Rowan had always thrived on curiosity, but as the science fair loomed closer, the weight of expectations settled heavily on his shoulders. His blog had grown, his experiments were becoming more ambitious, and now, standing in his bedroom, staring at a collection of notes scattered across his desk, he felt stuck.
He needed something big. Something that would stand out.
Slumping into his desk chair, he grabbed his phone and scrolled through his messages. Oliver's name was near the top.
Oliver: Alright, genius, what's the plan? Rowan: Still working on it. Oliver: Translation: You have no clue. Rowan: That is correct.
He groaned, tossing his phone onto the bed and rubbing his temples. He had considered refining his water filtration system, but it felt too safe. Too predictable. He wanted to push himself.
A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. Aria peeked in, a warm smile on her face.
"Mind some motherly advice?" she asked, stepping inside.
Rowan chuckled. "That depends. Is it going to be cryptic and wise?"
Aria laughed, sitting on the edge of his bed. "Maybe. But mostly, I just want to remind you that innovation doesn't always mean reinventing the wheel. Sometimes, improving what already exists is just as valuable."
Rowan nodded slowly. "I know… I just feel like I have to prove something."
"To who?"
He hesitated. Himself? His growing audience? He wasn't sure.
Aria reached over, squeezing his hand. "You've always been your toughest critic. Don't let that stop you from seeing how much you've already accomplished."
As she left, Rowan sat back, staring at his scattered notes with fresh eyes. Maybe he had been overcomplicating things. Maybe the best idea was already right in front of him.
Later that night, Rowan and Oliver were sprawled out on the front lawn, gazing at the endless sky above. The cool air carried the distant sounds of crickets and rustling leaves as they chatted lazily about nothing in particular.
"I swear, if you end up discovering some alien civilization, I get half the credit," Oliver joked, arms folded behind his head.
Rowan laughed, adjusting the focus on his telescope. "Not how it works, but sure, I'll name them after you."
He methodically scanned the sky, moving the telescope in slow, careful increments. The constellations he knew by heart shimmered above him, but as he swept to a lesser-explored section of the sky, something unfamiliar caught his eye. A faint glimmering object, one he didn't recognize, pulsed steadily in the vast blackness.
His breath hitched. His fingers instinctively tightened around the telescope controls as he zoomed in. The light wasn't coming from a planet, and it wasn't part of any recorded constellation he had studied.
"Wait… Oliver, look at this." Rowan moved aside, his voice suddenly urgent.
Oliver groaned, reluctantly sitting up. "If this is another blurry dot - "
"Just look."
Oliver leaned over, pressing his eye against the lens. He was quiet for a long moment before he exhaled, low and impressed. "Dude. Did you just - ?"
"Yeah," Rowan murmured, his heart pounding. "I think I just discovered a star."
Excitement coursed through him as he quickly noted the coordinates, his hands moving with practiced efficiency. He knew the protocol - he had to report it, confirm it, and if verified, he'd get to name it.
"What are you gonna call it?" Oliver asked, still peering through the telescope.
Rowan smirked. "Rowan 1. Obviously."
Oliver snorted. "Wow, real creative."
"Hey, when you discover a star, you can name it whatever you want."
A few weeks later, the discovery was officially confirmed, and Rowan was rewarded handsomely for it. The money was a surprise, but the real thrill was knowing that somewhere in the universe, a piece of the sky now carried his name.
He and Oliver stood in the same spot in the front yard when the confirmation came in, gazing up once again at the night sky.
"Well," Oliver said, nudging Rowan's shoulder. "That's one hell of a flex."
Rowan smiled, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. "Yeah. It really is."