Chapter 1: "Have a Joyful Day"

Joy is a precious thing these days. You either have it or you don't, and people don't like those who don't. I'm lucky. I have two moms with Tier 4 jobs, so we can afford the recommended dose of Joy. To quote my mom, "Five Joy a day keeps the bad thoughts away." I draw that quote in big thick letters on my notebook page. Before I can finish, the bell rings signalling the start of lunch period. I slide my notebook and pencils into my bag and leave the class, headed for the café.

When I get to the front of the line at the café, I notice that the prices have gone up again. Karl won't like that. His mom has a Tier 2 job, and his dad only just got promoted to Tier 3, so they're still trying to pay off their Joy debts. He's already got a strike on his chip from the principal for being below 70% at school, he needs all the Joy he can get. I put in my order at the kiosk and add an extra Joy on for him, just so he doesn't have to waste his lunch money.

I tap my wrist on the screen to pay for my lunch and look up at the scanner. It turns green and "75%" shows up on the kiosk screen. As I walk away, the robotic voice from the kiosk tells me to, "Have a Joyful Day!" and I roll my eyes.

I sit down at the same table I always do, and just as I'm about to start eating, a bag slams down in the seat across from me, followed quickly by a dark-haired scrawny boy.

"Did you hear that they bumped up the prices again?" Karl wasn't ever a fan of small talk.

"No Karl," I say, looking at my plate then back to him, "I had no idea."

He looks at my plate, confused. "Then how did you get lunch but not realize that the prices were different?"

"It's called sarcasm," I reply smartly. "Pay attention in history class and you might learn a couple things."

Before he can open his mouth again, I say, "Don't worry, I got you one," and slide him the small biodegradable bag with the little pink pill in it. "Have a Joyful Day" he replies, downing the pill.

CBC Books asked students to give us a glimpse of the great Canadian novel of the year 2168. They wrote the first page of a book set 150 years in the future, with the protagonist facing an issue that's topical today and set the scene for how it's all playing out in a century and a half.

Two winning entries — one from the Grades 7 to 9 category and one from the Grades 10 to 12 category — will be chosen by bestselling YA author Kelley Armstrong, most known for her Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising series. The winner will be announced on CBC Books on March 11, 2020.

Both winners will receive a one-year subscription to OwlCrate, which sends fresh boxes of books to young readers across Canada on a monthly basis. In addition, each of the winners' schools will receive 50 free YA books.