Zenon stared sullenly out of her bedroom window, sitting on her bed with her bags all packed and ready to go.
She was really going to miss the view, she realized. Now, instead of gazing at the Earth from up here, she'd be staring at it from down there.
"Zenon, honey?" her mom knocked on the door. "It's time to go." "I don't wanna go, Mom," Zenon tried not to whine, but couldn't seem to help it. "Sorry, Z," her dad said, entering the room. "But you have to. Now hurry up, your flight's about to leave."
Zenon and her parents walked to the shuttle lift-off. "Tell Margie bye for me?" Zenon asked her mom. "Sure, honey," her mom answered, hugging her. Zenon hugged her dad, and said softly, "Dad, please video-phone me everyday." "I will," he said.
And with that, Zenon walked onto the shuttle.
A few hours later, Zenon and her flight set down on Earth, where her Aunt Judy was awaiting her. As usual, klutz that she was, Zenon tumbled down the stairs.
"Oh, Zenon, honey, are you okay?" her aunt rushed up to help her. "I can never get used to stupid gravity," Zenon attempted a smile but failed miserably.
"Well, you don't start school until tomorrow," her aunt told her, and Zenon felt a twinge of gratitude. "So you'll be spending the night at my house tonight. Okay?" "Sounds good, Aunt Judy," Zenon answered. "Well, let's go then!" her aunt picked up Zenon's bags and set off at a brisk walk. Zenon struggled to keep up with her.
"Aunt Judy," she said after a moment, "is it possible that you might come and live in the Spay-Stay in a while? What with your boyfriend being up there and all?"
"You mean fiancée," Judy corrected her. "Fiancée," Zenon said. "Well, I
mean, will you?" "It's possible," Judy replied slowly, "but doubtful."
Later that night, Zenon stared at her video phone, wishing somebody would call. Her dad had promised her he would, but maybe he had forgotten what with all the hub-bub going on with his latest experiment.
"Oh, well," Zenon said to herself, turning over. "What do I care? He is the one who shipped me off to a stupid boarding school!"
But deep inside she knew she did care. And she drifted off to sleep staring at her video phone.
The next morning was a swift blur of movement as Zenon zipped around trying to get ready in time before school started. She nearly forgot her suitcase- thank goodness for Aunt Judy!-but eventually they reached the school at 7:33 A.M.
"See you this weekend, hon!" Aunt Judy waved as she drove off. Zenon half- heartedly waved back, and then turned and walked up the stone steps and into the building.
"Ah, you must be Zenon Carr!" a woman said in a fakey-fake happy voice. "Yes, ma'am," Zenon answered, shuffling her bags around, trying not to let anything fall.
"Well, we're delighted to have you here with us!" the woman said. "I'm Principal Brown," she introduced herself. "Pleased to meet you," Zenon said, going through the normal routines of etiquette here on stupid Earth.
"Well, I'm guessing you're wondering where you should go and unpack and find out which classes you have," Principal Brown said, indicating that indeed Zenon should care about it.
However, whenever Zenon was the slightest bit nervous, she got an attitude. "You know what, I actually don't!" Zenon smiled at the woman.
The principal looked at her for a moment and then laughed. "Aren't you the funny one!" she chuckled. "Well, here's all the information you'll need. Your room is Room #11 on the second floor. We'll see you at the first bell at 8:15!"
"I don't have a room-mate, do I?" Zenon asked. "Not yet, she hasn't arrived," Principal Brown answered. "But you go ahead and unpack, now run along!"
Zenon made a face behind the woman's back as she climbed up the stairs to the second floor, nearly dropping her things.
Zenon shoved the door to Room #11 open with her foot, and then slammed it closed again with her foot, and let all her suitcases tumble to the floor.
She immediately grabbed the bed right next to the window, so she could look out at the rain on a rainy day.
After she quickly shoved her clothes and items into her dresser drawers, she climbed onto the bed, curled up on a blanket, and opened her information packet and started to read.
Zenon Carr
Room #11, Room-Mate Yvonne Carson.
Duration of Stay: Until May, 2049
1st Period: Physics
Perfect. Physics was the way to start the day! Physics was her worst and least-favorite class.
2nd Period: World Civ.
3rd Period: Algebra II
Great. Now her whole morning was filled with stupid, confusing subjects.
4th Period: Literature and Composition IV
Luncheon
5th Period: Physical Education/Theatre
6th Period: Computers
Simple! Computers were her specialty.
7th Period: Study Hall
8th Period: Choral Education/Yearbook Club/Chess Club
Perfect. Now she was required to join a stupid club. Could life get any worse??
School ends for the day.
Supper is at 7:00 P.M. sharp, breakfast at 7:15 A.M. sharp.
Oh, great. Now she would never eat as well.
Curfew is at 9:30 P.M.
Zenon dropped the letter with despair. Was everyone out to make her life miserable? Groaning with frustration, she glanced at her watch and stifled a shriek of alarm. The first bell was about to ring, and she didn't even know where the physics lab was!
She was really going to miss the view, she realized. Now, instead of gazing at the Earth from up here, she'd be staring at it from down there.
"Zenon, honey?" her mom knocked on the door. "It's time to go." "I don't wanna go, Mom," Zenon tried not to whine, but couldn't seem to help it. "Sorry, Z," her dad said, entering the room. "But you have to. Now hurry up, your flight's about to leave."
Zenon and her parents walked to the shuttle lift-off. "Tell Margie bye for me?" Zenon asked her mom. "Sure, honey," her mom answered, hugging her. Zenon hugged her dad, and said softly, "Dad, please video-phone me everyday." "I will," he said.
And with that, Zenon walked onto the shuttle.
A few hours later, Zenon and her flight set down on Earth, where her Aunt Judy was awaiting her. As usual, klutz that she was, Zenon tumbled down the stairs.
"Oh, Zenon, honey, are you okay?" her aunt rushed up to help her. "I can never get used to stupid gravity," Zenon attempted a smile but failed miserably.
"Well, you don't start school until tomorrow," her aunt told her, and Zenon felt a twinge of gratitude. "So you'll be spending the night at my house tonight. Okay?" "Sounds good, Aunt Judy," Zenon answered. "Well, let's go then!" her aunt picked up Zenon's bags and set off at a brisk walk. Zenon struggled to keep up with her.
"Aunt Judy," she said after a moment, "is it possible that you might come and live in the Spay-Stay in a while? What with your boyfriend being up there and all?"
"You mean fiancée," Judy corrected her. "Fiancée," Zenon said. "Well, I
mean, will you?" "It's possible," Judy replied slowly, "but doubtful."
Later that night, Zenon stared at her video phone, wishing somebody would call. Her dad had promised her he would, but maybe he had forgotten what with all the hub-bub going on with his latest experiment.
"Oh, well," Zenon said to herself, turning over. "What do I care? He is the one who shipped me off to a stupid boarding school!"
But deep inside she knew she did care. And she drifted off to sleep staring at her video phone.
The next morning was a swift blur of movement as Zenon zipped around trying to get ready in time before school started. She nearly forgot her suitcase- thank goodness for Aunt Judy!-but eventually they reached the school at 7:33 A.M.
"See you this weekend, hon!" Aunt Judy waved as she drove off. Zenon half- heartedly waved back, and then turned and walked up the stone steps and into the building.
"Ah, you must be Zenon Carr!" a woman said in a fakey-fake happy voice. "Yes, ma'am," Zenon answered, shuffling her bags around, trying not to let anything fall.
"Well, we're delighted to have you here with us!" the woman said. "I'm Principal Brown," she introduced herself. "Pleased to meet you," Zenon said, going through the normal routines of etiquette here on stupid Earth.
"Well, I'm guessing you're wondering where you should go and unpack and find out which classes you have," Principal Brown said, indicating that indeed Zenon should care about it.
However, whenever Zenon was the slightest bit nervous, she got an attitude. "You know what, I actually don't!" Zenon smiled at the woman.
The principal looked at her for a moment and then laughed. "Aren't you the funny one!" she chuckled. "Well, here's all the information you'll need. Your room is Room #11 on the second floor. We'll see you at the first bell at 8:15!"
"I don't have a room-mate, do I?" Zenon asked. "Not yet, she hasn't arrived," Principal Brown answered. "But you go ahead and unpack, now run along!"
Zenon made a face behind the woman's back as she climbed up the stairs to the second floor, nearly dropping her things.
Zenon shoved the door to Room #11 open with her foot, and then slammed it closed again with her foot, and let all her suitcases tumble to the floor.
She immediately grabbed the bed right next to the window, so she could look out at the rain on a rainy day.
After she quickly shoved her clothes and items into her dresser drawers, she climbed onto the bed, curled up on a blanket, and opened her information packet and started to read.
Zenon Carr
Room #11, Room-Mate Yvonne Carson.
Duration of Stay: Until May, 2049
1st Period: Physics
Perfect. Physics was the way to start the day! Physics was her worst and least-favorite class.
2nd Period: World Civ.
3rd Period: Algebra II
Great. Now her whole morning was filled with stupid, confusing subjects.
4th Period: Literature and Composition IV
Luncheon
5th Period: Physical Education/Theatre
6th Period: Computers
Simple! Computers were her specialty.
7th Period: Study Hall
8th Period: Choral Education/Yearbook Club/Chess Club
Perfect. Now she was required to join a stupid club. Could life get any worse??
School ends for the day.
Supper is at 7:00 P.M. sharp, breakfast at 7:15 A.M. sharp.
Oh, great. Now she would never eat as well.
Curfew is at 9:30 P.M.
Zenon dropped the letter with despair. Was everyone out to make her life miserable? Groaning with frustration, she glanced at her watch and stifled a shriek of alarm. The first bell was about to ring, and she didn't even know where the physics lab was!