Hate me to the Moon

Chapter 1

Newton realized that, according to his theory of gravity, the stars should attract each other, so it seemed they could not remain essentially motionless. Would they not all fall together at some point ?

Harry is reading Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History Of Time" like he would a Bible. He's slouching in the blue and yellow seat of the rather empty wagon, comfortably cocooned between the white edge serving as a wall on his left and the armrest securing his body on his right, feet resting on the seat in front of him, knees slightly bent.

His eyes briefly sweep the space around him when he feels warmth overtake the previously relaxing air that had made its way in the tube. He straightens up and drops his feet to the floor, making enough room and freeing the seat across his own when a group of people emerges from the opened doors.

He gives a polite smile to the man now facing him, thanking him for sacrificing the comfort of his feet to let him sit. He then dives back into his book, forgetting the present world around him once again to get a new understanding of the universe as a whole.

There was just something addictive when it came to unfold the mysteries of the world, or at least get closer to do so. Harry had been studying it way before choosing his subjects in uni. He was fascinated by the physics behind an object falling to the floor faster than he could notice, or flying its way into the air. He was mesmerized by the way cells were created and the way they behaved, by the speed of light and black holes as he knew them.

At twenty years old, Harry was basically a curious mind and a passionate spirit. He had never understood how people could go through a day without questioning what is the purpose of each of their steps, what made them feel the way they did, or why had they landed on a ground that hid so many secrets.

He looked up over the rim of his glasses, not lifting his head from the book, and checked how long he still had before his destination. As he counted three stops before Paddington station, he noticed a very pregnant woman standing near the doors. She looked exhausted, panting slightly as she rubbed her bump. Without hesitation, he immediately stood up and made his way towards her, waving a weak hand to get her attention. She looked up to see him pointing at the seat he emptied, and thanked him a good fifteen times before sinking down on it, looking relieved when she started fanning herself with the magazine in her hand.

As he stood next to the exit, Harry slid his book in the front pocket of his navy blue backpack and carefully replaced his glasses back into the leather case, putting it in the pocket as well. He readjusted his light pink beanie on his head, getting a few wild curls under it. He replaced the other strap of his bag over his shoulder and pulled his grey jumper down, covering the showing waistband of his white Calvin's.

When the automated female voice announced his stop, he stretched his arms on his side, resting his hands on each wall next to him, and quickly hopped off when the doors finally opened, jumping slightly to avoid the gap.

He walked to his flat as he always does, eyes glued to the concrete, lost in thoughts, stepping over a few puddles created by the rain still pouring, stroking his freezing cheeks and runny nose.

"Hey mate !" Niall greets his roommate the second he hears the door shut behind him and the sound of feet rubbing against the rug. "S'about to start !"

Niall had become one of Harry's closest friends from Manchester. They shared the same obsession for science and weird interests in all kinds of fields. They had decided to apply to the most renowned institution in the country to get their doctorate and be able to work on their thesis with the best of the best. When they got confirmation of their acceptance, they had found a rather affordable flat to share in central London, only twenty minutes away from the school.