Mirror Island

Ch. 1

It's third period, As I start to raise my hand my teacher says I can go before its all the way up. It's just an understanding I share with all my teachers see, on my first day of school when everyone says what the do most often and are good at I said I'm good at getting sick. Shocker all the teacher didn't believe me until I showed up the next day with the flu. As I'm walking to the door I hear the snickering and teasing behind me, the current trend now is calling me geremy instead of Jeremy. They think it's so clever but it's nothing I haven't been through before, I roll my sleeve over my hand to touch the door. It's the only way the teachers let me leave as frequently as I do, I head to the bathroom sniffling with snot running so much that my sleeves are now damp. I get there and go through my standard series of four paper towels, one standard nose blow, I rip one into two roll them up and swish them around my nose, another nose blow then I wash my hands to use my last. While I wash my hands I forget to ignore the pale, fragile looking, sickly kid in the mirror. I've always hated my reflection for as long as I can remember, all the other kids would get tan, muscles, and never know about any techniques like my four tissues. I don't blame other kids for picking on me I get it, I know I'm a freak and I hate myself more than they ever could but there's nothing I can do. I get sick all the time it makes me an easy target but oddly enough I have no allergies which really shocks my doctors. I turn sharply and head for the door, as I pass the water fountain I think why not and indulge myself in a drink. I drink a lot of water supposedly it helps keep me healthy so I've drank it my whole life to the point I tell tap from purified well more accurately I can distinguish brands.
Something heavy hits my side directly in my ribs, causing the water I just got to spew out all over the wall. I land heavily on my side, I look up to see my bully butch standing above me but I knew it was him before I even open my eyes. I don't know much about butch except that he's very violent and hateful, from what I can gather on the bruises he always has I would bet that he comes from a broken home where his dad beats on his mom and when she can't take anymore or butch can stand by any longer he gets beaten instead. That provided with the fact that he's named after a dog makes for a solid reason to lash out and hurt others since he can't hurt his dad he hurts others to make him feel better. I'm happy to be there for him but I'm frail and can't take too much before I pass out, I tried to explain it one time to him in full but he was just enraged further because in his eyes I tried to talk to him like a friend. I don't see why we can't be friends just because he's bully and I'm victim doesn't mean anything, I have no friends and he doesn't so I don't see why he wouldn't be happy to have a friend to confide in, I know I would.
"Hey butch" I say rubbing my ribs, he narrows his eyes at me
"Don't act like we're friends geremy, you know why I'm here" I start to get up
"Yeah I know but, we both know I can't take much so why pick on me?"
"Because you make it easy" or that's what I think he said because next I woke up in the nurses office.
As I'm walking home I feel my face and check my ribs, I just have a bruise on my ribs so I guess I'm fine, it's not my first and defiantly not my last. I get to my apartment and like usual my dads cars not there so I have another lonely night by myself. I've never really felt like I've belonged, even in my own home, my dad would never tell me but I could tell he wanted a son that he could play with outside, go watch him play sports, and live through. I was the opposite I had to be protected since my birth I was always on the verge of death, I had to stay in the hospital for my first year on earth. It worried my mom and she was always stressed looking for a way to make me healthy, she stressed herself to death. I feel like my dad blames me for it, that would explain why he stays away all the time, I get inside to see the usual money on the table for me. I get my iPod and headphones to listen to my music, it always cheers me up some artists seem to know how I feel and it makes me feel better to know I'm not alone.
I don't feel hungry so I pocket the money, then drink some water.
About two hours later I take a shower and brush my teeth, it's about nine now so I decide to go to sleep early.
Sunlight bears down on my face waking me up, I body hurts like I slept on the ground, I rub my eyes to see I'm on grass with dirt all over me. I look to see myself all round me, I'm surrounded by mirrors! I jump to my feet to check the mirrors and they are real this is no dream, I look around closer and see there's a note next to a map carved into the ground. I can't make sense of the map so I read the note first
"Congratulations Jeremy Mercury, you've been chosen to undergo our C.U.R.E project, you've been volunteered by you're loving parent Charles Mercury. You should be glad to know that this experiment should cure any problems you have ever experienced and make you the ideal human being! As you may have already noticed you are currently on a isolated island with a population of one, you! To complete the C.U.R.E project all you have to do is survive on this island for an amount of time we have set, and most importantly there are four flags on this island with supplies that you will absolutely need to survive. Keep in mind that you will want to be out of this maze of a jungle during night, we have tons of surprises in store for you so remember to have fun!"
I read the note three time then stare in disbelief that this could ever be real, I look at the map there's a big bumpy oval with a big cross through it splitting the island into four roughly equal sections. The upper left has a volcano and is crossed out, to the right is an area with lots of dots, it's also crossed out. Directly below is mountains with another cross out, last what looks like a beach it has a big circle all around it. There's what looks like a drawing of an ant in the middle the center of the map is all trees with "mirrors" scratched into it. From what I gather I'm the ant and to survive this island I am heading to the beach.