Twelve Forever - Todd's Stressful Life

builing up stress

Todd woke up to the jennifers screaming in his ear, and no parents around either. Great. At least no school today, but... he felt different. Certainly not as energetic than usual, and his vision blurred at the corner of his eyes "another migraine?" He wondered as obviously no one was going to hear him other that his two smaller sisters who didnt care. He got out of his bed and while getting dressed he heard something smash downstairs and ran to see what it was "ahg! Jennifers! Why'd you break that?" Looking down at the smashed vase with dying flowers and water spread across the floor, he sighed and went to go grab a towl and bag for the shattered ceramic, while cleaning up the mess, the phone rang and he ignored it. If it was his dad, he didnt want to talk to him he left todd alone on babysitting duty and took the money for dinner to go buy a present for some new woman. If it was either of his freinds he didnt have the time to have fun right now, he still had homework and he had wanted to work on a new song but todd isnt sure that's going to get done.

As the mess disappeared the phone rang again, only adding to the pounding in his head, like a crocodile was chomping on him squishing his head in its strong jaws. He went to grab some breakfast, he poured the cereal into the bowl but his eyes felt heavey and closed as he was pouring the milk. The sound of the phone had numbed his senses but the feeling of milk running into his shirt brought him back to life.

His eyes snapped open and saw that the bowl was gone and replaced it a puddle of milk dripping onto the floor,the Jennifers had snatched the bowl before milk touched the cereal and are now haphazardly eating it on the floor with little bits spilling everywhere. "ugghhhhhAhhhhh!" He moaned then started yelling as his stress and frustration threatened to escape the jail he had put it in, he yelled for a while until the Jennifers were quiet and submissive. Both of them sat carefully on the floor looking up at him. "Would you!- ugh aghh" he tried but the pain residing in his mind made itself known and he couldnt stand it. "Go to your room" he said meanly and the young girls hurriedly went upstairs, leaving their brother to his dangerous feelings. The phone kept ringing, again, again, again. Todd finally had enough so he took a deep breath and didnt help much at all and awsnered the phone.

"Ugh hello?"
"Hi todd! Wanna go to endless today?"
"Did you seriously ring that many times just to ask if i wanted to go play?"
Reggie paused, confused and concerned with the negativity.
"Uhm i only called three times todd?"
The boy stopped, only three? It felt like thirty! Damn this migraine must be messing with him.
"Todd? You okay?" Reggies voice pulled him out of his mind as he tried to realign himself
"Todd?" Dammit, he's still spaced out, he felt frustrated with his lack of concentration and reggie was starting to get more concerned.

"Todd!" Finally he snapped out of it, he joulted dropping the phone bit quickly picking it up and awnsering
"Yup?"
"Dude. Are you okay?"
"What do you mean? Of course im okay!"
Reggie recognised his 'im fine' cover up method
"No your not todd... are your parents home?"
"I! Ugh... no" he admitted defeat with his war against his emotions.
"Do you want me to come over? I can bring Esther too!"
"Yeah i- mgh ah ahhhg!"
"Todd!?"
"M-migraine" the pain in his head had become too much as he leant against the wall and sank to his knees
"Im on my way! Dont worry todd!" And reggie hung up the phone.

A little while later there was a knock at the door, but todd... he couldnt get up, he hadnt moved from where he ended the call a whole thirty minutes ago, and he didnt have the energy to either. Luckiky one of the jennifers came down and opened the door as soon as it was open she sprinted back upstairs.

"Todd?" Esther asked into the darkness, reggie switched on the light but there was a groan which made the two girls find who they where looking for.

"Todd! Oh dear are you okay!?" Esther yelled and ran over to her dishevelled freind, he muttered under his breath "t-turn the light off..."

"Reggie turn the light off!" And she did so, reggie cautiously walked and knelt down beside him. Resting a hand on his shoulder, "what happend?"

"I- uhg can we go to endless? I need to escape. The jennifers will be fine"
Esther looked to reggie and whispered "are you sure thats okay? We dont know how stress works on endless... emotions are different there"

Reggie considered it for a second, but just wanted her troubled freind to be more comfortable "it'll be fine dont worry"

She looked to him in his sorry state, took his hand and used her key to travel to their escape world.