The Journal of a Teen in 2054

Entry 107: I Chased A Goat

Are you guys seriously making me go through with this? I've already written 106 entries, how much more do you need to know? 

I get it that your trying to take up a survey of all the teens in the United States to make sure our future generation is doing great but guess what? The future generation has better things to do than sit around journaling 200 things in their lives!!!

But fine. If your going to keep making me doing this then I will. Maybe when you read the notebooks you'll actually realize that the 13-17 year olds of the year 2054 were not good enough for you. 

Today when I was about to leave for school I accidentally let Milk out of her cage. And no I'm not stupid! I know that milk is a drink! I'm not talking about that! I'm talking about my family's goat, Milk.

Yeah. My family has a goat. IS THIS HELPING YOU SEE HOW BORING MY LIFE IS???

Anyways I'm pretty sure that Milk hates us. She's always trying to get out of her pen, and so we always have to be super careful when we go in there to clean. 

Which by the way it is NOT FUN to clean up Milk's cage. 

So I let her out accidentally. Or maybe it wasn't an accident and I was just trying to get out of school BUT EITHER WAY... I regret doing it. 

Milk ran down the hill and into the village. 

Here's a good lesson to you people reading this notebook that I'm sure are too rich to own a farm, but maybe you should know anyways. I mean, that's what this whole thing is about, right? You guys are learning lessons from the leaders of our futures? Insert jazz hands here. 

NEVER LET A GOAT GO INTO A CITY UNSUPERVISED. 

It sounds stupid right? 

WRONG! 

Besides, you aren't in a place to judge because I'm sure you don't have a goat. 

Anyways, follow that rule and your life will be perfect! 

Or maybe not. 

I wouldn't know though, I'll never have a perfect life and it's ALL MILK'S FAULT.

So I was chasing Milk through the village trying not to get run over by carts, but honestly (no offense to Milk... or plenty of offense I don't care) hoping that Milk would get run over so I wouldn't have to chase her any more. 

Not dead just... temporarily paralyzed. 

But it didn't happen. Milk ran into a house with an old lady sitting on the porch. I mumbled a quick apology and then dashed inside to try to get Milk. Maybe she was cornered now. 

When I came inside I realized that this house had a bunch of old ladies in it, with one young caretaker. 

Who was now currently trying to get Milk out of the house. 

Suddenly the a person walked in the door behind me. They were dressed in all black, and had a hood over their face, so I couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl. 

But assuming from the way they walked, I assumed it was a boy. 

He walked over to Milk and reached his hand out to pet her. 

"Get away from her!" I cried. 

Yes, I did have a heart for Milk as much as I hate to admit it. 

What? It's only because she provides milk we can sell to people. Did you really think I liked her as a... pet? Because... no! Your crazy if you think I do... heh...

Milk sniffed the man's hand, and was immediately settled. 

He walked over to me and took off his hood. 

He looked like he was only a year or two older than me... and his eyes were... 

HA! Like I'm going to tell you any of that! 

If you really thought that one of us teens were going to write all about the people we have crushes on in these notebooks, you were wrong. I'm not giving that information to some random stranger. 

He picked up Milk and we walked back to the farm, neither of us speaking the whole time. 

But when he let Milk down and put her back in her pen, he handed me a slip of paper. The words on it were

Noa Skye - 273 Bakers Ave 

I guess he must have liked me too. 

I blushed, but it's not like he could have seen me, because he was already long gone by now. 

You government people reading this are 107 entries in! Are you seriously making me write more? Ok, if you really want to know more about Goats and Teenage Love, then go ahead. Have fun reading about the boring lives of a Teenager in 2054

Entry 123: I was not Prepared

I hope you enjoyed my entry about how my Goldfish fell in the toilet. I'm sure you just needed to know that information or else the world would end. 

Oh by the way, did I not mention... if your getting annoyed at my sarcasm, you know you can stop reading right? 

Still not stopping, huh? Ok fine! 

Today was my 9th grade graduation. AND NO I'm not going to get to go to University because my family owns a farm and that doesn't provide enough money to follow any of my dreams. 

Tonight all the graduates are going to the City Park and having this big party. But it's mainly for the people going to University. I'm just invited because they didn't want my parents to get mad at them for not inviting me. 

Kind of like that old story about Sleeping Beauty. That would have happened if I wasn't invited. 

So that's where I'm going right now. Walking to the party. I have my mobile because my parents wouldn't let me go without being able to communicate with them the WHOLE time... 

And a book. Because I know that I'm not friends with anyone in my graduating class, and the one person I do know went missing last week. They found her and now she's grounded for life so...

I got at the party and looked around, even though like I just said, I'm not friends with anyone in my class. I walked over to the fountain and started eating the sliced cake and just sitting there, reading my book, and texting my parents. 

I did more of the latter, because they wouldn't STOP TEXTING ME!!!

Oh, and people reading this? Don't think I'm done with my sarcasm with you yet... I'm still mad that your making me write these entries. So don't think you've finally controlled me.

Then, once my parents finally said they were going to stop texting me, our teacher stood up on the TABLE and clinked his glass against his fork. 

"It's now time for the speeches!" he called. 

I almost spit the water out of my mouth. 

SPEECHES? 

I was totally unprepared for this. 

I just sat there for 30 minutes trying to come up with a speech while the other students said theirs. 

Then my name was called.

I walked up to the stage and opened my mouth. 

"Um... thanks to my friends and my teachers and my pets, including my goldfish that died last week, oh can my speech be about that? So the other day-" 

My teacher cleared his throat. 

"Oh... sorry. Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...." 

Someone cleared their throat again. But it wasn't my teacher. 

It was Noa. 

You know that I saw him a couple of months ago, when I went to visit him after he helped me with Milk. 

I haven't seen him since then, though. 

He gestured to himself and smiled. I got what he was trying to tell me. 

Act like your just talking to me. 

When I went to his house that time, I was able to talk to him, it just came so naturally. 

"I just wanted to wish luck to the students going to university," I started, the words coming smoothly. "I'm so sad that I won't be able to go, but for the people that do go, good luck, have fun, and... stay true to yourselves. Just because you can't do something, doesn't mean you have to give up on everything," I said saying the last part mainly to myself. 

I was so unprepared for that party. Noa helped though, but before I could thank him he had disappeared again. 

Maybe it will always be like that between us...

I got home as quickly as I could after the party ended and collapsed on my bed. 

Just because I couldn't go to University doesn't mean I have to give up on everything. Noa can't go to University, but he's still... well, I don't know what he's doing? 

He talked to me about what he likes to do in his freetime, but I don't know what he plans to do in his future? 

Maybe you would know because you decided to pass the law where the teens had to write 200 entries and submit it once they finish! So maybe you would know after reading his! 

That's all for know. I wish I could say see you never, but I still have over 70 of these to write. 

Entry 192: I Talked to a Mirror

I'm almost done in this stupid notebook! Just this one and then 7 left! 

NEVER quote me on this, but this actually might not be that bad.

NOPE! You never heard me say that! Sorry people. I'm never going to admit I said that. I'll claim it was mind control. 

But I need to turn my notebook in by tomorrow, because I'm going to West US to University! 

Now that Noa has me enrolled, I started packing. 

It's crazy that I'm going. I mean just a few months ago at the party I thought it never would have happened, but I didn't give up on my dreams and I'm so thankful that Noa has been working for the money for ME to go to University! 

Which reminds me, I need to thank him. I'll tell him tomorrow morning before my flight leaves. 

I walk to my bathroom to get my toiletries and stop in the mirror. 

Just a month ago I was a farmer's daughter and now I'm going to University! 

I looked at myself and suddenly thought that I might not be able to do this. 

And that's when I started talking to myself. 

Not like the stupid kind of talking to myself, like "Oh hey there, do you have a boyfriend? Hey you copied me, that's what I just said!" 

NO! I've totally NEVER done THAT before. Heh...

No, I looked at myself and said, "You got this. You deserve it. You are loved," and I just repeated it over and over and over again. 

And it worked. 

And I was ready for University. 

Entry 200: He Walked into the Sunshine

Ok! Here it is, people. My last entry. 

I woke up at 4:30 in the morning to get ready for my flight. 

I'm so tired, so if I seem extra grumpy in this entry, well... 

I'm sorry. 

Noa said he'd say bye to me at the airport so I decided to get their extra early so I could talk to him there. 

I never expected what would happen when I got there. 

I checked in and got my ticket and sat in a seat waiting for him until he finally came and sat next to me. 

"Hey," I said. 

He smiled at me, but didn't say anything. Instead he took my hand and pulled me towards the elevators. 

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Shhh," he said. "We're not supposed to be going here, but I pulled a few strings," he says, smiling. 

When the elevator stopped, it opened up to the roof of the airport. We stepped out and walked over to the edge. 

"Your not going to jump off, are you?" I asked, cautiously.

Noa laughs. "No. Just sit," he says. 

I sit down next to him, our legs dangling off the roof. 

"So," he said. 

"So..."

"Your actually going to University," he said, laughing. 

"Yeah. I guess I am," I answered back, softly.

"Keep in touch?" he asked.

"Of course," I said. 

We watched the sun rise over the mountains in the distance. 

The sun was bigger than I had ever seen it, and the sky was filled with pinks, purples, and blues. 

"It's beautiful," I said, looking at the sunset.

"I know," Noa replied, but just looking at me. "I love it," he said. I don't think he was just talking about the sunset though. 

Then he leaned towards me and kissed me on my cheek. 

Me being me, I blushed. DON'T MAKE FUN!!!

Then he stood up and said goodbye. 

I could barely see him, just his silhouette against the sun. 

"Goodbye," I replied. 

Then he turned around and I turned around and went downstairs and left on my flight.

And now I'm at the University and getting ready to turn my notebook in. 

Maybe this was a good thing after all. 

Thanks random government people. 

I watch the sunset every morning and remember Noa, waiting til I can see him again, and maybe he won't run away next time into the sunshine.