Prologue
Thursday April 10, 2014
I don't know why, but I always liked the stars. I've been into astronomy for quite some time now, and I never really understood why I liked to study the stars.
This question popped up when my little sister was coming into my room (without my permission) and saw me doing some calculations on my star map on the constellations. I heard her footsteps as she approached me slowly across my floorboard.
"WHAT YOU DOING, BIG BROTHER?" she says while she jumps and pushes me.
"I'm studying the constellations," I reply back.
"Why?"
"So I can know when I can see certain constellations throughout this month."
"Why?"
"Because I like looking and studying the stars."
"Why?"
At this point any big brother would be annoyed by their little siblings' why's, but this why has got me thinking. Why do I like studying the stars in the first place? Why am I so much into astronomy? Realizing I hadn't replied to her "why", I responded, "Because I adore the world outside of our home planet."
"Why?"
Ok, now it's annoying. What did you expect from a fourth grader? It's the time where their curiosity is getting into them and will always want to know how and why things happen. "Lizette, there are times where asking how or why things are, are appropriate. This is not the case however."
"Why?"
Uggh. If only she could've read my mind a few seconds ago, things would've been simpler.
"Lizette, come downstairs please dear!" my mother said downstairs from the living room.
"COMING!" my sister replied yelling over my ear.
I'm glad she's out of my room now so I can concentrate on my map again.
"Let's see, Draco, Ursa Minor, Ursa Major, Leo Minor, Leo..." I say to myself. "Hydra.....hydra.....hydra. Oh man I can go for another round of "Face the Hydra" in Magic (Magic the Gathering). I remember I played with four starting heads with Isaiah and..." I stop.
That name. My best friend, Isaiah...
"Why did you leave Isaiah?" I say. "Why did you leave? You left me, the guys at school, your family. Everyone."
I stand up and look out the window in my room. I see my little sister walking our dogs into our house.
"Why did you leave Isaiah?" I say to myself. "It has already been three months since you left and you haven't came back. Why?"
▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲
Three months ago...
...
...
...
"Hello?"
"Hey, you up yet?"
"Now I am. What do you need? Its 5:30."
"I'm still nervous. Are you sure we did the calculations right?"
"We went over it 50 times on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We can go over it again today after school once I retake my Environment Science test."
"Ok then. Do you still have the report?"
"Yeah its on my desk."
"Alright, just want to make sure you still have it."
"Do you have the model with you?"
"Of course I do!"
"Ow. Don't need to yell."
"Sorry, I'm still nervous."
"Yeah, well you need to calm down or you might do something you'll regret. Like dropping the model we worked on for the past month."
"Ok, ok. I meet you at the bench at school alright?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Alright see ya later Izzy."
"Don't call me Izzy. You know I don't like that."
"Whatever. See ya later Izzy."
"Later."
Beep
I look around my room. Mess everywhere. I never clean my room at all. Studies are more important than a clean room.
I see the model we worked on the past month.
"Man, we done a great job on this," I say to myself. "All we need to do is turn this in tomorrow and we'll have a solid A."
▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲
I look around my room. Messy, as always. Like I said, studies are more important than a clean room.
"Jose! Come pick up your cards you left on the table!" I hear my mom yell from downstairs.
I snapped back into reality and stand up. I walk slowly across my floorboards that remain uncovered by my dirty laundry and head downstairs. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I see my little sister playing with my cards.
"And this little hydra when up in flames," my sister sings while messing with my cards. "And this little hydra was cut in half. After this hydra was cut in half, two more heads grew in its place."
Man, she has a crazy mind. I should have not let her hang around when... my friends were here."Please hand me my cards," I say.
"Jose, why doesn't Isaiah come over to play Magic with you?"
"I already told you, he left town."
"But his parents are still here."
"He left town with one of his uncles."
"Why?"
Why is she asking me this? "Probably because he wanted a change of scenery."
"Why?"
She should stop asking the same fucking question. "Because he likes exploring different areas."
"Why?"
"Can't you say anything else than WHY?"
...
"How come?"
"I DON'T KNOW ALRIGHT. HE LEFT TOWN BECAUSE HE FUCKING FELT LIKE IT. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO KNOW?!"
She starts crying.
Aww crap not again.
"JOSE, what did I say about using that language in this house?" my mom says walking from the kitchen.
"Mom, Jose yelled at me and said a bad word," my sister says while she cries and walks to my mom.
"Sweetie, I told you not to mention Jose's friend in this house."
"Why?"
"Because mommy says so, alright sweetie?"
I had enough of this crap already. I took my cards and started walking upstairs to my room.
"Where are you going Jose?"
"To my room. I have to study for the ACT on Saturday."
"Ok. Don't study too hard."
"Yeah, yeah."
I walk to my room and began to study for the ACT. "I just need to finish high school and I'm out of here."
I look up at the star map on my wall. I see the little note on the corner of the map.
Lunar eclipse: This Tuesday from 12 am to 1:20 am
I can't wait to see the lunar eclipse. Something to get my mind off the worries of my life. But first I need to take the ACT this Saturday.
