Astronaut.
but i hear those voices at night sometimes
Under the pale summer sun, among the clovers where she met her sister's prince (who had since abandoned his throne by Jupiter's side), Lora Joan found a secret something she suspected might be love. It was in the face of a boy, blue-eyed and too timid to say hello. She decided to help him escape the silence that swamped every one of the ten feet between them.
"I'm Lora Joan," she offered hopefully, pushing her curls away from her eyes with the heel of her hand. "I like your hair."
She could see the embarrassment as it crept into his cheeks, a sneaky red demon embedded in his skin. The mop on his skull looked more like the backside of a porcupine than something that would grow out of a human head. It wasn't parted to the side, it wasn't combed back; it was a wild mess, and Lora Joan loved it.
"Thanks," he muttered toward his lap. "I like yours, too."
She smiled and looked with crossed eyes at a curly strand that rested on her nose, shining like spun gold. "My sister washes it for me every other day." She stroked her hair softly as she eyed him. "Why don't you come over here?"
He seemed to consider this for a very long time. Just as she was growing impatient with him, he put his hands to the ground and stood. The tall grass bent and swayed as he came through it, and then plopped down in front of her. Now that he was closer, she could count the freckles like constellations on his skin.
"Do you want some of my chocolate?" she asked. The glint in his eye was all the answer she needed. She reached into her dress pocket and pulled t the little wrapper Jupiter had presented to her earlier that week. Lora Joan had been treasuring the sweet brown block inside, knowing all too well that once it was gone, it would stay that way. She broke off a chunk as wide as her thumb and held it out to him. Watching him take pleasure in the cocoa goodness made her mouth turn into a toothy grin. "So what's your name?"
"Jason," he said, the first hint of a smile showing on his plump, chocolately lips.
"My sister's name is Jupiter. She's over there." Her arm lifted, her hand lazily indicating the house across the street.
He looked intently at the ivy-colored walls, as if he were staring straight through them. "Are your parents there?"
Silence overcame her. She felt the sweet jubilance drain from her expression. "Jupiter is my parent," she explained.
He considered this for a moment. "Well... don't you have a mother?"
She shook her head and shrugged her tiny shoulders. "I guess not. Jupie never told me about her."
Lora Joan was pleased to find that he was willing to let it drop like the lifeless, dead flower it was. The topic wasn't worth her interest. She watched him finish the piece of chocolate, disappearing into the eager cave of his mouth, and then gave him another. As she nibbled on her own bit of sugary heaven, he spoke again.
"My Da built a tree house in our yard," he said, glancing at her to catch any trace of precious fascination in her eyes.
"Jupiter said I can't leave here." Her voice was dead, her bright eyes glazed with thought.
"Oh." Jason frowned, his dirty fingers fidgeting with a flower by his knee. "Why?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
Their eyes met, and she felt tears beginning to surge. She quickly blinked them away and turned from him, unwilling to let go of her hurt. "Because I'm sick. I have to stay here."
"Oh."
The hot bubbles threatened to burst all over her cheeks, but she couldn't cry.
"Are you going to get better?"
She looked at him and saw two huge blue eyes asking for a way in. The frown on her mouth only deepened. "Maybe," she whispered, dropping her ees to the clover. She picked at the rounded little leaves, letting them fly in the breeze that accompanie them. "Probably not, though."
"Are you going to die?"
The tears could hide no longer. They exploded from her eyes, tearing a single sob from her lips. As soon as it had happened, she slapped both hands over her face and held her breath.Don't cry, don't cry. She slowly convinced it all to go away, but she still felt it lurking behind her teeth, hiding in her head, ready to pounce the moment weakness broke her down again.
Something rested in her lap and reached around her middle. She parted her hands, letting the sunlight kiss her drying tears, and looked down to find Jason curled up around her, head placed gently in her lap.
"You can be sad," he said to her dress skirt. "I cried when my mother died."
She placed her palm on the nape of his neck. "I'm sorry, Jason."
"I'm not." The boy sighed and moved to sit beside her. "It made my Da come home again."
Considering this, Lora Joan picked at a dandelion by her knee.
"What's your name?"
"Oh... it's Lora Joan."
Her eyes widened slightly as she felt his fingers holding hers. "I'll remember you, Lora Joan." She looked at him and felt her cheeks begin to burn. "When you die, I mean." Embarrassed, he let go of her hand and lay flat on his back. "Because you'll be an angel, like my mother." He pointed up to the sky, a distant smile touching his lips.
Her eyes lifted to the clouds, twisting and dancing with the sunlight. She lay next to him and reached up toward the heavens with both hands. "I'll remember you, too."
"I'm Lora Joan," she offered hopefully, pushing her curls away from her eyes with the heel of her hand. "I like your hair."
She could see the embarrassment as it crept into his cheeks, a sneaky red demon embedded in his skin. The mop on his skull looked more like the backside of a porcupine than something that would grow out of a human head. It wasn't parted to the side, it wasn't combed back; it was a wild mess, and Lora Joan loved it.
"Thanks," he muttered toward his lap. "I like yours, too."
She smiled and looked with crossed eyes at a curly strand that rested on her nose, shining like spun gold. "My sister washes it for me every other day." She stroked her hair softly as she eyed him. "Why don't you come over here?"
He seemed to consider this for a very long time. Just as she was growing impatient with him, he put his hands to the ground and stood. The tall grass bent and swayed as he came through it, and then plopped down in front of her. Now that he was closer, she could count the freckles like constellations on his skin.
"Do you want some of my chocolate?" she asked. The glint in his eye was all the answer she needed. She reached into her dress pocket and pulled t the little wrapper Jupiter had presented to her earlier that week. Lora Joan had been treasuring the sweet brown block inside, knowing all too well that once it was gone, it would stay that way. She broke off a chunk as wide as her thumb and held it out to him. Watching him take pleasure in the cocoa goodness made her mouth turn into a toothy grin. "So what's your name?"
"Jason," he said, the first hint of a smile showing on his plump, chocolately lips.
"My sister's name is Jupiter. She's over there." Her arm lifted, her hand lazily indicating the house across the street.
He looked intently at the ivy-colored walls, as if he were staring straight through them. "Are your parents there?"
Silence overcame her. She felt the sweet jubilance drain from her expression. "Jupiter is my parent," she explained.
He considered this for a moment. "Well... don't you have a mother?"
She shook her head and shrugged her tiny shoulders. "I guess not. Jupie never told me about her."
Lora Joan was pleased to find that he was willing to let it drop like the lifeless, dead flower it was. The topic wasn't worth her interest. She watched him finish the piece of chocolate, disappearing into the eager cave of his mouth, and then gave him another. As she nibbled on her own bit of sugary heaven, he spoke again.
"My Da built a tree house in our yard," he said, glancing at her to catch any trace of precious fascination in her eyes.
"Jupiter said I can't leave here." Her voice was dead, her bright eyes glazed with thought.
"Oh." Jason frowned, his dirty fingers fidgeting with a flower by his knee. "Why?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
Their eyes met, and she felt tears beginning to surge. She quickly blinked them away and turned from him, unwilling to let go of her hurt. "Because I'm sick. I have to stay here."
"Oh."
The hot bubbles threatened to burst all over her cheeks, but she couldn't cry.
"Are you going to get better?"
She looked at him and saw two huge blue eyes asking for a way in. The frown on her mouth only deepened. "Maybe," she whispered, dropping her ees to the clover. She picked at the rounded little leaves, letting them fly in the breeze that accompanie them. "Probably not, though."
"Are you going to die?"
The tears could hide no longer. They exploded from her eyes, tearing a single sob from her lips. As soon as it had happened, she slapped both hands over her face and held her breath.Don't cry, don't cry. She slowly convinced it all to go away, but she still felt it lurking behind her teeth, hiding in her head, ready to pounce the moment weakness broke her down again.
Something rested in her lap and reached around her middle. She parted her hands, letting the sunlight kiss her drying tears, and looked down to find Jason curled up around her, head placed gently in her lap.
"You can be sad," he said to her dress skirt. "I cried when my mother died."
She placed her palm on the nape of his neck. "I'm sorry, Jason."
"I'm not." The boy sighed and moved to sit beside her. "It made my Da come home again."
Considering this, Lora Joan picked at a dandelion by her knee.
"What's your name?"
"Oh... it's Lora Joan."
Her eyes widened slightly as she felt his fingers holding hers. "I'll remember you, Lora Joan." She looked at him and felt her cheeks begin to burn. "When you die, I mean." Embarrassed, he let go of her hand and lay flat on his back. "Because you'll be an angel, like my mother." He pointed up to the sky, a distant smile touching his lips.
Her eyes lifted to the clouds, twisting and dancing with the sunlight. She lay next to him and reached up toward the heavens with both hands. "I'll remember you, too."
♠ ♠ ♠
I have a gf. :3 So happy.