Walking over to the kitchen, I grab a little packet labeled 'Mo's Cup of Jo' off the counter. As I tear off the paper top, tiny brown crystals drop into the mug.
"Now, here's where the magic happens," I turn on the tap.
The tiny brown crystals crackle as they mix with the water. Next comes a bunch of fizzy bubbles, which release the sweet-smelling cream. Finally, I grab a spoon and stir the liquid until I see swirls of steam, indicating that it's hot.
SLUUUURRRPPP!
"Nothing beats the warm taste of Mo's Jo' on a chilly morning," I say to no one in particular.
"BMO likes coffee too," BMO joins in, sitting on the counter holding an empty plastic cup.
Starchy said on the radio last night that the weather is supposed to start cooling down to taffy-pulling levels. I don't know what he meant by that, but I know that I can see my breath in my own apartment. Maybe I should turn up the heat.
Walking up to the thermostat, I look through the kitchen window and see a light fog has drifted into the long chain of apartment complexes.
The sun hasn't come up yet; I wonder why. Looking at the clock on the wall, I'm baffled by what the digits read. Is it really four-thirty in the morning? Glob! This is nuts. Here I am, staying up all night even though I've got a full day coming up.
Sigh…
BMO hops down from the counter and walks over to me, "What's the matter, Finn? Why are you sad?" he asks, tugging on my pant leg.
"I'm not sad, BMO; it's just that I just can't sleep."
"Maybe you can try counting sheep?" BMO suggests while putting on a video of little white sheep jumping a fence. I smile at the gesture.
Honestly, I've tried every trick there is: listening to relaxing music, drinking chamomile tea, and even reading eight chapters of 'Fundamental Statistics'!
None of it works, though. Nothing seems to block out her words: ACT, qualify, tour, college, all of them make my head spin. My breaths grow deeper, and before I know it, I'm panting. I feel as though the walls surrounding me are closing in.
"I need fresh air," I shout, lifting the living room window.
"Scratch that!" I say, slamming the window shut and dropping the blinds. My view of the boats is spot on.
I speed walk in circles while my mind struggles.
"Finn!" BMO yells, chucking the plastic coffee cup at me. I stop pacing.
"Come sit with me. You need to relax and stop acting like you're crazy," BMO pats the carpet floor. I follow suit.
"There, now you tell BMO everything that's on your mind, and I will tell Football. He's a therapist." BMO looks at me with the cutest smile, making me obey his adorable commands.
"Well, yesterday, Mom and I had a long talk about family and test scores. Then she brought up the idea of me going to Founder's Island University on the Island. That's where we're heading today. But I guess what's bothering me is- " BMO covers my mouth with both his hands, giving me a stern look.
"Did you just say you're going to the Island?"
I nod my head. BMO's eyes light up, "You must take me with you then, I wish to be MOD once again."
I give BMO an unfamiliar stare, but then I remember that was his VR name last time we were at the Island, "Oh BMO, do really wanna leave Ooo forever just to- "
"Nooo! Not forever, just for today. BMO just wants to throw a swimsuit modeling contest in 'Better Life.' I will judge the competition up until the very end, and then I will join! Ha Ha Ha…"
"BMO, your imagination never ceases to amaze me," I remark, "Alright, you come with me, but only for today, you hear?"
There was no reply; however, BMO was too busy laughing and running around in circles. Though it is annoying being ignored, the little guy is too adorable to stay mad at. So I merely laugh along at his silly behavior, chasing him around the room.
We prance and play like the two goofballs we are, just laughing and giggling and having a good time. Then, a dark thought crosses my mind.
Enjoy it while it lasts...
Oh, for crying out loud, can't I just give it a rest? Can't this wait until the tour? Who's to say that I'll go to some stupid university just because I visit the place? I have no reason to worry; I'm just going as a favor for Mom!
Ugh…
Running around in circles and stressing about stuff. Not a good combination. I need to get outside and feel Ooo beneath my feet. After consuming three packets of coffee, it's probably not safe for me to stay cooped up in here.
"Okay you, get inside my backpack so we can go for a walk," I say, scooping him up into my arms. BMO happily obliges, hopping in through the whole I made with my sword.
As soon as I step outside, though, the sun flashes into my eyes.
Darn you, sunrise!
Ah, but the warm rays of the sun do make the cold air more bearable. That, and it is pretty to look at it when it's first coming up.
Hey, wait a second.
This could be the distraction I was waiting for. I mean, the sun is a fascinating subject to think about, right? It's this big burning ball of fire that sits millions of miles away. The thing is so awesomely bright that I can barely stand to look at it. But now that I am staring at it, I can't help but recall the day Princess Bubblegum explained to me how the sun is just a lot of gas under intense pressure. Like one big galactic fart waiting to happen.
Kinda relatable to my current situation.
Talking about the sun, I kinda wonder. How did it get there? I mean, whenever I ask Bubblegum about it, she gives a lot of educated guesses, but she's not even sure herself. From what I do remember, she said that it's just the right size and sits at just the distance to keep us all alive.
That's so darn fascinating; it makes my eyes burn with tears.
The pain feels similar to that of a campfire blowing smoke into my eyes. Hey, wait a second, now that I mentioned it, the sun does act as a giant campfire for our planet. Perhaps some magnificent cosmic dude put it there. After all…
Everything small is just a smaller version of something-
"Finn!"
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" I scream as long orange arms pull me away from the sun.
"Jake! You just ruined another one of my special moments." I say, wiping the tears out of my eyes.
Jake grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me, "Dude, you were staring at the sun! You do that for too long, and your eyeballs will melt right out of their sockets."
"That's bull donk, bro." I protest, taking his hands off my shoulders.
"Were you getting all soul searchy again?" He questions,
"…"
Jake crosses his arms, "I knew it! Finn, what's bothering you?"
"Nothing, dude, I'm fine," I throw my hands up for emphasis.
"Oh, okay, I believe that for like zero seconds," He rolls his eyes.
"What are you doing out here?" I ask, trying to change subjects.
"I came to see how things went with your Mom yesterday. I feel kind of bad for keeping you waiting, and I just wanted to be sure that everything was ok."
That's surprising, "Really? I mean… wow, Jake! That's really thoughtful of you."
"Well, that and I wanted to be first in line for breakfast. I showed Minerva my recipe for bacon pancakes, and she said she'd make them today."
"That makes more sense," Now I roll my eyes and grin.
"Seriously though, what happened in there? What did Minerva have to say?" Jake asks, his voice void of all sarcasm.
Oh, Glob No! Don't start down this road again.
"She uh… asked if would go with her to the Island to see… stuff," I reply, scratching the back of my head and avoiding his glare.
"What kind of stuff?" Jake goes on, his eyes stretching to face me.
"Oh, nothing special. Probably just an excuse to spend more time together,"
Jake retracts his eyes, only for his brow to furrow as he rubs his chin, "You're telling me that all the hype your mom had yesterday when she asked me to go find you was just her being anxious to spend more time with you?"
"Well, she did cry when we talked about family time," I say, shrugging my shoulders, "Listen bro, I don't wanna get hung up over it, so can we just go start the line for bacon pancakes," I plea.
"Hmph, well alright then, let's get going," He storms past me.
It's a good thing that we got to the dining center when we did. The smell of Jake's bacon pancake made the humans swarm the entrance door in a matter of minutes. As soon as the clock hits seven, Mother opens up the doors. Jake and I are first in line to swoop down on some steaming hot bacon pancakes. Although by now, I'm not sure if Jake even gives a hoot.
Once we find a table, I try to strike up another conversation.
"Hey, uh… what did Lady have to say yesterday?" I ask, forking a mouthful of pancakes.
"Stuff," Jake replies, merely poking at his plate.
"Good morning, boys! How's breakfast tasting?" A Minver bot plops Mom's monitor on the table.
I take a bite out of my bacon pancakes, "Mmm! It's mathematical! right, Jake?"
"I guess," He rests his head on his hand as he continues to play with his food.
Mother stares at Jake's plate."My goodness, Jake, I don't mean to be rude, but at the bare minimum, I'd expect a stack about a meter tall. Is there something wrong?"
"Well… now that you mention it, I can taste something different about them. Like there's some secret ingredient that I can't figure out," Jake replies, looking right at me.
Bringing this up again? Well, two can play it that way.
"I do as well, Jake. Could it be sour cream?" I retort, pointing my fork at him.
"I think it is Finn! I'm sorry, Minerva, but I won't lie to you when I say it makes them taste awful." Jake stabs his fork into the bacon pancake and sits up.
I sit up as well, grabbing the syrup bottle, "Here, Jake, maybe some more maple will help you choke it down!"
"Excuse me, Minerva, but my food has grown cold, and I think one of my homies is missing," Jake states flatly, then leaves the dining center.
Mom turns to me, bewildered, "What has gotten into him?"
"He's just got a bad taste in his mouth," I continue to chew nonchalantly. I know he's upset, and I understand why, but college isn't something I'm quite ready to talk about yet.
"Huh… Well-uh, your ship leaves at seven-thirty sharp, so be ready to leave in ten minutes." She snaps right back to business.
"My ship?" Now I'm bewildered.
Mom pulls up a map of Ooo on her screen, "Yes, well, you see darling, now that we have a fiber optic cable going back and forth from the Island, I can just zip back across the channel." She explains, tracing the internet cable with a red dotted line.
"So, I'm crossing the ocean on my own," I freak out, grabbing the ears on my hat.
"My dear, I assure you'll be completely safe." Mother remarks.
"Then why can't you ride with me?" I plea, wanting to change her mind.
"Because our ships do not receive wifi signals, so there's no way for me to connect to a monitor." Mother explains.
"Couldn't you just plug into the ship's computer?" I question.
"It's not that easy, Finn," She goes on, "The ship's computer system has its data storage filled to the brim with navigation software. Even so, the ship's hard drive wouldn't have near capacity to store all my data."
"So what you're saying is…"
"The only efficient way for me to travel back and forth is through the internet." Mom clarifies, "If you'd like more company, you are more than welcome to take Jake along with us. I'm sure he'd find more appetizing meals on the Island."
"NOOOOOO!" BMO yells in my ear, popping out of my backpack, "Finn said that I would go with him."
"Yeah, that reminds me. Could we take BMO to the virtual reality world of 'Better Life'?" I ask, rubbing my ears.
Mother just frowns, "My dear, I wish could help, but for reasons I don't know, they've tightened the security on that facility since you last visited, and unfortunately, I don't have access."
Probably cause Jake totaled it last time we were there.
"Sorry BMO, looks like you're out of luck on that," The poor guy just whimpers, "But you could still tag along on the tour," I offer, not wanting BMO to feel left out.
"Ok," BMO replies glumly, slumping back down into my backpack.
"Now that we have that settled let's go over the itinerary. The trip will take about two hours, which will put us on a time crunch to join our group at ten-thirty. So, I recommend taking a maglev train as soon as you arrive. I'll grab the tickets while you are at sea, and Hmm… I should probably email a copy of your test scores to the college; you never know what might-"
"Mom," I interrupt, "I should probably get going. You know, so we don't end up late."
Mother regains focus, "Oh, yes of course, we can't spend all morning babbling. You should get on the ship before it leaves."
"Thanks, love you. Bye!" I shout, running off to the docks, "Glob! Two hours on a ship! What am I going to do the whole time?"
"Who wants to play video games!" BMO pops back out, excited once more.
After my sixth try at beating Klompy's Kastle, we approach the 'Island,' so to speak. In reality, the Island is just a loose term to refer to the archipelago of really close islands that the humans inhabit. Mother explained to me that the one we're meeting at is commonly referred to as the Hub Island, the most civilized out of all of them.
The city itself is pretty magnificent. Skyscrapers tower over the smaller shops and homes. The crystal-clear glass windows reflect a bright, glaring light, similar to my sun situation earlier this morning. The structures themselves are made up of all kinds of weird shapes: cylinders, cuboids, spirals, spheres, isosceles triangles, scalene triangles, right triangles, and a darn lot more triangles.
The part that has me most excited, though, is the crosswalks that run in between the buildings. They're all flowing with the traffic of other humans.
Docking at the port only takes a few minutes. Unlike the small docks back at Ooo, the Island has a full-blown harbor. Staging areas that stretch kilometers allow the ocean liner to get closer to the city. Computer-automated cranes unload empty barrels, crates, pallets, and even entire conex boxes off the ship.
KSSSHHH!
A pressurized hatch opens up out of the upper deck of the ship, revealing a mechanical stairway. The machine unravels itself until it attaches to the docks.
"Wow," I marvel at how easy the process has been made. It took us a week to unload all the cargo by hand when the humans first moved to Ooo.
"Finn!" I hear Mom's voice, "Get down here, darling. We only have thirty minutes before the tour starts, and the college is on the other side of the Island."
I spot the Minerva bot holding Mom's monitor, "Coming," I holler, running down the stairs. Halfway down, though, the stairs start moving, throwing me off balance.
"CRUDECRUDECRUDE!" I shout, tumbling down the rest of the way. I land flat on my face. Small brown bruises dot everywhere my body was hit during the fall, a minor inconvenience, to say the least. Although, I fear my nose might be broken.
It's completely safe, she said.
I roll onto my back and look to my left, noticing BMO lying face down on the ground a few meters away from me. Poor guy can't catch a break.
"It's never a good idea to run down an escalator," Mother teases, leaning over me.
I get to my feet, "That's it? No, 'oh my poor baby' or nothing?" I retort. The Minerva bot just puts the monitor in my hands.
"Well son," She talks while the Minerva bot holds my chin and examines my face, "After watching you spend all summer getting cut up by assassins-"
"It was only the tiny cat, Memow," I cut in.
"Burning your hands by touching fire-"
"Flame Princess wanted to high-five; who was I to leave her hanging?" I defend.
"Ingesting poisonous berries-"
"How was Wildberry Princess supposed to know that pokeweed berries are harmful to humans?" I protest.
Snap!
"Ouch!" My body flinches as my nose is set back into place.
"I've grown accustomed to your reckless behavior," Mother finishes with a smile, "There, all better now?"
"I guess," I reply, scrunching up my sore nose, "Let's see how BMO's doing."
The Minerva bot flips BMO over, revealing a cracked screen, "Ow… Why do I see seven of Finn's Mom," BMO states in a weary voice.
"Oh, you poor baby!" Mother cries out.
"Oh sure, the game console gets all the sympathy," I retort.
"Hush now, Finn. Can't you see the broken lines on his face? The ill-fated robot didn't deserve that," Mother scolds me, cradling BMO in the Minerva bot's arms, "Now, let's be on our way, Finn; I know just the place to get him fixed."
Well, at least the little guy will take the concentration off me. Don't get me wrong, I feel sorry for what happened, but I also know that BMO loves the extra attention.
Mom directs me to a nearby train, and we catch a ride to the southern edge of the Island, where the landscape is, by far, more beautiful.
As I look out my seat window, I see neat little homes, each having potted flowers, patios with fire pits, and bbq grills. Arcades, restaurants, clothes stores, and all kinds of tiny shops form strip malls that run alongside the main roads, each having its distinct style of decorative lighting and signage. Looking further out, I see evenly spaced out palm trees that dot the sandy beach of the island.
Humans are on that beach. Some are swimming in the ocean, others are building sandcastles, a few are playing volleyball, and many of them are laying out in the sun.
Wow…
The scenery has me taken away. It makes me want to join my own kind and play on the beach.
However, something else catches my attention—something tall, with steep, rocky edges that cast a large shadow on the beach. A smaller island, more mountainous than the others I've seen, sits less than a kilometer off the coast of Hub Island.
Our train is heading right towards it.
The top half of the rocky island appears to have its miniature city. On the lower levels, multi-story, apartment-like buildings encircle the island's perimeter.
A little higher up, there appear to be different kinds of schools, each having an emblem plaque upon the entrance door. The plaques seem to represent whatever that school teaches, and the emblems on them vary widely. I see pictures of a computer, interlocking gears, a paintbrush, a book and quill, a red cross, a boiling beaker, and many more.
Last but not least, at the very top of the island is a lighthouse. It is not a futuristic-looking lighthouse like I've come to expect from humans, but rather, it's a more traditional, white-walled, glass-paned, giant-lamp lighthouse. There it stands, like an old relic amid all the newer buildings.
"Hey, Mom," I break the silence.
"Yes, dear?"
"What's with the lighthouse?" I question.
Mother lets out a slight squeal, "Oh, you are about to find out."
I look out the window once more; we're about to cross a bridge that connects to the island. As we get closer, I spot an arched metal sign that makes my brow sweat and my throat dry.
It reads, "Welcome to Founder's Island University."
(A/N: Wow, I seriously need to start proofreading my own work more often. I found so many things that seemed kinda off in this chapter. Eh, it's part of the writing process, I suppose. Anyways, what a chapter, am I right? (Give me some feedback, guys!). Jake's mad, BMO is sad, and Finn is... well, the title should have been a giveaway. And what will he find at this university? Glob! I need to hurry up and write another chapter, even I'm curious to know!)