On the outskirts of the neighborhood, behind some woods, there was an enormous green valley known as the Valley of Green. The Valley of Green was a popular tourist site in 17,019 Greenville, South Carolina, and it was easy to tell why. It was a beautiful valley. Everywhere you looked, there were green meadows and tons of wildlife. Wildflowers danced in the wind, and a sparkling blue stream led to a gorgeous lake in the heart of the valley. The Valley of Green's lake was a famous spot in South Carolina. It had been formed by a meteor that crashed into Greenville's soil about two thousand years ago, and what emerged from that crash was this beautiful blue lake. From the edge of the valley appeared a red hoverboard, and it darted across the sky into the valley. Aboard the hoverboard, standing like a surfer, was none other than..., seventeen year old Daniel Matton! He was a handsome teenager who looked a little bit different compared to the average human in 2019. His large eyes were stunning and brown; his chin was attractively pointy, and his forehead was small. His brown hair went down to the bottom of his neck, and it had a few tufts in it. His bangs were worn forward, and in the center of his forehead, two bangs overlapped each other. He was dressed in a red jacket that had a black high collar and black pads on the sides of each of his shoulders, and it was worn over a white and blue T-shirt that was tucked into blue jeans. His jeans were held up by a brown belt, and he wore red-soled black sneakers that had red tongues. Imbedded in his hair was a black pair of hexagonal-shaped goggles, and finally, he wore a black and red wristwatch.

Dan had grown up with hoverscooting, and he loved coming to the Valley of Green to practice. Out here, he felt wide open and free. He felt like nothing could go wrong. His feet were strapped into red buckles, and yelling, he steered his hoverboard straight up. His right hand grabbed the side of the board, and he twirled in midair, passing birds. At the sight of the flying boy, they screeched and flew faster. Leaving them, Dan closed his eyes and twirled through clouds. Opening them, he stooped downward and dashed across the meadow, towards the lake. A wild horse chased after him, and Dan shouted, "Yahoo!" Seeing the horse, he bent his knees and reached for its nose, patting it. The horse whinnied happily. It loved being patted. Dan waved goodbye and ascended back upwards. Once he felt comfortable, he reached for the buckles and unstrapped himself from the hoverboard. He kicked it into the sky and started to drop towards the lake, head first. He was having the time of his life! The hoverboard fell with him, and Dan turned his body, so now, he was watching as the lake came closer and closer. He held his arms out to his sides and let the wind massage his face. Then he grabbed his hoverboard and strapped himself in right before he could hit the water. He ran his fingertips through the surface of the water, and flying fish jumped out of it to join him.

Dan continued his circle. When he finished circling the inside of the Valley of Green, he grinned and steered for the edge, the exit. He zoomed over the edge and brought his hoverboard to a halt so he could check his surroundings. In front of him, further away, he could see the buildings of his neighborhood, and behind his neighborhood, he could see the skyline of Downtown Greenville's skyscrapers. Dan urged his hoverboard forward, and he steered it towards his neighborhood. Soon, he found himself hovering over a massive park that was located in the heart of his neighborhood. It was known as Titanic Park, due to its immense size. Next to Falls Park, it was the largest park in 17,019 Greenville, South Carolina. Trees of all shapes and sizes gave the park its shade, and in the park, there was also a large playground. The playground equipment consisted of: numerous slides, monkey bars, swings, and an enormous sandbox. Surrounding the playground was a track, and surrounding the track were soccer fields, football fields, baseball fields, and a stage. Like the Valley of Green, it was a very beautiful location.

From where he hovered, Dan nodded and descended towards a bench in the park, but halfway down, his hoverboard ran out of fuel! Petrified, Dan stomped on the tail of the board and shouted, "No, no, no, don't die on me! Don't die on me, please! Oh no!" Dan was losing altitude very quickly, and he gasped. He was falling towards Molly, one of his friends from school. She was a pretty girl who had long, curly blonde hair, and she was dressed in a yellow sundress. She was writing in a notebook, and Dan called to her, "Molly! Molly, look out! Above!" Hearing him, Molly peered up from her notebook and shouted, "Dan!" when she saw him, "Yikes!" She dove out of the way and landed in grass. Now five feet from the ground, Dan unstrapped himself and jumped from his ride. He landed on the track and flinched, catching his hoverboard. Sighing with relief, he said, "Whew," and placed his board on the track. Kneeling over it, he ran his palm over its smooth surface, and Molly sat up from where she rested.

Dan's palm hit a button at the tail of the hoverboard, and smiling, he pressed it. Immediately, two wheels, one at the front and one in the back, shot out from the bottom of the hoverboard, and a long steering handle lifted in the air from the board's sides. Dan's hoverboard had turned into a scooter, and he said, "All right!" as he gripped the hoverscooter's handle grips. Molly stood up and yelled, "You're a jerk!" at him. Closing his eyes, Dan laughed, and he rubbed the back of his head. He had to agree with her on that statement. Lowering his hand, he said, "I apologize, Molly, but my hoverboard ran out of fuel. All I can do now is turn it into a scooter and ride home." He opened his eyes and froze when he saw Molly, saying, "Whoa!" Molly looked absolutely gorgeous! Well, she always looked beautiful. She was his crush. Dan blinked and stared at her, speechless. When she saw that Dan was staring at her, Molly blushed and chuckled flirtingly. She reached for her cheek, and Dan approached her repeating, "Whoa." He scanned her up and down, and Molly blushed harder. She pulled hair behind her ear and waited for him to say, "Molly, you look beautiful," but because he wasn't man enough to admit it; instead, Molly got, "Wow, Molly, that's a cool looking dress!"

"I DON'T KNOW WHY I EVEN BOTHER!!!" Molly retorted, and lifting her hand, she slapped Dan across the face. SMACK! Turning, she stormed away, and Dan covered his throbbing cheek, "OW!! Not the face, not the face! Hey, wait!" He held his hand out to her and said, "It was just a joke!" but Molly ignored. She stomped down the track, irritated, but she was forced stop when suddenly, Dan's hand grabbed her wrist. She glared, and Dan cleared his throat, "I meant to say, um...," He thought for a moment, "you look..., como un burro." Offended, Molly shouted, "AHH, you're impossible!" and she slapped Dan's other cheek.

"Well I'm sorry," Dan cried, "but I don't do well around women!"

"Huh?" Molly asked, and she sighed, "Of course. Well, if you put it that way, I guess it's okay." She smiled and leaned in towards him, "Say, Dan, don't you have a birthday today?" That statement got Dan's attention. He gasped, and remembering that it was his birthday, shouted,

"Huh, today's my birthday?! Aw shoot, I forgot." He reached for his head, "I'm such an idiot! Who forgets their own birthday?! I need to hurry home!"

"Ha!" Molly laughed, and she placed her hands on her hips, "Stubborn boy can't even remember his own birthday!" Narrowing his eyebrows to an angry position, Dan said, "Quiet, I don't need ya rubbing it in. You're embarrassing me, Molly. I need to go. Dad will be expecting me home soon." Molly wasn't listening. Instead, she was checking her wristwatch, and she said, "Yikes!" grabbing her head, "Is that the right time?! I'm late for cheerleading practice! Bye!" She zipped by Dan, and he yelled after her,

"Molly!" but Molly was too fast. Dan headed towards his hoverscooter, but suddenly, a blast of air rushed by him. It was Molly! She was steering his hoverscooter, and Dan yelled, "Wait!"

"Sorry, hon," Molly shouted, "gotta borrow your hoverscooter for a little bit!"

"But I...!" Dan stammered. He had to get home somehow! He was too lazy to run. Molly said,

"I'll bring it back later, okay?" Dan groaned, but since he was a friendly guy, he called,

"Okay, but make sure you take good care of it! Bring it back after cheerleading practice!"

"Will do, doll!" Molly laughed, and her voice started to fade, "You're totally the best ever! I'll see you later!" She blew him a kiss and disappeared down the track. "Aw shoot, man." Dan said from where he stood, "Snap, Dad's gonna kill me. I'm not going to get home in time to do the lawn without my hoverscooter! Argh! This stinks!" He turned on his heel and headed home but stopped when he saw an empty water bottle on the ground. Litter! Dan didn't like litter. He picked up the bottle and searched for a trash can. He saw one. It was standing next to a bench, and Dan said, "Perfect!" He lifted the bottle over his head and pulled down his goggles, taking deep breaths. Bringing back his arm, he hurled the bottle, and halfway to the trash can, a green laser came out of the can, and it scanned the bottle. Once the scan was complete, the top of the trash can slid up, and the water bottle landed right in it. The top slid back down, and Dan clenched his fists saying, "Yes! Ten points for Dan Matton!" He lifted his hands and made peace signs with them, "Yoo-hoo! I rock!" He dropped his arms, closed his eyes, and skipped towards home. Along the way, he sung, "I am seventeen! I am seventeen!"

Dan hiked for a very long time. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he reached the gate to his house and grabbed his knees, panting uncontrollably. He said, "I made it. Finally. Now all I have to do is open the gate." He went up to the gate and saw that it was closed. Groaning, he stomped his foot and said, "But that's so much work!" Dan was lazy. He did not like to work. It was a typical teenage thing. As Dan pushed open the gate, he said, "Boy, I sure hope Dad isn't home yet. I have to mow the lawn." He scurried over to the front door and opened it very carefully. Dan peered into the empty house and checked to make sure the coast was clear. When he was sure it was, he slipped off his shoes and tossed them into the yard. He tiptoed inside and closed the door behind. He searched for his father, but he was nowhere to be seen. Maybe, Dan thought to himself, just maybe, Dad isn't home yet. He had to hurry to his room and change out of his hoverscooting clothes before his dad got back.

Rushing to the staircase, Dan placed his hand on its rail and started to jog up them. However, when he reached the fourth floor, he was on the ground, breathing heavily. He held out his hand and reached for Heaven, saying, "Must move towards the light." Even though he was healthily skinny, he was so out of shape. Other than hoverscooting, he didn't play any other sport. For a few minutes, Dan laid there. Then he got up and jogged down the hallway. Reaching his door, he placed his hands on his knees and again tried to catch his breaths. When he caught them, he stood up straight and reached for the doorknob, asking, "Perhaps I can quickly change out of these clothes before Dad comes homes?" He thought that was a good idea. Turning the knob, he swung open the door to his room and stepped inside, "Ah, I knew I..., AHHH!!" There was his father. He was sitting at his desk with Geico next to him. Uh oh Dan thought, I am so done for! He knew he was in trouble. He could tell by the look in Ben's face. Trying to sound casual, Dan said, "Oh, afternoon, Father. I was just going to...yeah."

Slipping by Ben, he headed over to his closet, and Ben, still wearing the 1500s clothes, stood up from the desk and asked, "Daniel, you understand you were supposed to mow the lawn this morning, right?"

Dan passed his closet and now headed for his desk. Soon standing over it, he placed his hand on his laptop and shrugged, "Father, I was just getting to that. I had to get some fresh air before I started today. Ya see, I'm subject to claustrophobia."

"Right," his father sarcastically said, "and is there a reason why you're dressed in your hoverscooting clothes, Mr. Claustrophobic?" He crossed his arms. Dan scoffed.

"Certainly!" he said, "Ya see, I tend to feel a little more comfortable when I go running in my hoverscooting..."

"Save it." Ben interrupted, "Admit it, boy. You went hoverscooting out in the Valley of Green again, right?"

"Well technically...," Dan spoke, but his father didn't let him finish,

"Oh, I see! You also went to Titanic Park and ran into Molly!"

"Whoa," Dan said impressed, "how did you figure that out, Father?"

"Oh," Ben said, his eyes on Dan's slap marks, "just a wild guess. Dan, Dan, Dan. What am I going to do with you? Ah!" He uncrossed his arms, "Son, I know it's your birthday, but you're going to make up for what happened this morning! I'm not going to give you your birthday present until that lawn is spotless! And just to make sure you won't get distracted...," He picked up Dan's laptop, "until you mow that lawn and clean this junkyard out, this computer is mine."

Dan gasped, and he reached for the computer, but Ben pulled it away from his hand and took a step back. His son shouted, "Father, no! You can't take my computer away! I'm writing a story about a Tyrannosaurus Rex that falls in love during the K-T Mass Extinction, 65 million years ago! I must write in it! The story's as important as the Precambrian Time, Neoproterozoic Era!"

Ben stared at him. He had no clue what Dan just said. He was an astronaut. Dan was an aspiring paleontologist. If there was something he loved, other than hoverscooting and writing, it was geologic time. He could rant on and on about it; he knew so much. At times, Dan's geologic lectures got on Ben's nerves. He tucked the computer under his arm, and Dan added with, "You should know that I'm too lazy to clean my room, Father."

"Exactly," his father stated, "and it's getting on my nerves! Son, all you do is sit around, drink root-beer, and watch women's tennis! Ah!"

"Father," Dan said encouragingly, "that is my life. Just like yours is going up into space and studying theoretical passageways. You leave the kid behind." He took his father's shoulder, "I'm sorry life's so cruel. Yeah...," He placed his hands behind his neck, "I'm the man."

"You're a boy!" his father snapped. Dan fell onto the floor, and Ben continued, "I expect you to comply!" Sitting up, Dan sighed and said, "Whatever you say, Dad," and he placed his palm to his face. His father headed for the exit, and he took the laptop with him. Dan dropped his hand and tried to beg it back, "Can you at least let me write a paragraph? I did get some exercise today."

"No!" his father retorted, and he opened the door to the bedroom. Dan tried a new tactic,

"A sentence?"

"No!" snapped Ben, and Dan tapped his chin,

"A word? A letter? A line? A dot?"

"NO!!" his father yelled, and he rubbed sweat from his forehead. Dan finally placed his hands on his hips and shrugged. He said,

"Well, I can't write on a cloud."

"Don't ya get smart with me, young man!" replied Ben, "Chop, chop! Let's not wait for the black holes to grow!" He and Geico stepped out of the room, and Ben slammed the door shut. Geico said, "Well, that went well," and Ben sighed. He had a headache. He massaged his head and admitted, "Sigh, teenagers are exhausting. If Becca was here, she'd make a much better parent."