Chapter 1, Oblivion.

 So, here’s the thing.

It seems like all those years ago, but as I think about it, it was only five. It was when I was a stuck up eighth grader, sucked up in my dreams that seemed to never come true. And really, they don’t.

 Having gay parents doesn’t really help the fact that you don’t fit in, have about two friends, and like someone that will absolutely never like you back.

 As I start to tell you these memories, you might just wonder what the whole plot to this thing is. And let me tell you, I still don’t know why I ever dreamed that I would become an actor, but I guess I will get to that later in the story.

 Anyways, the starting of this whole history of me takes place on a couch in my foster parents house. Well, she’s more like my mother, to tell you the truth. Jenna had taken me in when my dad’s couldn’t, they didn’t have enough money, and Jenna was one of their dearest friends. So I was kind of adopted.

 Okay, so I was sitting on the old leathery couch in the living room, my Kindle in my lap, staring up at the high ceiling and imagining what it would be like to live in oblivion. See, I’ve been scared of oblivion ever since the sixth grade, when my astronomy teacher taught the class about how the world will end. He said, “The Earth will be sucked into the Sun, while it’s slowly getting bigger and more bloated, and getting ready to turn into a white dwarf. Of course, the human race will be long gone before it gets sucked up by the slowly emerging Sun. When the Earth is gone, all the history ever created will soon be long forgotten, all the people who ever lived burned up and charred into oblivion.”

 He was one of those teachers with passion, and he waved his hands around, making an even more dramatic effect. There was nothing you could do but believe him, even if you didn’t know the first thing about white dwarfs or black holes. And that lesson scared me, making me think about oblivion, and that’s when I realized I was really afraid of what would happen after oblivion. After all of that was gone.

 I sighed and turned off my Kindle, peeling my legs off the couch. It was one of those couches where if you sit on it too long, your legs got sticky with sweat and hurt to get off.

 I padded into the kitchen, dreading to finish homework, but savoring the smell of apple pie wafting through the house. It clouded out the usual smell of perfume and cherries, which Jenna sprayed on every day.

 Grabbing two plates, I sat down and waited for Jenna to come into the room. The kettle started whistling, and the microwave started beeping. I heard her footsteps jogging hurriedly through the hallway, trying not to slip on her slippers. She rushed into the room, her hair twisted up into a towel, and her bathrobe tied loosely around her waist. Jenna quickly turned off the kettle, and opened the microwave, taking out two steaming hot bowls of soup. She latched open the stove and delivered a new wave of apple pie scent.

 “Okay, Hun, what do you want for your veggies?” she asked. “Oh, um, just cauliflower please.” I answered plainly. She nodded to herself.

 She plucked the two bowls from the counter and set them down on the table, her long red nails clacking. I got up and took two spoons from the drawer.

 Meanwhile, Jenna was taking cans from the shelves, warming up water and hurriedly taking things out of the stove.

 “Need help?” I offered. “Please.” She said.

 I started by taking the cauliflower from a pot and serving it onto little dishes, then took the apple pie and set it to cool off on the countertop. I got forks, and then set the table, making room for us two.

 Soon after, Jenna joined me, grabbing her spoon and sipping at her soup.

 “So Hun, how was school?” she started. “Alright. Pretty normal, I guess.” I shrugged.

 “Okay. Any new actors come in?”

 “Nah, I don’t think that’ll be happening any time soon, Jenna.” I shrugged again.

 She pursed her lips nodding slowly. “Why is that, Shay?” she asked curiously.

 I swallowed my soup. “Well, first of all, none of us in the acting group are popular. And, nobody likes sitting through the shows.” Usually, the shows had two to three actors, and the rest were opera singers from the opera department. 

 “Well, could you at least tell me what the normal school day is?” she pursued.

 I rolled my eyes. “Okay then, first period; Astronomy, Second period; History… Do you really want me to tell you?” Jenna sighed. “If that’s really how boring your day is…”

 We ate in silence for a few minutes.

 “H-how was your day, Jenna?” I asked, for I never new about hers. It must be interesting, because she was a jewelry designer.

 “Hmm, well, I did get five new orders. Two are wedding rings, which I’m really excited about… but really, most of it was calling and finishing up.” She cocked her head to the side.

 “Well, I’m going to go get into my Pajamas, you better get started on going to bed and finishing that homework of yours.” She smiled, and brought her bowl to the sink. “We’ll have the apple pie for breakfast, kay?” I nodded, too full to have dessert.

 I grabbed my binder from the couch and started heading upstairs, slipping on my slippers.

 I reached the top of the stairs, and creaked open the door, flopping down on my bed. One of the things that Jenna promised me when I first moved in was to make my room special and unique, a place for me to escape to, and she said that we’ll go on a shopping spree and I could get whatever I wanted for my room. I got a wooden desk, a bed that lifted up higher to fit storage underneath, some shelves, a little couch, etc… But then Jenna asked me what color to paint it, and it used to be bright pink, but now its grayish blue, matching the color of my bedding. Then, the only thing that I asked for was a window right above my bed, so I could see the stars. Jenna immediately said yes, and that’s what I did right then, I stared up at the stars, trying to figure out which was the little dipper and which was the big dipper.

 It’s weird, I thought, how people could get things mixed up. Little things that almost don’t matter, but when you get the little things mixed up with the big things, the little things turn into big ones, and then your left with loads of huge problems, no little ones that can be fixed easily. That’s what I think I am, a little problem turned into a big one.

 For example: my life. My gay parents that couldn’t take care of me, and treat me like a friend or a stranger, not their straight-up daughter. The tiny school that can barely provide materials for its students. Jenna, who can barely provide things for me herself. How un-popular I am, with barely three friends. Getting bullied. Never having kissed a boy.

 All of those things bother me, and all of those things are little things turned big.

 I rolled out of my bed, falling on the cat bed. Pocco padded into the room, mewing, his tail swishing behind him.

 “Hi Pocco.” I grinned and snickered. Pocco was my cat that Jenna had given to me on my eighth Birthday, and ever since, he’d been outstandingly annoying.

 He swayed over to me, drool already starting to fall from his mouth. He head-butted me, purring loudly.

 “Aww, c’mon, that’s gross!” I laughed while I wiped drool from my cheek. I stood up, stretching my back.

 “C’mere, buddy.” I scooped Pocco up, and headed out the door, Pocco still purring like a motorcycle.

Planting a kiss on his wet nose, I put him on the floor, and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind me before Pocco could get in.

 I brushed my teeth, and then looked at myself in the mirror. My long brown hair was a rat, the sun-bleached strands falling around my face at random. I was told my skin color was darker than the rest of my family, I guess it was due to being outside a lot. The only part of my face that I really liked were my eyes, with their thick eye lashes outlining my bright blue eyes. I tried a smile that wrinkled the corners of my eyes and dimpled my cheeks. That’s me. Plainly me. With the freckly face and sun-bleached hair.

 I sighed and pulled my hair into a messy ponytail, holding the hair tie in between my teeth, and then tied it up. I walked into my room once again, and laid down underneath the warm covers, resting my head on the comfy pillows, and slowly drifted to sleep.