A Year of High School To Remember

Chapter 6

Before school started, I met with mom at a coffee shop that was just outside the campus. She was very excited to talk to me, before I reminded her that she had to tell me where I got my powers from.

I remember my life leading up to being a guardian but between them and when I was born was a blur.

It turns out that I am 317 years old but I will not physically get older then 17. Mom explained it much better then I can, she said something along the lines of you will get older but it will not show, you will slowly be able to feel it too.

I asked her why and how I have gotten to be so old. She said that when I was 14, I was ice skating with my sister, Emma, on a pond behind our house. The ice wasn't thick enough so when she got to the middle, it started to crack. I reached over and grabbed a stick, which had a curve at the end. I took slow steps and counted them off to three and told her to do the same. Just before her third step, the ice cracked even more and as she stepped, I grabbed her with the stick and swung her across the lake. When she got up she smiled. But then the ice cracked even more and her face became panicked as I fell into the ice.

Mom told me this from her perspective from the house but as she told me, I became more familiar. She said I died but that night the man in the moon came and resurrected me. Mom told me that the man in the moon told her that I would have wanted the best for Emma and that he would make sure of that too.

I asked mom then how she knew this and she said it was because the man in the moon had given her an extended life until she could tell me my story.

With that we ordered another cup of coffee, about our forth, and we sat there in silence, listening to the bustling of the shop around us.

As I sat there, I thought about everything that she had told me. It was great to finally know why I was who I was. But then her last line struck me "until she could tell me my story." Did that mean this was the end for her? And if so, then what would that mean for me? Dad would never help me in my life after college.

And so I asked her. "Mom, if the man in the moon only gave you until telling me my story, does that mean that the end is near for you?"

My mom looked over, obviously considering this for the first time and said, "Jackson, I am not worried about that. But I'm sure that the man in the moon would love to talk with you to figure this out." She smiled. And for the first time, my mom didn't seem concerned about me, like she knew I was going to turn out all right.

I pondered the idea of talking to the man in the moon when it came to me that it might be difficult and maybe challenging to talk with someone so far away, him being in the moon. "Mom, how do I talk to him?" I asked, followed by a big sip of coffee.

She responded with a full voice, " I wondered that at first too. Like, how did he talk to me and how did I respond. But I noticed it's more of a silent communication through your thoughts. And sometimes her isn't always there, which can be very frustrating. But trust me, he'll be there when you really, desperately need him," she concluded with a small, rather delicate sip of coffee.

"Thanks mom. I'm really glad we talked about this."

"Me too Jackson."

And with that, we both stood up and exited the coffee shop. I brought her over to the car and noticed Dad sitting inside.

"Hello Dad. How are you?" I asked, trying to sound as polite as possible.

"I'm just fine," he said grouchily. "Are you done talking with your mom?"

"Not quite yet. But I only need her for a few more minutes," I responded and then turned to mom before she got into the car. "So who's my dad? Cause obviously this grouch isn't my real father."

"Well, before you became a guardian, we lived with your father but he was drafted into war and we never saw him again. I don't remember his name either because that was over 300 years ago. I can check papers for you though?"

"That would be lovely. Thanks again mom."

I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and opened the door for her. After she sat down I closed it for her and she rolled down the window. "We'll have to meet again because this was very nice. I'll call you and we'll plan a time to meet, ok?"

"Perfect. Love you!" I answered.

"Love you too!" Mom called as dad drove out of the parking lot.

I headed to the woods behind the cafe and checked my surroundings. After getting a few feet into the woods, I took off into the air, headed back to campus.
•••
I returned back to school around noon and I took my time walking to my room. As I walked down the hallway, each room, of importance to me, was filled with noise.

In 321, Elsa and Anna's room, I heard a knock on the door followed by "please don't shut me out again!" in a voice that I recognized as Anna. I figured it was just an argument between sisters.

In 318, I heard the clanging of metal on metal, which I assumed was another friendly fight between Punzie's frying pan and Astrid's shield. I guess this friendly fight can be compared to a pillow fight. This being normal between the two, I moved on.

In 315, I heard the tv in the background behind the sound of someone crewing food. I listened more closely to the background noise and could make out the announcements of a basketball game being watched by Eugene. Then I connected the crewing to Kristoff eating carrots.

I finally got to my room, 312, and found Hiccup sitting silently at his desk reading. I sat down at my desk chair and asked, "What could you possibly be reading the day before school?"

Hiccup responded, "Well, technically I'm not reading, I'm just looking at the pictures. Anyway, I was waiting for you to get back," he concluded and closed the book and looked at me.

"Well, I'm back," I paused, not sure of what to say.

Hiccup looked down at his watch, then back at me. "It's only 1:37. We still have lots of daylight left."

I sat there thinking. Then it hit me. "What if we get the gang together and head out to the Courtyard to enjoy our last day before school?"

"Sounds good to me! Let's go ask the others!" Hiccup said cheerfully. And with that, we ran out the door into the hallway.