When The Stars Died

Meeting Mother

"New week." Skeeter said, drawing mud patterns all over his bare chest. "Nut, is this really necessary?"

The little squirrel chattered at him noisily from the tree to his right.

Skeeter sighed. "I look like a tribal man gone crazy."

Pandora stifled a laugh. He was right. His hair was all spiky and twig-filled, but tied back from his face with a torn piece of red clothing being used as a bandana, and from his torso to his neck he was covered in circles, spirals and stripes. He even had rugby lines under his eyes.

But then again, she was almost identical. Singlet, shorts, and tribal patterns all over her legs and arms. Nut said she wasn't even allowed to wear her shoes. Or socks. Or a hair tie.
Her black hair trailed down her back in thick waves, let loose and free.

Thalia walked out from behind a tree, markings and clothing identical to Pandora's, but in Skeeter's eyes, nobody could even try to be compared to Pandora.

Sure, Thalia was alright, but Pandora was perfection.

Thalia sat next to Joe, who was flatly staring off into space. Ryder sat beside her, scratching his neck uncomfortably. "I don't want to do this. I don't have to do this, right?"
Pandora eyed his muddy torso. Flat, slightly muscled, but barely a six pack.

"Hey, uh, I never asked. How old are you two?"

"Fifteen and ten months." They chirped, in perfect sync.

"You must've been so annoying at birthdays." Skeeter muttered.

"And Skeeter," Pandora continued, rounding on him, "when's your birthday?"

"Uh. What's the date?"

"I don't know! April?"

"I don't think I'll be turning sixteen for a while, then."

"Mmhm." Pandora sniffed.

"Well, when's your birthday?"

"It's been, actually. Fifteen and going on."

"Huh, so how many months till your sixteen?"

"End of the year." Pandora shrugged, spreading a mud stripe across her nose.

"You look so fierce." Skeeter said. "Feisty little she devil."

Pandora stuck her tongue out.

"Wish I had my phone." Ryder sighed. "I did, in my pocket, but it's useless, waterlogged and cracked. And ancient. One of the first iPhones."

Pandora fake gasped. "An archaic mystery, to be sure. Forgotten and lonely. How horrible."

Ryder nodded solemnly. "'Twas a tragedy indeed. Like my twin's birth." He sniggered. "Anyway , let's get this over with." Her grimaced as Thalia jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Okay. Let me talk with Nut." Skeeter told them, zoning out.

Pandora made a face. Nut refused to think-talk with her, for some reason. Must've gone again this squirrel beliefs.
But Twiggers was happy to talk to her, the chubby little squirrel that was Nut's cousin.

Skeeter's eyes unglazed and he grinned at them. "Okay, well, to contact Mother Nature, we have to climb the oldest pine tree in the forest, and eat three needles whole. Nut will do the rest. He said she will appear. Like a ghost or some shit, I guess."

Pandora pointed at an old looking pine. "That it?"

"Nuh, it's closer to the river." Skeeter cautiously led the way.