mother left them. Once she had left, it had only gotten worse. 

Bianca was the one person Luna was absolutely positive she loved. After all, who else was there? 

"Bianca was at school. Then the library to study. That's all. And I was working until five" Luna responded. 

Their father did not acknowledge Luna's response and opened the fridge for another beer. 

Luna followed Bianca to their shared room to see if she needed any help with her homework. Luna had never finished high school. She'd had to drop out a few years ago to take care of Bianca.

She didn't regret it, though. Luna would do anything for her sister. 

The rest of the day passed the same as every other had. 

꧁꧂

On Friday, after Luna's shift, she and Bianca were on their way home from the park, walking side by side

POP! POP! POP! Several loud gunshots sounded as a car drove by with the front passenger side window rolled down. Without thinking, Luna grabbed Bianca and pulled her to the hard ground. However, when Luna looked at her sister, she noticed blood pooling on her blouse from her chest. Then, she noticed Bianca wasn't moving. It took a few minutes to realize that her sister was dying. 

Luna would not let her sister die, she just couldn't She began CPR to try and restart her sister's heart. She didn't notice the tears rolling down her face nor could she see anything but her sister in front of her. Luna faintly heard the sound of her sister's bones breaking, but it was a far-away thing and Luna paid it no attention. After a few minutes when nothing happened, Luna stopped trying to bring her sister back and just lay on top of her sister's stomach, sobbing

Eventually, the police arrived and they pried Luna away from her sister's dead body. Luna, who was in  shock, fought them, trying to get back to her sister, sobbing and shouting, "Just let me die with her!"

It was obvious to everyone there that the girl was in shock. A policeman with dark hair, as well as a little bit of facial hair, calmed Luna down as best he could. He couldn't fathom something like this happening to either of his own daughters. He looked at her with coffee-brown eyes and calmly spoke to her while the other officers investigated the crime scene. 

The officer, who Luna learned was Officer Lance, later took Luna down to the police station to get an official statement from Luna. Luna answered his and his partner's questions as best she could. They eventually let her go.

Luna knew that her sister's killer would likely never be found. The police had other, better things to worry about. Not that anything truly mattered more than her sister. Luna also knew that she no longer had a home. So, she kept walking until she reached a bus stop. Star City didn't see her again for many years