Lost in the Space Between

Chapter 1

Oliver's POV;

Space. We've all heard of it, and if you haven't? Get out of here and shut the door on your way out. I've been in love with the night sky since I was born. My mother would always tell me stories about how I would look up at the sky and giggle when I was a baby. I still love space to this day, and I always will. I'm actually going to take the astronomy path in college, but my best friend has different plans. Olivia Benson, 17 (my twin sister), has jet-black hair and bright green eyes that stand out in a crowd. Not only is she my best friend, she's also my sister. But we look nothing alike. I have light brown hair and bright blue eyes; I've been told that they look like the ocean. I'm in the middle of class, writing in my astronomy notebook when I hear my name being called out. "Oliver!" I look up slightly to meet the teacher's eyes with my own.

"Yeah?" I see the teacher narrow her eyes. Ms. Vogliano, our language arts teacher, the most annoying teacher in the whole entire school. I glance at Olivia, who giggles quietly, and quickly looks away. 

"What's the positive of most colorful?"

"Um, colorful?" I say it like I'm not sure, but I know I'm right. Ms. Vogliano hesitates for a moment before saying,

"Correct." She turns away and starts writing on the board once again. I look around the room to see other students avoiding my gaze except for one boy on the far left of the room, near the door. He has dirty blonde hair that makes a clean sweep on his head. The boy has forest green eyes that are easy to get lost in. My heart is already beating miles per hour and my face is already beet-red. The boy notices me glancing at him, so he quickly looks away, breaking eye contact with me. I sigh and look back at my notebook, where I have made tiny doodles of galaxies, stars, and our solar system. I already know what I want to be when I grow up: be an astronaut and work for NASA. I gaze at the doodles for what seems to be forever when I hear the bell ring, a loud and shrill noise ringing at the side of my ear.

"Ow.." I feel someone tap my shoulder, and I turn around only to be face-to-face with the boy that I gazed upon earlier.

"Oh, sorry," he begins, "did I hurt you?" I don't know whether to take this in as an insult or as a genuine apology. So, I smile slightly and reply,

"Nah, don't be. That stupid bell is the worst." I chuckle slightly at this. "So fucking loud." The boy laughs, and it's honestly the most amazing thing I've ever heard. I try to get my breathing back on track and I cough slightly, an excuse to catch my breath.

"My name is Jackson by the way," I hear him say, and I see him extend his hand from the corner of my eye. My smile widens and I take his hand, shaking it firmly.

"Nice, I'm Oliver." I see Jackson's face flush with bright red and pale pink, which makes my heart flutter. Jackson's eyes dance over to my notebook, catching a glimpse of my drawings.

"You like drawing?" He smirks, as if trying to play with my mind.

"I guess, but it's what I'm drawing is what I'm more passionate about," I say this while trying to demonstrate what I meant by showing Jackson the pictures.

"Ah, so space?" He observes the drawings with such curiosity that it kind of scares me on how into this he is.

"Um, yeah," I begin, trying to find the right words. "Space is so amazing and people take it for granted. I'm going to be an astronaut and I'm going to prove to everyone that space is this magnificent thing that we must treasure." I glance over at Jackson, who is watching me intensely, trying to grab every word I say. 

"That's amazing, you are so passionate about this," he says this like he's making a statement but to me it sounds more like a question. So I don't say anything and we just stare at each other for a long time, the silence between us growing bigger. I hear someone cough.