Root clutched the tall rocket to her chest, feeling her backpack's straps slide down her shoulders. She'd been carrying her project around all morning, trying to get it to Earth/Space in one piece. Mr. Ingram had told her that she needed to prove her dedication before he'd let her join the Science Bowl team.

Root squatted awkwardly, her knees sticking out, and put the rocket's fins on the floor. It was almost as tall as she was and Root thought that Mr. Ingram would be impressed. She'd spent all weekend on it and it would launch if she lit the fuse. She pulled her straps back onto her shoulders and wiped her forehead.

They were just over a month into the school year and Root was already ready for high school to be over. Bishop was such a small town that everyone in her freshman class knew her from middle school. There was no escape for Samantha Grove, not that anyone called her that. It was usually "Nerd" or "Loser."

Root was determined to be the best in her classes, despite her outcast status. She didn't need friends to be successful. Unfortunately, she was only second in her class at the moment. Principal McCarthy wouldn't tell her who was at the top. She was probably nervous that Root would force them to do poorly.

Root sighed and picked her rocket up, her long arms wrapping around the cool metal tube. Principal McCarthy was always trying to limit her. She started towards her class again. This was the tricky part of her walk.

Every day, between 2nd and 3rd period, she crossed paths with Sameen Shaw. Sameen had only moved to town recently, but she seemed fully committed to making Root's life a living hell. Ever since Root had made the mistake of smiling at her on the first day of school, Sameen had been nothing but mean to her.

Root looked down the hall, groaning when she saw Sameen and her brother, John, coming towards her. She held the rocket closer and stared straight ahead. Maybe if she ignored Sameen, Root could walk away with her rocket intact.

As they passed, Root couldn't stop herself from glancing over. Sameen was eyeing the rocket, her face unreadable. She stopped next to Root, reaching a hand out to touch, but Root jerked away.

Sameen's eyes snapped to Root's face and she scowled. She jumped forward and Root stumbled backwards, surprised. She managed to keep hold of her rocket and glared at Sameen until she smirked and turned away. Watching as she jogged to catch up with John, Root rolled her eyes.

She didn't have time for this. Sameen needed to grow up. Root was too focused on her future to worry about losers like her. Root was going to be a scientist, invent the first AI, and join NASA.

Root hurried into class and set her rocket next to Mr. Ingram's desk. He took his glass off, looking impressed.

"Wow," he said, appraisingly, "This looks great. Is it functional?"

"Yes." Root grinned, tucking her thumbs into the straps of her backpack. "Fully functional. I think it could even go a mile up!"

"Amazing, Miss Groves." Nathan smiled at her. "I'll tell you what. We're having a club meeting on Friday. Why don't you sit in?"

"Sure!"

He held his hand up. "I can't promise anything, but if the club votes yes, you can sit in on our meetings. Only juniors and seniors can compete, you know that, but there's nothing against a freshman sitting in."

Root nodded enthusiastically, her blonde hair bouncing against her shoulders. "I'll be there!"

Root turned to walk to her desk, ignoring the looks on her classmates' faces. She was not going to let anyone ruin her good mood.

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Root glanced over at Sameen, nervously. Luckily, they were on the same volleyball team this period. Root wasn't very athletic, but she could hold her own in PE class. Unless she was against Sameen. Sameen was an athletic prodigy. An athletic prodigy who wouldn't stop looking at Root.

Sameen glanced over her shoulder and Root looked away quickly. She wouldn't put it past her to sabotage the game just to hurt Root. Sameen turned her attention back on the other team. Sighing, Root smiled, grateful to survive another encounter.

"You good, Root?" Joss asked her from her position as middle blocker. She was always team leader and she always let Root take the outside position, as far from the action as possible.

"Yeah, thanks." Root smiled at her and faced forward, glaring at Sameen's back.

"Alright. Just try and stay back. We'll protect you."

Root looked across her as Zoe gave her a thumbs-up from Joss' other side.

Root laughed and gave her a thumbs-up back. She wasn't really close to Zoe and Joss, they were a year ahead of her, but they were always nice. They'd even invited her to a party once, but she had turned them down. There'd been a comet passing over that night and she needed the time to set up her telescope.

Zoe spiked the ball.

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Root rested her arms on her open book. She was so glad the day was almost over. Unfortunately, she had English last period and The Count of Monte Cristo was not thrilling enough to hold her attention. Root felt her eyes droop and stifled a yawn.

Mrs. Hendricks was a nice teacher. Not great at keeping everyone in line, but she cared about what they were reading and always tried to be nice. She was married to Mr. Finch, the math teacher. Root liked that she'd kept her own last name.

Root sat back in her chair and yawned again. She glanced at the clock. Only 15 minutes left and then she could leave. She had to run to the store on her way home and restock her food supplies. Her mom had actually come home yesterday and Root had managed to steal 30 bucks.

Mrs. Hendricks turned to face the class. "Wait and Hope. That's the author's message. Thoughts? Anyone agree or disagree?"

Mrs. Hendricks smiled over the classroom. Root dropped her eyes to her lap, hoping she wouldn't get called on to answer. She hadn't bothered to finish reading the book.

"Sameen? How about you?" Mrs. Hendricks said.

Root glanced across the room to look at Sameen. She giggled at Sameen's face. She obviously hadn't expected to be called on.

"Oh, uh," Sameen looked down at her empty desk and shrugged. "I think…that waiting and hoping is stupid and everyone should go after what they want."

Mrs. Hendricks' smile faltered, but she recovered. "Ok, well, that's a good attitude to have. Personally, I'm still waiting and hoping that you will actually read the books I assign, but oh well."

The class laughed as Sameen glowered, busted. Root rolled her eyes and closed her book, very glad that she hadn't been chosen to speak. Sameen's answer was vague, but Root wasn't sure she'd have been able to say anything at all.

She pulled her bag into her lap and started packing her things away. The room grew louder as everyone followed suit, ignoring Mrs. Hendricks' protests.

"You can go," Mrs. Hendricks sighed. "Remember, our test is tomorrow. We're starting the Odyssey next, so bring your textbooks!"

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Root slowed her bike in front of the Stop and Shop and put her foot down. This was the only grocery store in town. You could buy food at the Dollar General, but Root didn't count that.

She lifted her leg over the seat and walked it to the rack, sliding it between the rusting poles. She didn't bother locking it, just unbuckled her helmet and hung it from the handlebar. She squinted up at the sky as she walked into the store. It looked like it was going to rain.

"Hello, Will," Root said, waving as she grabbed a basket, "busy day?"

"Same old, same old," he sighed, from his place behind the cash register. "You?"

"The usual," Root shrugged. She turned away and headed into the aisles.

Will was Mr. Ingram's son and one of 3 employees at the Stop and Shop. He was usually at the register when Root came after school. He never judged her for only buying non-perishables. Everyone knew that Root's mother was a drunk and that Root basically cared for herself.

Root wandered down the breakfast aisle, looking at the bars. Maybe she'd mix it up this time and buy a new flavor. She shook her head and slid the apple bars into her basket. She couldn't risk buying a flavor she wasn't going to like and having to eat them for the next week.

One day, she was going to eat warm meals. She could learn to cook and put on some weight. Her growth spurts had left her skinny and gawky. She continued down the aisle to the cereal section. She'd gotten Honey Nut Cheerios last time, so maybe she'd get Frosted Flakes this time.

If she ate real food, she'd grow boobs. She could eat better and actually gain some muscle. There wasn't anything she could do about eating better right now, but maybe she could find some good workout videos. Maybe she'd make a buff friend and they'd help her fill out. Someone bumped into her.

"Oh, sorry," Root said, turning around. She frowned when she saw who it was.

Sameen scowled at her, stepping away.

"Hello, Sam!" John's mom said, walking up to them. "How are you? How's your mom?"

"I'm well, Mrs. Reese, thank you." Root said, smiling politely, while keeping an eye on Shaw. "My mom is good, too."

Mrs. Reese nodded knowingly. "Let me know if you need anything, ok?"

Root flushed. "Of course. Thank you."

Mrs. Reese smiled again and kept walking down the aisle. Sameen frowned at her back and then turned to Root, opening her mouth.

"Don't," Root muttered, embarrassed. "Just…don't."

Sameen hesitated, but nodded. She stood there for another second, her dark clothes making her look out of place in the brightly colored store. Finally, she turned and followed Mrs. Reese to the next aisle.

Root watched her go and frowned. She could never figure out what Sameen was thinking. Sometimes, she seemed deep in thought despite her blank face. Usually, she just seemed angry at everything. Root grabbed the Honey Nut Cheerios off the shelf and dumped them into her basket.

She spent another 20 minutes in the store, buying her usual items. Everything she got had to fit under her bed and last her for at least two weeks. She never knew when her mother would be home and asleep long enough to steal some money from her purse.

Root thought again about hacking into her mom's bank account and ordering a debit card in her name. That way Root would always have access to money. The only downside was that it was easier for her mother to find out she was stealing money and Root had a feeling her mom dealt mostly in cash anyway.

Root stepped out into the warm air and glanced at the sky again. It had grown darker since she'd started shopping and the air had started to smell like rain. She hurried to her bike and put her groceries into the basket. She could probably make it home before the storm started.

Root set off towards her house as fast as she could. She lived just on the edge of town, almost a 45 minute bike ride.

She thought back to when she'd first met Sameen. She'd been excited to have someone new come into town. Root had been surrounded by the same 3,000 people her entire life, so when school had started and Root heard there was a new girl, she was thrilled.

She'd been hoping that the new girl would be like her, smart and ambitious. If she was honest, Root had wished the girl would be teased, too, so they would be automatic friends.

Sameen, however, was not someone that got teased. Root remembered when Lambert had yanked on her ponytail during lunch that first day. Sameen had jumped to her feet and punched him in the face. No one had teased her after that.

Rationally, Root understood that Sameen had to be mean to her to avoid unnecessary attention. If she'd been nice to Root, she would have become a target herself. Still, Root would have liked a friend. Especially a friend that could literally protect her from anything.

Root made it home just as the sky opened up. She carried her bike into the house, leaning it against the stairwell, and took her backpack and food upstairs to her room. She took her helmet off as she pushed her door open. The house was silent, letting her know her mother wasn't home.

She shut her door, locking it and sliding the chain into place. About a year ago, her mother had drunkenly brought some guy home and tried to sleep with him in Root's room. She'd added the chain after that.

Root threw her bags onto her bed and pulled out her laptop. She should probably study for her English test tomorrow. Root laughed to herself as she put her laptop on her desk. She wasn't going to study. She had to finish cracking the NASA website.

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Root strolled into Earth/Space and groaned. Sameen was sitting next to Root's assigned seat, tapping her pencil on the table. Root approached her with caution.

Sameen wasn't even supposed to be in this class. She had science 2nd period; that's why she was always in the perfect spot to antagonize Root between classes. Root stopped next to her table and slid her backpack off her shoulders, dropping it to the floor.

"Did you forget to leave when the bell rang?" Root joked, sitting on her stool. She waited for Sameen to say something, but she just stared blankly. "Or not."

The bell rang and Mr. Ingram spoke from the front of the classroom. "Class, just so you know, Sameen will be join us for 3rd period. There was an…altercation during 2nd period and we all decided this was for the best."

Root peeked at Sameen from the corner of her eyes. Sameen was glaring at Mr. Ingram. Root took in Sameen's scrapped cheek and tried not to picture how the other kid in this…altercation looked.

"I'm going to pass out a study guide for Monday's exam. You and your partner should work together to fill it out. There's 200 questions so you'll have all of today and tomorrow to fill it out."

Root watched Mr. Ingram walk around the class passing out the worksheet. She took it from him when he came down the aisle. A quick glance showed her that it would only actually take one class period to fill out. That's fine, Root thought, she could work on something else tomorrow.

Root reached down to pull her pencil case out of her backpack. The dayglow aliens shimmered under the fluorescents. She pulled a pencil out and slid the packet closer, but hesitated. She looked at Shaw.

"Are you going to help me?"

Shaw just stared at the table, her hands clasped in her lap. Root noticed her bruised knuckles and sighed loudly. It was probably easier this way with no one to argue over answers. Besides, Root was always right.

The next 15 minutes passed in silence, Root working on the questions and Shaw staring at nothing next to her. Root stared at question 23. Name Jupiter's 8 Regular Satellites. Root had written down 6, but couldn't remember the other two.

"Fuck," she muttered, "Io, Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, Metis, Thebe and…" She held out her hands, ticking down fingers as she named the moons. "Io, Callisto, Europe, Ganymede, Metis, Thebe…"

A hand entered her vision and dragged the packet away. Root looked at Sameen, surprised. Sameen plucked the pencil from Root's hand and filled in the last two blanks. She tossed the pencil over and slid the paper back to Root. Root eyed her for a moment longer before glancing down at the answer.

"Adrastea and Amalthea," Root read. She smiled at Sameen. "Thanks, I always forget those two."

Sameen nodded and resumed staring at the table. Root looked at Sameen's handwriting. It was not what she expected. Looking at Sameen, she'd thought she'd have an illegible scrawl, quick and dirty, but Sameen's actual handwriting was impeccable, perfectly level and evenly spaced.

"You have nice handwriting," Root commented. "Mine's a mess."

Sameen just shrugged. Root rolled her eyes and turned her focus back to the work. This was going to be a long year.

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Root glanced at her watch and shoved the last Oreo into her mouth, shutting her laptop. It was time to head for her favorite stargazing spot. She glanced at her window at the setting sun. If she left now, she'd get there just before the meteor shower was supposed to start. Root pushed herself away from the desk, moving to her bed.

She'd already tied her blanket and telescope to the back of her bike, so she slid her laptop into her bag, grabbed her HAM Radio, and headed downstairs.

When she got to the bottom step, she heard a loud snore and froze. Her mother was home. Luckily, she was already passed out. Root listened closely to her mother's snoring. She was in the living room, probably face down on the couch like usual.

Root tip-toed across the house, sneaking to the front door. She stopped by her mother's purse, spilled open on the small table in the hallway, and pulled the cigarette stained wallet out. There was almost $200. Root took $60 and put the wallet back as quietly as possible. She hurried out the door.

Root breathed a sigh of relief and hopped off the front porch, grabbing her bike. Tossing her bag into the front basket, she tuned the radio to KLove, the only non-Christian music station they got, and headed north.

Breathing in the warm night air, she pedaled happily. It was early September and still warm at night. Root figured it'd still be a month or so before it would drop below 70. Winter was Root's favorite time of year because she got to wear her favorite sweaters. She also got to see Orion, the hunter, her favorite constellation.

Root picked up speed as the radio host announced the hour. She was about halfway to her usual spot. Reaching out, she turned her clip light on, the sky almost black.

Root had built her radio herself. This was her latest model and it had the furthest range yet. It could pick up stations from Corpus Christi, even on cloudy nights. There was one station that played space noise. Root turned it on when she was having trouble sleeping.

She really enjoyed tinkering and was in the middle of building a computer. She still needed a few parts, and the detail work was still tricky, but she knew she'd get there. Root was very good with technology.

When she got to her spot, there was already a bike leaning against the bottom of the hill. Root hopped to the ground and walked her bicycle the rest of the way. She didn't recognize the bike, but it was a nice one. Smaller than average, but it had a full gear set.

Root pushed out her kick stand, turned off her light, and grabbed her bag, looking at the sky. The meteor shower was just beginning. She untied the telescope and blanket from the back of her bike and started up the hill. When she was close to the top, she heard someone else's radio playing the same station, so she shut hers off.

Cresting the top, Root stopped, surprised. Sameen was here, lying on her own blanket, her eyes fixed on the sky.

"Oh," Root said, surprising Sameen, "Sorry. No one is usually here."

Sameen just looked at her, confused.

"Are you here to see the shower, too?"

Sameen nodded, sitting up. Root wasn't sure what to do, but after a moment, Sameen reached to the side and patted the grass next to her.

"Ok, I'll just, yeah." Root put her things down. She grabbed her blanket, trying to unroll it and put it down as quickly as possible. Sameen grabbed the far end and helped her lay it out. "Thanks," Root muttered, pushing her hair behind her ear.

She sat down pulling her bag to her side. She'd set the telescope up when the shower really got going. The moon and stars shown down on them, providing enough light to see each other. The music stopped.

Around them, cicadas chirped. Root thought Sameen might say something with the music off, but they just sat on the hill in awkward silence for a few minutes.

"You can play music," Root offered, staring up at the sky. "I was listening to it anyway."

Sameen didn't say anything, but she turned the radio back on, placing it on the grass between them. She laid back down, crossing her arms behind her head. "You can really see the stars out here."

Root laid down, hands crossed on her stomach. She turned her head to look at Sameen, noticing the way her skin glowed in the moonlight. "Yeah, I always come out here when something is happening. Do you like astronomy?"

Sameen nodded, not looking at her.

"Cool," Root breathed, looking up at the sky, "We should talk about it sometime."

They watched the shower streak across the sky.