Journey to Lunar Island

Chapter 1

It's Jasper's first day of school. He is sitting in his car, drinking a coffee as he mentally prepares himself for the day. While it is true that the first day is easier than most, second only to the last. It will still be hard for Jasper, this is because he will be starting his senior year at a new school. He has spent every school year in his previous district, from kindergarten to junior year. The few friends he grew up with, will no longer have the privilege of seeing them at school every day. The teachers who watched him grow up, will not be greeted by him throughout the day. The silent study hall room there, makes him worry if there will be a quiet room for him to access during the school day.

Jasper glances down at the clock and realizes it is almost time for him to head inside, he doesn't want to be late on the first day after all. He looks down at his schedule to see which class he has first. Once he deciphers the schedule, he learns he has PE first and it is being taught by none other than Mr. Diamond, a family friend. He steps out of his car, grabs his carry-on bag, and heads inside the school. Jasper looks at the map on the back of his schedule to attempt to find the gymnasium. The map indicates that the gymnasium is at the first set of doors to his right. Jasper neatly folds up his schedule and slips it into his shirt pocket right before he opens the gymnasium doors. As soon as he walks in, he is greeted by Mr. Diamond.

"Oh, hi, Jasper." Mr. Diamond flips through his class roster. "I didn't know you are now a student here."

"Yeah, I am going to be going to school here my senior year. Also, what are we going to be doing today?"

"Today we are going to be playing badminton. Have you ever played it?"

"Yes, I have!"

"Good, good. How about you take a seat over there next to Apollo while I take attendance, ok?"

Jasper walks over to the gentleman he presumes is Apollo and introduces himself.

"Hello, I'm Jasper." He says as he sticks out his arm for a handshake.

"Yeah, I know. I have ears." Apollo says as he hesitantly shakes Jasper's hand.

"I have also noticed that you have purple eyes like mine."

"Yeah, it's from an illness."

"Is it genetic? I have had purple eyes for as long as I could remember."

"I'm not too sure, I had emerald-green eyes until the age of fourteen until they became purple."

"Twenty-four, twenty-five, and twenty-six. All right class, attendance is taken now. And since the number of students is not divisible by four, but is by two, two of you will have to play one-on-one. Apollo, Jasper, are you two willing to just play with each other?"

A few kids in the back snicker at Mr. Diamond's choice of words.

"Yes, we are," Jasper says.

"Ok, great. Let me just fill out today's date. August twenty-first, five-thousand, Lunar year. Mr.Diamond looks down at what he wrote in disbelief. "Huh? It's been five thousand years since that happened already? Hard to believe this era has taken up half of human history already."

Mr.Diamond sets down his clipboard.

"Alright everyone, have fun and remember to update the scoreboard after each point."

Apollo and Jasper get ready to face off.

"You better not try any funny business, or I will shove this racquet where the Sun doesn't shine." Apollo says as he points toward Jasper with the racquet.