A Whole New World

By Nancy A. Lopes

Dominic Aeriah was just 16 years old when he got the worst news of his life that leaves him distraught and at a loss of what to do with the rest of his life. His father uproots them and moves him to a whole new place where he meets Adrian, a mysterious young man who shows him a whole new world. 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nancy A. Lopes Publications
• Release date: Feb 9, 2024
• ISBN: 9781989422168

Book preview

I had been in my third period grade 11 science class when I got that phone call, the one that would change my life forever. I’d gotten called out of class, which for me wasn’t that strange. After all, I was always getting into some sort of trouble. Just last week, my friends and I had hacked into the school’s database and changed our grades to all As. Thinking over what I could have possibly done this time, I felt dread fill me as I walked up to the stocky, elderly  secretary, whose hair, which was a ginger colour put into a bun, and who normally wore a stern expression that gave me the impression that she was mean, although there were rumours that said otherwise. I wondered what she could want with me. Her thick dark purple glasses were perched on her nose, and she was wearing her usual outfit of a long bottle green skirt, a lovely light pink blouse, and a dark red, warm looking hand knit cardigan.

H ey, Mrs. Cortez, what can I do for you? I asked nonchalantly.

When she didn’t reprimand me, I had to admit I found it strange, since she always did. Wondering why she was acting oddly, nothing could have prepared me for what she was about to tell me.

Mr. Aeriah, I just got off the phone with your father, and he has some unfortunate news. There’s been a fire, Mrs. Cortez said.

I fell to my knees, shocked and in disbelief. I couldn’t believe my ears. My father was alright, since he’d been the one who’d called, but my mother, what about her? Was she alright? Raising a hand to my cheek, I noticed it was now damp with tears.

What about my mom? Did she make it? I asked with some urgency as I leapt to my feet and looked at Mrs. Cortez.

I’m sorry, dear, but according to what your father said, she’s currently in the ICU, she said.

She’s alive? I asked, hopefully.

Yes, dear, but she isn’t out of the woods yet, Mrs. Cortez said gently.

Oh. Can I see her? I asked.

That’s actually why I pulled you out of class. Your father said he’s going to be here to pick you up. In fact, here he is, she replied pointing towards where the door was.

Reaching us, my dad extended an arm and wrapped it around my shoulders, pulling me into a tight hug. Placing a kiss on top of my head, he then looked down at me.

Ready to go, kid? Thanks for pulling him out of class, Mrs. Cortez, my dad said.

Not yet. I just have to grab my things from my class, I replied as I gestured towards the door which was just behind me.

Alright.

After I thanked Mrs. Cortez again, I wiped my eyes with my sleeve and returned to my classroom. As I walked back, my thoughts were filled with everything that Mrs. Cortez had told me: How bad was the fire? When I reached the room, I entered it, grabbed my things, and left. I walked back to the office, where my dad was waiting for me, and we both headed home. While we were in the car, in what seemed like endless silence, I decided to break it by asking my dad a question that had been on my mind since we’d been in the car.

How is she? I asked as I looked at him.

Well, so far it’s been really touch and go, and the doctors aren’t sure, my dad replied.

Once we reached the hospital several minutes later, we headed in and walked by the reception desk and down a long and busy hallway until we stood at the doors of the intensive care unit, where I could hear the