Chapter 12

I can honestly say, I'm bone tired. After I laid down in bed, I pretty much fell asleep after setting my alarm. But, because I knew I would have to talk all the way to school, which would usually take fifteen minutes by car, I had to get up at least an hour early. Just to make sure I would make it to school.

Getting up, I got breakfast, ate, went up to grab my bag, and then head on back upstairs to grab my bag. I had to make sure everything was there in my bag, and then rushed out to head out. I actually did take the hour I needed to get to school, which leads me here walking around not unlike a zombie as I try to hold myself up. Operating on minimal sleep and already this much exertion, I'm running on fumes. And it's not even eight in the morning yet.

It did strike me as a brat from the hubbub of a metropolis to get a taxi, and after walking for twenty minutes I tried to get one with my phone. Apparently, Handerville is all too small for an omnipresent taxi circuit. So, after trying for a few minutes, I gave up. Though, it could be considered that Handerville might be quieter in exchange for the convenience. If anything, the city sounds much more dangerous than here. By the city, I mean New York. I haven't had the best experience there, and a lot of New Yorkers are downright rude. Though, I'm not. I can stand up for myself against rude people, a valuable skill. I'm always polite, but never chicken. I have wings, but I ain't juicy. Wait, maybe I am. But...argh, never mind!

Checking my watch, I see I have just enough time to get to class without being late. Taking a breath, I head toward my first class, wobbling a little. I'm sure I have purple shadows beneath my eyes. The first class today happens to be chemistry. I spot Grid, and the two of us always sit together.

"Hey, Grid," I say as I sit down, and she smiles.

"Hello, my little button," says Grid, "you look very tired."

"Yeah, I didn't get much sleep yesterday night," I say, then think how it was really this morning.

"You wanna take it off today?" asks Grid sympathetically.

"No, I think I'm good. I'll just power through this week and take a long nap or two on the weekend."

"That's the spirit," says Grid, and the teacher walks in, leading to class happening.

Chemistry has interesting aspects, but today it's difficult to understand. Largely because my eyes aren't working that nicely. It's like lead is dripping down from the ceiling and collecting in my head, which could be a bucket. Getting heavier with each drop and tilting to one side or the other, my eyelids are deadweight.

Once or twice Grid has to elbow me to jolt me awake, before she hands me a few mints. They help with their cooling taste and effect, and for the remainder of thirty minutes I can stay wide awake while jotting down. I do nod and try to pretend I'm listening, when in reality it's just a surface I create.

The bell rings, and even though the mints are powerful, I jolt again, causing Grid to laugh a little as we're dismissed. I groggily pick up my belongings, then head out with Grid.

"Here, take this," says Grid as she hands me a plastic bag full of lifesavers, "you need it more than me."

"Thanks," I say, and gratefully taking the bag and smiling what I can.

She nods, and I head off to my next class. It's literature, and walking in I spot an open desk and sit down. Both my hands look like they're trying interpretive dance for the first time, picking out me notebook, pencil case, and dictionary out from my backpack. I put another lifesaver in my mouth to suck on, and a few seconds later the heavy curtain on me seems to be pulled away. Halfway, not all the way.

Somebody sits next to me, I see it's Bennet. My eyes connecting with his seems to make him lighten up, and he grins widely.

"Hey, Cayce. Nice to see you," he says, not dropping his grin as he talks.

"Nice to see you too," I reply, smiling, though it's not as bright as his, but hopefully he's not at all focused on that.

"I heard from Grid that you're a little tired today," says Bennet, facing me with his body as he sits down, "anything I can do to help you out?"

"Mmm, nothing much," I answer, holding up the bag of lifesavers, "Grid helped me out with this."

Bennet notices the bag I hold up, and for a second his brows scrunch together, glaring at the bag itself. Then it goes away, and he's back to grinning at me with his warm expression.

"Well, let me know if you need anything, alright? I'm here to help."

"Oh, thank you," I say, and smile happily.

Literature class starts, and we don't talk anymore as we're supposed to focus on the teacher. The lifesavers definitely help, and half the time I can focus. Though, sometimes, because my brain is drowsy it often daydreams. One silly thing I do think has to do with Bennet, where I wonder if he actually likes me. He could be just be a good friend, and it would be mortifyingly embarrassing to mistake a very friendly extroverted person as a person who's interested in being your romantic eternal partner.

But, I do wonder if Bennet, if he's interested in me, thinks I'm hot with bags under my eyes. I think somewhere in a magazine I read that some people look hotter when they're tired. It'd be somewhat entertaining to know I'm able to woo anybody while being half-awake. A very sill thought indeed, and I can imagine myself getting damaged fatally by doing silly things that start in my head. I can even imagine the headstone I would get, being the little oaf I am.

Here lies Cayce Vance. He died because he kept thinking some crazy stuff.

Oh goodness, it'll be humiliating to be a ghost around that tombstone. Some medium will come up to my grave and say, "Beware! There's a loser!"

The class does manage to pass by, and even though Bennet's presence does somewhat keep my awake, it's still painful to hold my eyelids, as well as the rest of myself, up. I'm certain at this point I'm indistinguishable from a melting wet concrete statue.

"You seem pretty tired," says Bennet, grinning a little, and I look at him lazily as I pack up my belongings. Obviously! Hello? Does rain fall upwards in your world?

I don't answer him though, and simply nod.

My silent answer seems to make Bennet realize maybe I'm true to his statement, and he drops most of his grin, saying, "You want to go home? I can take you if you want to? You seem too tired to drive safely."

"No, I think I'll be fine," I say as we make our way toward the door, "I mean, I like to think I'm superhuman, and I can make it to the weekend."

"That's great, but, I think you should really—" Bennet starts, but I know I'm not going home. Catching up grades is way too hard to achieve successfully.

"I know, I know, I should go home. I'll be fine, don't worry," I say, and walk out the room.

I notice Bennet looking in front of me, and since I'm turned back to look at him, I turn around. It's then I smash straight into the door of a locker, and I tumble down to the floor. I should've realized Bennet was warning about a metal door in my way.

"Cayce!" I hear a shout, but it might be something else. I'm too busy being sucked into the void to be able to figure out what it is. I'm guessing my body has had enough, and being banged in the face by a locker is the ticket it's going to take to shut down and drop into the darkness. Too bad I don't have jet packs. Oh wait I have wings instead. But I can't use them. Call me Babymouse, but it's typical.

Well, there goes a chance to look cool in front of Bennet. I'm sure his crush is gone now. Oh well.