celestial

On average Neptune is the coldest planet

***

He raised his eyebrows as if waiting for me to continue and I did with a jolt of surprise.

What do I say again? It was hard to control my breathing with him looking like that.

"Okay look" I rubbed my arms together, nervous now I was actually facing him. Pass your boundaries. "I was- I was" breath " kinda hasty on the whole offer stuff. Is it-is it" oh come on! " is it still open? Yeah!?" I laughed nervously hoping he'd say yes and we would be okay again.

He was quiet. He'd gotten up, his long legs stretching out and his jeans stained with stripes of green paint, while the once white shirt he wore was a combination of paint and madness. I didn't think it'd get back to same the color it was bought as.

I continued, my nerves like firecrackers set off. Exploding and dancing around,making me unable to think well. "I think it's a great idea, you know? The whole different style of learning and we could do that? I don't know,If you want that is. Astronomy is more than just credits to me. It's basically my whole life. It's something that feels so real and it's significance is all I see. Our universe is more than just gaining marks or a grade. It's our world, it's how we are able to look into matters beyond our normal sight... "

I trailed off when I saw the smug look in his eyes as if he knew something I didn't and then I suddenly got it, like a really heavy bowling ball slamming into the back of my head.

He knew I would come back, didn't he?

He was still looking at me, the only addition, a crooked smile that was brighter than the clash of colors he was coated with.

I pointed a finger at him, wagging it in his face as if I could make sense with just the movement. " you knew? That's why you said those things about my views towards the class. You know they aren't true, you were just using it to guilt trip me or something." I huffed, crossing my arms, secretly pleased that he'd knew I wasn't in the class for 'credits'.

" Well yeah. I've done my research on you" he shrugged and ignored my protest "I trust Mr Davids. He wouldn't lie about something like that or just give second hand comments about a student." He continued in a lighter tone that should've warned me."You were just scared of something. That same something that made you run off the day I followed you to our bench"

" My bench" I corrected out of habit and he grinned , a lock of hair falling unto his face, I ached to brush it back but I quickly slapped it out of my mind with warnings. A second a later, what he'd said finally registered. My throat closed up and I tried to play it off with a scowl, trying to keep my head above the water that was undoubtedly trying to cover me. "scared? I'm not scared, king".

The truth in some ways, I was more than scared.

My hand followed the pattern to the pulse at my wrist, aching for release and a chance to leave. I held my breathe hoping to whoever was out there, that he'd dropped the conversation and let me be.

Pulse.

My not-so prayer was answered when he only turned his head and walked to an empty canvas by the wall, with a bucket of yellow paint placed on the side. He stared at the plain paper in silence as if contemplating something only he could understand. He didn't make a sound,just stared and it left me with the time to study him. There was something about him that I couldn't place. Some sort of unease that someone that seemed as perfect as him couldn't really be perfect.

He might have dropped the matter now, but there will come a time where I wouldn't be able to leave it, my brain warned and I wanted to scream.

I could deal with that later. Not!.

" You really want to try my way?" He said after a while, bringing my back to reality. I took my hand away from my wrist and let it hang down at my sides. " You honestly want to do it? No backing out, simmers. Not anymore. If you don't want to, say it now Daphne." His voice was hard and serious and I was determined to change it back to the cool flow that always came with him.

Pass your boundaries. Live for the both of us. Live for me.

I took a deep breath. "Yes I want to try it and I'm sorry for the whole indecisive matter. Won't happen again. Promise.?"

He smiled. "Then, what do you see?" He asked before facing the plain canvas again. He reached his hands into the yellow bucket and poured some onto a thin board. A palette. I saw the paint brush before him and decided to give it to him. I picked it up and stretched my hands out to him.

"Here you g- or you could just do that" I gaped at him when he dipped his finger into the paint and I finally realized why he always looked like a rainbow puked up it's lunch on him.

He ignored me and raised his fingers, his face softening into that of amazing wonder of concentration. At that moment he might have forgotten I was there, and I wouldn't have minded. He painted as if it was water to him, something he couldn't live without. He was of passion and desire to create what was to be seen and appreciated.

He put his fingers to the canvas and drew, his fingers moved over a drawing so simple with easy strokes and possessing such unique traces that I was captured by every movement though it didn't last long because when he moved back there was an empty star. The outline but No color in it. Simple but also incomplete.

He turned towards me with an unearthly look, his green eyes bright and his face relaxed. He looked so good it was painful.

"What do you see" he rubbed his hands against the jeans, no doubt uncaring about the situation he put his clothes through." Be creative."

"Uh-"

He pressed." Use your imagination, you're a reader aren't you? Then this shouldn't be hard. Take all the time you need" he paused. " On second thought. Do not take all the time you need. We still have class and I'd prefer not to miss it, daffodil. But no pressure"

At that moment I wanted to punch is beautifully carved-

Focus!

I studied the drawing for a while.

" I should be creative? Like it must not all be related to Astronomy.? Just something different?" I asked and he nodded, his eyes focused on me. On me.

I raised a shaky hand to the drawing and closed my eyes. What is it? And like a dam crashing down, a thousand lines connected in me when I thought of the star. How did you get like that.? Only something so natural could result from it

I hesitated. "A star will burn and shine for billions of years through the main sequence in the life cycle of a star, during that time there's a balance in the mind of the universe that is indecisive on whether to shrink the star by the gravity present or expand it by the heat felt. Due to its unmade up mind, the star will continue to burn for years. It passes through a stage where it changes form, from the hydrogen slowly burning thus making the star expand. That's where the inside color of the star licks out because it's reached it's next stage of life. The last stage after billions of years presenting its Glory round the universe in patterns called constellations with it's pair of friends that have suddenly left him to pass through this alone. The star collapses when it starts to produce an element called iron."

" The star isn't average but a large star which causes a nuclear explosion called a supernova. It's last stage it's where it decided if to become a neutron star or a black hole. The star has a lot of choices depending on it's mass, it's history and it's existence until it finally burns off leaving an imprint of memory in the universe and leaving it clean of the elements that fused together to create it. It creates an empty place with no light to shine, but it's outline."

All of which I said was a mixtire of facts and fiction. Of science and belief. Of what is studied and what is created.

There was silence as I finished and I waited for a hint of emotion on Ajax's blank face so it took me by surprise when he suddenly threw his hands up.

" You really are incredibly" he looked at me in amazement. "Fuck! Like really! That was just- damn!" He ran his hands through his hair, yellow flakes dancing around on the black cloud.

I smiled, unsure at first "Thanks"

"I've got to say I never doubted Mr Davids" he still seemed shocked as if kept staring at me, blinking and muttering incoherent sentences.

He seemed to snap of his shock and put out his hands for a hug and I stepped- almost jumped back and exclaimed " Now that's were I draw the line buddy!" motioning to the attractive paint clashed mess he was right now. Yellow paint now added to the fabric.

He looked down then at me, then down again before he burst out laughing. It's sound, magnificently played and tuned in, it made me wonder if anyone had such a beautiful laugh like Ajax king. It wasn't possible, he was carved out of his own art with fluid moves and excessive talent.

He winked at me " Right"