Dark Stars, Light Stars

Chapter 6 - Inconceivable

Inconceivable! – William Goldman, The Princess Bride

'Suspended Jussie? You were suspended? What did you do, punch the girl in the face?'

Justice pulled the phone away from her ear and held it out in front of herself.

'Mum, I'm pretty sure my eardrums have burst. And yes, I did punch her in the face - '

'That's . . . that's inconceivable! You would never do such a thing.'

'I know Mum, I know. But she wasn't being very nice to Alistair . . .'

'So this is over a boy? WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS!'

Justice could hear shouts in the background, possibly her Mum's co-workers telling her to be quiet.

'Mum, take a deep breath and listen to me.' She told her. Her Mother obeyed her daughter and took a deep breath.

'Okay . . . I'm okay. Let's not talk about this anymore - I'll possibly blow your head off with my yelling.'

Justice paced the room, from her shelves to the window. She still could not believe what she had done. Punching a girl in the face - or anybody for that matter - seemed impossible for her to do! A girl who lived her life in fictional worlds, a girl who was best friends with fictional characters.

Everything was fictional to her, especially this recent event.

'What did your Father say?' Her Mother asked. Justice stopped her pacing and sighed.

'He was furious with me,' she started, 'Truth be told, I was scared. I've never seen him so mad.'

'What did he say?'

Justice looked for the right words to say.

'All sorts of things. Each time he told me to do something, I replied with "As you wish".'

'He didn't understand it though, did he?'

'No,' Justice replied with the shake of her head, 'He wouldn't care.'

Her Mother was silent for a while. Justice could only hear her breathing through the phone.

'Stay out of his way for the rest of the night,' her Mother said, 'Stay in your room and read, do homework. Just let him be.'

'No. I'm leaving the house for a bit.' The girl announced before picking up her cardigan from the foot of her bed.

'Jussie - '

'No Mum, I'm going. I'm staying out of his way.'

She heard the garage door open downstairs, and hesitated on the threshold of her bedroom door.

'I'll find Clarissa and apologise. Don't call until next week Mum. I know you're busy.'

And with that, she hung up, only before opening her bedroom window and climbing out. Due to the fact that her room was on the second floor, she had to climb down the drainpipe - just like a fictional character would.

Now she was about to set off on her own adventure.

~~~

'I'm gonna catch you!'

'No you're not!'

Justice smiled as she watched a group of little kids run around the park bench she was sitting on. They reminded her of a short story she wrote once, but that seemed like a century ago.