Prologue
Nick was awoken to the sound of clattering outside his door. Reluctantly, he stood and opened the door to his room. A deep frown appeared on his face as he looked at his father put his hands on his mother at the bottom of the stairs.
A single teardrop rolled down Nick's cheek before he went back inside his room and shut the door. He looked out the window beside his space-themed bed and softly smiled at the full moon.
Maybe there's a world better than one I was given; a world where father was nice to me and mother. A world where I could have a perfect family and not have to cry myself to sleep at night, he thought to himself.
A sad smile crept on his face when he saw a star scintillate in the moonlight. He sighed deeply and laid back in his bed. I wish I could go to space. It seems more peaceful than earth. Maybe there's a lot more to space than how we humans see it. There's possibly something farther than what we see with the naked eye. I hope there is, Nick thought to himself before drifting to sleep.
After Nick showered and got ready for school, he grabbed an apple from the kitchen and headed outside. He sat in his usual seat inside the big, yellow school bus. Hurriedly, he put his earphones in his ears and turned the volume of his music up, to drown out not only the sound of other kids but his own thoughts.
Nick went to his science class when he arrived at school. But, he ignored the teacher and stared out the window. Has anyone ever explored past space? What happens if you just shoot straight up? What will you see on the other side, Nick thought to himself.
"Eyes up front, Nick." His teacher demanded. Nick glanced over at her with an annoyed expression, before looking back out the window.
"Leave me alone." Nick said in a bored tone.
"I said eyes up front."
"And I said leave me alone. Oh wait, you won't because you're all alone in this world and you have to confide in your students. That's sad." He snapped back. The other students chuckled while the teacher glared at him.
"Out. Now." She demanded.
Nick rolled his eyes and grabbed his items before leaving the classroom. He slouched down on the wall, in the empty hallway.
He plugged in his earphones and started to draw what he imagines is past space. That peace was interrupted when someone snatched his pencil out of his hand. Nick snarled as he slowly looked up, just to see his angry and very old principal.
"My office. Now!" She demanded as she pointed down the hallway. Rolling his eyes, Nick picked up his things and walked to her office.
He sat slouched in Mrs. Wetherbee's office, listening to her on the phone with his mother. After she hung up the phone, she looked at him with a sigh.
"Listen, Nick. I understand what you're going through." He scoffed at her words. "But, you can't keep doing this. You can't keep disrespecting your teachers as a reaction to your poor household." Nick was full on laughing now.
"My poor household?" Nick repeated in disbelief. "What type of fucking principal are you?"
"Watch your language."
"Or what?"
She just grimaced at him and shook her head in disapproval. "I can have you talk to a counselor, Nick."
"A counselor? Right, because talking about feelings I can't even fucking explain will help shit. Note the sarcasm."
"Nick! I can't help you if you don't work with me." Mrs. Wetherbee exclaimed.
"What if I don't want help?!" Nick yelled back. Not wanting to hear anymore, he grabbed his stuff and left her office. He ignored her yells and calls to come back and went to his locker. He grabbed his items and left the middle school he goes to.
Nick walked to the place he always goes to when he runs away from home or school. A dead tree that rests on top of a hill. He climbed up the tree and rested his book bag beside him while glaring at the sun in front of him.
"Why? Huh? Why are you here? Where's the moon and the stars? What's past you and the stars? What the hell is up there? Please tell me, is there a world better than this one?" Nick asked the sun. But, as he expected, the sun stayed quiet and just stared back at him. Nick scoffed at himself and rocked his feet back and forth.
After a couple of hours, Nick saw the sun beginning to set. He grinned and took out his sketchpad along with his pencils.
Once the sun was gone and the stars began to scintillate in the sky, Nick began to sketch it. Stars lighting up the night sky, along with the town below it, is what Nick sketched. Once he finished, he put his sketchpad and pencil away, before climbing down and walking back home.
Once he arrived, a beer bottle being thrown at him was his first encounter. Nick was quick enough to dodge it. Not wasting a second, Nick dashed up the stairs and slammed his door shut. He didn't have to go back to know it was his father who threw it.
Nick threw his bag on his bed and fell to the floor. Slow tears seeped down his temples as he laid on his cold, hardwood floor. He tilted his head and gazed out the window, where he saw the waxing gibbous moon looking back at him.
"Can I be up there with you?" Nick asked the moon. In response, the moon seemed to glow a little brighter, before going back to his original shine. At that moment, the tears stopped and Nick grinned.
"I'll take that as a yes."
A ghostly chuckle escaped Nick's lips as he stood to his full height. Nick showered, brushed his teeth, and changed into his nightwear before he laid in his bed with space-themed blankets on top of him. What if I can go to space? I've never heard of a kid going to space? Hell, I've never even heard of an adult going past space. Maybe I can be the first, Nick thought to himself.
The sound of a door opening alerted Nick awake. His eyes flew to the door, where he saw his mother staring right back at him with wide eyes. "Come here. Now." She whisper-yelled.
Without a second thought, Nick ran to his mother. She picked him up and ran them to his small closet. They sat in it and closed the closet door. The sound of his father's feet running in the room, caused his mother's hand to fly to Nick's mouth.
Dad, Nick thought once the realization hit him.
"Where are you, bitch?" Nick's father yelled as he stomped around the room. An involuntary whimper left his mother's lips as she squeezed Nick closer to her. After a few moments, his father left the room.
His mother sighed and threw her head back relieved. "Mom?"
His mother looked down at him. "Yes?"
"Are we ok?" Nick inquired.
"Of course."
"Mom. I said, are we ok? Because it doesn't feel like it." Nick said sternly, as he turned and looked at her. She sighed and dropped her forehead on his.
"We're not, baby. But I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you. I promise." She whispered. Nick nodded and hugged his mother tightly.
Nick woke up still inside his closet, in his mother's arms. Nick could hold the sobs no longer and let out a painful cry, as he cried all his pain out. His mother woke up from the noise and frowned down at Nick before wrapping her arms around him.
"One day, all the pain that you feel, all the stress, all the tears, all the sadness, will evaporate into thin air and you'll be left with pure happiness. Patience. Patience is what you must have to retrieve that happiness." His mother whispered to him. But the words she said only made Nick cry harder.
When will that day come in? When will the day come when I can stop hurting?
