Note from the author: Total Words: 14,561. Words to go: 15,439.
I wake up Wednesday morning in a bad mood. A really bad mood. I feel fidgety and anxious. Tomorrow I get out of this place. Tomorrow I leave my first friend who’s actually my age. Tomorrow I leave the place that I’ve called home for the last 5 years. I’m excited but dreading it. You know what I mean? It’s bittersweet.
I scoot out of bed and get ready for school. Everything seems really focused today. I try to commit every detail to memory from the color of the shower tiles to the perfumey, flowery smell of the girls bathroom.
Suddenly I’m feeling sentimental. I may not have had the best time here, but I’ve called Moon Academy home for 5 years. That’s almost a third of my life. It gave me what my parents couldn’t- routine and belonging.
My mood deteriorates even further when I get breakfast. In an attempt to make me feel better, Gus hands me a plate topped with smiley face pancakes. The eyes are strawberries, the mouth is bacon, the hair is whipped cream, and the freckles are mini chocolate chips. I make a token attempt at smiling, but give up when I think of not seeing Gus every day. Crap, I hate crying in public. I don’t like crying in general, but it’s even worse in public. Tears threaten to overflow. My lips start to tremble and Gus senses the incoming waterworks. He flies out from behind the bar, grabs my plate, pats my back, and walks me to the table where Matt awaits.
“Good Morning Charlie. Morning Gus. Is everything okay?” Matty asks.
“Oh, Charlie’s just having a bad day,” Gus responds- quite the understatement. He sets my food down on the table. “It’ll be okay kiddo. Try to enjoy your last day,” he says to me patting my head. “Take care of Charlie, okay?” Gus orders Matt.
“Of course. Come here Charles. Sit down,” Matty softly says. He pats the chair next to him. When I don’t move, he stands up and gently steers me into the chair.
I sit down obediently. “Wow, Charlie! Looks like you have a better breakfast than me,” he says in an effort to cheer me up.
I nod before glancing down at his food- oatmeal. I’m not really in the mood to eat. The incoming separation makes me feel a bit sick, actually. Matt chatters on for a few more minutes before lapsing into silence. I guess he could sense that I’m in a funk.
I peek over at Matt. He looks sad too, but like he’s trying to hide it for my sake. I pick up a piece of bacon and take a nibble. I can barely taste it. Sigh. I put the bacon down and push the platter over to Matt. “You can have some if you want,” I offer.
“Okay. Thanks,” he replies, his voice subdued. He wipes the plate clean. Where does all that food go? I look at his slender form. Must be some kind of boy mumbo jumbo.
“What? Do I have a stain on my shirt or something?” he asks self-consciously checking his shirt for spots.
“No, no. Sorry, I was just spacing out. Ready to go?” I respond.
“Yep,” he says. We walk down to our classrooms and enter our pods. I log into my account and am instantly greeted by this message: Congratulations on completing your education! Tomorrow is not only your seventeenth birthday, but also your graduation. Who would you like to attend? Please enter their names below and we will send out invites. Your graduation ceremony is tomorrow at 11am in room A of the outgoing hall. It will be followed by a private lunch, then you will continue on to Earth, departing from Moon Academy at 1pm. Don’t forget to clean out your dorm room and put your bags by the docking station prior to the ceremony. Also, a speech is optional. There is a rehearsal scheduled for today following lunch. RSVP below.
