21 Stars burn so brightly (1/2)
”You guys are no fun!”
”I just want to read.”
”I'm going to go admire the sky.”
”...” Chao stared at the other two before she pouted. ”Fine, I'll get the preliminary paperwork done.” Neutrum's eyebrows raised slightly in surprise while Serenus had already gone out to the rooftop.
”That will take you a while with how jumpy your mind is. I'll get a maid to bring us dinner later?”
”What? I thought you'd say something cute like ”I'll bring dinner for the two of you later.” What the heck! Act according to my script!”
Raising his nose in slight disdain he spoke with impatience, ”I'm not putting this book down, in fact, I'm done putting any book from this series down until I've finished it.”
”What a bookworm.” She muttered under her breath and went to the 2nd floor where there were study desks. Piling papers, water, and puzzles around her, she sat down and buried herself in logistics.
While Chao's head was swimming in words, Neutrum shook his head and whispered, ”Says the other bibliophile.” He then walked over to the entrance of the library and pressed a button on the panel next to the left door.
. . .
”Twinkle, twinkle, little stars.
You are just a ball of burning gas.
Up above the stratosphere.
Like the pretty spectra you are.
Twinkle, twinkle, little stars.
How I want to be with you.”
Serenus sighed as she gazed at the sky above her. It wasn't dark enough for all the stars to come out yet, but there were certainly more and more coming into view. The sky was like the three of them. Once more she sighed and made a fleece blanket to cover herself. ”A star burns so brightly that it must get exhausting and that's why it dies. It's neighbors must feel the weight too and that's why they all fall together. But if there's too many, they just reset everything entirely to redo it all again, right?”
Looking down, she could see the pages of Neutrum's book and Chao's math puzzle. Looking back up, she saw an endless streak of blues, violets, and soft, pink clouds. A while later, a maid came up with a smoothie and salad. ”You know me best.” As she said this to herself, Chao was already tearing into her meat and Neutrum calmly ate his fish.
. . .
”Lady Chao is pretty, that I'll admit, but I refuse to say that she's mature! She's not!” A girl with long slate-blue wavy hair and enraged eyes glared at another boy.
”Luna, we know you're angry that you're the only female in this group who is not a girl but a gorilla, but you shouldn't be so ru-” Meteorum pretended to speak in a caring tone, but was interrupted by Luna's screech.
”I will twist your cervical vertebrae and dislocate your humorous from your shoulder blade!”
”Ah, she's quite violent isn't she?”
”Yes she is sister.”
”I'm so sorry you children have to live and learn with her! So sorry!”