Astronaut.
oh that was the turning point
Her eyes were silver dollars shining in the dark. She lay silently in her room, hands pressed against her stomach, ears listening closely to every creak and groan of the house around her. Mama was asleep and had been for hours. Lora Joan was having a period of fine health, which meant she was sleeping more. Jupiter was the only living soul in this miniature mansion model home.
Her heart was pattering away like rabbit’s feet in the grass. The silence was crackling, like radio static in her ears.
She wanted to get out.
She was living her sixteenth summer with days full of dreams about a man she had yet to meet. If a herd of horses came rushing at her, she would get past them to her man. She was hot and in love with this man that she knew didn’t exist.
Jupiter rolled restlessly across her small bed. She was growing and Mama hadn’t made her a bigger nest yet. Her ankles were at the foot of the bed, and her knuckles reached the floor. She felt like a child trying to sleep in her doll’s crib. Her head turned so that her eyes could gaze out to the thick, silver beams of moonlight spilling into her room, painting the floor and staining the wallpaper. It was liquid, coloring her hot room with cool mermaid hairlight. She crept out of her bed, wary of the weak boards below her purple rug, and took an empty jar from atop her dresser. A few coins tinkled in the night, but that wouldn’t scare the creature. She closed her hand over the smooth lid, eyes centered on the prize, coming ever closer. She would catch the creature tonight.
Nearly there, she crouched to her knees, carefully leaning out of the way of the beam of light, and produced the open, clear glass container. Her fingers held only one side of it and the bottom, so the creature wouldn’t touch her hands when she caught it. She watched with twinkling eyes as the rim broke the sacred veil that protected the light. It streamed right over her hands, like iridescent water, and filled her jar to the brim. She cried out softly, barely above a whisper, and fell back from the wild thing. She slammed the lid on the jar, clutching it to her small breasts as she caught her breath.
After a moment or two, she grew the courage to look down at her exotic capture. Her hands, gently lifting it, held the prize up like gold. Her eyes widened and her smile appeared for the first time since the last capture. Then the lid to the jar fell and rolled noisily away. She never had the light to lose.
Sighing hopelessly, Jupiter set her jar back in its place. Maybe tomorrow night.
She still wanted to get out.
Forcing herself to yawn, the girl went to her desk and sat in the chair. Her back was perfectly straight, a slight arch showing the healthy posture she possessed. Her hips had done their growing two years ago. She was awkward and eloquent. Her long, dark hair was defiance to her Mama’s sweet Catholic authority. All her life, it had been hacked away to show her pretty face. Jupiter had cried at each haircut her Mama administered, from three years of age to twelve. When she turned fourteen she suddenly stamped her foot down and refused it. She loved her hair and she wanted it all to herself. Mama smiled and put away the scissors.
Jupiter sighed a dreamy girl breath and opened the drawer she hid from Mama. She had let Lora Joan in a few times, but had first sworn her to sick girl secrecy. Lora Joan, in her tiny young mind, thought it was the most fulfilling thing in the world to have a secret with her sister. She would take it with her to Heaven, and not even Santa Claus could get it from her. Jupiter was the ultimate beauty in her opinion.
Inside this drawer was a small book. Under that small book (that was a diary) lay a box. It was hard paper and covered in sparkles and old flowers. After she put aside the journal, she lifted the box from its home. It was light and beautiful in the blueshine. Pushing the drawer back into place, she brought her box to the bed. She sat quietly, her bare feet on the floor, and lifted the lid as gently as she could.
From the darkness, she lifted two shoes. They were not walking shoes. They were soft and pink, and they had fat silk ribbons sewn to the sides. Her heart swelled with secret happiness as she touched them; they were God. She forgot about the box and bent a leg, her hands gently pushing one slipper into place over her heel. She inhaled deeply at the smooth feeling of its perfection. She quickly twined the ribbons around her calf, tying them in a tight but soft bow behind her knee. She did the same with her other, blood rising in her cheeks as she felt her pulse race. This was her (and Lora Joan’s) secret.
Jupiter danced.
The creature became her accent; it melted to her figure and reached around her in an aquamarine flame. She lifted herself slowly on the tip of her wooden-toed slipper, wavering only in the dark, and held her arms out beside her. To the music in her head, she danced. She danced until the walls fell away and the ground melted. Her dancing continued into the darkness, twirling on air, reaching for the stars, circling planets and lights unknown. The creaks of the house around her were a tune, the whisper of the wind a melody. Her fingertips touched, her back arched, her legs alternated defying gravity and her pajamas rustled. It was very strong tonight, the Feeling. But it ended suddenly. Her balance left in a rush and she nearly crashed into her desk, but stepped with her foot to stay standing.(eyes are watching)
She turned abruptly and saw Mama. She had come in, bleary-eyed and old, to see what the noise was. There she stood in the doorway, her limp night hair falling out of its silver braid. Her eyes were on the slippers. The beautiful, shining, elegant slippers. Then they lifted to Jupiter’s. Tears rested below her lids, patient to fall. Her thin lips formed words but no sound emerged. The wrinkles in her eroding face were deep with a strange expression.
“Jupiter,” she whispered, her hands grasping air. The girl stared, afraid to move, a doe caught in a car’s bright eyes. “Jupiter,” she repeated. She came forward and reached for one of her granddaughter’s hands. Holding it firmly between her own soft palms, she smiled. The tears rolled like pebbles down her worn cheeks. “You are more beautiful than your mother.”
Her heart was pattering away like rabbit’s feet in the grass. The silence was crackling, like radio static in her ears.
She wanted to get out.
She was living her sixteenth summer with days full of dreams about a man she had yet to meet. If a herd of horses came rushing at her, she would get past them to her man. She was hot and in love with this man that she knew didn’t exist.
Jupiter rolled restlessly across her small bed. She was growing and Mama hadn’t made her a bigger nest yet. Her ankles were at the foot of the bed, and her knuckles reached the floor. She felt like a child trying to sleep in her doll’s crib. Her head turned so that her eyes could gaze out to the thick, silver beams of moonlight spilling into her room, painting the floor and staining the wallpaper. It was liquid, coloring her hot room with cool mermaid hairlight. She crept out of her bed, wary of the weak boards below her purple rug, and took an empty jar from atop her dresser. A few coins tinkled in the night, but that wouldn’t scare the creature. She closed her hand over the smooth lid, eyes centered on the prize, coming ever closer. She would catch the creature tonight.
Nearly there, she crouched to her knees, carefully leaning out of the way of the beam of light, and produced the open, clear glass container. Her fingers held only one side of it and the bottom, so the creature wouldn’t touch her hands when she caught it. She watched with twinkling eyes as the rim broke the sacred veil that protected the light. It streamed right over her hands, like iridescent water, and filled her jar to the brim. She cried out softly, barely above a whisper, and fell back from the wild thing. She slammed the lid on the jar, clutching it to her small breasts as she caught her breath.
After a moment or two, she grew the courage to look down at her exotic capture. Her hands, gently lifting it, held the prize up like gold. Her eyes widened and her smile appeared for the first time since the last capture. Then the lid to the jar fell and rolled noisily away. She never had the light to lose.
Sighing hopelessly, Jupiter set her jar back in its place. Maybe tomorrow night.
She still wanted to get out.
Forcing herself to yawn, the girl went to her desk and sat in the chair. Her back was perfectly straight, a slight arch showing the healthy posture she possessed. Her hips had done their growing two years ago. She was awkward and eloquent. Her long, dark hair was defiance to her Mama’s sweet Catholic authority. All her life, it had been hacked away to show her pretty face. Jupiter had cried at each haircut her Mama administered, from three years of age to twelve. When she turned fourteen she suddenly stamped her foot down and refused it. She loved her hair and she wanted it all to herself. Mama smiled and put away the scissors.
Jupiter sighed a dreamy girl breath and opened the drawer she hid from Mama. She had let Lora Joan in a few times, but had first sworn her to sick girl secrecy. Lora Joan, in her tiny young mind, thought it was the most fulfilling thing in the world to have a secret with her sister. She would take it with her to Heaven, and not even Santa Claus could get it from her. Jupiter was the ultimate beauty in her opinion.
Inside this drawer was a small book. Under that small book (that was a diary) lay a box. It was hard paper and covered in sparkles and old flowers. After she put aside the journal, she lifted the box from its home. It was light and beautiful in the blueshine. Pushing the drawer back into place, she brought her box to the bed. She sat quietly, her bare feet on the floor, and lifted the lid as gently as she could.
From the darkness, she lifted two shoes. They were not walking shoes. They were soft and pink, and they had fat silk ribbons sewn to the sides. Her heart swelled with secret happiness as she touched them; they were God. She forgot about the box and bent a leg, her hands gently pushing one slipper into place over her heel. She inhaled deeply at the smooth feeling of its perfection. She quickly twined the ribbons around her calf, tying them in a tight but soft bow behind her knee. She did the same with her other, blood rising in her cheeks as she felt her pulse race. This was her (and Lora Joan’s) secret.
Jupiter danced.
The creature became her accent; it melted to her figure and reached around her in an aquamarine flame. She lifted herself slowly on the tip of her wooden-toed slipper, wavering only in the dark, and held her arms out beside her. To the music in her head, she danced. She danced until the walls fell away and the ground melted. Her dancing continued into the darkness, twirling on air, reaching for the stars, circling planets and lights unknown. The creaks of the house around her were a tune, the whisper of the wind a melody. Her fingertips touched, her back arched, her legs alternated defying gravity and her pajamas rustled. It was very strong tonight, the Feeling. But it ended suddenly. Her balance left in a rush and she nearly crashed into her desk, but stepped with her foot to stay standing.(eyes are watching)
She turned abruptly and saw Mama. She had come in, bleary-eyed and old, to see what the noise was. There she stood in the doorway, her limp night hair falling out of its silver braid. Her eyes were on the slippers. The beautiful, shining, elegant slippers. Then they lifted to Jupiter’s. Tears rested below her lids, patient to fall. Her thin lips formed words but no sound emerged. The wrinkles in her eroding face were deep with a strange expression.
“Jupiter,” she whispered, her hands grasping air. The girl stared, afraid to move, a doe caught in a car’s bright eyes. “Jupiter,” she repeated. She came forward and reached for one of her granddaughter’s hands. Holding it firmly between her own soft palms, she smiled. The tears rolled like pebbles down her worn cheeks. “You are more beautiful than your mother.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Inspiration has struck.Now that I'm over the whole, huge-ass fight between Jupiter and Noah, I can get on to more important things. Not that this wasn't important, because it was. Y'know, development and all.
BUT ANYWAYS.
I'll start talking about his tattoos in a lil bit. : P
(You guys excited?)
OH. And the next chapter is a surprise for you fangirls out there.
If you comment loveliness that you feel, Noah will be yours for five minutes.
[/giggle]
