writingcamp + Fantasy Mode On

Week3: How to write the beginning?

CHAPTER 1

Green Meadows Elementary

          Jayden packed his school bag, ready to go home. It was yet another boring day for him. He could still hear Mrs Donna’s voice nagging in his head.

         It was last period of English Literature. Everyone was excited to go home. Literature was almost unbearable. Why on Earth did they need to learn some dead poets’ poem? It’s not like they were going to use any poem in their future jobs, were they? It was Jayden’s least favourite subject. He never scored well in the subject. Whenever Mrs Donna started reading a script from the literature textbook, he would hover into his dreamland. This day, it was the same as usual until the bell finally rang.

          “Jayden Lake, where is your homework for last week?”

          Oops, he did it again. Not that he had done it purposely. He was playing with his Dad’s latest gadget. A small robot that could chat with him and even followed his instructions. He could teach the robot a lot of new things as well. It was fascinating. It took him one whole morning to disassemble it and another whole afternoon to assemble it again. He brought the little AI, which he named it Abot, with him almost everywhere over the weekend and showed it off to everyone he saw in sight.

Homework was… totally not on his mind, he guessed. He stuck out his tongue and smiled guiltily at his homeroom teacher. Mrs Donna gave him the sternest look ever.

          “Make sure you hand in your work tomorrow or your parents will get to hear from me soon!”

He shuddered at Mrs Donna’s half-screamed voice. He made a mental calculation of the amount of his debt and the amount of time he needed to finish all his homework. He sighed. That would be about 28,800 seconds less time spent with Abot. Maybe if he increased his speed of writing to 20 words per minute? Well, it might or might not work. It might work because he could finish his homework faster. It might not work because his handwriting would be unintelligible, and Mrs Donna would definitely ask him to redo everything.

For now, he would just save himself from her clutches and tried to escape from her naggings first. Jayden hurried to the bus stop. Five minutes late, he would be going home on foot, and he wouldn’t want that.

He was just in time to see the last person in the queue getting up the bus. He rushed forward and hopped onto the bus. He slipped into a seat beside Aiden. Aiden was his classmate and also his neighbour.

“Hi, Aiden.”

“Hi, why are you so late?”

“Uh, don’t mention it. Mrs Donna was asking for my homework again.”

“Why don’t you ever finish your homework?”

“Not that I don’t want to. But Abot, my new friend, is so much fun!” Jayden spoke excitedly. One could see how his eyes glittered behind his thick-rimmed glasses at the mention of Abot.

“Who’s Abot? Do I know him?”

Aiden scratched his head. His eyes rolling left and right, thinking hard about who was Abot. Did he miss anything? Did they have a new classmate? Not that he knew of, he was sure of that.

“Abot! How could you not know him? My best buddy! My Dad’s latest robot. It is just about the size of my fist. It can talk with me. We can talk about so many things. Abot is so knowledgeable that I can just ask him anything, anything.”

Aiden listened with his mouth dropped wide open. What? Jayden’s best buddy was a robot now? Was he crazy or what? He felt that he should just keep quiet and not say anything about it. Well, Jayden was peculiar in his own way. And everyone in the neighbourhood knew about it. Jayden was just Jayden. Not that they could say or comment anything about it. Jayden’s Dad was a great scientist. His Mom was a teacher at a high school, nothing like Mrs Donna but a very friendly and had a sweet, smiling face.

“I just taught Abot how to send a message to my Dad last week. My Dad was thrilled. I think Abot was really awesome. I am thinking of teaching him something else this weekend.”

Jayden went on and on about his little AI robot during the whole journey back home. Aiden nodded all along without the slightest idea of what Jayden was talking about. He was just ten years old and Jayden talked like he’s a big boy. Like a high schooler? Aiden shrugged and listened to Jayden’s endless talking. He was relieved when they finally stopped at the neighbourhood bus stop.

All the kids hurried back to their respective homes. Jayden too. He missed Abot and wanted to see it as soon as possible.

“Abot! I’m back!” Jayden shouted as soon as he walked into the house.

The house was empty. Nobody was back home yet. Not Reena. Not Mom and Dad. Reena was still with her Singing Club. Mom and Dad? Of course, they were still at work. It’s not even five yet.

“Hi, Jayden. Welcome home.”

Abot was sitting nicely on Jayden’s table. Its eyes blinking with love. Jayden picked it up and gave Abot a big kiss.

“Oh, Abot! I miss you so much. School was boring today. Guess what?”

“What?”

“Mrs Donna scolded me again.” Jayden pouted his lips.

“Oh, you poor baby. So, what happened?”

“I forgot to do my homework!”

“Beep! Beep! Beep!”

Abot let out an alarming sound. Jayden was taken aback.

“Oh no! Go and do your homework now! Fast!”

Jayden gave a chuckle.

“Alright, alright. Later, Abot. I am so tired now. I want to nap for a while.”

Abot turned off itself and stayed quiet.

Jayden sighed. He had a quick meal in the kitchen. Some leftover lasagna with mushroom soup. He had a quick shower and threw himself onto his comfy bed. He closed his eyes and soon he was deep in slumber.

“Wake up, Jayden. Wake up, Jayden.”

Abot was talking again.

Jayden flickered his heavy lids. When he saw his Dad, he jumped up and hugged him.

“Dad, you’re back!”

Mr Lake hugged and patted Jayden.

“How’s your day, kid?”

Jayden pouted his lips and shook his head.

“A bad day, huh?”

Jayden stole a look at his Dad and gave a quick nod.

“Come on, kid. Let’s have dinner. Mom has cooked your favourite dish.”

Jayden smiled widely and jumped out of his bed.

“Mom,” Jayden called out as he hugged his Mom.

Mrs Lake turned around and kissed Jayden’s cheek.

“Where’s Reena?” Jayden looked around for his big sister.

“Oh, don’t worry about her. She’ll be late today. She’s having practice with her friends at school.”

Mom put down the plates and quickly set the table. Jayden was eyeing at his favourite dish, Mom’s specialty, cheese baked fish with lots of mozzarella on it. Mr and Mrs Lake smiled at each other. Their little son was indeed a cutie pie.

Reena came back home way past dinner time. She looked exhausted after a whole day at school.

“Reena!” Jayden was excited to see his sister back home.

“Oh, no…Jayden, don’t talk to me now. I am terribly tired,” she snapped angrily and dumped her school bag aside.

“Alright, Reena…Good night,” Jayden was a little disappointed. But he knew that his sister was tired practising for her Talent’s Nite.

Reena waved him off. Jayden went back to his own room.

“What now, Abot? I’m kinda bored,” Jayden complained to his little AI.

“Do your homework now.”

“Ouch, I almost forgot about it. Thanks, Abot!”

Jayden quickly took out what was supposedly to be his Literature homework. He stuck his pencil behind his ears, thinking hard of what to write for a poem. A few moments later, he surrendered and called out to Abot.

“It’s hard, Abot. I can’t write anything!”

The sound of distress was clear in Jayden’s voice. Abot came to his rescue. His robotic voice recited a poem. Jayden laughed. It was nothing like Mrs Donna’s full-of-enthusiasm voice when reciting a poem. However, thanks to Abot, he finally managed to write a poem to be handed in tomorrow. There’s another homework and another homework. After what seemed like endless hours, Jayden finally got into his bed.

The sound of his Mom woke him the next day.

“Jayden, come down and have your breakfast.”

Mrs Lake patted his sleepy face. He rubbed his eyes and lazily got up. Mr Lake was already waiting at the table when they got down.

“Reena has gone to school. She will be busy as well today.”

Jayden quickly sat down and bit into his toast.

“I don’t think she minds being busy. She likes singing after all,” Mr Lake said.

Jayden nodded his head while his mouth was busy munching on the bread.

“Mmmshue coming-umm mack lap nyum-tonight?”

“Yeah, she is coming back late. She has practice. Talent’s Nite will be next week.”

“Come on, Jayden. Go and get ready. The bus will be coming anytime now.”

Jayden gasped in a shock, realising that it was already quite late. He quickly changed his clothes. He grabbed his school bag and rushed to the bus stop.

The bus was coming in the sight. He quickly got into the line. Another long day at school, he guessed. He hoped that Mrs Donna would not be too difficult today. He scratched his head as he gave the thought a deep thinking.

Science was his favourite subject. He enjoyed experimenting with various apparatus and mixing stuffs and sorts. Literature and Language were never his subjects. He could solve any elementary maths easily. He could think of what to do for the next science projects easily. But never with Literature and Language. Those were t*****e for him.

1.00 pm. Lunch time.

“Gosh! I forgot to bring my lunch pack,” Jayden stared in horror at his school bag.

Aiden settled down beside him and said, “Come, Jayden. Have some of mine.”

“Thanks a lot, buddy,” Jayden said gratefully.

He sat down and ate together with Aiden. Aiden was a sweet and considerate one, he was. They had both been in the same class as forever.

“So, whatcha doing next week?” Aiden asked as he scooped a mouthful of salad.

“Well, nothing, I guess. Maybe a little exploring here and there,” Jayden shrugged carelessly.

“Come over to my house. We can play video games. Dad says we can play during the holidays.”

A sudden revelation hit upon Jayden. Yeah! It’s holiday next week! How could he have forgotten about that? He could have lots of time teaching Abot new things and also brought him along for some exploring. His mood lifted as he thought about the holiday plans.

When he reached home in the evening, He was surprised to find Reena at home.

“Reena! I thought you will be late?”

“I thought so myself. Mom and Dad need to go away for a few days. They asked me to come back earlier for you.

“What? They had gone? Where?”

Jayden tried to recall anything his parents had said. No, they didn’t mention anything about going anywhere this morning before he left for school.

“Something happened at the lab. Dad needs Mom’s assistance, so he brought her along to the lab. They will be there for maybe a week or so. I can’t remember. Dad was in such a rush. Just stay out of trouble, will you? I will be busy practising these few days.”

Jayden kept quiet. Another boring week, he guessed. Luckily, Dad gave him Abot, the best companion in the world. He would survive, well, with Abot. Yeah. Sure he would.