“So Octaviano, what's your answer, are you willing to fill in for Jones?” I stood there in a daze. Did he really just ask me to fill in for Jones like the real Andirus A. Jones, is he serious. Out of all the others that they could have picked, why me. What did they see in me? My family did not have a lot of money? I was working two jobs as a teacher and a shoe cleaner, a shoe cleaner! Standing there I did not know what to feel. Should I feel happy, of course I should be happy I’m getting an offer to the US senate for heaven's sake what kind of a question is that! He just stood there with a confused look on his face with a mix of worry, oh shoot was I taking too long to respond, was I looking at him weird. Why does the room feel like it's collapsing on me, why does the red carpet beneath my feet feel so far like the floor dropped or why the dark wood walls feel so stretched from me. “Octaviano?” Oh god what do I say? Is this really the right choice? Do I really want to do this? What if I'm not as good a senator as Jones or what if- “Octaviano, I don’t have all day!” he said anger and annoyance clearly in his voice. I snapped back to reality and looked him in the face “Oh right sorry lost in thought you know, but sure I can definitely fill in for Jones no problem.” He looked at me, raised an eyebrow and a big sigh of relief escaped his mouth “Good I was getting worried , you looked like you were going to pass out for a second.” “Ha, worried you're kidding me,” I said with a small nervous chuckle. I watched as he said goodbye to me and flew down the hall, what was I getting myself into.

Looking back on it now after almost a year going on two, I still find it a bit silly that I was so worried about this, but now I couldn't imagine doing anything else. This is something that makes me happier than ever and I have made so many people proud, my family. My friends, my people, and most importantly my country. Sitting in this chair in this big room chop full of amazingly smart people, I wouldn't have it any other way. “Hey Octaviano, how are you doing, my good friend?” I jumped from the sudden voice, but soon relaxed when I realized who was talking to me. “Oh, Alexander, I did not know that you would be arriving so late today” I said with a small smirk on my face. Alexander and I were good friends. He was a well off man, a wonderful family, quite popular and friendly with others in town, and intelligence that rivaled any other. He helped me calm my overwhelming nerves and get the hang of things for the first few months. “Hey, I'm not that late!” he spat. I gave a small “okay believe what you want”. He put on a sarcastic smile and walked away talking to the others in the room. It still amazes me that I have come this far, but I wouldn't give it up for the world.