These Icy Chains

November 21

Mark wakes at the sound of his eerie alarm. His eyes-pained and sorrowful from the cut in his heart. It was as if blood was pouring--oozing from an open wound.

But when he checked his bare and sweaty chest, there was nothing. Everything was normal.

Except it actually wasn't.

Something was totally wrong

Seriously wrong

"I...I broke up with...Amy."

"I broke up with Amy?"

Mark raises himself from bed, letting his blankets fall helplessly off of him. He tells his legs to move one at a time, but instead they disobey, and prove immobile.

His weight plops onto his carpeted floor, making a small thud.

In his mind, there was nothing. He thought he was thinking of something, but when he tried to focus, his mind was blank.

Not even Amy was on his mind anymore.

He was so confused.

"What am I doing?" He grasps his head in his shaking hands. Loud, rhythmic breathing was all he could hear

"I can't hear myself." He croaks.

"So...you want to go back?... to school?" Mark expresses his mild bewilderment in a contorted face. With his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.

"Well, yeah...Can I?" Mei slurps up her bowl of noodles.

"Uhh, technically you can...but are you ready to go back?"

"What do you mean "ready"? I still remember things I learned in school. I didn't forget like the basic general studies of life."

"...Sure." Mark raises his hands in defeat and grabs his phone. "Let me just call your principal to make sure they're ready for you, you little monster" After he rises to his feet, the monotone voice of the school principal rings through his ear.

"Well... unfortunately they had another student come in and take your seat, but they're ready to make arrangements to have you back."

"What? How could they let someone take my spot!" Mei sarcastically gasps with her hand over her chest.

"They weren't sure when you'd be able to come back, so they took someone off of the waiting list. You'll have a new locker."

"Aw man, I really liked my locker though."

Mark raises a brow. He knew that the Mei before this always complained about where her former locker was. Something about it not being in the same hall as that Nathan kid's.

"Well now you can make new memories with your new locker!" Mark opens his body to Mei, asking her for a hug nonverbally. With only a smile.

She quickly jumps into the empty space and wraps her arms around his back.