The End

Chapter One

Already the day felt ominous. Puffy, white clouds retreat into the sky, leaving a clear, blue space above. There is no wind, although the air is cool. Nothing moves in the sky. It's like a picture. Motionless.

I close my eyes as I let the sensation of silence take over. I have just finished the final soccer game of the season and my ears have been ringing with cheering and shouting for an hour. Not that I'm not used to it. But you get a lot of congratulations if you win the game for everyone.

I'm really good at soccer. I have a more wiry form that makes me more nimble. My legs are quick and slim, but still strong. My senses are sharp, so I can hear everyone around me more clearly, and can pick out the smallest movements the ball makes. I'm very coordinated, probably because I've been playing soccer since I was six. And my Dad played soccer in Germany, before he moved to America. He gave me all sorts of tips about kicking and dribbling and watching the ball. He doesn't help me anymore. No time.

So, after the game, I decided to ditch the big team party at Pizza Palace and decided to walk home with my friend Ethan. The last thing my aching body needs is a room filled with sweaty bodies and yelling teenagers. I'm not a very social person.

Ethan understands my ditching the party. He's been my friend since second grade, so he doesn't push me. Instead, we walk our normal path at the edge of the Park.

Each city of our country is allowed one Park. A Park is the one area without construction that grows natural grass and real trees, instead of being covered in pavement and metal. It's kind of sad what our country has become. It's 3012 and our home doesn't really care much for Mother Nature. It's a shame, really.

Our park is a forest with a trail that winds around it. I love the forest. There's something about standing there with your feet smothered in dirt instead of laying on pavement. Or the sounds of birds singing their melodies in their rightful habitats instead of being studied in cooped up cages in zoos. I don't know how I'd be able to cope in a cage. I would probably scream until I lost my voice.

"Are you ready for that Algebra test tomorrow?" Ethan asks me as I stare out into the woods and keep my eyes on a squirrel scurrying up a tree.

"What?" I reply, weakly. Ethan laughs and winds my hand in his.

"You are tired." He observes. I nod. There's nothing romantic that I feel toward Ethan, but I don't argue if he wraps an arm around my shoulders or grabs my hand. He's my friend. And it's not like he's tried to kiss me or anything. I don't want to be in a relationship like that with anyone.

"I said, are you ready for the Algebra test tomorrow?" Ethan repeats, still smiling.

"There's a test?" I exclaim.

He nods, grinning. "You really shouldn't fall asleep in class anymore."

"I didn't fall asleep," I protest. "I simply closed my eyes while a lame video was playing."

"I don't blame you," He replies. "It is hard not to doze off when you're sitting at a computer screen for eight hours."

That is all school is. You take your seat, log in, and find your assignments for the day. That's it. The teacher just lounges around to check on you and make sure there isn't a spit ball fight taking place. So an all day test is the worst.

Ethan won't have any trouble. He never has. He gets average grades at school and has quite a few guy friends that I do my best to avoid. He wouldn't have trouble finding a girlfriend either. But he said he's "waiting for the right person" so I just ignore that section of his life.

I'm nothing like Ethan. I am one of those people who just sit in a corner and avoid any social interactions. My grades are quite low as well and detention isn't something that's new to me.