The emotionless teen

Classes

Two days had passed since I arrived at Nevermore, and now it was Monday—the first class of the semester. I made my bed and quickly changed into my uniform. I had to pick up a new one yesterday because the other one got destroyed last semester.

"Enid, are you ready?" I asked the werewolf. She nodded, picking up her book bag from the floor, swinging it over her shoulder, and heading to the door.

We had our first class together today, Math. On our way to class, Enid ranted about how excited she was for school to start again because that meant she would be able to join the soccer team and meet her friends after four long weeks.

As I sat in Math class, I tried really hard to concentrate, but my brain didn't want to cooperate. Every time I looked at the board, the numbers turned into starry shapes, and the equations Mr. Brown had written morphed into different patterns. His voice became a distant buzz, and I couldn't understand why. I had never had trouble concentrating before—why now? Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Enid.

"Hey, Wens, aren't you gonna work?" she asked, looking down at my empty paper.

"I can't seem to concentrate," I replied.

"Don't worry, you can copy my work." She winked at me, sliding her paper over so that I could see it. I nodded and mumbled a small thank you.

The rest of the day went by quickly. I mostly zoned out during classes and then got back on track right before the class ended. But now it was time for lunch. Enid and I made our way into the cafeteria, spotting her friends at the usual table before we went to grab our food. Today, we could choose between some type of chicken or sloppy pizza. Looking at the food made me want to throw up, so I settled for the side fruit salad with watermelon and kiwi and a glass of water.

"Aren't you going to eat anything else?" Enid asked, looking down at my tray. I shook my head.

We made our way to the table. Enid sat down beside her boyfriend, and I sat beside the vampire, Yoko, in front of her.

"Damn, emo girl, on a diet?" she asked, looking down at my tray.

"No, I just don't eat whatever that was," I replied, pointing over to the food court.

"For real. I can't believe people actually eat that stuff," Divina added, then looked around the table. "No offense," she said, noticing that everyone at the table had a sloppy slice of pizza except Enid, who had chicken.

Yoko laughed and shook her head, "Well, it's good" she replied and took a bite out of her pizza.

As we started eating, Enid launched into a story about her summer adventures, describing a camping trip that sounded more chaotic than relaxing. Her animated gestures and bright smile seemed to lift the whole table's mood. I listened quietly, my mind still a bit fuzzy from the morning's zoning out.

Halfway through lunch, the cafeteria doors burst open, and our new principal, Principal Hawthorne strode in, her presence immediately commanding attention. She made her way to the front and cleared her throat, silencing the chatter.

"Good afternoon, everyone," she began. "I have an important announcement. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the upcoming midterm exams have been rescheduled. I'll be sending out the new dates later today."

A collective groan filled the room. Enid rolled her eyes and whispered, "Great, more time to procrastinate."

As lunch ended, we headed to our next class. I tried to shake off the weird feeling from earlier, but it lingered, a stubborn cloud over my thoughts. We walked into Biology, where a new teacher greeted us. She told us that her name was Dr. Voss and was here to replace tornhill.

"Today, we're starting a new unit on plant genetics," she announced, handing out packets. I glanced at the dense pages of information, feeling my brain already starting to wander again.

Enid noticed and nudged me. "You okay, Wens?"

"Yeah, just... off today," I admitted.

"Well, if you need help, just ask," she said with a reassuring smile.

I nodded, grateful for her support, and forced myself to focus as Dr. Voss began the lecture. This time, I managed to stay present, jotting down notes and trying to absorb the information. The day continued, each class a small battle against the pull of my wandering mind. By the time the final bell rang, I was exhausted but relieved.

As we walked back to our dorm, Enid chattered about the upcoming soccer tryouts. I listened, hoping tomorrow would be better and I'd finally shake off whatever was distracting me. For now, I was just glad the first day was over.

When we reached our room, I collapsed onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. Enid flopped onto hers, still bubbling with energy.

"Do you think you'll come to watch tryouts tomorrow?" she asked.

"Maybe," I replied, unsure if I'd even be able to focus enough to enjoy it. "I'll see how I feel."

"Well, I hope you do. It might be good for you to get out and do something different," Enid suggested, her tone genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, you're probably right," I say

I decided to get a head start on my homework, hoping that immersing myself in something productive might help clear my mind. But as I opened my books, the same restless feeling from earlier crept back in. I tried to push through it, scribbling notes and working through problems, but nothing seemed to stick.

After an hour of struggling, I gave up and headed outside for some fresh air. The evening sky was a canvas of purples and oranges as the sun set, and the cool breeze felt refreshing against my skin. I wandered through the grounds of Nevermore, hoping a walk might help clear my head.

As I strolled past the greenhouse, I saw Dr. Voss tending to some plants. She looked up and waved, beckoning me over.

"Hello, Wednesday. How was your first day?" she asked warmly.

"It was... okay," I replied, not wanting to go into detail about my struggles.

Dr. Voss seemed to sense something was off. "You know, sometimes when our minds are restless, it's our way of telling us we need a break. Would you like to help me with these plants for a bit? It might help you relax."

I nodded, grateful for the distraction. As we worked together, she talked about the different plants and their unique properties, her passion for the subject evident in her voice. Slowly, I felt myself relaxing, the fog in my mind lifting a little.

After a while, I thanked Dr. Voss and headed back to the dorm. Enid was already asleep, her breathing steady and peaceful. I climbed into bed, feeling a bit more grounded. Maybe tomorrow would be better.

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I don't know if I like it or hate it..

1166 words!!