I hung in space surrounded by millions of planets with no memory of how I got there. The closer worlds were sharply defined, and the distant ones blurred together in a single overwhelming tapestry that filled the sky in all directions. Occasionally I spun closer to one of them before shooting away in a new direction. With each world I encountered, the light around me grew brighter until I had to squint my eyes to see anything. I don’t know how long I spent moving between the worlds, but it seemed like days, or maybe weeks. Each time, I moved closer to the surface before flying away.

At first all I saw were vague shapes, but as I moved closer I saw oceans and forests and cities full of people. They were so close I wanted to reach out and touch them, but something was blocking me. There was an invisible barrier that I couldn't break through no matter what I did. It was soft like a huge balloon, but incredibly strong.
 

I was flying toward a new world pushing against the barrier, picturing my hand spearing through it, when I felt it fail as my hand broke through it. Even though I couldn't see it, I felt the wall squeezing against my arm, trying to force it back through the hole. I was pushing, reaching for a massive carved stone when the alarm started buzzing. Instead of touching a new world, I reached out and shut off the alarm while thinking about the dream. A few minutes later when I finally opened my eyes, the light in my room was too bright to see anything. But after fighting against the glare in my dream for so long, it seemed normal to my not-quite-awake mind.
 

I got up and headed for the shower, grabbing my sunglasses on the way. They helped me to see, but got in the way when I tried to wash my hair. As I was rinsing off, it finally sunk in that something was wrong.  By the time I turned off the water I was starting to worry.
 

Like every other day, I pulled on cargo shorts and one of Dad’s old concert tees before heading for the kitchen.
 

The light hurts my eyes like when I had the flu last year. If I'm sick again I better not go to school.
 

To stay home, I’d have to clear it with Dad before Mom got home from work—she's too hard to convince. As I stepped from the hall into the kitchen, I remembered the science test I didn't study for. Suddenly, staying home from school sounded even better.
 

"Jordan, can't you ever wear anything besides those ugly t-shirts? I've spent three years working on my image, and in eight months, you've almost destroyed it. I don't know why they let freshmen into high school anyway. You’re just children and ruin things for the rest of us," My older sister Polly said.
 

Great, I can always depend on Polly to drag me back to what’s not important in life. "Good morning to you too, Pol. You should tell your friends I'm adopted." They are mostly jocks and cheerleaders. My life was a lot easier before she became a member of the elite.
 

The dishwasher smelled clean, so I grabbed a bowl and a spoon. Neither of my sisters said anything so it must have been safe.
 

"I did, but nobody believed me. And what's with the sunglasses?" Polly asked.
 

"My head hurts, and everything is really bright," I explained.
 

"Why?" my little sister Nora asked with her mouth full of half-chewed bread. Then she gave me a sharp look and said, "You better not be hung over."
 

I dumped enough milk into the bowl to cover my raisin bran and jammed the carton back into the refrigerator. "Yeah right. You know Mom and Dad would kill me." Seriously. Maybe when I'm thirty they’ll let me have a beer, but at fifteen, they'd ground me for so long I'd miss my own graduation. "I think I'm getting the flu again."
 

"Oh, okay." She said, nodding her head.
 

It got quiet after that, so I crammed cereal into my mouth. I didn't know how long the silence was going to last, and I wanted to get all the nutrition I could get before they started talking again. It was a long time until lunch, especially if I couldn’t get out of going to school.
 

Nora stood up and walked toward the sink. She looked at me and asked, "Did you study for your test? You were still playing video games when I went to bed."
 

I’m pretty sure Nora can read my mind. For about the fiftieth time, I decided to test her. Nora, there’s a spider in your hair. Nope, she rinsed her plate and glass without reacting to my thoughts. Either she can’t read my mind or else she can and knew I was testing her. In other words, I didn’t learn anything.
 

"No, but I have a plan," I said.
 

"You know Mom’s going to pull you from track if you blow another test, no matter what Dad says," Nora replied.
 

"Besides, your plans never work," Polly added.
 

Yeah, but if I stay home to rest my eyes, I can study and by tomorrow I'll feel better and be ready for the test too.
 

"And just what test are you going to blow?" Mom asked.
 

Crap, I didn't even hear the garage door open.
 

"Hi Mom," Nora said.
 

"Hello Mother," Polly said.
 

"Hey Mom. I didn't hear you come in. You look tired. Was it a hard night in the ER?" Yeah, I was babbling. Sudden panic does that to me.
 

"It’s a Trauma Center, and if you're going to suck up, you should at least call it by the right name," Polly told me—again.
 

Ignoring my older sister, I stood up and put my bowl into the sink. "Can I get you something to eat, Mom?"
 

She hit the button on the coffee maker and turned back to me. "No, I'm fine. What test?"

Here we go. One chance to get this right.
 

I sat back down and said, "I have a science test today. Not even a test really, more like a quiz. I could go, but I’m sick. My head is throbbing, and everything is so bright I have a headache. I think I have the flu again and should stay home today. I’ll probably feel better tomorrow, and I can make up the test then. Anyway, it's not that important. It's not like a midterm or final."
 

Yeah, definitely babbling.
 

"And Mother," Polly put in, "he played video games all night instead of studying,"
 

I turned and hissed at her, "Shut up Polly."
 

"Jordan McKee, you do not talk to your sister like that. It isn't your job to tell her what to do."
 

"Sorry Mom," I said. Not a great start, but maybe I can still pull it off.
 

"And Polly? Be quiet."
 

"But Mother—"
 

"Enough."
 

I think Polly stamped her foot, but without shoes on, it didn’t make any noise.
Mom put some bread into the toaster and then walked over to me. "Stand up." She felt my forehead and then she felt my neck. "Nice try kiddo, but there’s no fever and no swelling."
 

"Are you sure? I bet I have the flu again."
 

"Yes I'm sure." Then she reached up and pulled off my shades and tossed them on the counter. The kitchen lights stabbed into my eyes. She turned my head to the light so she could look at them, first blocking one eye and then the other. "And no sunglasses in the house," she said.
 

"But Mom, the light really does hurt."
 

"Okay, tell me what you see. Describe what it looks like."
 

I described the glare and told her that it was even worse than the last time I had the flu. She asked about spots and coronas radiating out from them. I was tempted to tell her that I saw them, but she’s tricked me before. This time I decided to stick to the truth.
 

"Wrong answer," Mom said. "Take two Tylenols and head out. But at least you're getting original. Remember last year when you had the bubonic plague before a math test? With all the diseases you've had, your father and I are relieved that you're still alive." Without my sunglasses, I couldn't see the look on her face, but I bet it was a grin.
 

"But Mom—"
 

"Give me a break, Jordan. If you want to stay home, you have to give me something to work with. I gave you a fifty-fifty shot at a migraine, and you blew it," she said, and I knew by the tone that I was going to school no matter what I said.
 

On mornings like this, it sucks having a mom who's a doctor. "But Mom, this time it's real." I was trying not to beg, but I was getting desperate.
 

Before she could reply, Dad banged through the kitchen. "I've got to get out to the job before the inspector gets there," he said as he emptied Mom’s coffee pot into his thermos. "No time to eat—gotta run." Dad headed for the door, and as he passed the toaster, it popped up. He grabbed Mom's toast without even slowing down.
 

With a sigh, Mom reached for the bag to get another slice of bread, and saw Nora chewing on the last crust. Then she looked at the empty coffee pot.
 

"I guess I'm not hungry after all," she muttered.  Then in a louder voice, "I'm going to bed. I trust you can get to school in your delicate condition?"
 

I think I grunted.
 

"What was that?"
 

"Okay Mom, you win. I really am sick, but I'll try."
 

"Good. It's not all I can ask for, but it's probably the most I can expect." She paused for a second and then reached out and felt my forehead again. "You're going to school no matter what you say, but how do you really feel?"
 

"I already told you. I can barely see and my head hurts."
 

She sighed again and said, "Okay, try to stick it out until after the test. But if it gets too serious, have the nurse give me a call."
 

"Okay, but it would be easier if I had a cell phone," I said.
 

Mom shook her head and said, "Nice try kid, but you know the rules. Once you’re sixteen, you get a cell phone—not before."
 

"Yeah, I know." Polly got hers last year and is already begging for an upgrade.
 

Nora and I put on our packs, and I grabbed my shades as we headed for the door. From behind us, I heard Polly call out, "Good luck on the test. You'll do fine."
 

Yeah, because you'll be totally embarrassed if I have to take summer school.
 

As soon as we were out of the kitchen, I put my sunglasses back on. I was just in time, because outside I could barely see through the glare. Even with the sunglasses, it was like a floodlight shining in my eyes.
 

Billy was waiting at the corner. "You ready for the test?" he asked as he started walking with us. "I studied all night, and I'm still not sure I know watt an ohm is."
 

Nora giggled and said, "If Jordan had studied, he would have gotten that."
 

"Gotten what?" I asked.
 

Billy's head whipped around to look at me, as he said, "You're kidding. This test is worth like a quarter of the quarter." I couldn't see the look on his face, but I had a good idea of what it was. I’d seen it whenever I do something particularly dumb.
 

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I tried, but after dinner I needed to unwind a little, so I turned on a game. Then I got stuck fighting a boss and had to level up before I could save it. By the time I started studying, it was after eleven, and then I fell asleep after a couple of pages."

​

"Nice," Billy muttered, and then in a louder voice, "At least I know not to copy off you if I get stuck."
 

"Yeah, like you would ever copy off my brother," Nora said.
 

"Gee thanks. Besides, maybe the test won't be hard," I said.
 

"Yeah right, Mr. Jamra's tests are always easy," Billy said
 

"You're right, I'm dead." I felt more than saw both of them nod their heads in agreement.
 

"I know who might be able to help you," Nora said softly, and then pointed up ahead of us. "Of course, you'd have to actually speak to her."
 

I was mostly blind and pretty much following wherever they led me, but I still knew who she was pointing at. I'd heard the same speech a hundred times, from Nora and Mom and Polly and even Billy. Yeah I knew who it was. "I'm not talking to franki. She made her choice, and I wasn't it."
 

"That was a long time ago. And besides, if you fail the test you're the one who gets grounded," Nora tried to reason with me.
 

I'm not sure what I would have said, because from out of nowhere I felt something growing and blocking me, squeezing me from all directions. I was still walking, but whatever it was, moved with me—slowing me down. It felt just like the barrier I’d fought for so long in my dream. But instead of spinning away to a new world, I planted my feet and pushed forward. I was making progress, but it was slow. It felt like I was fighting to break out of a huge balloon. Then I felt it begin to tear under my hand. I stretched the opening and worked to pull myself through the hole.