Reflecting The Past

(Olivia POV)

I have the biggest smile on my face as I am in the locker room putting on my new tight blue astronaut suit. I am smiling so much in fact that my face is starting to hurt. I'm just so excited because I'm fulfilling my life long dream, to go up into space! As I finally finish putting the suit on which was very difficult to do because it was so tight I look in the mirror and can't help but reflect on my past and how I got to this point...

Flashback:

I was only 5 when I first realized my love and amazement for space. In fact one of my first memories was laying on the grass next to my mom looking at the sky finding shapes in the clouds. My mom was far better at it then I was, when I was finding rabbits she was finding elephants, alligators and famous buildings.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah?" She answered.

"What do you think is up there?" I asked her.

"Where?"

"Up there, in the sky."

"Stars, clouds, planets and things I could never describe unless you're up there. We are extremely tiny compared to the rest of the galaxy." She responded.

"I want to go up there some day, do you think I could?" I asked her.

"Olivia, you can do anything you set your mind to," she tussled my red curly hair, tucking it behind my ear. "But I won't lie going to space takes a lot of hard work, patience and danger." She told me.

"I could do that." I said confidently.

"Of course you can sweetie." She replied with a smile as she patted my hand.

My mom and I were very close, it was always just the two of us. My father cowardly bolted when I was only two, she nor I had ever seen him again. She supported me so much, two years after telling her about wanting to go to space and as my passion for it grew more and more she for Christmas gave me my first telescope, paid for me to go to space camp (I know I'm a geek) and for Birthday's and Christmas' she got me things that involved anything to do with space.

Growing up I didn't have any friends, even though I desperately wanted some but my dedication to space increased greatly and sadly anything else had to take a back seat, most kids my age found me weird or strange for being so school orientated, I was also very shy. My intellect grew more, so much so that I was on the honor roll and when I was a freshman I was offered to be a part of a special program that involved astronomy, it would give me a shoe in for a scholarship for the best colleges in the country! Usually it was for seniors but because I was so advanced they offered me a spot, only 20 people could be a part of it. The only problem was you had to attend this certain school and I didn't go there. This school found me, had heard about my knowledge and made a very appealing case for me to take it. My mom was very hesitant, thinking I was too young and didn't want me to be too pressured and quite frankly I was too, I had already felt like an outcast and didn't think this would help me make friends but neither could me or mom deny the opportunity and I wasn't going to waste the hard work I had been doing up until then.

The program didn't start right away, it wouldn't start for 2 months after I enrolled and that first month was absolute hell! Almost everyone was pissed at me for "stealing" a spot from someone else and the people that weren't mad at me ignored and wouldn't talk to me. I ate lunch by myself, every time I would try to sit next to someone they would leave and go sit somewhere else like I was a disease or something and I just had to listen to the whispers such as: "Look it's the bitch that stole my spot" or "My boyfriend was suppose to get that spot" or would just call me a "thief." I would go home and cry every day, not one person was nice to me, I felt so alone but in hindsight I guess I always felt alone. Since there was still time before it started I really thought about just giving up, declining the program and going back to my old school where it was at least comfortable.

That all changed one day, I was walking down the hall listening to the whispers, trying to avoid looking at any of their judgmental faces like usual but this time I glanced to my right and the most gorgeous guy looks right at me and gives me the sweetest smile and a very sublet wink, it took my breath away. It was the nicest gesture I had ever received from really anyone. I would pass him almost every day after that and he would do the same thing, look right at me, smile and ever so often would nod his head like he was saying hi to me. I didn't know his name and I was not going to walk up to him, I was way too nervous and shy. He would make my day and gave me a reason to come to school, even though we didn't talk or hang out he was the only one that showed me any genuine kindness.

That was until the first day of the program, I walked into the class and of course I could hear the whispers and watched them glare at me.

"Okay, everyone pick a partner and that is who you'll be with for the year." The teacher informed us.

I looked around and of course no one would team with me until this girl walks up to me.

"Hi, do you want to be partners?" She asked.

"Are you sure you want to be partners with me?" I quietly replied.

"Yeah! Plus everyone else is taken." She answered with a smile, I nodded my head and she sat beside me, "I'm Sue"

"Olivia but you can just call me Via."

"Your the new transferred student, aren't you?" She asked a few minutes later.

"...Yeah." I cautiously answered, "What gave it away?"

"Well, being that your the only freshman in the program kind of gave it away." She responded, "Congratulations."

"Thanks...your not mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?" She asked looking confused.

"Well, everyone else is, saying I stole their spot." I said.

"Oh please, half those people were never going to get in anyways and they just need to have their boyfriends with them wherever they go." She quickly replied with annoyance in her voice and rolled her eyes at them, "They'll get over it eventually and bully the next new person that comes along and besides the school obviously chose you for a reason, I mean I've never seen them transfer and bring in a student and offer them a spot, that's pretty impressive."

"Thanks, that's nice of you to say." I replied with a smile.

"No problem."

A week of working with Sue we became fast friends even though she was a senior, she was so nice and we actually had a lot in common, a huge one being we both had a passion for space! One day she invited me to come to her house so we can work on our project, have dinner and just hang out. My mom and I were so excited, this was the first time anyone invited me over to their house! Her parents were the nicest people and while going over there I also found out something big, something I never told Sue, my crush, the one I was falling head over heels for was her brother, Johnny.


The flashback portion of the story will continue to the next chapter, did you guys expect her crush to be Johnny? I may have given it away when I called him gorgeous but I couldn't help it!