Chapter Text
The planet Earth is a protected ecosystem according to the Universal Bureau of Organism Classification, or the UBOC for short. Humans have never been connected to the many trade systems and cultures of thousands of intelligent life in space, because…well… Aliens think humans are.. simple creatures. Have you ever heard of the surprising intelligence of jumping spiders, or pigs, or dolphins? We humans didn’t realize these creatures intelligence until many, many years after they were discovered. Aliens are the same way with us, they think of humans as any other animal on Earth. Some aliens take a liking to humans in a way a person may take a liking to dogs or cats. Humans have never had the opportunity to tell them otherwise in the few cases of human “adoption” there have been.
…
“Dude, get up! It’s 3:00pm and you’re still in bed?”
I roll over, phone in hand and glasses sliding down my nose.
“What’s it to you?” I grumble begrudgingly at my roommate as she stands in the doorway of my room. My roommate is named Henry, she’s been my best friend since we were both babies. I am tired, which is usually the case these days. A pillow flies at Henry’s head, my hand hanging limp in the air after the violent chucking of said pillow.
“Hey! I’m just worried about you, man, have you even eaten yet?”
I look down at my phone, my cheeks growing hot with shame.
“I’ll get on that, you get off my back.” I climb out of bed, attempting to leave my phone on my bedside table to reduce screen time or whatever the internet says I’m supposed to do to be healthy or something, and brush past Henry. I take a nectarine from the fruit basket and as I wash it at the sink the sunlight tickles my nose, shining from the kitchen window in front of me. The nice moment quickly fades, the sun disappearing behind a cloud, the room automatically grows colder, and my thoughts drift downward into solemnity. It’s only September and already Autumn is attempting to kick my ass. Not today seasonal depression! I sit at the table, becoming more and more aware of my phone so far away on my bedside table, taunting me as I quietly enjoy my nectarine.
“I really gotta find something to do.” Henry walks past the kitchen on her way to the door,
“Hey, wanna come with to get groceries?”.
I grimace, my brain for some reason rejecting a clear opportunity to actually get something done for once today.
“Hmmmmm..” I steeple my fingers in front of me on the table, neglecting my half-eaten fruit. Henry’s brow furrows and she glances at the door, my mind whines that I’m inconveniencing her by taking a second to think and my heartbeat accelerates.
“Uh- no, I’m good. Have fun.” I wave while she frowns and walks down the hall to leave. I’m on a gap year at university though I had always promised myself I would never do that exact thing, young me was a total nervous wreck about getting off track in the future. Hm. Definitely not going to internalize the dissatisfaction my younger self would have with my current situation.
At the end of the day I climb back into bed, drawing aimlessly on my tablet. I just can’t seem to find the motivation these days. So I pull out my phone again, and sink into the scrolling. On a good day I’ll watch tv, it’s insane that’s a good day for me now.
I lay down around 2AM to actually sleep, disappointed with myself for the fiftieth time this week.
Tomorrow will be different, I tell myself,
and it is.