The Morning After The alarm buzzed. I wanted to throw it against the wall, but I needed to get up. I hadn’t slept. At all. My eyes burned. My head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton and confusion. But school waited for no emotionally destroyed teenager, so I got dressed, grabbed my bag, and dragged myself out. I reached school a few minutes early and slumped into my seat. “You look dead.†I turned to see my classmate eyeing me with amused concern. “Do I really look that bad?†I asked, rubbing my face. Before he could answer, it happened. I got ambushed. Like a pride of hyenas, my friends surrounded me. “So,†one of them grinned, “how was the kiss?†“Did you talk to your girlfriend?†“She’s not my girlfriend!†I snapped a bit too loudly. “It was a mistake, okay? Just… a mistake.†They didn’t let up. They kept laughing, poking, prodding, making kissy noises like a bunch of toddlers with too much sugar. I just stared ahead, hoping for a black hole to open under my desk and take me away. “Settle down, guys,†the class monitor called out. “The English teacher’s on her way.†Finally—salvation. “Get your notebooks out,†someone said, and for the first time in my life, I was relieved to be in a classroom. I buried myself in my notes and decided: today, I’m invisible. No more attention. No more teasing. Just survive the day. --- Later That Day The school day dragged on. My name became a meme. Every whisper felt like it was about me. Every look carried a smirk. I wanted to disappear. And just when I thought it was over, I remembered… Tuition. “Nope,†I muttered under my breath. “Not today.†I didn’t have the emotional stamina to endure any more torture. So I left. Headphones in. Hood up. Walked like a man on a mission. It had been a while since I walked home this early. The streets felt different during the day—louder, brighter. More… alive. And then— A siren blared from the nearby girls’ school. A flood of girls poured out like it was a school fire drill. I froze. Please no one recognize me. I zipped my bag, ducked my head, and bolted past the crowd like a ninja dodging flashbangs. I just wanted my bed. Finally, I got home. “Why didn’t you go for tuition?†my aunt asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not feeling well,†I mumbled. “Need to rest.†I shut my door, face-planted onto my bed, and didn’t move. My brain? Still loud. My heart? Still confused. My body? Just done.
The Morning After The alarm buzzed. I wanted to throw it against the wall, but I needed to get up. I hadn’t slept. At all. My eyes burned. My head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton and confusion. But school waited for no emotionally destroyed teenager, so I got dressed, grabbed my bag, and dragged myself out. I reached school a few minutes early and slumped into my seat. “You look dead.†I turned to see my classmate eyeing me with amused concern. “Do I really look that bad?†I asked, rubbing my face. Before he could answer, it happened. I got ambushed. Like a pride of hyenas, my friends surrounded me. “So,†one of them grinned, “how was the kiss?†“Did you talk to your girlfriend?†“She’s not my girlfriend!†I snapped a bit too loudly. “It was a mistake, okay? Just… a mistake.†They didn’t let up. They kept laughing, poking, prodding, making kissy noises like a bunch of toddlers with too much sugar. I just stared ahead, hoping for a black hole to open under my desk and take me away. “Settle down, guys,†the class monitor called out. “The English teacher’s on her way.†Finally—salvation. “Get your notebooks out,†someone said, and for the first time in my life, I was relieved to be in a classroom. I buried myself in my notes and decided: today, I’m invisible. No more attention. No more teasing. Just survive the day. --- Later That Day The school day dragged on. My name became a meme. Every whisper felt like it was about me. Every look carried a smirk. I wanted to disappear. And just when I thought it was over, I remembered… Tuition. “Nope,†I muttered under my breath. “Not today.†I didn’t have the emotional stamina to endure any more torture. So I left. Headphones in. Hood up. Walked like a man on a mission. It had been a while since I walked home this early. The streets felt different during the day—louder, brighter. More… alive. And then— A siren blared from the nearby girls’ school. A flood of girls poured out like it was a school fire drill. I froze. Please no one recognize me. I zipped my bag, ducked my head, and bolted past the crowd like a ninja dodging flashbangs. I just wanted my bed. Finally, I got home. “Why didn’t you go for tuition?†my aunt asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not feeling well,†I mumbled. “Need to rest.†I shut my door, face-planted onto my bed, and didn’t move. My brain? Still loud. My heart? Still confused. My body? Just done.