Note from the author: Total Word Count: 4088. Words to go: 25,912.
After Amy leaves, I skip back to my room. I’m so elated about my future living situation that I can hardly believe it. I have so much pent up energy.
I scream into my pillow then I cross off another day on my countdown to freedom. I feel so antsy. If I couldn’t wait for graduation before, it’s nothing compared to how I feel now.
It’s only seven, but I start to get ready for bed. I brush my teeth, a task that makes me very grateful that Moon Academy figured out how to gravitize the school, and brush through my silky, straight hair.
I decide to braid my hair since I have so much time. I look in the mirror and try to be objective. I have light brown hair that goes down to my elbows and chocolate milk brown eyes. I have a sort of feathery look. I’m only 5’2” and fairly scrawny. Overall, I’m pretty average looking: not a total babezilla, but not an ogre either.
Maybe when I go to Earth I’ll get my ears pierced. There are so many opportunities and possibilities down there.
I practically float back to my room in a daze of happiness. I turn off the light and lay in bed, thinking that there is no way I can sleep tonight. I stare out of my window and tell Earth that I, Charlotte Manson, am coming.
All night I dream of adventures with my sidekick Amy. We visit the Leaning Tower of Piza, eat at Olive Garden, and go to the aquarium.
I struggle to open my eyes. I don’t want to leave my fantasy dream world but duty calls. School today. I wish we could pick our own learning schedules but c’est la vie. It’s the way is goes.
I stumble to the bathroom and undo my braid. My hair falls in soft curls. Pretty, maybe I should do that more often. I stagger back to my room and put on an outfit. It’s good I pick out my clothes the night before because there is no way I can function enough to assemble an even remotely cute outfit in the morning.
By now I’m feeling a tiny bit more awake, a teeny tiny bit. Gus says good morning and I slur something that resembles a greeting. I basically fall into a chair and access my breakfast. Blueberry scone, eggs Benedict, and…SCORE!…Hot chocolate. With marshmallows. I don’t like coffee. It tastes bad, AND makes me hyper. Bad combination, absolutely no allure. But hot chocolate? That’s the stuff.
I chug it down even though it’s still fairly hot. YUM. Being friends with the head cook has its benefits, that’s for sure. I finish my breakfast, dump my tray, and head on down to my learning pod in the education wing.
My pod is pretty close to the door, which is much better than last year when I was practically the farthest pod back-very inconvenient. The learning pods are milky white glass domes. They’re probably about 80 square feet and 7 feet high inside. I type in my password and blink briefly before the eye scan. Welcome Ms. Manson flashes on the dome in lime green and a quiet jingle sounds. Impressive at first, but after a few classes, it’s significantly less exciting. Part of the dome raises, forming an entrance.
I step inside and admire the hard wood floors. Although each grade level has different pod interiors, since I’m in the oldest group, my pod is really fancy. One thing I remember from my school on Earth is the classroom. Lots of hyper kids crowded in to a cheesy overly decorated room. That’s one thing I don’t miss. I prefer learning on my own. Learning to my own beat and embracing my natural rhythm and pace.
When I was first issued the pod, it seemed a little dull. But I managed to spruce it up a bit. Amy brought me a colorful rug and I soon learned that the walls could be manipulated, much like a computer wallpaper. Sometimes the walls display the beach, or the jungle, and other times I have it display the stars. It looks so real.
Today I’m surrounded by the ocean. The animated wall gives me the feeling of snorkeling. Vibrant fish swim around. Light filters down from above. Tangled seaweed floats near my floor. A jellyfish swims by delicately. In the distance I can make out a giant humpback whale.
I grab the touch screen remote that controls my room. The major headings say wallpaper, music, door, and other. I tap music and select a station: oldies.
Next I walk over to my bean bag, an alternative to a boring old desk and chair combo, and turn on to my laptop. The pod automatically clocks in my presence for the roll call. The door clicks back in to place so I can’t even tell where it ends and the dome begins.
I log on to my Moon Academy account to see today’s agenda. I can spend as much time learning as I want, as long as I cover the daily requirements and am in my pod by 8. Not too constrictive. My checklist for today is as follows: read The Outsiders, learn about Ecology, and review Polynomials.
Review always implies that an examination is coming up. We have to be tested occasionally to make sure that no one is slacking. Fortunately, polynomials are easy. I probably won’t even study. Maybe I’ll just glance over my notes.
I decide to start by reading. English is, by far, my favorite subject. Too lazy to stand up, I crawl over to my storage cubby and grab my tablet. I could read on my laptop, but my tablet is just easier to read on. I put the tablet on my stomach and crab-walk back to my beanbag.
Once I start reading I can’t stop until I finish the story. “Stay golden, Ponyboy,” I think to myself, reflecting on the pure awesomeness of the book I just read. I make a mental note to self to recommend that book to Amy, who is also a bookworm.
I was so engrossed in reading that I didn’t notice the time passing. Now, as I grow aware of my tummy grumbling, I realize that I am in desperate need of lunch. I walk over to the remote and select door then hit open.
I jump out of my pod, hastily lock it up, and speed walk to the cafeteria. It’s practically empty. Looks like lunch is buffet style. I eagerly grab a plate and fill my plate to the top with salad, mac and cheese, a hot dog, and jello. My mouth is watering by the time I make it to a table.
Gus decides to take his lunch break as well and settles down next to me with a giant bowl of soup. Looks like a cheddar potato soup. Smells like heaven. I know that Gus could eat in the teachers lounge, but sometimes he eats with me. He’s a good guy. He has a whole family at home that he only sees during the summer months. Plus he’s been offered fancy-shmancy restaurant positions back on Earth, but he likes kids.
We joke around for a little bit, but lapse into silence as we eat our lunches. Me and Gus are people who don’t need to be talking at all times. We both are listeners. The quiet doesn’t bother either of us.
Eventually we have to go out separate ways; he has to prepare dinner and I have to keep up with my studies. Back at my pod I dig in to my biology textbook. Science is not my favorite, but it’s better to just get it over with.
I take a needed five minute doodle break to draw cartoons on my tablet. I’m not an artist, but I really like doodling.
It takes a lot of willpower, but I get back to biology ten minutes later. I’ve had enough learning for the day, so when I finish the chapter, I shut off the wallpaper, turn off my electronics, and head out.
I follow the crowd of people heading into the cafeteria. This time it’s packed. One whiff of the air and I know the reason. Gus made his signature lasagna. The al dente noodles are perfect, the sauce is garlic-y, the meat is savory. They all come together to form a masterpiece. Gus has never met someone who didn’t like his lasagna.
The meal was, as usual, better than expected. If that’s even possible. I swear, the whole cafeteria went silent while we all ate. After everyone, myself included, started joking around, undoing their belts, and patting their bellies, saying that they’d never be hungry ever again, dessert was served. Cheesecake. I had two slices.
As is common after a good meal, everyone slept good that night.
