The X-Men meets Stranger Things in this coming-of-age tale.
I, Nadine Jackson, believe in science and opportunities, not stories out of a comic book.
So as part of a school project, my friends Imogen 'Aria' Zhang, Marco Martinez, James Ryder and I...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Five weeks earlier...
They say Manhattan is a busy city.
Vibrant colors, populated areas, and blinding rays of sunlight lure hardworking citizens-young and old-to new beginnings.
Most kids and adults head off to school, while others, like Mom, would spend hours in a fancy accountant job, earning nothing but measly paychecks.
After spending another year in Iraq, my mom has decided to leave the military for good, work one more month as an accountant, then apply for a TSA occupation in the JFK Airport.
But so far, the process has been slow.
Mom took and passed several exams, done her paperwork, and dressed up for her interview.
However, the hardest part was she hasn't heard anything back from her new supervisors.
My dad, on the other hand, works in a fancy restaurant. Flipping fried chicken, cutting vegetables, stirring broth, and sprinkling dessert toppings are his specialty.
I remember when I was little, Dad and I would make triple chocolate pancakes with chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and Hershey's chocolate syrup.
Nowadays, since Dad is too busy feeding rich customers at his job, I made myself a soggy bowl of cereal, dry pieces of toast, or even partially burnt scrambled eggs.
Okay, I admit that I am not a great chef, but hey, a girl has to try sometimes.
Hearing the eggs frying in a pan, Mom shouted: "Wake up, míja!"
Since 5 o'clock in the morning, I stayed up to read a hard copy of The Sun Is Also A Star.
Although this is my fifth time reading the book, and I clearly enjoyed it: I loved Natasha Kingsley's scientific mind, facts about the universe, and her chemistry with Daniel Bae.
Leaning my back against my blue canopy bed, I try to absorb the ink black words on the blank pages.
But unfortunately for me, my mom is making it impossible.
"Nadine! WAKE UP!" she yelled.
Groaning, I respond, "Cinco minutos, por favor!" then resumed to my book.
Downstairs, I could smell the greasy bacon aroma and the constant flickering of channels.
Eyelids drooped over my pupils, urging me to go to sleep.
But due to the fact that it's Monday, Dad thought it was a great idea to shout: "Jesus Christ, Nadine! WAKE UP!" through my closed door.
"Ugh!" I grunted. "Okay, fine!"
God, I haven't slept a wink, and yet they are telling me to get my ass out of bed?
