Compatible

one

"Jaquline, where are your shoes?"

Her mother smiled softly down at her, it was easy to see the laughter she was trying to hold back, the glint in her blue orbs.

Jackie looked down, lifted her feet to look. Sure enough, her feet were bare, calloused from all they times they always were.

"Oops," she murmured. "I must've forgot."

"We are at a dinner with the whole entire Aquarius Cabniet!" Her mother laughed quietly. "We finally get you in a skirt and you forget shoes?"

"Don't tell Dad."

"Don't tell me what?" A low and warm voice said from behind them.

Jackie turned to see her dad, sun crinkles around his eyes, his big lips turned into a smile, green eyes twinkling, messy red hair shining.

"Dad!" Jackie ran up into her father's arms, hugging around his neck. She hadn't seen her dad in a week and missed him alot while he was up in Aries. Her and her father were very close, as was her and her mother. They were a close family, but it was hard to be themselves infront of the press.

Jackie hated the press, she hated being the President's daughter, she hated having to fake a smile every ten seconds. She hated having to pretend to like meetings when all she wanted to do was play Basketball and paint. She just wanted to be with her mom and dad. Not the Clan.

The world was divided into twelve Clans. Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Saggittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.

The Aries Clan is in charge of the safety of the Twelve, they are the cops and security gaurds, and they make the laws.

The Taurus make the food, they own manufacturers and ship all kind of things to the Twelve Clans.

Geminis garden and are all about enviroment and pullotion.

Cancer is partnered with Leo with the Press and T.V and have many actresses. Leo's also have the second most powerful Government of the Twelve.

Other than Libra who are trusted to run the Twelve. Virgos are so rare they have sanctuarys and are protected by the government.

Scorpios are the ones who really don't have a job. They just own a bunch of clubs and are considered a "bad crowd," but they aren't that bad.

The rest of the Signs are a mix of other things. Together they make the Twelve. Leo and Libra are on the brink of a war, and other Clans are being forced to take sides. The reason of the war is unknown but there are rumors and Jackie's father has confirmed a fued with the Lions.

Jackie hated all of it. She only wanted to travel the world, see all sorts of things, the Japan adminstration especially, her father went once and he said it was beautiful. She wants to paint, explore, maybe find love, make friends, get an education.

Not speak at summits, or answer questions in interviews, and most definitely not attend balls and dinners with 'dates.'

She wanted to get away. Just for a bit.

"Welcome!" A booming voice said in the front of the large room, Jackie's fathers grip loosened on her, she had forgotten she was still in her father's arms, he must've too. "Aquarius and Libras alike, welcome to the first dinner held between the two Clans, ever!"

"That's my que," her father murmured. "I love you." He said softly, kissing Jackie's head and letting go of her. She watched as her .other and father kissed and he went up the steps and behind stage to get ready to come back on stage and give his speech.

That night was a blur, things were signed and cameras were shoved in her face. Soon Jackie and her parents found their way back in their home, the capital of the Twelve, the Zodiac Palace.

They sat in the den for a bit, conversing and catching up on the last week. It was refreshing to just see her parents, and be able to be her self a little bit more.

"I've been thinking," her father said, staring at the crackling fire. "In a year, when my term ends, I could campaign for reelection."

"Reelection?" Jackie asked, eyes wide. "You said after this term you would step down - you said let someone else take care of the war - what the Leo's are doing."

"Sweets," her father shook her head. "I've changed my mind-"

"You've already have had three terms!" Jackie sat up. "You don't have to deal with the Leo's! We can be done!"

"It's not what the Leo's are doing, Jaquline," Jackie's mother spoke up. "Your father believes that the Twelve could be - ruled better, more strictly."

"What's more strict than not being able to even look at people who aren't born under the same constellation as you?"

"Calm down - this is for the best."

"The best?" Jackie stood up. She knew she was overreacting, but could you blame her? She was tired of it, she wanted a break, she wanted to be a family again. "What happened to being a family?"

Her father stood up. "Jaquline, that is enough. I'm running for reelection, family doesn't matter at this point, there is a war coming."

Jaquline stared at her father for a while longer, then turned on her heel and bolted out of the room, hot tears of anger blurring her vision.

--

Jackie slammed the door to her room, going striaght to her closet, ripping clothes off the hangers and throwing her sneakers on. She didn't bother to grab anything else. But then she stopped when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

Her skater skirt tailored to perfection swayed slightly from the movement she had just done, and her blouse sparkled in the dark moonlight room. Her hair, still in the braids from earlier, looked like a maine. She was instantly recongnizable.

Jackie was done, she'd endured this her whole entire life. She wanted a break. She wanted away.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, feeling the salty taste of tears on her lips, then she opened her eyes, opening the drawer to her vanity.

A green pair of scissors was the only thing that sat in the drawer. She took them out, holding her hair in a firm grip.

She looked at herself one more time, them screwed her eyes shut, feeling her fingers squeeze around the handle of the scissors, and a indefinite snip. Her hair fell free, one red braid in her hand, looking so silky and- free.

One braid later, Jackie was sitting in her windowsill, staring at the low roof under her. If she jumped, she could slide off the roof and hopefully onto soft ground.

If she didn't, she would be the presidents daughter again.

She turned back and glanced around her room one more time, her various paintings hung throughout the room. Her paint brushes sitting in a bowl on the floor, tarps covering various unfinished paintings strewn across the room. Memories scattered here and there.

She turned back, looking up at the stars in the sky, and down at the ground, the ground where she had played soccer in so many times, or layed down in and watched the stars so many times. The ground that if she got to would be her chance of freedom.

Jackie took a deep breath, and jumped.

Wow-