Before the fractured mirror, Keon Laikin readjusted the strap of his black and crimson backpack. “Today’s a good day,” muttering to himself. “We’ll have a good day. I got this.”
Keon had lived almost his whole life on Earth. Then, in 2045, the planet’s core crumbled, causing huge earthquakes that cracked the tectonic plates. Over 70% of Earth’s surface was destroyed by the quakes, tsunamis and volcanoes.
As things were about to fall apart, a big tech firm invited Keon’s family to Mars, offering them a safe place until he turned 25. Since then, they lived in a Mars dome, all bio-engineered for survival.
As cool as it was to live on Mars, Keon missed his true home on Earth.
Keon and Ivory made it to school just before the second bell. Keon adjusted his backpack strap once more while getting out of the car. Ivory, playful as always, kicked him out the door, speeding up the exiting process.
“Thanks for the ride, Mrs. Laikin!” he shouted, slamming it shut.
The two boys disappeared into the sea of unique students. Some were lifelike androids drinking hot oil coffee. Around the corner was a pack of devious diva wolves styling their hair under a tall space alien tree. Near the back gates were the legendary Glob-Glob Blob Blobbers, blogging about their day and sending holographic emojis to their trending followers.
“I don’t think I can do this,” Keon admitted.
“Sure you can,” Ivory said with a wide grin. “It’s not as scary as you think. Just be yourself. We’re on Mars—true historians and reps from Earth. Don’t make us look bad.”
Keon gulped, almost choking on his dirt-flavored gum. “What if they don’t like the real me? What if they think my stuff is dumb?”
Ivory slapped Keon in the back of his head, causing Keon to choke on his new piece of gum. “People thought Tim Berners-Lee was stupid for boosting TCP/IP. Now look at us!” Ivory explained.
“Thanks to him, we’ve got the World Wide Web. It’s just a matter of time before you build that intergalactic web, connecting us with millions of aliens across the Milky Way! Do you think that’s dumb?”
"Nah, I don't think so," Keon said. The boys smiled at each other, then raced to class. "Last one there is a rotten space egg!"
The first class they had was a science lecture, and it was jam-packed with students from all over the galaxy. The subject of discussion pertained to the most recent advancements in galactic technology.
When Professor Harok Sr. asked for volunteers to present their ideas, Keon froze. After a long pause, Professor Harok Sr. finally called on him.
Keon’s sweatshirt clung to him like the Amazon Rainforest back on Earth. His feet felt like bricks as he forced himself to stand.
“I don’t have all day, Mr. Laikin,” said the professor.
“I, uh…” Keon stammered. “My cousin and I worked really hard these last few weeks on energy-preserving gloves for me. Ever since our visit to Planet Nexiotis-1432X, my energy’s been off. It’s been hard to control, especially during the fight with the Almighty Lizard King.”
The class burst into laughter. Nobody believed him. Keon wished he could disappear into the floor.
“That’s enough, Keon,” said Professor Harok Sr. “Please go sit down. Thank you for sharing.”
“No, wait,” Keon said, panicking. “I wasn’t finished. These gloves are powerful. My cousin has natural spiritual energy that keeps him a—”
“Thank you, Keon,” the professor interrupted. “If I have to say it again, you’ll be removed from this lecture.”
“Yes, sir,” Keon muttered, sliding back into his cracked seat.
The boys were hoping for a smoother break after class. Honestly, it wasn't smooth at all. Some students threw paper balls from behind the stone columns. One bounced off Ivory's shoulder. Another one skimmed the back of Keon's head, hitting his glove on the way down.
Poor Keon's heart sank like a faulty shuttle engine. "They hate me," he muttered. Ivory watched Keon drop onto the nearest bench, next to a dirty trash bin.
"Meh," Ivory began, "I think you did okay. Sometimes it's okay to pay attention to your surroundings before telling everyone everything about you."
Keon looked up at Ivory. "How are you so calm about this?"
Ivory shrugged. "I dunno," he said, smiling from ear to ear. "My daddy always told me to keep some skeletons in the closet."
Keon raised an eyebrow. "Skeletons? Doesn't that sound creepy to you?"
"I don't know," said Ivory, "but my pops is never wrong. He'd always say that whenever I played Fortnite with Bai and Faith on the weekends. Sometimes he would tell all of us to mute our mics when we're playing with random players on the squad. One time this guy asked me for my coordinates."
"Interesting," said Keon. "What did you do? Knowing you, you'd probably gave it to him without thinking."
Ivory laughed while playfully pushing Keon over. "Of course not! I told him I lived on Jupiter with my pet jellyfish, Ronaldo."
Keon moved over for Ivory to sit next to him. Both boys watched the sea of students pass them by. Ivory yawned and watched the cotton white clouds float peacefully above their heads.
"Look," Ivory continued, "maybe some folks just aren't ready to hear the real you. It doesn't mean the real you is wrong. We just need to be very careful with who we share our lives and experiences with. You don't know who's watching you closely...or a little too closely."
Keon nudged a pebble loose with the toe of his limited edition GhostGawd hover boots. The wind brushed across his cheek, caressing his innocence carefully.
"Yeah," he said, "sharing who you are is important, but giving away all my power-ups so soon just isn't wise to do."
The break bell rang and everyone in the courtyard rushed inside. Ivory stood up, stretching his arms and legs. Looking at Keon, he noticed his shoes and asked for a pair.
"Oh, these things? Don't you remember Uncle Iann bought us these last year? I thought you were going to wear your pair today." Keon said.
"Bai took my pair," cringed Ivory. "I didn't know her doggone feet would be so huge! Anyway, let's get to class before we're late. And remember, keep some stuff to yourself, man."
Keon smiled, "Noted!"
Real-Life Power Up: Sharing vs. Oversharing
Sometimes, we get excited to share who we are with others. Honestly, that's great! It's a good thing to get that excited to express who you are, from our ideas, to cool stories and random things that make us different. However, just like Keon, not everyone will understand or appreciate what makes you special right away.
Being vulnerable is a brave thing. It means you're willing to open yr heart and trust with someone special, like family and friends. But for safety, don't be so quick to give away all your power-ups. Find your safe spaces and always keep your core power protected.
Parents, talk to your child about how to spot trustworthy people. Show these kids how to listen to their gut and know when it's okay to speak up or step back. Vulnerability is powerful, but safety always comes first.
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