star stuff

prologue

"There's enough money for three ice creams and two waffle cones," Jasper says after he is done counting the money. "Sorry, Junie. Guess you're not getting one." He winces when she hits him and says "fine, fine, you and Sagan can have the cones."

"Nah, you and June can have the two waffle cones," says Sagan, smiling at Juno. She feels her heart skip one beat and then another. It is a nice feeling, the fluttery warmth in her stomach.

"As long as I get a waffle cone," she says, craning her neck to look up at the AUNTIE JENNIE'S ICE CREAM sign, which is hard to see because she is so short. Annoyed by the spray of the fountain behind her, she moves closer to the boys.

Jasper slings his arm around her and she thinks I am so lucky to have a brother who is not mean to me.

Sagan reaches out to ruffle her hair and she playfully swats at him but lets him do it anyway. "Don't worry, June. You'll be one of the two."

They both look to Jasper, who is lost in thought. "Who says we don't have enough money?"

"But Jasper," Juno says, confused. "We only have enough for three ice creams and two waffle cones. That's what you said."

Jasper's gaze turns mischievous. "Dad and Mom aren't the only way to get money," he says, and jerks his head to the space behind Juno.

With an excited gasp, the three run to the edge of the fountain and look in. Sure enough, there are a multitude of coins, glittering under the surface of the water like a hidden treasure. It is undoubtedly enough to buy them the third waffle cone.

"Are you sure? Isn't this stealing?" Sagan asks with hesitation in his voice. He has always been the cautious one, Jasper the daredevil and fearless leader, and Juno, the loyal follower.

"The ice cream shop will get the money no matter what. This way, we'll also get an ice cream cone." Jasper's confident tone leaves no room for doubt in either Sagan or Juno.

Juno, being the only one with shorts on, gets to wade directly in the fountain. The water only comes up to her knees. Jasper, on the other hand, has to lean precariously over the fountain while Sagan holds his legs to keep Jasper from falling in.

They can hardly hold the coins properly from laughing so hard. People walking past give disapproving looks, but they do not care.  At one point, Juno makes a cup with her hands and flings water at Sagan, who lets go of Jasper.

Juno's peals of laughter ring across the plaza until Jasper surfaces and joins her laughter before pulling Sagan into the water as well.

They laugh and laugh and laugh until it feels like their smiles are going to fall off their faces and their lungs are going to explode.

When they finally gather enough coins for a waffle cone, they all get out, sopping wet and still laughing, before realizing that what money they originally had is soaked as much as they are.

"That was a terrible idea," Sagan groans, looking at his dripping clothes. "My mom will kill me."

Juno pats him consolingly, although the highest place she can reach is his bicep. "We'll protect you."

They go in anyway and order a single waffle cone, ignoring the lady's affronted stare. They are, after all, getting fountain water all over the floors of the ice cream parlor.

The waffle cone is broken into three. Juno gets the biggest part.

Jasper raises his shard in a mock toast. "Till death do us part!"

Juno follows her brother. "Till death do us part!" Unlike the others, she does not quite know what it means, but the characters in her books say it often.

Sagan is the last to raise his shard, although he is beaming as hard as the other two. "Till death do us part."