Chapter One of Scorpio
In which Good versus Teeth
I’ve been such a silly stupid good girl.
Oi.
I can’t remember why I chose to be so silly stupid good today.
I woke up. I made sure the trash threw itself out. I made coffee. I stretched. I smoked. I turned on the radio. I turned it on with my big toe and I sang.
Then I burned
toast
just to have something to
Crack
with my
TEETH
Black coffee
in
white porcelain cups
like
me.
But
No. No. No. No. No, Scorpy.
Scorpy be good tonight. Stay silly stupid good tonight. Being bad is bad.
“Pisces,” I say to my own surprise, and turning to the girl, “Pisces, if you keep crying like that you’ll never stop.”
She plugs herself for a moment. Our silence hangs on invisible eaves until:
“I know, Scorpio!” she screams, “That’s why!”
“Well if you know and continue, then you deserve your pain and I have no sympathy.”
I turn back to the window. The sun is turning gold in its attempt to fall away. The sun is a miracle that falls away. I’ve tried being such a silly stupid good girl because everything always falls away.
And so
TEETH
But
No. No. No. No. No, Scorpy.
Scorpy be good tonight. Stay silly stupid good tonight. Being bad is bad.
But
Oi.
when Scorpy gets bad
it feels
so good.
So bad. So good.
But
No. No. No. No. No, Scorpy.
Because
then
Scorpy’s heart
eats her
Scorpy’s heart
has
TEETH
Made
toast
crack it with my
“It might rain!” I yell above the noise of Pisces, “The sunset. It’s wet like that. Oh I like a wet sunset. The mood. It fits a cap on things. I like caps.”
I run my fingers through my hair.
Oi.
I like hair. Mine pulls so well
un
like
“Cancer!”
I stand up. I need to stretch. I need to smoke.
“Cancer, get Pisces to stop crying. She’s a siren for Zod’s sakes. I can’t take it.”
Cancer crosses the room and pushes me into a sitting position.
“You could be less tense, darling,” she says, “We are at a wedding.”
“Are you really saying that to me?”
“Hush, chicken,” she says, “Pisces cries because she needs it. You cry because you don’t know what you need.”
“Am I crying? I’m not crying.”
“Not right now, no.”
She starts to massage my back and
Oi.
Oivey.
Cancer becomes uncomfortable and goes back to Pisces. I turn back to the sun but the sun is going back to wherever it goes back to. The sun is a miracle that goes back.
So go back, Scorpy.
Go baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad
So bad.
But
No. No. No. No. No, Scorpy.
Scorpy stay good tonight.
Then
Scorpy can smile into
dry
pillows. Not
bite
them.
TEETH
Bitey-
bite
them
No.
Just a ickle
bit
No. No. No. No. No.
But being good is so hard. It’s so boring. Scorpy just wants to have fun like she likes having fun.
No. No. No. No, Scorpy!
Please stay good tonight!
Bad brings the
TEETH
But
TEETH
Stops the bad.
Oi.
Somebody CRACK
me!
I wave my hand for Cancer but she doesn’t come. She’s leaving with Pisces. They’re leaving through the door. She’s leaving like the sun is leaving. Leaving like they all leave. Everything leaves.
And so
Silence
drip
drops
from the
tick
tocks
I run my fingers along the waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalls.
Prick.
“Waiter?” I say, drawing my fingers to my lips, “Waiter, where’s the coffin? Bring the coffin. And the scream, please. We’ve finished eating and it’s late.”
Scorpy needs toast.
“And I’m tired, waiter.”
Scorpy doesn’t have toast.
“I’m so so tired, waiter.”
Doesn’t have black coffee.
“Oi, waiter.”
No white porcelain cups
just
“TEETH.”
Sketches by Zod: The Wedding is an audio novella that follows twelve Zodiac Women at a wedding.
Visit sketchesbyzod.com for more information.
Episode 11/60
