NAME: Ralph Dineen

JOURNAL PROJECT FOR ENGLISH – GRADE 6

STUDENT'S LOG

STARDATE: 70669.2

Today's Earth Date is: 03/15/17 16:45

While it has technically been longer than a week since I last updated, I feel I have a couple of legitimate reasons because a lot has happened and I have a project due in one of my college classes. Both the busyness and the project will have to serve as my excuses for not logging my second entry sooner, because I lack a canine companion to blame for the delay. Besides, it would be impossible for a dog to ingest virtual homework anyway. My hope is my grade won't suffer because this entry will be sent within a 168 hour margin of the week following the first entry, strictly speaking. If not, I will be asking for a list of assignments that would serve as extra credit. You may want to have the list prepared if that is the case as I'm finding this homework more irksome than most and there may be several delays in postings.

Significant Life Events – My mother went to South America this week. I can't wait until I'm old enough to work for Scorpion so I can go on the adventures with the team. They already utilize me at times, but I'm normally confined to the garage during the actual missions. Walter assures me I will always have a place at Scorpion if and when I choose to assume a role and the minute my mom considers me mature enough. All that aside, while the team was in the Amazon working with the WHO to find a cure for a deadly virus, I was looking for a worm. That's right. That was my mission. My friend Sylvester has terrible issues with phobias. He was growing tomatoes hydroponically and he was convinced a tomato hornworm (also known as Manduca quinquemaculata) bit him. Not only does a hornworm not have teeth, they are not venomous and are only dangerous if you happen to be a tomato or tobacco leaf.

Insignificant Life Event – I got my first professional haircut.

Thoughts – While I was helping Sly, it reminded me how everyone has fears. They may not be as pronounced or as overt or as seemingly baseless, but everyone has them. I believe they are mostly echoes of childhood traumas that manifest themselves in unique ways. For example, Toby fears going unnoticed. That's why he comes off as obnoxious sometimes. His parents were neglectful of him, so he ended up mostly raising himself. He'd rather be disliked than ignored. Happy fears rejection and appearing vulnerable or weak; likely the result of the bullying she endured in foster care. Cabe has the same type of fears, only he's afraid of actually being weak. That's one reason why he and Happy understand one another so well. Walter is afraid of not knowing the answers. When he knows the answers, he feels like he's in control. My mom is afraid of abandonment. She's had a lot of people leave her over the course of her life.

Impressions – My impression is we need each other to help alleviate these fears. Maybe we can use logic to combat the fear. For example, I threw a box for Sylvester to reflexively catch when he was sure his hand was numb from the worm bite. Or maybe we can offer support to each other. Or maybe we can encourage each other to face our fears or talk about them, because sometimes if you share burdens they seem less heavy and more tolerable.

Feelings – I'm proud I was able to help Sly conquer his fear of tomato worms. And I'm glad everyone seems to like my new haircut, because it really does help my lab goggles fit better. The aesthetics really made no difference to me. That fact was a big relief to my mom. I'm not sure why.

To close out this entry, I guess I should report what I fear most since I already discussed everyone else's feelings. The list is not long as I'm still in the midst of my childhood and I know more traumas are likely to happen. While I'm so glad I have a great support system, I guess what I fear most is losing that support system. Right now, our odd little group seems like family and home. I can absolutely be myself and be comfortable with who I am when I'm with them. But I worry someday my mom will get another job or we'll move away or the company will fail, and I will be back to living in my head all the time. I guess I fear isolation. Sometimes I have unpleasant dreams about going back to the way things used to be. I keep wishing Walter could become my guardian legally, so I wouldn't lose him or any of the others if something ever happens to my mom. I don't voice those concerns to her, because she already does so much for me. I just wish my security didn't rest entirely on one person like that.

End of Entry #2.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Will wonders never cease?! 197 and compassion? Showing empathy? And the liaison's reaction to his little demonstration? Very interesting. Fascinating even.

Toby sat at his desk, feet propped at the corner and crossed at the ankles making note of the events unfolding in front of him. He almost wished for a bowl of popcorn. It was that entertaining. In the same way a train wreck or a house fire was entertaining.

Paige was watching, rapt, as Walter talked to Cabe. Her lips were parted and her head was tilted slightly to the side, a sure indication she was trying to make sense of what she was seeing. And the hint of color in her cheeks said she most definitely liked what she saw.

Yep. She was going to mull this whole thing over all night. And if Toby was still gambling, he'd bet all he had on her feeling guilty about truly breaking Super Ego's heart and the shrink wouldn't be a bit surprised to see her gravitating toward Walter subconsciously trying to make it up to him. Would she try to make him admit his feelings for her as well?

One thing was for sure, their already magnetic attraction was about to get as irresistible as the pull of an intergalactic black hole. And if it blew up in their faces, it was about to go nuclear for the whole team.

Should he try to run interference again? Or bide his time?