Underneath the clouds

II

When she parked her car, and jogged to the doors, her anxiety was low enough to allow her to function properly. Above the doors, was a large red letter that symbolized which high school this was: RiverSide HighSchool.

Pushing through the doors, Jolin held her breath. That smell of chemicals ruled the foyer. People were already pushing through with papers in their hands, staring at their schedules with a fixated gaze. Jolin fished out her phone- having taken a picture of her schedule beforehand, she was able to avoid the line at the table.

Her starting point would be upstairs; there, she could unwind and wait for a few minutes before the first bell would ring and the next class would start. She conquered the stairs quickly, using the adrenaline from the start of the new year to fuel her quick feet. Sliding through renewing friendships and greetings, Jolin slipped through the hallways with ease, keeping her eyes peeled for her homeroom.

Every step had her glancing between the hallway walls. Peoples' conversations echoed in her ears; it only made her speed up. Soon enough, she found her homeroom. Without hesitation, she slipped inside. Her body started to loosen at the still atmosphere, and the tired people that had already taken a seat; she could practically see her reflection in their bodies.

Walking, she found a seat and took it. The descent was unnerving and she was sure she was inwardly panicking: every word spoken felt like a whisper towards her. Jolin held her head in her hands to keep it from whipping around; still, her eyes snapped from one place to another in search of the origin of these conversations.

Her leg was bouncing, tongue moving around the three pieces of gum she shoved in her mouth before she jogged into the building. Jolin was staring forward, right at the board, clenching her jaw, eyes still darting. In her chest, her heart was racing quickly, thumping silently; she could feel the rhythm of the beat outside her body. Putting a gentle hand on her chest, she could feel her sternum thumping with the intensity of her heartbeat.

Jolin immediately recognized that despite their recent arrival, they all seemed exhausted already. Some had their faces buried in their arms, eyes closed as they caught up on the sleep they didn't get. She sat there still, fingers fiddling with the zipper on her bag. The coldness reminded her of her early morning. At first, the fan on her ceiling was going, circulating the air around, making her cold.

The sun was still deep in slumber beneath the rolling crests and hills across the river. When she opened her eyes, she was stranded in the middle of her bed, sprawled out with her fingers gripping the sheets so tight, it appeared she was having a nightmare.

Her eyes had groggily glanced at the horizon, noticing the smallest sign of the incoming dawn. Jolin laid there in her bed, allowing the warm comforter and covers to drape from her body. The warmth was instantly gone; replaced with a coldness that swirled around her room like a hurricane. It stung her fingertips, nipping at her skin, trying to force her back underneath the warmth security of her blankets.

She was jumping out of bed, goosebumps erupting across her skin. Despite her violent shivers, she dragged her feet to her desk and started to read. There she had sat- all the way up until her mother scolded her for the mess.

Jolin's foot began to tap impatiently, her leg beginning to bounce as her eyes bounced from one wall to another. Decorating the boards and edges were reminders of a subject; her homeroom was an English classroom. On the laminated cuts of paper, there were the definitions of verbs and nouns, adverbs and adjectives.

Every small sigh was met with another; Jolin could feel the exhaustion in the air, and it was dragging her adrenaline down. Closing her eyes, she started to sink down in her seat. Her arms started to feel warm- like her pillow- the sturdy surface below her acting as a foundation for her rest.