our own private supernova

chapter two: bigfoot doesn't believe in you either

Neptune squinted at her reflection. Her makeup had seen better days, but it had also seen worse days. In the mirror, behind her, her sister was tying up her own hair. Uranus had beautiful light blue hair where Neptune's were dark blue. When she was done, Uranus lifted the tone arm off the record that was slowly playing with her foot and grabbed her jacket. Uranus always wore a lighter shade of blue than her twin. It had always been like that, it will surely always be like that. She waved a hand sporting baby blue nail polish toward her sister.

"Anyone there? Did you hear what I said?"

Neptune just shook her head, she hated to talk when she didn't have to.

"I said we should visit Earth, she probably feels lonely out there."

"I think she sleeps most of the time." Neptune pointed out. 

Uranus shrugged. There wasn't really a point in arguing, they both knew they'd go anyway. 

"Be ready in five," Uranus just said.

Neptune rolled her eyes, she was already ready. She didn't need to put on huge amounts of makeup like her sister. She followed her down the hall. The Sun and Mercury were chatting in the kitchen, Saturn and Venus were quietly eating breakfast, Pluto, Jupiter and Mars were nowhere to be seen. Knowing them, Jup was most likely in their room and Mars out there, looking for blood. Pluto was... It seemed like recently Pluto had become the ghost of themselves. Always shifting, quiet and moody. The revocation of their planet status had been a hard toll on them. Of course, Mars wasn't helping, always finding the one thing to hurt them. Neptune hated that about him.

"We're going to see Earth, anyone wanna come?" broadly asked Uranus.

"We went last Friday," Saturn said. "She'll be happy to see you."

The twins smiled. Just the two of them then. Uranus grabbed her coat and threw Neptune her's. "I'll drive," she offered. Not many had their driving licence in the house. 

They arrived at the hospital half an hour later. Neptune was taken aback by the stench of the hallways. Uranus asked for Earth's room at the desk. 

"Nanna!" squealed a tiny voice. Earth was lying in her bed, her red hair bright against the pale sheets. She had a cannula around her nose and was holding a Bigfoot plushie.

Uranus blew a kiss at her and Neptune awkwardly sat at the rear end of the bed, unwanted. "Hey to you too," she said jokingly. Earth's face brightened up at the sight of her.

"Neptune! I like the way you did your makeup."

Neptune smiled happily. She loved Earth. She once had asked the Sun, when Earth had been diagnosed, why her? The Sun had simply replied "Bad things happen to good children sometimes." A piece of the Sun had disappeared that day.

Earth was babbling about her day lightly.

"Someone bought me a plushie," she said, showing them the Bigfoot lying in the crook of her elbow.

"I don't believe in Bigfoot." Uranus simply stated. Earth's expression faltered.

"Bigfoot doesn't believe in you either," Neptune said without skipping a beat.

A small laugh escaped their younger sister. It was soon cut off as she started to cough.

Nanna fetched a glass of water and put it to her sister's lips. Wiping tears, Earth then asked:

"Have you found new music?"

Uranus was all over her in one second, Ariana Grande this, Post Malone that. Neptune began to look away when she noticed Earth was still staring at her, as if the question had only been directed toward her.

'I'll text it to you,' she mouthed. Earth nodded then directed her attention toward Uranus and her basic music tastes. The lighter twin suddenly said:

"Have you heard of what happened to Pluto?"

Earth raised a brow, a borrowed expression on her childish face.

"Do tell."

Neptune spaced out, she didn't like gossips. Talking behind people's back was just a rude way to say what you wanted to say to their face anyway. Nanna's phone rang, she picked it up and excused herself as she exited the room.

Earth directed her bright gaze on the darker twin.

"Pluto?" she asked, to start the conversation, including Neptune this time.

"I don't like to gossip," Neptune just said. "Wanna hear about music?"

Earth smiled. Do tell. As the conversation went, babbling about new bands and songs to listen, Earth grew tired. When she fell asleep mid sentence, Neptune kissed her forehead and exited the room. She wondered who had gifted her sister the Bigfoot plushie.

Uranus was nowhere to be seen. Neptune asked the lady at the desk if she had seen her sister and the woman replied she had just left. She had taken the car.

Neptune pulled out her phone, typing a quick 'Fuck you' to her twin and walked toward the bus stop. The second she stepped out of the hospital, it started to rain. God, sometimes she hated Uranus.

It was only hours later that Nanna came back. Neptune was already in bed, texting new music to Earth. The lights were dimmed and Uranus quickly changed, took off her makeup and got into bed. Even with the dull light coming from the bedside lamp, Neptune could see the huge bruise on her sister's side. Dark blue on her light blue self. Incongruous.