Astronaut.
you better look it over
Noah had to talk to Lora Joan. He couldn’t find Jupiter anywhere. He had looked in all the places he had ever seen her; where else could she be?
He went to the girl’s room with a peace offering of cookies he had attempted to make. They looked more like they had been fashioned from some abstract, water-soaked form of sand and chocolate chips. He knocked softly with the backs of his knuckles, peering around the frame with wide eyes. He didn’t know if she was sick or not.
“Noah?” her voice jingled. He smiled and stepped in to meet her tiny bear hug that gripped his waist. “I missed you!” she yelped up at him, burying her face in the folds of his shirt.
He chuckled and stroked her fair hair. “Here, have a cookie.” He lowered the plate to her, and laughed when her eyes grew to three times their original size. He could see a glisten of eager child saliva on her pink lip. Her little fingers grabbed the cookie, holding it as tenderly as if it were a diamond, and gently took a bite.
“Wow, this is so good!” she piped, chomping again and again.
He smiled happily and offered her the rest, which she gladly accepted. After a minute of watching her devour the sweet treats, he fell back on the bed and sighed. “Do you know where Jupiter is?”
There was a soft sound as the plate was set on the small table he couldn’t see, and then Lora Joan flopped down next to him. She heaved a tiny girl sigh and turned her head to him. Their eyes met, and she shrugged. “It’s a secret,” she said sullenly.
“Oh, is it now?” He felt an excited flutter in his chest.
The girl nodded, her hand sliding to push a few troublesome strands from her eyes. “I can’t tell any of Jupiter’s secrets. It’s a rule.” She smiled innocently, her teeth displaying the small spaces between them. Her cheeks were alive with a healthy blush.
“Well, little Lora Joan,” he sighed and brushed his thumb across her cheekbone, “I have a secret, as well.”
Her bright eyes locked on his. “You do? What is it?”
He smiled deviously. “I can’t tell any secrets. It’s a rule.” He winked and waited; it wasn’t long.
“Oh, I’ll tell you if you tell me first!” She climbed all over him, giggling ferociously and squirming in his arms.
He bellowed joyously and cradled her to his chest as he sat up. “Okay, little Lora Joan. I’ll tell you my secret, if you promise to tell me yours.”
She grinned and nodded. “I promise!”
“Then it’s a deal.” He locked his smallest finger with hers, and the swear was made. “My secret is… I love your sister with all my heart.” He whispered the words in her ear, his hand cupped to protect the words from floating away.
She giggled and patted his hand. “I already knew that, Noah. You have to tell me something Idon’t know.”
“Hm. Alright.” He squared his jaw and fell into thought. Perhaps he could tell her of all the times he had waited for his father to come home. Maybe his secret was that he had never added words to a song that he wrote; they only weighed down the tune, as far as he was concerned. The guitar was like his soul: an un-tame eagle that wanted to soar. If anything weighed on him, he would most definitely fall. “I guess… my secret would be that I don’t know how to make cookies.”
Lora Joan laughed and looked to her plate. “But they’re so tasty! You’re silly.” She sighed softly and leaned her forehead on his chest. “Jupiter’s in the dancing room.”
His chin dropped so he could look at her. “The dancing room?”
Her head nodded, and her eyes lifted to his. “Jupie’s a ballerina.”
Their laughter echoed through the graveyard. It was a strange place to meet for dance practice, but it was also secret. The group of young ladies was too busy being normal on a day-to-day basis to indulge in their fantasies about dancing for audiences of thousands.
Jupiter’s eyes were wider than a cat’s as she looked around at the moonlight-stained tombstones. They glittered with the faint dew that was collecting there, as did the grass. It was nearly midnight, and the next day was her sixteenth birthday. Mama was no doubt planning a great gathering of friends and family to celebrate the occasion. At the same time, she was caring for Lora Joan, who had taken to a high fever a few days before. Jupiter helped during the day, but once everyone else was asleep, she spread her wings and flew.
“Alice, watch me,” she whispered before bounding through the aisles of dormant souls. A soft mist gathered around her waist, twirling as she twisted on her toes. Claire clapped her hands and laughed. Her freckles were like dark paint splashed on her face.
There were five girls, all about the same age. They came from various backgrounds and situations, with similar ambitions and ideals. Jupiter had met these kindred creatures at the last baking sale that her church held (one of the stained-glass windows had been shattered by a rather nasty storm nearly three months before). They had been sneaking to hidden meeting places every other night, where they would choreograph their own fantastic dances and perform for each other’s pleasure.
It was their great escape.
The wall of this secret room was built from three large mirrors, fitted together so that every inch of the place was visible to whoever was inside. Jupiter stood in the center, her ankles crossed and her toes pointing in two different directions. Her hands cupped a pocket of air in front of her center, and her eyes were closed. She could hear the soft sound of birds singing outside. Spring was calling. The smallest twitch of a smile tugged on the corner of her mouth.
Her chest rose as she inhaled, and she imagined that her bones were filled with air. Her surreptitious talent was like a shadow under a large house; nobody saw it, nobody thought about it, but it was there.
The flame in her heart grew brighter as she bent her knees, sweeping her arm through the air in a wide arc. Her eyes opened wide to watch the ground fly past her as she twirled. The long strands of her hair whipped about, brushing along her shoulders and down her bare back. Her leotard was deep violet, like the bracelets she wore around her wrist. Her skin glowed faintly in the sunlight that dripped in through the room’s only window.
Eyes watched her from a partially open doorway. She didn’t feel them at first, but once she did, her throat constricted. “Who’s there?” she called, her eyes on the shadow she saw under the door. It was too large to be Lora Joan.
The white wood moved aside, and in stepped a man with dark hair. He was staring at her, obviously amazed. “Just me,” he said softly, his eyes leaving hers only to move down her body.
She attempted to cover herself, as if she were naked, and frowned deeply at him. “Noah, what are you doing in here?”
His smile was bright. “Lora Joan told me I could find you here. You’re so beautiful, I didn’t know you danced.”
Surprise flickered across her face like a half-living flame, and then it was gone. “Why are you looking for me?”
She didn’t move away as he came in front of her. “I only wanted to tell you something.”
“Oh?” A small sparkle had appeared in her brilliant eyes. “What’s this?”
He took her hands in his and moved closer to her. “I love you, Jupiter. I want to be with you.”
She gasped and tore her hands from his. “I’m married, Noah!” she cried in horror, turning away from him. Tears welled in her eyes as her fists clenched. How could he do this to her? She wanted to be with him too, it was true, but she couldn’t just leave her husband. She glared down at the ring on her finger. She couldn’t just leave… could she? “What do you want me to tell you?”
She heard him sigh, and then his arms were around her. She couldn’t help herself; she melted like butter in the sun. “I want you to tell me what’s in your heart,” he whispered as he kissed her neck.
“I…” She shivered and pulled away from him again, but not out of reach. “I love you too,” she murmured.
He went to the girl’s room with a peace offering of cookies he had attempted to make. They looked more like they had been fashioned from some abstract, water-soaked form of sand and chocolate chips. He knocked softly with the backs of his knuckles, peering around the frame with wide eyes. He didn’t know if she was sick or not.
“Noah?” her voice jingled. He smiled and stepped in to meet her tiny bear hug that gripped his waist. “I missed you!” she yelped up at him, burying her face in the folds of his shirt.
He chuckled and stroked her fair hair. “Here, have a cookie.” He lowered the plate to her, and laughed when her eyes grew to three times their original size. He could see a glisten of eager child saliva on her pink lip. Her little fingers grabbed the cookie, holding it as tenderly as if it were a diamond, and gently took a bite.
“Wow, this is so good!” she piped, chomping again and again.
He smiled happily and offered her the rest, which she gladly accepted. After a minute of watching her devour the sweet treats, he fell back on the bed and sighed. “Do you know where Jupiter is?”
There was a soft sound as the plate was set on the small table he couldn’t see, and then Lora Joan flopped down next to him. She heaved a tiny girl sigh and turned her head to him. Their eyes met, and she shrugged. “It’s a secret,” she said sullenly.
“Oh, is it now?” He felt an excited flutter in his chest.
The girl nodded, her hand sliding to push a few troublesome strands from her eyes. “I can’t tell any of Jupiter’s secrets. It’s a rule.” She smiled innocently, her teeth displaying the small spaces between them. Her cheeks were alive with a healthy blush.
“Well, little Lora Joan,” he sighed and brushed his thumb across her cheekbone, “I have a secret, as well.”
Her bright eyes locked on his. “You do? What is it?”
He smiled deviously. “I can’t tell any secrets. It’s a rule.” He winked and waited; it wasn’t long.
“Oh, I’ll tell you if you tell me first!” She climbed all over him, giggling ferociously and squirming in his arms.
He bellowed joyously and cradled her to his chest as he sat up. “Okay, little Lora Joan. I’ll tell you my secret, if you promise to tell me yours.”
She grinned and nodded. “I promise!”
“Then it’s a deal.” He locked his smallest finger with hers, and the swear was made. “My secret is… I love your sister with all my heart.” He whispered the words in her ear, his hand cupped to protect the words from floating away.
She giggled and patted his hand. “I already knew that, Noah. You have to tell me something Idon’t know.”
“Hm. Alright.” He squared his jaw and fell into thought. Perhaps he could tell her of all the times he had waited for his father to come home. Maybe his secret was that he had never added words to a song that he wrote; they only weighed down the tune, as far as he was concerned. The guitar was like his soul: an un-tame eagle that wanted to soar. If anything weighed on him, he would most definitely fall. “I guess… my secret would be that I don’t know how to make cookies.”
Lora Joan laughed and looked to her plate. “But they’re so tasty! You’re silly.” She sighed softly and leaned her forehead on his chest. “Jupiter’s in the dancing room.”
His chin dropped so he could look at her. “The dancing room?”
Her head nodded, and her eyes lifted to his. “Jupie’s a ballerina.”
Their laughter echoed through the graveyard. It was a strange place to meet for dance practice, but it was also secret. The group of young ladies was too busy being normal on a day-to-day basis to indulge in their fantasies about dancing for audiences of thousands.
Jupiter’s eyes were wider than a cat’s as she looked around at the moonlight-stained tombstones. They glittered with the faint dew that was collecting there, as did the grass. It was nearly midnight, and the next day was her sixteenth birthday. Mama was no doubt planning a great gathering of friends and family to celebrate the occasion. At the same time, she was caring for Lora Joan, who had taken to a high fever a few days before. Jupiter helped during the day, but once everyone else was asleep, she spread her wings and flew.
“Alice, watch me,” she whispered before bounding through the aisles of dormant souls. A soft mist gathered around her waist, twirling as she twisted on her toes. Claire clapped her hands and laughed. Her freckles were like dark paint splashed on her face.
There were five girls, all about the same age. They came from various backgrounds and situations, with similar ambitions and ideals. Jupiter had met these kindred creatures at the last baking sale that her church held (one of the stained-glass windows had been shattered by a rather nasty storm nearly three months before). They had been sneaking to hidden meeting places every other night, where they would choreograph their own fantastic dances and perform for each other’s pleasure.
It was their great escape.
The wall of this secret room was built from three large mirrors, fitted together so that every inch of the place was visible to whoever was inside. Jupiter stood in the center, her ankles crossed and her toes pointing in two different directions. Her hands cupped a pocket of air in front of her center, and her eyes were closed. She could hear the soft sound of birds singing outside. Spring was calling. The smallest twitch of a smile tugged on the corner of her mouth.
Her chest rose as she inhaled, and she imagined that her bones were filled with air. Her surreptitious talent was like a shadow under a large house; nobody saw it, nobody thought about it, but it was there.
The flame in her heart grew brighter as she bent her knees, sweeping her arm through the air in a wide arc. Her eyes opened wide to watch the ground fly past her as she twirled. The long strands of her hair whipped about, brushing along her shoulders and down her bare back. Her leotard was deep violet, like the bracelets she wore around her wrist. Her skin glowed faintly in the sunlight that dripped in through the room’s only window.
Eyes watched her from a partially open doorway. She didn’t feel them at first, but once she did, her throat constricted. “Who’s there?” she called, her eyes on the shadow she saw under the door. It was too large to be Lora Joan.
The white wood moved aside, and in stepped a man with dark hair. He was staring at her, obviously amazed. “Just me,” he said softly, his eyes leaving hers only to move down her body.
She attempted to cover herself, as if she were naked, and frowned deeply at him. “Noah, what are you doing in here?”
His smile was bright. “Lora Joan told me I could find you here. You’re so beautiful, I didn’t know you danced.”
Surprise flickered across her face like a half-living flame, and then it was gone. “Why are you looking for me?”
She didn’t move away as he came in front of her. “I only wanted to tell you something.”
“Oh?” A small sparkle had appeared in her brilliant eyes. “What’s this?”
He took her hands in his and moved closer to her. “I love you, Jupiter. I want to be with you.”
She gasped and tore her hands from his. “I’m married, Noah!” she cried in horror, turning away from him. Tears welled in her eyes as her fists clenched. How could he do this to her? She wanted to be with him too, it was true, but she couldn’t just leave her husband. She glared down at the ring on her finger. She couldn’t just leave… could she? “What do you want me to tell you?”
She heard him sigh, and then his arms were around her. She couldn’t help herself; she melted like butter in the sun. “I want you to tell me what’s in your heart,” he whispered as he kissed her neck.
“I…” She shivered and pulled away from him again, but not out of reach. “I love you too,” she murmured.
♠ ♠ ♠
Ps, I changed this paragraph from chapter twenty-four to the following:It was a day after they had reconnected. Jupiter had let him sleep on the couch. What a huge step that was in his mind. He was so close, now! He could almost feel her body on his for the first time in four years. He felt that he had earned her love, after all the hell he had gone through to get her back. But it was worth it. Oh, it was so worth it.
The bold words are those that I changed. Just thought I should let you know. xD
Hey. Hey you guys. Guess what.
I'm AUTHOR OF THE MONTH.