ꔛ 𓈒 *🌊🖇˚ ᦃ ･ ﹆ ˚🛩️ ◞˚ₓ 🫀⁕˚彡

Z E R O :
'hold on to the memories'
── new years day : taylor swift
𝟶:𝟶𝟶 ──◍───── 𝟷:𝟹𝟶

❝ please don't ever become a stranger
whose laugh i could recognize anywhere
please don't ever become a stranger
whose laugh i could recognize anywhere ❞

〖 🌊 ੈ✩‧₊🛩️  〗

°。°。°。°。°。°。 

When Alexa was little, she had a habit of pressing her face against the living room window, her small hands flat against the glass as she watched the sleek silver plane disappear into the sky. It wasn't just any plane, though—it was her dad's jet, and every time it took off, she felt like the air itself was holding its breath, waiting for it to come back. She'd stand there for minutes, hours if need be, watching it get smaller and smaller, until it was just a dot in the sky, her heart swelling with pride and something else she couldn't quite place at that age. It was like a secret thrill that no one had told her about, the feeling of being so close to something amazing, something untouchable.

Her mom used to laugh and say, "You're going to grow up to be just like him, honey. One day, you'll be in the cockpit yourself." Alexa didn't really understand what that meant at the time, but she loved the idea of it—of flying, of being free, of getting closer to the sky.

Her mom, a nurse, was the only person who could pull her away from the window when the time came for dinner. Alexa would protest every time, "Five more minutes, mom!" as if she were negotiating for world peace. But her mother would always smile, that patient, loving smile, and say, "Dinner first, then you can chase the stars after."

It was during those early years, with the constant hum of jets in the background, that Alexa learned the real meaning of family. Sure, her dad was often off flying—off doing heroic things, according to her—but it was her mom who anchored them. Alexa could see the way her dad's eyes softened when he'd come home to her and her mom. There was always a kind of quiet gratitude in his voice when he talked about how important their little family was. And it was in those moments of silence, after dinner when Alexa would be washing up and her parents would talk about their day, that she felt the weight of their love.

Then there was Bradley. Bradley Bradshaw. Of course, he didn't understand anything about the sky yet, but that didn't stop him from tagging along with Alexa everywhere. He was the only kid in the neighborhood who was anywhere near as adventurous as she was. You could always spot him first by the sound of his loud, unfiltered laugh—he had a way of making everything sound like a joke, even when it wasn't. He was the first one to race her to the treehouse (he always claimed he'd win), and the first one to challenge her to a swimming contest in the ocean (even though he swam like a rock and she always ended up dragging him to shore). He was the type to dive headfirst into trouble without thinking, while Alexa, the sensible one, would follow behind him and then be the first to yell at him when he got stuck or tangled up.

One summer, when they were about six years old, they decided to make their own "flying machines" out of cardboard boxes and broken broomsticks. Bradley convinced Alexa to climb into one of the boxes while he pushed it down the hill, fully convinced that they could somehow recreate the feeling of flight with no engines and no wings. As Alexa hurtled down the driveway, her heart in her throat, Bradley chased after her, whooping like a maniac. The box hit a bump in the road and launched Alexa into a bush. Bradley skidded to a halt, looking both worried and wildly impressed with himself.

"Did you see that? You flew, Alexa! You actually flew!" he shouted, trying to pull her out of the bush while giggling uncontrollably.

Alexa, laughing and brushing twigs out of her hair, couldn't help but agree. She had, in fact, flown, and it was even better than she imagined. "You're insane," she said, grinning up at him. "But, yeah, I guess that counts."

From that point on, they were a team—inseparable and always scheming their next big adventure. They spent their afternoons on the beach, building sandcastles that were really just elaborate forts meant to withstand imaginary enemy attacks, or daring each other to swim farther into the ocean than they could handle, with Alexa always the more cautious of the two. Bradley was fearless—or maybe just reckless—but either way, he'd go wherever the current took him. Alexa would always pull him back, her hand on his arm, pulling him toward the shore and shouting, "You are crazy, you know that?"

They'd end up sitting in the sand, out of breath and laughing, watching the waves crash against the shore, with Alexa's mind already thinking ahead to the next thing they could try. It was always like that. Bradley was the one to drag her out of her comfort zone, to push her to the edge where she could almost taste the excitement, and she was the one to reel him back, making sure they didn't end up in trouble. Together, they balanced each other perfectly.

But it wasn't all games and laughing. Alexa also saw how much her father's work affected him. Maverick, though strong and proud, was human. Bradley's father, Goose, had died when Bradley was only a few years old, a wound that left an invisible scar on both father and son. Alexa's mom, being a nurse, had always been the one to pick up the pieces when Bradley needed comforting, even if he didn't say it out loud. They lived on the same street, so it was inevitable that Alexa would feel the weight of Goose's absence, too. Maverick would often get quiet, his eyes lingering on Bradley a little too long, as if trying to figure out a way to fill the gap. And then, Alexa would see her dad's hand on Bradley's shoulder, a silent kind of promise that he would be there, always.

But there was a small part of Alexa, a very selfish part, that sometimes wished things could be a little simpler. She wasn't used to needing her dad in that way, but there were moments when she realized just how much she leaned on him. And she could see it too, the way Bradley would look at her dad and hope that maybe, just maybe, Maverick could somehow fill the hole left by Goose's death. He never really said it, but it was there in the quiet moments.

Still, life went on. Time didn't stop for anyone, and neither did Alexa and Bradley's friendship. The summers stretched on, endless days spent in the sun, running wild and free. Every time Alexa's father left for another mission, she would press her face to the window and watch him disappear, knowing deep down that one day she would join him in the sky, that she would be the one flying. And with Bradley by her side? Who could stop them?

But for now, there was the sand between her toes, the sound of Bradley's laugh, and the promise that no matter how much they grew, no matter how much life changed, they would always be the kids who raced down hills in cardboard boxes, dreaming of flight.

. . . . . ╰──╮~ 🛩️ ~╭──╯ . . . . .

When Alexa was five, her world changed in a way that no one could have prepared her for. One rainy afternoon, her mom—her warm, soft-hearted, always-there-for-her mom—didn't come home. The night stretched on with no sign of her, and by the time Alexa was tucked into bed, the nightmares had already started. The kind where she would wake up and scream for her mom, and her dad, usually so steady, would come rushing in, looking like he was holding it together for her sake.

But that night, it wasn't her dad who came in. It was someone else. Someone with a face she couldn't quite recognize. And in that moment, her whole world stopped.

Her mom had died in a car crash on the way home from a late shift at the hospital. She'd been hit head-on by a drunk driver who had swerved into her lane. Her mother's car had been crushed in the impact, and she hadn't made it out alive. Alexa's dad had been the one to get the call, and she'd never forget the hollow look in his eyes when he came to tell her. He had tried to be strong for her, but there was a part of him that shattered in front of her. It wasn't just the love of his life that was gone—it was the other half of their family, the person who held them both together.

That night, Alexa didn't sleep. Her dad didn't sleep either. They stayed up all night, sitting together on the couch in the dark, not saying much. It was like the world had changed, but there were no words to make it right. No comfort. No understanding.

After that, things were never quite the same. Alexa learned to live with the quiet absence of her mother, with her dad doing his best to fill the role of both parents. There were times when Alexa would sit by the window, waiting for her dad's jet to come home, wishing her mom would walk through the door any minute, as if nothing had ever happened. But of course, that never came. She was gone, and Alexa had to face it in a way that no five-year-old should ever have to.

Bradley was there, though. Always. He and his mom would show up at the house, bringing over food, or just sitting with her in silence. Alexa couldn't imagine what it was like for Bradley, too, knowing that his best friend was hurting in a way that couldn't be fixed. But he was there, sitting next to her when she wanted to talk and sitting in silence when she didn't. They would spend hours on the swings at the park, pushing each other higher and higher, like they could outrun the sadness that had set up camp in both their hearts.

Bradley was the first one to make her smile after that. He showed up one day at her house, wearing an oversized bear costume that he had somehow managed to find, just to get her to laugh. "Alexa, look! I'm a bear! Rawr!" he said in the deepest, most ridiculous voice, his whole body wiggling like a goofball.

At first, Alexa had just stared at him, confused and sad. But then, as he stood there with his goofy face peeking out from under the bear ears, she couldn't help it. She laughed. Not a little chuckle, but a full-on belly laugh that took over her body. And Bradley? He was grinning from ear to ear. "See? You're smiling now! And that's what I do best—make you smile!"

That became their unspoken routine. Whenever the sadness crept in, Bradley would pull some ridiculous stunt to make her laugh. If he had to dress up like a bear again, he'd do it. He didn't care if it made him look like a fool—he was determined to get her through this. And in some weird way, he did. He had this ability to turn the darkest of days into something a little bit lighter. Even if just for a few minutes.

But there were days when it wasn't so easy. There were days when Alexa's dad would go into autopilot mode, his eyes distant as he threw himself into work, and Alexa was left to fend for herself. She tried to keep it together, tried to be strong for him, but she was just a little girl, and there were moments when the pain would get too much to bear. It was then that Bradley would show up—like clockwork—his presence always a little piece of light in the dark. He would sit with her while they watched movies, sometimes even playing video games for hours on end. He would talk about anything and everything, just to keep her mind from wandering back to the dark place where her mom was no longer there.

It was in these moments, between the laughter and the silence, that Alexa realized just how much Bradley meant to her. He wasn't just her next-door neighbor or her partner-in-crime anymore. He was the brother she never had, the friend who made her feel like she could survive anything.

. . . . . ╰──╮~ 🛩️ ~╭──╯ . . . . .

As Alexa entered her teenage years, the world around her seemed to shift again. It wasn't just the growing pains of adolescence; it was the realization that she was no longer a little girl who could hide behind her dad's shadow. She was becoming her own person, forging her own identity, and the pressure started to feel more real than ever before.

Her father, Maverick, had made his name in the skies. He had done things that most people only dreamed about. He was a legend. A hero. But Alexa? She wasn't sure she could ever fill those shoes, no matter how much she wanted to. As a kid, it was easy to dream of being just like him—flying jets, saving the day, making people look up in awe. But now that she was older, those dreams started to feel less like possibility and more like something that would always be out of her reach.

At fifteen, she was awkwardly trying to figure out what she wanted out of life. High school was a whole different animal. It wasn't just about grades and making the varsity team anymore. It was about fitting in, finding her place in a world that felt way bigger than she was ready for. Some days, she felt like she was drowning in expectations—both her own and everyone else's.

And Bradley? Bradley had always been there, the constant in her ever-changing world. As their teenage years kicked in, he seemed to glide effortlessly through the chaos of high school. He was the guy everyone knew—popular, funny, and impossibly cool in that effortlessly cocky way that drove all the girls crazy. But to Alexa, he was still that goofy kid who had dressed up like a bear to make her laugh when her world was crumbling.

Still, things were different now. They couldn't go back to those carefree days of biking down the street or climbing onto her dad's car to stare at the stars. Their lives had taken on new paths, and Alexa could feel the distance growing, even if they didn't talk about it.

She watched from a distance as Bradley became the guy everyone relied on. Whether it was acing tests or pulling pranks, he was always at the center of attention. Alexa, on the other hand, had her own way of dealing with things. She threw herself into her studies, into everything that had to do with aviation. She spent hours in her dad's hangar, learning about planes, fixing old jets, and sneaking into the cockpit whenever her dad wasn't around. But deep down, she knew it wasn't just about the mechanics. It was about the one thing that always made her feel close to her mom and dad—the sky.

But high school wasn't all serious business. Alexa had her moments of pure teenage mischief. She would go with Bradley to late-night movies and laugh at the worst horror films. She would sneak into parties and drink way too much, staying up until sunrise just talking about whatever nonsense came to mind. It was fun—sometimes ridiculous, but it was also a way of holding on to the memories of their younger selves, even if the world around them was changing too fast.

Bradley was always there in those moments, his laugh infectious and his energy impossible to ignore. They had this rhythm together—no matter how much the world around them changed, they still knew how to make each other laugh. He would always tease her about being a "serious bookworm" or "a walking encyclopedia," and she'd respond by calling him out on his endless string of terrible dad jokes. She never let him forget that he had once tried to impress her with a "magic trick" involving a coin and his sleeve, only to end up accidentally flinging the coin into his teacher's coffee cup. It became a running joke between them, something that they could laugh about for years.

But for all the jokes and the laughter, there was a part of Alexa that began to feel the weight of things. Bradley had his own demons. He had lost his father at such a young age, and she could see it in his eyes. He never talked about it much, but there were moments when he would get quiet, like the ghosts of the past were suddenly too much to bear. Alexa couldn't help but wonder if he ever felt the same way she did—like they were both just trying to keep it together, pretending that everything was fine when deep down, they were both carrying burdens that no one could see.

Then came the tipping point.

The weight of everything—the pressure, the expectations, the distance between her and Bradley—finally became too much. Alexa had always been the one to bottle things up, to push through, but eventually, even the strongest walls have cracks. It was a night like any other, until it wasn't. She felt like she was suffocating, like she couldn't breathe, and every step she took felt like it was dragging her deeper into something she didn't know how to escape.

No one could see it. No one knew that beneath the facade of the girl who always had a smile, the girl who knew how to crack a joke, she was crumbling. She was standing on the edge of something much darker than high school drama or family expectations.

And then, in a moment of utter hopelessness, Alexa made the choice. The voices in her head, the doubts, the pain—they grew too loud. The night was quiet around her, but inside, everything was falling apart. Without thinking, she stepped into the street.

The headlights of an oncoming car were all she could see as she stood frozen, no more thoughts, just the overwhelming urge to escape everything. She didn't even hear the tires screeching until it was too late.

The world shattered.

. . . . . ╰──╮~ 🛩️ ~╭──╯ . . . . .

At 18, Alexa and Bradley were no longer the carefree kids who spent hours on rooftops or laughed their way through summer days. The bond they once shared—unbreakable, effortless—had become strained, pushed to the edge by years of unspoken tension, resentment, and heartache.

It had started with small things. Bradley had joined the Navy right after high school, following in his father's footsteps, while Alexa had been accepted into a prestigious aviation program. They were still close, or so they thought, still sharing late-night conversations and inside jokes. But their paths were diverging more than either of them realized, and it wasn't long before the first cracks began to show.

It all came to a head on a late Saturday night, at a party neither of them had really wanted to attend but found themselves at anyway. The music was too loud, the air too thick with fake laughter, and Alexa's mind was racing with thoughts of everything that had been building up. She'd had enough. Enough of pretending. Enough of the fake smiles. Enough of ignoring the truth.

Bradley had been distant for weeks—more so than usual—and it wasn't like him. She could tell something was off, but whenever she tried to ask, he just deflected. That night, she caught him slipping away from the party, his usual charm gone, replaced by something darker, more withdrawn.

She followed him outside, catching him by the old oak tree near the fence, the place they used to hang out and talk when everything felt simpler.

"Bradley, we need to talk," she said, her voice tight, but the weight of her words carrying more than she meant.

Bradley didn't look at her. He ran a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched. "I don't think we do, Alexa."

"Oh, come on, don't do this," she snapped, frustration rising in her chest. "You've been pulling away from me for weeks, and I don't know what the hell is going on, but I need you to just talk to me for once!"

He finally turned, his eyes sharp with anger. "I don't owe you anything, Alexa. You know, I'm tired of always being there for you when you need me, only for you to never be there when I need you."

Her heart skipped a beat, the sting of his words hitting like a punch to the gut. "What the hell does that mean?" she demanded, unable to mask the hurt. "I've been there for you more times than I can count. What is this about, Bradley? You've been shutting me out, and I don't know why!"

He took a step forward, his voice rising with every word. "Maybe it's because you've always been so wrapped up in your fucking perfect little world—always the golden girl, always the one who gets everything handed to her. You think I don't see it, huh? You think I don't know that everyone thinks you're the next big thing, that you'll be some hotshot pilot who'll change the world while I'm stuck here, trying to live up to my old man's shadow?"

Her breath caught in her throat. She never expected this. Not from him.

"Bradley, that's not fair," Alexa whispered, her voice shaking, not with fear but with anger and disbelief. "You know that's not how it is. You're not just living in anyone's shadow—you're your own person. Don't you dare throw that in my face."

"Oh, I'm not the one who needs to worry about shadows, Alexa. You've got a whole fucking army of them following you, don't you? Your dad, your legacy... hell, even your mother's memory. But me? I'm just Bradley. Just the kid from next door, the one who'll never measure up. And maybe I'm tired of watching you act like you're better than me. Like you've got everything figured out while I'm just... here."

The words hit her like a slap, so cold and cruel that it took Alexa a second to even breathe. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. They had been through everything together, and now this? This raw, vicious venom?

"Bradley, what the hell are you talking about?" she asked, her voice trembling, fighting to keep it together. "You think I've got everything figured out? Do you think I don't hate the pressure? The expectation to be my dad, to be this perfect fucking person who never screws up? Do you really think I have it easier than you? Do you know how many nights I've cried myself to sleep, wondering why I'm not good enough, why I can't just be... normal?"

"Normal?" he yelled, his fists clenching at his sides. "You think I don't know that you've got your shit together? That you're always the one people expect to save the day? You think I haven't seen you smile through it all like you've got it all under control? But it's not real, Alexa. It's all a damn façade."

Tears burned in her eyes, and she couldn't stop them from falling. "And you? You think that just because you're this broken little boy with daddy issues, that it gives you a free pass to act like a fucking asshole to me?" she shouted, finally losing her temper. "You think you can just destroy me like this? Tell me I'm too good for you, tell me that everything I've ever done has been some joke?"

Bradley's expression twisted, his eyes full of something darker than she'd ever seen. He stepped closer, his voice low and seething with fury. "You want to talk about my dad? You want to talk about my fucking 'issues'? Maybe you don't know this, but your dad pulled my papers, Alexa. He pulled my damn papers, and now my career is ruined. I can't even fucking fly anymore, and you didn't say a word, did you? You didn't even tell me, did you?"

Her heart dropped. The world seemed to freeze around her as his words hit her like a wrecking ball. She had no idea what he was talking about. Her father... her dad had pulled his papers?

"No... no, Bradley, I swear I didn't know!" she gasped, her voice frantic as she stepped forward. "I would never—how could you think I'd let something like that happen? I would never—"

"Don't lie to me!" he roared, his face red with rage. "You think I'm stupid? You think I can't see it? Of course you knew. Your dad's always had control, and you've always been his little fucking princess, getting everything handed to you while I get tossed aside. You probably knew about it the whole damn time and never said a word. Don't lie to me, Alexa!"

Her stomach twisted, a cold, sharp ache radiating through her as she shook her head, trying to make him understand. "Bradley, I didn't know. I swear to God, I didn't—"

He took a step back, cutting her off with a bitter laugh. "You're so full of shit, Alexa. I can't even look at you right now. You think I'm some kind of fool? You think I don't know what's going on behind my back? Maybe it's better this way. Maybe I'm better off without you."

"Bradley, please..." Alexa whispered, her voice breaking. "I didn't know. I swear to God, I didn't."

But he was already turning away, shaking his head, the distance between them growing more than just physical. He took a final look at her, eyes cold and unforgiving.

"I don't want to hear it, Alexa. I'm done. I'm done with this... with you."

"Bradley—"

He didn't even let her finish before he was walking away, his back to her as he disappeared into the night.

. . . . . ╰──╮~ 🛩️ ~╭──╯ . . . . .

Alexa had always known she was different, but that realization took on new weight as she grew older. By the time she joined the Navy, the path before her felt like an enormous mountain—one that she had to climb, not just for herself, but to prove to everyone else that she belonged.

It wasn't a decision that came easily. She had spent her life watching her dad, Maverick, soar through the skies, the name "Michell" carrying weight wherever it was spoken. The expectation to follow in his footsteps had always been there, lurking in the background. But after the blow-up with Bradley and the disintegration of everything she thought she knew, Alexa knew she needed something to separate herself from the legacy that had always loomed over her.

So, instead of the Navy—where she was supposed to go—Alexa walked into the Navy recruitment office, signed her papers, and never looked back.

Boot camp was brutal, harder than she had imagined. But Alexa had always been stubborn, and when things got tough, she just dug in deeper. Nothing was going to break her—not the grueling physical training, not the mental exhaustion, and certainly not the emotional scars she'd been carrying. She had learned how to take pain and turn it into fuel to push herself harder, faster, stronger.

Her dad would visit sometimes, checking in on her progress, and it was there, in those moments, that she saw a flicker of pride in his eyes. He never said much—never had to—but she could tell. It was like a silent acknowledgment: "You're doing it, kid. You're finding your own way." But even then, it wasn't enough for her. She wasn't doing this for him. She wasn't doing this for anyone else.

She was doing it for herself.

Flight school came next, and this was where Alexa finally felt like she was home. It wasn't just the thrill of the jets, the rush of taking to the skies, or the pride in earning her place among the best of the best—it was the feeling of freedom. When she was in the cockpit, nothing else mattered. The world below her faded away, and there was only the sky. There, Alexa could be herself.

Her training was intense. Some days were harder than others. There were moments when the doubt crept in, when the memories of past failures seemed to weigh her down like an anchor. And yet, she pushed through it. Every time she thought about quitting, she remembered how far she had come, how much she had sacrificed to get here. She couldn't stop now.

As the months passed, Alexa began to feel the pull toward Top Gun. The elite school that all Navy pilots dreamed of attending. It wasn't just about being the best—it was about earning a place where only the truly exceptional could go. But she wasn't just after the glory. She wanted to prove to herself that she could do it. That she wasn't just Maverick's daughter. That she was Alexa, a pilot in her own right.

The day she received the call telling her she was accepted to Top Gun, it hit her like a wave. She had made it. She had done it on her own, without anyone's help, without anyone's approval. It was her achievement, her moment. And as she stood there in her dorm room, holding the phone to her ear, a wide grin spread across her face.

But there was still so much to prove. She wasn't about to let herself get comfortable now. Not when she had come this far.

Top Gun was everything Alexa had hoped for. The training was tougher, the stakes higher, but there was a sense of camaraderie that made everything worthwhile. She was surrounded by the best of the best. It was a place where skill and bravery were tested daily, where the line between success and failure could be a matter of milliseconds.

But for Alexa, it wasn't just about being good at flying—it was about something more. It was about finding her own identity, separate from her dad, separate from the memories of everything that had gone wrong. It was about carving out a space where she wasn't defined by the past, but by what she was capable of in the present.

The final day of Top Gun was a blur of nerves and excitement. After months of grueling training, she had made it through to the end. She stood there with the rest of her class, waiting for the call, the moment when everything would culminate in one final moment of recognition. When her name was called as the top of the class, her heart soared. She wasn't just graduating—she was graduating at the top, and that felt right.

And then, they gave her the callsign: Bolter.

The name stuck quickly, and she was proud of it. It was a nod to the fact that, no matter how hard she tried, there were times when things didn't go as planned. The bolter is a pilot who doesn't quite catch the wire on the first try, who has to go around again. It's a reminder that perfection isn't always possible—and that's okay. Alexa had come to understand that failure wasn't a sign of weakness; it was a chance to learn, to grow, to improve. And if she had learned anything from her years of training, it was that she could always come back for a second try.

Her father, standing on the sidelines as always, was grinning ear to ear as she received the recognition. He was proud of her—there was no doubt about that. But this time, it wasn't just the pride of the father of a fighter pilot. This time, it was a pride that came from understanding how hard she had fought to get here, how far she had come from the girl who had once run from everything.

As Alexa walked off the stage, a sense of finality settled in. She had earned her place. The past—the mistakes, the heartbreak, the losses—was all behind her now. There was only the sky ahead.

And for the first time in a long time, Alexa felt like she could finally breathe.

🛩️🛩️🛩️

AUTHORS NOTE !

i honestly love this chapter sooo much! it feels like everything in alexa's life has led up to this point. this chapter is such a deep dive into her backstory—the struggles, the emotional highs and lows, and everything that's shaped her into the person she's become. it's really all about the foundation, the stuff that's happened behind the scenes, and now, with this chapter, we finally get to the moment where alexa steps into her own as a pilot, carving out her space in the world. and that makes me so excited for what's coming next!

now, we can finally start diving into the script of top gun: maverick!! i've been looking forward to this for so long, and i'm so pumped to share this next phase of the story with you all. this is where the fun really begins, and i can't wait for you to see what happens next as alexa takes on the challenges ahead. there's so much to explore, and i think it's going to be an emotional rollercoaster, but i'm ready to take you all on the ride with me.

it's thursday night, and i'm planning to post chapter 1 of the next part tomorrow night (probably), but i just wanted to drop this little note beforehand to set the stage. i'm genuinely so grateful for all the support you've shown, and i really hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as i loved writing it. this story is such a journey, and i can't wait for you to be right there with alexa through all of it.

thanks for sticking around, and i'll see you tomorrow (or probably later tonight if i can't resist posting it early)!!!