The Vestal Coil

One year after the War

One week of finals remained, and then school would break for the interim. This meant a little more time to herself, but not much lessening in her workload.

Since her family had moved to the colony, Lily pursued an accelerated course, to prepare for Stonecipher's entrance exams. As soon as she turned seventeen, she could apply. It was only a year away.

In the meantime, she had her family to care for.

All of them had busy schedules. Lily had her studies, Daddy his work, and Clarence his lively social life.

Sometimes it felt as if they rarely saw each other. They woke up, said good morning, and then hurried off to their different transit points.

Lily missed the days in Plumgrove. the simpler way of life, when everyone gathered by the hearth at night. Life in orbit was fast-paced, often hectic. Learning the rhythm was difficult at first, but she kept up, and found a way.

Music returned to her life, and saved her soul, the day she met Gilda Knox. They'd never spoken to each other, but had sometimes exchanged reserved smiles in passing.

Gilda was a strange, distracted girl in gym class, always tapping on her knee, and humming to herself. Most of the others thought she was crazy.

Gym was Lily's last class. After this was three weeks of interim freedom, and time at home with Daddy and Clarence. She waved goodbye as her friends departed, and sang aloud while cleaning out her messy locker.

Gilda suddenly rushed in, her green eyes wide with awe. "Was that you singing just now?"

Lily was startled. "Yeah. Sorry if I cracked your eardrums."

"Are you kidding? That was...wait a minute. Can you sing along to this?" Gilda placed a foot on the bench next to her, tapping her toe, and her fingers against her chest. The tempo was flawless, fierce, and catchy.

Though it was awkward at first, Lily sang along, making up the words as she went.

The music seemed to take form between them, gaining a life of its own. When it finished, they stared at each other.

"That was amazing," Lily said.

Gilda tore off the battered trilby she always wore, her wayward auburn bob flaring. "Come to my house," she said. "You have to meet my brother."

Lily laughed. "We haven't even properly introduced ourselves."

"So sorry. Gilda Knox." She extended a hand. Her fingertips were callused, voice excited. "I play bass. And my brother, Sammy, can wail on the trumpet like nobody. We're trying to get a hook on this new jazz coming out of the central torus. We could use a solid vocalist to catch that sound. I think you and I were onto something."

Lily called Daddy on her wristcom to let him know she'd be home a little late, and was meeting up with friends.

They took the metro-liner to the Knox house, a prim, fenced dwelling on the respectable Second Tier, Ring Three.

Mrs. Knox greeted them at the door. "Everyone's waiting for you," she said.

"Thanks, Mom." Gilda grabbed Lily's hand, and pulled her upstairs.

About twenty kids were gathered in the parlor, lounging on the plush old sofas and cushions decorating the floor. Lily recognized some of them from school, and she waved and smiled.

An auburn-haired boy shook her hand. He wore bright green suspenders that matched his playful eyes. "I'm Sammy," he said. "Gilda's twin brother. Are you new to the scene?"

"Lily isn't a spectator," Gilda said. A big upright bass stood in the corner. She reached for it, pulling her hat low, and spun the instrument expertly in one palm. "Let's show them what we had earlier."

All eyes fell on Lily.

Sammy surveyed her with a curious gaze, and slowly lifted his trumpet.

She'd never known stage fright before. But she froze, not knowing what to do.

The trumpet seemed to speak. It warbled and purred, in time with the relentless slap of Gilda's bass.

The small but devoted audience cheered.

It caught Lily by the heart and gut, and she couldn't resist it.

Sammy grinned, and swayed toward her. He played a rambling yet sultry measure, ending on a high, questioning note-an invitation.

Minutes later, she was singing as if it was all she knew. Not since she was little, making tunes with Nana, had music felt so right.

The Knox twins carried her voice. She frolicked around the thump of the bass, and flirted with the trumpet's swirling blare.

No one could sit still. Several kids danced around them, in a frenzied, vigorous style she'd never seen before.

Even Mrs. Knox watched at the door with a proud smile, nodding her head in time.

From that day on, Lily was obsessed with jazz music. She bought every recording she could, and studied all of the emerging performers and ensembles with a scrupulous ear.

She also adopted the latest trends, and bobbed her hair to the ears.

Daddy didn't like it. "It's too short," he said. "Looks like a boy."

"Most of the girls at school have chopped theirs off," she said.

He ran his hand through her black curls, and smiled sadly. "You're growing up too fast. You and Clarence both. Just promise me you'll be careful, Sunshine."

She hugged him. "I promise."

The interim break flew by faster than expected. School started again, and with it came the usual press of schedules and obligations. Regardless, she sang with the Knox twins every chance she got. After she finished her extracurricular time in the robotics prep lab, and on the weekends, she rushed to their house for practice.

They started writing their own material, and came up with a name for their trio-Lily and the Hard Knocks.

Once a week, they performed in the Knox family's parlor. Kids from school swarmed to watch. Eventually, others did, too. Several university students caught word, and even a few parents attended on a regular basis.

They played every song with energy and abandon.

Performing was different than singing for herself, or her friends. Something came alive within her when she was on stage, something she was becoming. Or perhaps it had always been there, waiting for the right time to burst into life.

She learned all of the latest dance steps. The Charleston, the Shimmy, and the Liberty Jump were the rage. She didn't consider herself an expert, but she could twist and tap her heels as well as most. In addition, she used her smile, and her eyes. Shoulders and hips could also express an attitude. It was always tasteful, but enough to flaunt. The crowd loved it.

Most of all, she enjoyed singing as loud as she wanted, and seeing the others dance themselves into oblivion. It was a release from the monotony of life in the colony.

They called themselves Jump Kids. An elite few, about fifty teenagers, formed their own scene. They were mostly restless art, philosophy, drama, and music students. Priding themselves on being the true fans of Lily and the Hard Knocks, they went wild with their appearance, and even wilder with their dancing.

All of the girls wore their hair and clothing short. Swinging, drop-waisted dresses were paired with accessories that moved dramatically. Hems hovered at the knees, or the daring inch above. Low-heeled shoes were buckled securely, to withstand the feverish steps. Jewelry and plumed headpieces sparkled as they twirled around their partners. They wore their makeup dark and messy about the eyes, bowed and precise around the lips.

The boys changed their looks more often than the girls. They favored plain buttoned shirts, with the tie dangling loose beneath a turned-up collar. Wide-legged trousers were rolled tightly at the knees, displaying socks of every vivid pattern and contrast. Some of the boys wore makeup, too. They smudged their eyes to near black, hair disheveled and frantic, trying to look rebellious.

Lily and the audience often danced together, as the dares extended to the performers. It sometimes lasted for hours. There was never a winner, or loser, just a spontaneous flurry of movement. Always trying to outdo their challengers, young bodies spun faster and leaped higher, until hair and clothing drooped with sweat.

The shocking fads and flamboyant attitude of the Jump Kids soon encompassed Lily. She loved the liberating short frocks, her legs and arms free to move. The adoration of her fans fueled her confidence, and strengthened her determination to get through each rigid day.

There was only one regret, that she still hadn't told her family about her double life.

Daddy was suspicious. She wanted to confess to him, but she was afraid of how he might react.

The one time that he caught her wearing makeup was enough to make her wary. He'd forced her to wash it off immediately, and grounded her for two weeks.

Being away from the Hard Knocks was torture. She used the time to write more songs. Thus, it worked to her advantage in the long run.

One of the boys who followed the Jump scene was from an upscale ring, near the central torus. His parents were enthusiastic about the music, too. They opened a sizable, cleared-out wine cellar, for a few hours each weekend, and it became the regular venue for their performances. They named it the Veranda, and there was eventually more than a hundred people in the weekly crowd.

When Daddy found the sleeveless, fringed little black dress at the bottom of Lily's school bag, he confronted her, holding it before her in one shaking fist. "What's the meaning of this?"

She gulped. "It's not what you think. I can explain."

He sat at the table, and sighed deeply. "I've known about the jazz, and your friends, but there's a lot more. It's been going on a while, now. And you seem afraid to tell me."

"It's best if I show you," she said. "Come with me tonight. You'll see for yourself."

"I should be angry, but I'll come," he said, smiling slightly. "Anything that's gotten you this excited better be the cat's mittens, or I'll be disappointed."

She laughed. "It's not the cat's mittens. It's the cat's meow, Daddy."

"Is that so?" He grinned, and handed the dress back to her. "I'm pretty hopeless with the things you and Clarence say."

She kissed his cheek, thrilled that he was coming.

Clarence canceled plans with his friends, and they all drove to the Veranda.

The street out front was cluttered with parked hovercraft and motorcars. It was the largest crowd she'd ever seen.

Daddy greeted the hosts politely, yet remained aloof.

Lily was nervous, but she couldn't keep this from him any longer.

They went through the garden, then downstairs, into the cellar. The floor of the Veranda was a large terrace, built of gleaming tile. A mosaic of blue, white, and bronze arched in long bands along the ground. Tall, scalloped pillars surrounded the stage.

The scent of perfumed cigarettes and anticipation drifted to meet them. Some of the older university kids drank and smoked, which Daddy surely disapproved of. Thankfully, intoxication was seen as a hindrance to dancing, and was thus spurned by most of the Jump Kids.

Daddy insisted on being close to the front. He and Clarence mingled with the thin, eccentric teenagers, not caring that they stood out.

Show time arrived.

She took a deep breath, and stole one last look in her compact mirror, before she went on stage.

Her makeup was flattering against her smooth brown skin. The current trend was sloppy, but she'd opted for a softer look tonight, a golden tone that accented her eyes. She painted her lips, the lower slightly narrow, the upper into a kissable arch of rose and bronze. With a little tonic, she emulated a boy's hairstyle, and shaped her bob into sleek, glossy waves around her face.

The Hard Knocks took their places soon after, and the applause was deafening.

The Knox twins always dressed in similar colors and styles for performance. Tonight, they both wore the suspenders and fedoras that were Sammy's trademark.

Gilda started the madness, as always. Bass and trumpet wove a crescendo, building to the first verse.

Lily opened with a scat. She flung her hips to the beat, earning whistles and cheers. The tempo paused. She turned her back, and looked slowly over her shoulder, smiling at the crowd. Then the music crashed, with its celebrated punch. Throbbing against walls and idle bones, it cajoled even the most uptight bluenoses to dance.

She met eyes with Daddy and Clarence several times, and saw them smiling and clapping. Happiness filled her, as she cavorted through the last few songs.

At the end of the set, she turned to the twins. "Let's do 'Perfect World', just this once."

They'd only practiced it a few times, but Gilda and Sammy agreed.

"This next song carried me through times," she told the audience. "That's all they can be called. Some were good, some bad. But there was always one person at my side, and he's finally here tonight. My Daddy."

The audience cheered.

Daddy looked overwhelmed.

Lily sang with all of her heart, and noticed his eyes glistened with tears.

"Not afraid of the cold, dark night,

"You always helped me to find that light..."

This song had always been about Daddy. She realized it, for the first time, and her cheeks were also damp, as the show came to a rousing finish.

Later that night, he knocked at the door to her bedroom.

"I just came to say good night," he said. "I've never seen you shine like you did onstage. You've been blessed with a marvelous talent. And it can take you far, if that's what you want to do."

"Thank you." She hugged him. "I love you, Daddy."

He kissed her forehead, then picked up the snowglobe on her dresser. He wound it, and they sat together, watching the array of metallic flowers and glitter inside of it.

"I made this for you, because of your song," he said. "The one about the perfect world. You were always singing it when you were little. Hearing it tonight made me realize something."

"What?"

"I just got to thinking. We can't make the world perfect, but we can always make a perfect world somewhere."

"I've tried to do that all my life," she said.

Daddy tightened his arm around her. "Looking back, all I feel is thankful. I couldn't be prouder of you, and your brother. You just keep singin' and smilin', baby girl. Isn't that what Nana used to tell you?"

She giggled. "That's it."

"Well, now I'm telling it to you. You've a brilliant mind for programming, and an aptitude for robotics, but I believe it's your music that makes you human." He tapped her under the chin with his finger. "First thing in the morning, Sunshine." It was how he used to wish her good night, when she was a child. And they'd wake together at dawn, to open their shop in Plumgrove.