May 1997

"DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD IN COLLEGE?"

Luna Daley had been staring at the steam drifting away from her styrofoam cup, the smell of coffee filling her senses. The question stirs her curiosity, however, and she looks up. "Sixteen?" she asks. "Do we... know them?"

Cory shakes his head, brow furrowed. "No, no. If one of us transferred to Caltech, I would know."

Luna's eyebrows raise in shock. "No shit, Caltech?"

Mandy joins the duo, sliding her arm into Cory's. "What about Caltech?"

"There's this teenager going there. Sixteen," Cory explains.

"Do we know them?" Mandy asks. "I bet it's Joe, he's that quiet type: he's either super smart and done with our shit or he's just super silent and done with our shit."

"No, he's not from here," Cory repeats. "Mandy, you really need to butt into conversations just five seconds quicker, it would make being your best friend so much easier."

Perfect timing has never been Mandy's strong suit. Since they were little, the other girl was always at least ten minutes late. Funnily enough, Cory was always at least ten minutes early. Luna was always right on time. That's why the trio worked so well together: they balanced each other out in a way no one else could—as if any one else tried. The three of them had been attached to the hip since their first meeting in preschool. Rarely did someone dare to interact with them. It's not as if they're a popular kid clique or something—God, no—but when history runs so deep, it is very hard to squeak your way in.

Teddy Roosevelt High School looms like a prison. Luna grimaces at the sight, taking a sip from the burning hot coffee. It singes her tongue. High school has never not been torture for the Daley girl. It's odd; you'd think that being smart would make school easier, instead, it makes it all the worse. The work is easy in a way that somehow—and Luna doesn't get this either—makes the whole thing a whole lot harder.

Luna huffs, handing the rest of the coffee to Cory. "This is too hot. Caffeine is not worth the pain."

"Well, I beg to disagree," the boy responds, taking a long, hard gulp from the cup. He smiles, content. "Coffee is worth the possible mouth burns."

"Sadist," Mandy mutters. Cory shoulder-checks the girl so hard she stumbles. Luna snorts as her friend lets out an exaggerated gasp.

"Okay, okay," Luna says. "Can we circle back to the child prodigy going to Caltech? Isn't their admission rate around thirty percent?"

"No, no, it gets better than that," Cory says. "He's not new to Caltech, no sir. He's been in college since he was thirteen—"

"You're just fucking with me, now," Luna interrupts.

"I'm not, I swear!" Cory defends.

"You're saying this kid graduated high school at age twelve?" Mandy asks, incredulous. "I can't imagine an eleven year old surviving junior year."

"I second this notion," Luna adds.

Cory downs the rest of the coffee and chucks it into the nearest trash can, narrowly missing Shay (not that Luna wouldn't have minded it hitting her, that girl is such a bitch.) He claps his hands together in anticipation. "Ready for a day of learning, girls?"

"I'd rather die," Mandy deadpans, before entering the Roosevelt establishment.

"What about you, Luna?" Cory asks.

"I have English, first period," she responds. "Mandy and I will go out Romeo and Juliet style."

Mandy pouts, pressing a melodramatic hand to her heart. "Aw, babe!"

"Speaking of English," Cory says, turning to the two girls. "If anyone could write up a thesis for AP Lang for yours truly, I'll love you forever."

"Hate me, then," Luna jabs, before glancing at her watch. "Oh, shit, I really have to go. See you at lunch!"

∆

Luna suffers through English with her head in her hand and her eyes drooping every few seconds. Perhaps caffeine is worth the pain, or maybe her sleepiness has to do with her teacher, Mr. Patrick. His voice is slow and methodical, and not in a hot way, in a "I need to stretch out this material so I get paid for a full day of class" way. Luna despises him with her whole being. Maybe if he didn't praise Hemingway like he was a god, the girl would find some parts of English appealing. But even then, what's the point in analyzing works that have been analyzed for centuries? At what point in Luna's life shall she need to bring up such words as synecdoche and juxtaposition (which is essentially the same thing as antithesis, and she will fight someone on this front)? When will reading Julius Caesar help her move forward?

Luna won't know a thing about taxes when she is forced out into the real world, but best believe she will be able to write an argumentative essay on how the death penalty is a good thing—which she disagrees with completely, but Mr. Patrick had shit down her previous attempt at an anti death penalty thesis statement, so what was she supposed to do anyway?

None of this really matters, besides the end of year grade. She can handle a (horrible, annoying, boring, useless) class she doesn't like if it means she gets to be a scientist.

Science of just about every form captured the interest of Luna since her father pointed out the moon and said she was named after it. For the next five years, the girl was obsessed with Astronomy. Then came botany—she cultivated her own vegetable farm and tried to make her own variations of carrots... unsuccessfully, of course. Biology, marine biology, psychology, forensics: you name it, Luna has studied it. In her spare time, of course, because no sane public high school would offer such specific science courses.

Science is what's going to get Luna out of the house. STEM is the only way for Luna to actually be free. The plan is simple: get a full ride scholarship to a school whose name neither parent would care to remember and escape this town for good. Part of her knows that it's a pipe dream. But the other part of her knows that she's smart and if she stays here, she'll just waste away. Luna Daley is going to be more than what her parents expect. She's going to be legendary.

author's note!

this feels so short, but the info-dumping was needed for future dynamic + general plot references. 

how are y'all liking luna (and mandy + cory)? luna's definitely not perfect, but she's also sixteen, and no one was perfect when they were sixteen.

don't be a ghost reader! votes and comments are ALWAYS appreciated <333