Levy Jupiter Kincaid: Racing Dreams

By Carly Jordynn

Levy Jupiter Kincaid or Jupe as he is known by friends, was born on the exact date and time of the Jupiter Incident, an explosion that shook space and damaged the planet Jupiter.  Fourteen years later, he begins to experience strange things, especially when playing video games. When he experiences a flash forward during a Junior Race League

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carly Jordynn
• Release date: Aug 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781087891101

Carly Jordynn

Carly Jordynn is the writer of young adult, new adult, and middle-grade fiction. When she isn't writing, she loves to travel, hangout with her family and friends, and read.

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Chapter One

My birthday is one that went down in history—literally. You see, I was born on the day of the Jupiter Incident. Let me guess… you never heard of it have you? I wouldn’t have either, except my parents, the science geeks, also got married that day, but five years earlier.

The Jupiter Incident was all the rage at the Walton Planetarium. That is where my parents worked and how they met. The accident took place while my parents were in the labor and delivery room. A bright light zipped through space and a small explosion lit the night sky. Dad said it was like a fireworks show just for my birth. Scientists still are not sure what collided with Jupiter. It could have been a comet, debris from space craft, or an alien attack. All we do know is that something happened that day. Something very strange.

Anyway, I guess that whole planet thing holds a special place in my parents’ scientific little hearts. As for me, I hate science. It’s one of my worst subjects. I wish I didn’t have to take it at school, but unfortunately, it is a requirement for college. Go figure, right? I’m not even sure I want to attend college. It’s just more books, homework, and money down the drain. I’m not sure what I want to be when I grow up, but I would rather do something that will make me a lot of money and doesn’t require a degree in science.

I mentioned the Planetarium earlier, my parents met there when they were eighteen years old. They worked there during the summer while attending the John T. Lassing School of Science and Energy. My mom gave tours for the hundreds of kids on summer break. She spouted off all the regular scientific facts and findings while her listeners were numbed into a stupor.

My dad often got those same kids after her tour. He’s the one who took you to the observation deck and pointed out the various planets and constellations. Here is my question, why would any kid on summer vacation want to waste their time at the Planetarium? Go outside, climb a tree, and breathe some fresh air for gosh sakes. Leave the school crud until September, Geez!

Have I mentioned how bad I hate school? My teachers expect me to be some brainiac like my folks, which I’m not. I would rather play video games, listen to music, and hang out with my friends, Chip and Louie. The three of us are not that great at sports, but we can whoop your butt in video baseball or any other game for that matter. We spend a good portion of our free time at the arcade downtown.

Chip, Louie, and I became friends in the first grade and have remained tight ever since. It began on the playground when that little, freak, Jody Lynn Downey, stole Chip’s baseball cap and stomped it in the dirt. We chased her around the playground and would have caught her too, if her older cousin Earl hadn’t stepped in. He threatened to beat us into bloody little pulps.

Earl looks like a giant on steroids. I’m telling you, he must have failed like all twelve grades at once. We weren’t going to mess with Earl and that was how Jody Lynn Downey escaped our wrath that day. Chip, Louie and I adopted a wary attitude towards Jody Lynn and Earl after that incident.

Now let me tell you about Jody Lynn. She is the same age we are, fourteen. Time has not helped this girl one little bit. As a kid, she wore her cousin, Janice’s, castoff clothing. Janice did not have very good taste to start with-- go figure she’s Earl’s sister after all. Janice is twice the size of Jody Lynn. Mrs. Downey tried putting tucks into those clothes, making them fit better, but Jody Lynn was a stick. She was tall for a girl. At the age of fourteen, she towered at five feet five inches. That’s taller than half the people in our class. She always has grease marks on her jeans where she works on her daddy’s classic Corvette he is restoring. She has bright, curly, red hair that sits on her head like a poufy shower cap. The freckles fight for space on her small face. Her eyes are a vivid green . . . cat's eyes.

Jody Lynn is a tomboy. She was the first girl to play on the little league baseball team. She even hit a few home runs. She likes to do yard work, skateboard, and play all sports. Her biggest passion, though, is cars. She loves to look at them, get under their hood, and discover what makes them tick. She’s smart too. She doesn’t look like she would be . . . not like Amy Cook, the blond-haired, blue-eyed poster child for the all A honor roll, but Jody Lynn got all A’s and one A minus on her last report card.

Things became interesting that summer when I turned fourteen. My folks wanted me to throw a big party and all that malarkey. That is so NOT what I had in mind. My idea of a good time is to go to the arcade with Chip and Louie and then for pizza afterwards. Instead, I’m getting a party at, you guessed it, the Planetarium. Dad is some bigwig on the board of directors now so he got the entire place for four hours for my private party. I couldn’t believe my misfortune. To top it all off, Mom wants it to be one of those boy/girl parties. Can we say yuck? What do I want with a bunch of girls at my all ready boring-as-all-get-out Planetarium party? Unless she’s talking about Amy Cook, that, I could handle! Anyway, I lost my plea for a pizza and arcade party with just Chip and Louie. Instead, I, and twenty of my not so close friends, from the Wilbur J. Hopkins Middle School will be celebrating at the Planetarium. Maybe it won’t be too bad, at least Amy is invited.

Unfortunately, Jody Lynn Downey is too. Mom said we have to invite her since she lives two houses down from us on Richardson Avenue. Jody Lynn is a disaster. She happens to love science and that just warms the atoms of my parents’ hearts. Thankfully, Jody Lynn is not wearing her cousin’s castoff clothing anymore. I think Mrs. Downey gave up on ever making them fit properly and finally started buying Jody Lynn’s clothing at Wal-Mart. All the girl ever wears is T-shirts, blue jeans, and high top sneakers. She probably doesn’t even own a dress to wear to my fancy party. Maybe she won’t come.

As my party day loomed closer and closer, I noticed a change in my friends. Take the weekend before the big soiree’. Louie and Chip were at my house. We had just got done playing Rocket World when Mom called us to the kitchen for chocolate chip cookies and milk. We sat around the table talking about the latest video machine at the Arcade when Louie turned to my mother and asked, Mrs. Kincaid, would you prefer I wear a bow tie or a regular tie for the party?

I nearly fell out of my chair. Ties! Nobody said anything about a tie.

Thankfully, my mom replied, That’s sweet Louie, but you don’t have to wear a tie unless you want to. I don’t think any of the other boys will be wearing one, right Levy?

I shook my head vigorously. There was no way I was wearing a tie.

Just as I thought the universe would right itself, Chip spoke up. My mother has been teaching me to dance, Mrs. Kincaid. I can waltz and tango.

I dropped my cookie, my appetite gone. What on earth had happened to my friends?

You’ll have to save me a dance, Chip, Mom replied.

I thought my mom had been joking when she informed me that I only turned fourteen once and I would have a nice party where we would act as ladies and gentlemen. She further added that we would wear suits and the girls dresses. Seriously? I appealed to my dad on that score and he did take one for the team. Now we guys would be wearing button down shirts and nice pants, no jeans. The girls would wear party dresses.

Did I forget to mention my birthday is in the middle of July? One of the hottest months of the year? I think aliens must have attacked the Planetarium while my folks worked there. I guess that would explain the loss of their common sense.

All this brings me around again to Jody Lynn Downey. I know you think I have a thing for that girl since I keep talking about her so much, but you would be wrong. She just keeps