Split

Running - Ch. 1

[Every story has many sides, this one here is Split in two.]

- - • • • - -

Five in the morning, Henry woke up in a sweat, feeling like he didn't sleep a second that night. His hair was messy, his whole body ached, he felt like he was running all night, but he didn't recall doing anything after 11 PM.

"Fuck. What time is it?" He said as he checked the clock, 5 AM, he should be up at 6, he couldn't sleep anymore.

"Well, i messed up." He rolled in his bed, not wanting to get up.

- - • • • - -

He took the chance to make himself a coffee, by 6 and a Half he was ready to go to school, the sun barely visible in an orange gradient of sunlight.

"Honey?" His mother called him before he walked outside, "You are early, couldn't sleep again?"

She had messy hair from sleeping, but she looked restless, just as Henry was.

"I thought i would wake up early."

"Okay, you sure you're rested enough to go to school?"

"Yes, i am."

"Fine, take care."

"I will."

"Really, you're all i have."

"I'll be fine mom."

His father left when he was 10, meaning they had only each other, he became fine with that, it took years and years to get to that point.

"See you later." He said out loud.

He walked out, grabbing his bike and riding towards school.

Probably a 20 minute ride, god knows why the only high school for miles is still pretty far away, they didn't plan everything when they bought the house almost a decade ago.

You could see one or two other kids walking or heading towards Pinewood from this area, but the school had about a thousand students total.

- - • • • - -
Henry arrived at Pinewood, feeling awfully surrounded by the large crowds of passing teenagers, he thought of everyone, deep in their insecurity, neverminding the other.

A familiar face reached out to him, tapping his shoulder, making him turn around to see his best friend Noah Boyer, weirdly smiling to see him.

"Hey dude! How was your weekend?" Noah asked, surrounding Henry's shoulders with his arm.

"Fine, whatever."

"You are a funny guy Henry, chill out for a bit!"

"The nightmares are back." Henry sighed, as he walked towards his locker, Noah following him around.

"Again?" He tilted his head and looked concerned. "You do look like you slept 5 minutes."

"No wonder, i still feel like i've been running all night." Henry groaned.

"Have you considered that you may sleepwalk?"

"I don't sleepwalk."

"How do you know?" He teased Henry.

"I just do, alright?" Henry opened the locker and grabbed his English book.

A sudden ringing of the bell interrupted the conversation, his ears started to ring after the bell stopped.

"Can i sleep during lunch break, if you don't mind?" Henry asked, heavily annoyed.

"That's fine, i have someone else to keep an eye on either way."