Dear Ocean

Chapter 2: Ocean

Whenever I need to clear my head, I take a swim. My house is right on the ocean, so after school I can just get in the water. Nova can swim like no one else can. That's right- the old tales of mermaids were actually about Nova. In fact, Celestia has an entire state of underwater towns and cities in the Atlantic called Aquaria. I visit it sometimes. It's a lovely place beyond the imagination of most typical humans. Well, more so than the rest of Celestia. When I go back inside, I ask my best friend, Hannah about the speech she submitted. She wants to be a lawyer. She's won many classroom debates and she created a mock case that was played out in an actual courtroom. She's likely to be selected to attend the summit.

A few days later, Hannah gets an email. It says that she will be able to perform her speech at the summit.

A few days later on the first day of spring break, we take a train together to where the summit is. Thanks to magvac technology, the ride is only twenty minutes. We walk out into the city of Polaris. It is absolutely beautiful. Especially on a crisp, snowy day like today. We walk across the streets I remember the birthdays I spent on this city. Running around with my siblings, getting lunch (at a different restaurant every time) and dessert (️sometimes at the restaurant, sometimes at a bakery), and seeing plays. We get a taxi across town to the marble mansion where the summit is being held. It's only late afternoon when we get there, but preparations are already being made for the ball tonight. Hannah goes to the room she was assigned to and I go to my room. I quickly look through my closet and find a midnight blue gown with sparkling star decorations on it. Stars have become a symbol of Celestia. It makes sense because Celestia has the most beautiful night sky in the world (we understand the need to turn off unnecessary lights at night). It also makes sense because Celestia is a place of tolerance, and nothing binds all people together more than the sky. No matter who or where you are (unless you're in the disphotic or aphotic zone of the ocean), all people see the same moon and the same sun. I look at my outfit and realize something is missing. I put on my turquoise necklace that has a single gold starfish painted in the center . It's the only piece of jewelry my grandma had when her family left Warriarica (only speaking Spanish). I wear this necklace on hard occasions like this because it reminds me of our family's strength. I meet Dylan at the stairs and go down into the ballroom side by side. We are twins, after all.