Something's Wrong With the Different Realms

Fourteen: Spring Break

Jasper Jennings

The past few weeks had been a little strange. Two new kids had entered my creative writing class. Their names were Alexa and Harry. They behaved a little strangely and had strange mannerisms but they said that they were European. I didn't know much about European culture so perhaps their behavior was normal in Europe. They were European but I wasn't sure if they were White like me. Harry had black hair, dark blue-violet eyes, and bronze skin. Alexa had dark beige skin, amber eyes and caramel hair. They looked ethnically ambiguous.

I shook my head. Now was not the time to ponder over people's ethnicity. So I decided to think about the progress that we'd made with the book. Having Alexa and Harry had boosted my and Isla's word counts. Even if Harry wasn't the best at English, they helped out a lot. And sure, their ideas were different from what Isla and I had planned for the original novel, but they added some excitement to our bland story.

They were also nice. At least they tried to be. Alexa sometimes wore a scowl on her face and spoke in a frustrated tone while Harry was sometimes downcast and spoke like he was tired. It must have been difficult for them to move across the world. They probably missed Europe. I'd stayed in Piquant Country and Majesty for most of my life so I couldn't imagine what it would be like. We all had our difficulties and internal battles, so it was best to be nice to everyone. You never knew what they were facing just as they didn't know what you were facing.

At least it was spring break now so I didn't have to worry too much about Harry and Alexa or adding too much to my book. I had already finished adding a chapter yesterday so I assumed that was enough. So, I could spend my time watching Netflix, celebrating Easter, hanging out with friends, listening to that new album, and trying to relax.

"Jasper!" my mom called out, "are you ready yet? Are you dressed? Make sure to wear that dress shirt I got you, okay?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and immediately jumped up. I looked at my bedroom mirror. My hair was messed up and my dress shirt was wrinkled but it would have to do. I straightened my dress shirt and put some more gel on my hair. Then, I checked to see if I'd gotten everything I needed before leaving my room and meeting the rest of my family downstairs.

My parents and sister were waiting. They were already dressed in their Sunday best. My mom had a nice, modest, yellow, long-sleeved dress and Miley was dressed in baby blue, her hair done up nicely. My dad was in an outfit similar to mine.

We headed to the car and drove to the church. Most of the car ride was silent except for my parents commenting about Easter, and the weather and stuff. I mean, it was Easter Sunday. And it was early spring so the weather was still frigid.

When we parked in front of the church, there were already a lot of cars. It made sense since, other than Christmas, Easter was one of the largest Christian holidays. Since we arrived after sunrise, we had missed the lighting of the vigil. I could see that because the Paschal candle was already lit outside our church. And when we headed inside, there were already many others filling the aisle, all in their Sunday best.

My family and I headed to one of the middle rows. When the pastor arrived, we sat down. He read the passage on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Then, he moved on to tell us about the resurrection of Jesus and the meaning and significance of Easter. It made sense since Easter Sunday commemorated the resurrection of Jesus.

I liked the message of Easter Sunday. It was about hope, renewal, and new life. I took it to mean that everyone would have a second chance when they messed up. And when they made a sacrifice, they would be rewarded. I believed that Jesus was kind to everyone and that even if you messed up, God would help you with your journey towards renewal.