There’s one thing I’ve never understood about simulations:  Why all the dramatic lighting?  I don’t think better when there’s a spotlight on my head . . . or at least I don’t think I think better, but then I really don’t have much to compare it to.  It’s annoying, though, never being able to look up for fear of being blinded, having to constantly squint at objects in shadow.  Whoever designs the sims always makes sure that I’m quite literally the brightest thing in the room.  My one consolation is that if my eyes wear out, the Centre will have to pay for glasses.  I can just imagine what they’ll tell the optometrist:  Oh, nothing to worry about, just get your equipment loaded onto this cart so we can take you twenty stories underground to see a kid in our “special environment.”  Nope, nothing to worry about, no abuse going on here, we’re all quite happy together, aren’t we, Jarod? *poke, poke*  Yeah, that’ll be a fun day.

Sydney tells me that the custom of shining a small spotlight on me began when I first arrived at the Centre.  I didn’t know much of anything and had, as Sydney likes to say, “The attention span of a goldfish.”  So, to teach me how to behave during simulations, they surrounded me with a bright circle of light and told me not to step out of it or else.  I picked up simming pretty quickly after that.  Now, the circle just irritates me.  I mean, seriously, I’m twelve years old!  Why does Sydney insist on treating me like a kid?  Realistically, though, it’s probably not all his doing.  Mr. Raines likes to lurk up on the balcony above the lab and watch my simulations.  When the spotlight is on, I can’t see him—which is okay with me.

Still, my eyes are getting tired.  What we need is another good power outage.  Last time the storm even knocked the backup generators out, so it was pitch black in our sublevel.  It was good timing, too; I was in the middle of an incredibly boring sim about coastal erosions, and just as Sydney was starting to get annoyed with me, the projector went out.  And Sydney couldn’t even blame me this time because I’d been sitting there under that stupid spotlight for three hours!  I wanted to jump up and shout Sayonara suckers, just like Miss Parker did that one time.  Although I still haven’t figured out what a “sucker” is, or how it relates to the Japanese word for “farewell,” it seemed so fitting.

I had a feeling, though, that such a display might put Sydney in a bad mood, so I restrained myself.  In the long run, I’m glad I did.  Sydney went to his office to make a phone call, and when he came back he said that since the power wouldn’t be back any time soon, we’d just have to take the rest of the afternoon off.  The sweepers had all left—presumably to fix the generator—so he just pulled out a battery-powered lamp and a deck of cards.  He taught me something called “Rummy” and we played right there in the middle of the sim lab by the light of Sydney’s camping lantern.  When I told Miss Parker she was actually jealous!  Her daddy never has time to play cards with her anymore, and she’s almost forgotten how.

Miss Parker . . . She came to one of my simulations yesterday.  It was a search and rescue scenario, so I was moving around a lot.  Naturally, that stupid spotlight followed me everywhere I went.  Because I couldn’t look up, I didn’t realize Miss Parker was watching from the balcony until she snuck down to talk to me afterwards.  To my surprise, she was beaming and gushing.  “That was so awesome, Jarod, you do that every day?”  I’m sure my confusion showed on my face, but that didn’t seem to deter her.  It never does.  “Seriously, the way that spotlight was following you around, you looked like a movie star!  And the way you led them right to the missing kid . . . that was so cool!”

So, now I’ll have to ask Sydney what a movie star is and hope he actually answers me this time.  If not, I can always sneak into his office and see if it’s in the dictionary.  Maybe a movie star is someone who walks around with their own star following them?  Maybe that helps them fight crime?  Whatever it is, I think I like the sound of it.

Miss Parker only had a few minutes to talk, but I managed to mention that I have another simulation scheduled for tomorrow.  It’s a recreation of a hostage simulation, and Sydney says I’ll have my own fully functional SWAT gear.  I know she’s busy . . . but she thought I looked like a movie star, so maybe she’ll come.  Maybe.  If she does, bring on the spotlight and the shadowy corners and the mood lighting!  I can take it.