Spring Break

A chilling, noiseless void encompassed me. Balloons of air wafted in front of me as I began to fight for a breath. As a dark figure reached down from the surface, a light shone before I turned down. The cavernous, foreboding abyss swallowed me. I looked up: the glare became a dim, ominous red. The figure's arm abruptly plunged past me, their entire shape exposed to the vast vacuum. Losing consciousness, I drifted to them, examining their appearance.

Fade.

My eyes opened to another scene. It was the figure again. Similarly, all that encircled me was twilight. A blinding spotlight trailed the person and me. They dipped backward before descending through the floor. Mystified, I chased after, noticing a distorted reflection of myself. The warped version of me drew near before I sank inside the ground. A hand gripped my arm. Suddenly, I was clasping the figure from an indecipherable downfall. Before I could process the figure's fingers—

A BREATH OF AIR.

My body vigorously propelled forward. Panting with bloodshot eyes, I studied my environment. I gulped. It was only a nightmare. Beside me, my ajar drawer mocked me with the granola bar. Alison. It had only been four weeks ago when she and Will started dating. I wasn't thrilled about it. My friendship with Jun blossomed: as did the sakura trees outdoors. There was a terror buried within of me. Something didn't sit with me. Maybe it had to do with Jun's continuous string of surprising mannerisms.

I studied the bathroom mirror, rather loathing the spectacle that welcomed me. After brushing my teeth and dressing up, my mother greeted me. She quickly kissed my forehead before leaving the apartment. An orange luster bled through the window as dust wandered the room. Each particle danced before withering away. At the table, a plate of rice topped with a sunny-side-up egg rested. Picking up the chopsticks, I punctured the yolk before using each stick to delicately mix the rice, making sure not to drop any. Remembering my coffee, I stood and poured myself the usual refreshment. The glimmer of the sun was at an angle that penetrated the kitchen, so no lights were on. I basked in the natural sunlight as I chewed my breakfast.

After the meal, I packed up and left for school.

Over the parking lot was the routine gathering of travelers awaiting their bus. The abstruse glitter of stars watched me like an audience of angels. An unsettling absence of abhorrence circulated my thoughts. Instead, a ripple of emotions traversed my hands, emulating the caffeine already flowing. A river of thoughts streamed through my consciousness. Something told me that today would be sepulchral. Lamenting the perpetual dread of seeing Will again, I shook my head. Spring break was over. We had both changed, indeed, to a minuscule degree. Surely Will must've abandoned his superfluous ecstatic vehemence for a solemn undercurrent. Alison would inevitably greet me with rapturous expression to then turn her ornate attention toward Will: only Will. Her impish character did not concede well with Will, in my opinion. Favorably, Will seemed to be fascinated with the more gentle, serene types of persons. It contrasted his inherent boyish vibe.

The bus had arrived.

Awaiting me in the library was Will and Alison. Will saw me before signaling. Alison gleamed at my sight, delighted to see my stumbling presence. I waved back, reveling at this moment: I understood full-well Alison would effectively seal me off after class started. She had a clingy fidelity to Will that could be considered frightening. Although, for an inseparable girlfriend, she sure kept her vicinage during lunch. Alison hugged me, patting my back. Then, with open arms, Will embraced me as I whispered into his ear.

"How's the relationship goin'?" I implored.

Stretching back, he smirked before mouthing great. Alison seemed a bit uncomfortable as Will paced back and sat us at a study table. He spoke, recapitulating his weekend with Alison; although, I was only half-listening.

"...she like screamed and looked at me to kill it. But here's the thing, I was screaming too!" he mused, "I'm probably more scared of spiders than SHE is."

Will looked at Alison, who squeezed his shoulder in excitement.

"Sounds like you two had fun at the trip," I commented.

Alison nodded as Will laid back. His confidence resembled a butterfly that had just sprouted out of a cocoon as he and Alison spent quality time alone. Unexpectedly, the bell rang. Collectively, we casually roamed as a group towards the homeroom: a trio. Nothing was more iconic than a rag-tag trio of teenagers—at least that's what Mr. Cory had quoted. The group set foot in the class and strode to our spots. Ari looked up and reacted ludicrously before falling off his chair.

"Way to be dramatic," Alison jeered.

Ari rejected my assistance before standing up and sweeping himself off. The ocherous glare gushed into the classroom, similar to the apartment. It was solacing. Alison and Will continued to babble about their weekend as Ari sat forward in his seat. I relaxed and dozed off, presumably quite tired.

Tzch

Tzch

Will pulled my chair as it screeched, awakening me momentarily. I excused myself to the restroom before exiting the class. Dejavu. It felt like yesterday that Will had slammed into me on this exact pathway. A sigh escaped my mouth.

The bathroom was dirty: urine on the tiles and blotches across the walls. It smelled of unflushed feces. I recoiled before turning the faucet. Debatably sanitary water receded. The musty odor of the soap seeped into my nostrils before its viscous consistency coated my hands. My raw stiff hands settled over my face as little droplets accumulated at my forearm. Fastening my hands on the grimy sink, I looked at myself. It was time to seize the day, or maybe not be as depressed.

Reverting to class, my foot misplaced itself as my body thrust ahead, tumbling into the room like a loon. The bell rang as students traversed the hallways giggling at my lain state. Alison and Will guided me up while Ari carried my possessions. Thanking them, I forced a grin.

English class had significantly shifted since February. A distinctive, more felicitous teacher attended every day, opposing the pessimistic man that came before. Although this class was notably more passable, my concentration still dissipated. As I stared into the window, a foreboding awareness of myself—coupled with my precognitions of what the nightmare might've purported—caused me to shudder. Beside me laid a fractured glass globe. It was one of the teacher's spiritual toys that she used to meditate. Each morning, we were required to follow along with her uncanny actions. It passed as a relaxation method for students, which I argued would question our school's guidelines on religious or spiritual instructions. Nonetheless, I felt compelled to disregard all of the teacher's directions. Resentment towards the educator arose.

Dawn ended, yet my cognizance presumed evening had befallen. For some reason, haunting darkness obscured the sky all morning. At least, it emptied before the shimmering sun hung over us. Never before had Will despised the peculiar dismal mornings. Instead, he described the melancholy display as a reminder of change. It was ironic how I had extremely aspired to change, yet my stubborn mind disallowed any exchange of sorts. Still, I was adamant about deterring all my old habits.

In a blink of an eye, it was lunch. I had anticipated this the entire day since spring break had effectively restrained how much Will and I hung out. The cherry blossom tree was our typical meeting point. Speed walking over, Will gestured a peace sign before resting alongside me.

He apologized, "I had to check on Alison before leaving."

"Nah, it's fine man, she's important and stuff-" I returned.

"Oh! I almost forgot," he interrupted, "in the lunch building thingy, there was only packaged food so like, we had dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets with macaroni and cheese."

"You talking about the trip you two took?" I noted.

"Mhm. My mouth is watering thinking about it, but they had home-made chocolate milk since they had cacao trees and cows and stuff," Will resumed.

"That's, uh, oddly specific, but sure," I remarked.

Will mentioned many strange aspects of his experience, one of which was when Alison attempted to creep into his bed to snuggle with him.

"I was really uncomfortable with that, but if she really liked it, then I didn't really mind, I guess," he reckoned.

Doubtfully nodding, I gazed at the atmosphere. Fuzzy clouds marbled the sky, their flocculent composition gliding aimlessly. Will relished the cool, refreshing air that exemplified spring in a nutshell. A deep inhalation of the crisp air pierced my lungs as coiled spirals of smoke emitted from the rim of my mouth: my parched lips dampened by the lick of my tepid tongue. The delicate, overgrown grass groomed my nape as Will turned to me.

I had an unpleasant sensation of unbridled desire.

The sentiment would not be as influential as my desire to visit Jun. Just as Will had spent time with Alison, I had spent time with Jun. Today, we would go to the sushi restaurant—as he had arranged—again. He must've loved sushi, more than even my mother. Despite my reluctance to revisit a restaurant more than once a week, Jun, by some means, convinced me into spending dinner there.

We had reserved a seat at a booth for the two of us. The sushi carousel toured the booth, taunting each patron with a fresh fragrance. Eying a plate, I picked up a serving of shrimp sushi and uncooked salmon. Jun plucked dishes that contained tuna, mackerel, and fried chicken. A bowl of cheesy french fries reached our view, its golden glow gracing our eyes. I could hear the vapor discharging from the crunchy, sumptuous sustenance, begging to be devoured by my pearly fangs. Jun swiped the bowl before extending the bowl to me. The munch of the fries elevated my palate, further signifying my impulse for the dish. Murmuring in comfort, I glanced down at my stomach, which grumbled in acknowledgment—two hours of idling in a queue finally remunerated. The cheese deliquesced in my jaws as my tongue sloshed about, forming another rupture of zesty flavors. I shut my eyes, savoring supper.

After an hour-long feast, Jun accompanied me outside to roam down the luminescent streets. The gusts of cars—its evanescent headlights crossing by—and the droning of cicadas, along with the undertone of people and soft tunes from bars, flawlessly highlighted the city. I hadn't noticed Jun's stylish slim pants, but he flaunted them, walking confidently. It reminded me of Will.

The neon traffic lights emanated the roads. My hands lazed in my pocket, bumping with each eventuating footstep. Jun's headphones budded with his head, creating a cartoonish jostle.

Jun turned to me, discerning I had something to tell. My breathing tensed, and my body quivered. Blood rushed through my veins, with reverence staggering up to my chest. My ribs encountered a sensation that protruded like a balloon. Laboring for air, I inhaled. Jun's hand augmented towards my forehead; his index finger paused between my brows.

"You have somethin' to say?" he culminated.

Consternation encapsulated my surroundings while a sickening mood swelled in my soul. Something was happening, perhaps life-changing. Jun lowered his sleeve as I parted my lips. His expression relaxed: he anticipated what would break free from my breath. A fleeting rush of adrenaline edged me ever so near to articulating. The hum of my voice whirred with the draft as my heart hammered mightier than drums. I tried to communicate a concise sentence. Instead, anguish overshadowed my intermittent lack of speech. Jun's facial features had embellished by a red tint sourced from a neon sign. His dainty freckles ostentatiously manifested my scattered emotions. Closer and closer, my internal struggles had lurched toward a proverbial precipice. To advance any further required a leap of faith. A stuttering ruckus left my gaped mouth. The anxiety surely would abate.

"I think..." I began, "I have feelings for you-"