"What did you put down on your survey of what you wanted to be, Marlena?"
The 18 year old turned to her friend Kimberly. "C'mon Kim." She said putting her hands on her hips. "I thought you knew me better then that. What do you think I put?"
Kim sighed. "Let me guess. Astronaut?"
"There you go."
"When are you going to let it go Marlena?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"You're 18 years old. You're supposed to be thinking about a real career. We're graduating in less then 2 months."
"Kim, an astronaut is a real career."
"No it's not. I mean you could work at the ice cream shop? Or maybe be in a band like Courtney. You have a nice voice. Design fashions like Kelly or be an artist like Megan."
"I don't want to be those things Kim and you know it. I've wanted to be an astronaut since I was a little kid. I want to see what's up there for myself."
"I hate to break it to you that everyone is laughing at you behind your back. Do you know what Billy and his guys are calling you?" Marlena shook her head. "Space cadet, Alien, geek."
"Let him call me what he wants. When I become an astronaut he can eat his words."
"Yeah, hey I'm going to the ice cream shop, want to come?"
"Can't. I have an astronomy quiz over at the university."
"I didn't know that you were taking classes at the university?"
"My dad knows a professor there and he let me enroll in his class. The credits are good for college when I attend the university next year."
"Groovy. Well I'll see you Monday."
"Sure."
"Well, well well. If it isn't Space Cadet." She didn't even have to turn to know whom the voice belonged to. She sighed and began to walk away. "Hey I 'm not done finished talking to you yet geek!" She didn't know how Billy and his boys managed to catch up with her so quickly but there they were by her side. He grabbed her shoulder to spin her around and her books went tumbling to the ground. "Aw, Space cadets books fell down."
"Don't you have anything better to do then pick on girls?" She shot back.
"Ooooh!" his boys let out.
Billy laughed and waved his hand at them to quiet down. "You can't possibly be a girl because girls don't want to be astronauts. Girls like to go out to the parlor and dance. Girls stay home and cook and clean and raise the kiddies."
"Not this girl." She bent over and began to pick up her books. "Now if you'll excuse me." She pushed past him and began to again walk away.
Billy chuckled. "I..don't think I was done talkin' with ya."
"I don't really care."
"Ooh a fiery one!" James Paterson spoke up. "Aren't you going to go after her?"
"She ain't worth it. C'mon all the girls from school will be at the parlor. Let's not disappoint them. Let the geek go home and study."
The scene faded and Queen Marlena removed the headpiece from her head. She looked very tired.
"Mother, are you all right?" Adam asked her with concern. He stood and walked to her side
"Yes, just tired and I think I've shown you enough for today." Adam nodded.
"Are all earth men like that? So cruel and uncaring?" Aryanna asked.
"No. But just like on Eternia there are men who are bullies and they constantly bring other people down. They do this because they feel sorry for themselves and to make themselves feel better they bring other people down."
"I don't like the way he treated you." Adam told his mother.
"Agreed, but you sure told them!"
"I tried not to let Billy and his friends get to me. I was very determined to go to school for astronomy and then go off to space camp and the NASA programs that would allow me to become an astronaut. But like everyone else, my spirit wavered and for a while Billy got the best of me. I realized that everyone was against me following my dreams including my own friends. They wanted to save their images and they didn't care if they hurt me along the way."
"How terrible."
"It was terrible for a long time. I stopped going to the observatory with my father. I skipped my classes at the university and for a long time I gave up on my dreams, just to fit in. But the truth is that abandoning my dreams made me more miserable then Billy and his boys' insults. If there was one thing that I learned from the experience it was to be true to myself. We all need to be true to who we are." As Marlena said this she touched Adam's shoulder. "It's nearly dinnertime. Why don't you two run along and I'll meet you there shortly?'
"Are you sure that you are ok?" Adam asked again.
"Just fine. Now go on before your father gets upset about you being late." Adam nodded again and he opened the door for Aryanna. As they closed the door behind them, Marlena fell onto her bed and began to sob.
The 18 year old turned to her friend Kimberly. "C'mon Kim." She said putting her hands on her hips. "I thought you knew me better then that. What do you think I put?"
Kim sighed. "Let me guess. Astronaut?"
"There you go."
"When are you going to let it go Marlena?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"You're 18 years old. You're supposed to be thinking about a real career. We're graduating in less then 2 months."
"Kim, an astronaut is a real career."
"No it's not. I mean you could work at the ice cream shop? Or maybe be in a band like Courtney. You have a nice voice. Design fashions like Kelly or be an artist like Megan."
"I don't want to be those things Kim and you know it. I've wanted to be an astronaut since I was a little kid. I want to see what's up there for myself."
"I hate to break it to you that everyone is laughing at you behind your back. Do you know what Billy and his guys are calling you?" Marlena shook her head. "Space cadet, Alien, geek."
"Let him call me what he wants. When I become an astronaut he can eat his words."
"Yeah, hey I'm going to the ice cream shop, want to come?"
"Can't. I have an astronomy quiz over at the university."
"I didn't know that you were taking classes at the university?"
"My dad knows a professor there and he let me enroll in his class. The credits are good for college when I attend the university next year."
"Groovy. Well I'll see you Monday."
"Sure."
"Well, well well. If it isn't Space Cadet." She didn't even have to turn to know whom the voice belonged to. She sighed and began to walk away. "Hey I 'm not done finished talking to you yet geek!" She didn't know how Billy and his boys managed to catch up with her so quickly but there they were by her side. He grabbed her shoulder to spin her around and her books went tumbling to the ground. "Aw, Space cadets books fell down."
"Don't you have anything better to do then pick on girls?" She shot back.
"Ooooh!" his boys let out.
Billy laughed and waved his hand at them to quiet down. "You can't possibly be a girl because girls don't want to be astronauts. Girls like to go out to the parlor and dance. Girls stay home and cook and clean and raise the kiddies."
"Not this girl." She bent over and began to pick up her books. "Now if you'll excuse me." She pushed past him and began to again walk away.
Billy chuckled. "I..don't think I was done talkin' with ya."
"I don't really care."
"Ooh a fiery one!" James Paterson spoke up. "Aren't you going to go after her?"
"She ain't worth it. C'mon all the girls from school will be at the parlor. Let's not disappoint them. Let the geek go home and study."
The scene faded and Queen Marlena removed the headpiece from her head. She looked very tired.
"Mother, are you all right?" Adam asked her with concern. He stood and walked to her side
"Yes, just tired and I think I've shown you enough for today." Adam nodded.
"Are all earth men like that? So cruel and uncaring?" Aryanna asked.
"No. But just like on Eternia there are men who are bullies and they constantly bring other people down. They do this because they feel sorry for themselves and to make themselves feel better they bring other people down."
"I don't like the way he treated you." Adam told his mother.
"Agreed, but you sure told them!"
"I tried not to let Billy and his friends get to me. I was very determined to go to school for astronomy and then go off to space camp and the NASA programs that would allow me to become an astronaut. But like everyone else, my spirit wavered and for a while Billy got the best of me. I realized that everyone was against me following my dreams including my own friends. They wanted to save their images and they didn't care if they hurt me along the way."
"How terrible."
"It was terrible for a long time. I stopped going to the observatory with my father. I skipped my classes at the university and for a long time I gave up on my dreams, just to fit in. But the truth is that abandoning my dreams made me more miserable then Billy and his boys' insults. If there was one thing that I learned from the experience it was to be true to myself. We all need to be true to who we are." As Marlena said this she touched Adam's shoulder. "It's nearly dinnertime. Why don't you two run along and I'll meet you there shortly?'
"Are you sure that you are ok?" Adam asked again.
"Just fine. Now go on before your father gets upset about you being late." Adam nodded again and he opened the door for Aryanna. As they closed the door behind them, Marlena fell onto her bed and began to sob.