Chapter 1

    Seth covers his ears with the pillow. Rooster, his dog, keeps pulling on the comforter with his teeth. 

    Seth hears the engine and brakes of the school bus outside. He is going to be late for the first day of middle school!

    “Thanks Rooster,” Seth says. “Go get my clothes and toothbrush.”

    The dog obediently grabs Seth's Naruto t-shirt and jean shorts and brings them to Seth. Then Rooster jumps on a stool, up onto the edge of the bathtub, and takes the toothbrush from the bathroom counter and brings it to Seth.

    Seth brushes his teeth and gets dressed. He darts through the house, zigzagging and jumping over piles of junk.

    Seth’s grandma is sleeping upside down on the couch with her head on the floor.

    Seth yells, “I'm going to school, Gran. Be good while I'm gone!” He hops on his bike and rides the two miles, uphill to school.

    Seth bursts through the classroom door and slams it behind him.

     “Sorry I'm late, Miss. My alarm didn't wake me up,” he says. 

     “I know it's your first day, but even the bad kids arrive on time for my class,” says Mrs. Howard. 

    “Sorry,” says Seth as he slumps into an open seat in the back of the room.

     He notices his friend, Nova, next to him. She just transferred from his old school, too.

    Seth leans toward Nova and mumbles under his breath, “Man, she's strict.”

     Nova’s twin sister Nita, who was sitting on the other side of him, raises her hand and tells on Seth for talking.

    Mrs. Howard  says she will deal with it later. Then she tells the class there's going to be a science project worth half their grade.

    Mrs. Howard pairs Seth and Nova. Nita crosses her arms and won't look at Seth and Nova for the rest of the class. She wanted to be paired up with Nova!

Chapter 2

    Seth unlocks the backdoor and enters the hallway. 

    “Sorry about the mess,” he says.

    Nova steps over a box and enters the hallway behind him. She looks around at the cobwebs and dust on the shelves.

    “Who do you live with?” asks Nova.

    Seth says, “Just my Gran.” 

    Then they go straight into Seth's bedroom to start the project. Rooster, Seth’s dog, jumps on Nova and slobbers all over her.

    “Are you thirsty?” asks Seth.

    “Yes,” says Nova. “What do you have to drink?”

    “Do you like iced tea?”

    “I love iced tea.”

    Seth goes to the kitchen for the drinks. Nova follows him. They take a break and Nova chugs the iced tea.

    “Are you ready to work on our project again?”

    “Sure, but first, where is your bathroom?” asks Nova.

    He points and says, “Down the hall and to the right.”

    Nova sees the bathroom door open and walks in. She starts to unbutton her pants when she sees Seth's grandma in the bathtub covered in bubbles.

    “Hi, Dearie. How is your day going?” says his grandma. 

    Nova gasps and almost trips over a jug of laundry soap on the floor as she flees the

bathroom. She speed-walks to Seth's bedroom.

    “Um, your grandma is in the tub and I think she thinks I’m you,” says Nova.

    “Oh my goodness!” says Seth. His face turns redder than a tomato. “I'm so sorry. She's a little crazy.”

    “It's okay,” says Nova. “My parents are crazy, too.”

    Seth thinks about how crazy his grandma actually is. If Nova really knew, she would probably tell the principal and Seth would be taken away to an orphanage.

    Seth and Nova decide to make an electric car for their project. They draw their plans on a big sheet of paper. Then they make a list of materials they will need. 

    “So, Seth, I was wondering…Why do you live with your grandma?” asks Nova.

    Seth replies, “My parents were in a train crash when I was three and I was sent to my only relative in town, my grandma.”

    “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked,” says Nova.

    “It's okay,” says Seth.

    They don’t talk about it anymore. They keep focusing on their project. It is due in a week and they have a lot of work to do.

Chapter 3

    Seth and Nova walk onto the stage. They stand next to their project. It's hidden under a red blanket.

    Mrs. Howard walks in front of them and says, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I present to you Seth, Nova, and their electric car.”

    Seth and Nova lift the blanket off their project. The electric car's engine starts to rev. Nova reaches into her pocket, where the controller is hidden. 

    The car starts to move. It circles around Seth and Nova. Then, it flips over and drives on its roof. The crowd goes wild. Students jump to their feet and start clapping and yelling. 

    Seth and Nova take a bow. They leap backstage and high-five each other.

    “That was awesome!” says Seth. 

    “They loved the car!” squealed Nova.

    The principal, who insisted on being called Miss Jane, walked up to them. 

    “Great job, you two,” she says. “Seth, you must take after your parents.”

    Seth and Nova look at each other and then back at the principal.

    “What do you mean?” asked Seth. 

    “They were in the paper about 5 years ago for making a life-sized electric car,” says Miss Jane. 

    Their eyes widened and their jaws dropped in shock. 

    The principal says, “I'm late for a meeting, but great job.” She rushes off, leaving them standing there in disbelief.

Chapter 4

    Seth and Nova ask the librarian at the middle school library where the old newspapers are.

    “We have newspapers from the past years in the History section,” says Mr. Howard, “just after the science fiction books on the right.”

    “Thank you. If we can't find them we will let you know” says Seth. 

    “Do you think that's Mrs. Howard’s husband?” asked Nova as they walked to the History section to find the newspaper from five years ago. 

    “Probably, but that's not important,” replies Seth. “What's important right now is finding the newspaper with the picture of my parents.”

    They search through the newspapers from 2017 and find the one with Seth’s

parents on the front. The picture shows a man and a woman sitting in a car with the headline reading, “The Rons Make History with the World's First Electric Car.”

    “Oh my goodness,” says Seth. “It's true.”

    “I thought you said they were dead,” says Nova.

     “I thought they were,” replies Seth. They look at the newspaper for clues.

    “Hey! They’re in front of the University of Virginia. My mom works there,” says Nova.

    “Let's go talk to her,” says Seth.

    They ask Mr. Howard to copy the article. Seth takes the photocopy, folds it, and puts it in his pocket with the finger skateboard he always carries in case he gets bored in school.

    “Thanks Mr. Howard,” says Nova as they hurry out of the library.

Chapter 5

    “Hi, Mom,” says Nova. Seth and Nova are in Mrs. Compound’s classroom at the University of Virginia, where she teaches art.

    “Hi, Nova! Who's your friend, and what are you doing here?” says Nova’s mom.

    “I’m Seth. We're here to ask you a question about a picture in the newspaper,” says Seth.  

    “I'll see if I can help,” says Nov’s mom. “Do you have it with you?”

    “Yes, we do,” says Nova.

    Seth takes the paper out of his pocket and unfolds it. He hands it to Nova's mom.

    “I remember this. I was just starting to teach here,” says Nova’s mom. 

    “Awesome!” says Seth. “Then, you can help us.”

    “Do you know these people?” asks Seth.

    Mrs. Compound replies, “Barely, but I do remember that a week later they were in a plane crash.” Seth and Nova gasp. 

    “Was everyone okay?” asks Seth. His heart races and he starts to breathe heavily.

    “Thankfully, everyone survived. Most of the people only had a few minor injuries, but I remember that the Rons were sent to a local hospital,” says Nova’s Mom.

    “Do you know which one?” asks Seth.

    “I think it was Sunburst Hospital behind the science museum,”

    “Thanks, Mrs.Compound,” says Seth.

    “Thanks, Mom,” says Nova. 

    “Seth, you can call me Kate,” says Nova's Mom.

    “Okay,” replies Seth. They leave the college and walk home.