Preface

Monday 4th September 

I woke up, reality hit me again, it was the first day of Middle School, no hate, no anger. I was sitting on that very same bus I had day-dreamed off from. A young-looking boy was sitting next to me, I presume he must be in his first year too. I looked at the bag in front of his feet: it was quite ‘nerdy’, it had Star Wars patches on it and nothing was hanging out. 

I turned to him.

‘How are you? This you first day too?’

‘Yeah…’ he awkwardly exclaimed before averting his eyes out of the window.

I was being very awkward, the first thing I warn you not to do on your first day is to be friendly. Keep yourself to yourself.

I peered below my feet at my bag too. It was very plain, just black, with Adidas stripes. However things were hanging out of mine: my notebook, tag and everything.

I looked back at his, again.

His lanyard was hooked around the top handle… Eyre Brookes, it said.

Eyre Brookes, one line I will never forget.

Chapter One

Sunday 3rd September 

I’m Noah Archeletta. My name means “rest, repose”, “oak hollow”. I am going to try and find within myself the name’s purpose – and I thought writing it down would make me famous in the future. Because that’s what everyone wants, right?

My mum says I act like a four-year-old behind my long ‘oak’ coloured locks. She says I’ll never learn. I disagree, I will learn, and I will prove her wrong.

‘Yes I can, Mummy’

I reach for my pen and notebook to find a sticky note on it’s front:

‘You can’t.’ it screeches to me. I can’t? What can’t I do? Why can’t I?

I turn my back to the desk and face the window. I would usually look to the stars where I will be roaming one day. But no, today was different. Today I was told that I can’t.

So I turned to my glass half-full of water and look directly in to the ripples of it. Mum was banging downstairs – probably drunk again. I wasn’t going to find out. I just stayed up here – in my spaceship, thinking and writing of what will happen next.

‘Yes I can, Mummy’ were the last words that slipped from my mouth before I went to sleep.

Chapter Three

Monday 4th September 

The sun pierced the corners of my eyes as I woke to the bird’s song. first time in a long time. I look to the clock on my desk, 5:00am, mum would be at work – relieving.

I hadn’t gone into bed last night. I slept with my head on the desk and my written thoughts close to my head. But I had slept at least.

Four hours until next term begins. I was heading to a new school, a Middle School, where I would finally learn to ‘grow up’ as my mum says. I think there’s no point in growing up. What do you achieve from an old face and a withered mind? A lesser chance of remembering and a closer chance of death? What’s the point?

Acting like a child is a good thing – and I don’t know what I’d do without my spaceship and my two dinosaurs I’ve had for eight years. The dinosaur’s still sat in my window with all the sky above them.

‘Just like me’

My spaceship would ever remain in my tiny bedroom that I’ve lived in for all my life. I will never move. I will never leave her behind. Not even when I’m the third man on the moon. 

No, not until death due us part.

Mum swears we are married and Joesph Fleiss makes fun of my imagination. He says it’s ‘shit’. I don’t know what that means but I will never say it aloud. Mum says it all the time and I think she’s the one who should grow up. 

Not me.

I’m happy being new to Earth with no idea at all. Because that keeps me wondering. That helps me come to terms with my imagination. There’s so much out there that I will never learn, and can only question.

‘Yes I can Mummy’