“It turned out to be one of my best days because I got to spend my birthday with my family and friends.”

The best day I’ve had was on February 7, 2018. It started off very special. I was greeted with a happy birthday from my dad. No one else, just my dad. After getting ready for school, we went to the car. My dad sang “Happy Birthday” again to me on the way to my brother’s school. We dropped off my brother and then drove to my school. I made my way to my usual spot in front of science class just to find my best friend Sophia holding a gigantic bag with a teddy bear. It was grey with a brown nose. My other friends, Brenda and Shani, also brought presents. Shani brought a small unicorn plush in a small present bag. Brenda brought a tiny plush dog in a very tiny gift bag. They told me “Happy Birthday!” and handed me the presents. They then grabbed a card and asked people to sign it. The homeroom bell rang and we all went to class. Brenda and Shani dropped me off. Since it was my birthday, I asked Shani to take the presents. Class then started.

I went to homeroom and then history. My next period was science. That was one of the classes I had with Shani. I went to my seat and waited for Shani. She was carrying the present bag and told me, “Johnna, you can take it back now.” I refused because I wanted to see her reaction. She told me that people kept saying happy birthday to her. I laughed a bit and told her that was the point. She smiled with her teeth and started a new conversation. We started science class and the teacher gave me birthday cards (Ms. Wi Cards). She then started teaching about balancing equations. The class ended after one hour. Shani and I chatted a bit more until I left for my next class.

The next few classes were boring. B-o-r-i-n-g. Boring. During my last period, I just read. After school I waited for my dad, or so I thought, to pick me up. I played with Sophia for a “few” minutes until my mom came and picked me up. This was at the end of the day. It turned out to be one of my best days because I got to spend my birthday with my family and friends.

Good days, bad days—we all have ‘em.

In Billions of Stars, the 826LA After-School Tutoring students of Echo Park delve inside their brains to reflect on some of the more special moments in their lives—as well as some of the less special. In our first chapter, you’ll get a firsthand glimpse at the raw memories of our students in their memory journals. Our next section is dedicated to significant emerging and long-lasting friendships. Finally, read a combination of our students’ greatest and worst experiences. With their unadulterated honesty, the 826LA After-School Tutoring kids take you on a special guided tour of their lives in this collection of stories.

Read more about 826LA’s tutoring program and volunteer opportunities here. 

You can purchase Billions of Stars at the Time Travel Mart here.