Alex sat in the dark. He watched the planets orbiting a giant sun.
He felt it. Since winning the Ballon d'Or, the gravity around him had increased. Defenders swarmed him. Fans grabbed him. The media orbited him.
"Mr. Finch," Mr. Kepler asked, pointing the red laser at Alex's desk. "What happens when a star becomes too heavy?"
Alex blinked in the sudden red light.
"It collapses, Sir," Alex said. "It becomes a black hole. It consumes everything."
"Correct," Mr. Kepler clicked the slide. A picture of a black hole appeared. "Do not let your mass destroy you, Mr. Finch. Shine. Do not suck."
Mark sat next to Alex. Mark was wearing glow-in-the-dark stickers all over his face. They were shaped like stars and moons.
"I AM A CONSTELLATION!" Mark whispered. "I AM THE BIG DIPPER!"
"Mark," Alex whispered. "You look like a radioactive dalmatian."
"I am guiding ships to safety!" Mark argued. "I am the North Star! Follow me to the cafeteria!"
The bell rang. The lights turned on.
