My Short Stories

Part 1 Pressure (Fiction)

I glance at my alarm clock, feeling a pang of panic in my chest. It's already 7:45, and I know I'm supposed to be at school by 8. With a sense of urgency growing inside me, I throw off the covers and swing my legs over the edge of my bed. I glance down at the clothes strewn across the floor, the books and papers scattered about, and I feel a twinge of guilt. My room looks like a tornado swept through it, and I'm going to be late for my first class of the day.

I don't have time for breakfast, so I grab a granola bar from the kitchen and hurry out the door. As I race down the stairs, my mom calls after me, "August, don't forget your math homework!" I let out a frustrated groan and tossed the folder over my shoulder, praying it somehow made it out the door. I can't believe this is happening again.

Outside, the cool morning air hits my face, reminding me that summer is almost over. I try to focus on the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling, anything to distract me from the looming clock tower in the distance. But I know the clock is ticking, and with every passing second, my chances of making it to class on time grow slimmer.

I round the corner to my school, my heart racing faster than my feet. The familiar sounds of students chatting and teachers calling out directions drift through the air, but they seem so far away. I sprint up the front steps, my lungs burning and my legs aching, and practically collapse against the front doors. I pull out my ID and frantically swipe it across the keypad, praying it'll work. Please let it work.

Finally, with a click, the doors swing open, and I practically fall into the embrace of the hallway. I can feel the stares of my classmates burning holes through the back of my head as I stumble down the hall, my face flushed and my hair a mess. But I can't spare them a glance. I need to get to class.

As I round the corner to Mrs. Lana's room, I spot her standing by the whiteboard, her arms crossed over her chest. Her expression is one of disapproval.

"Ah, August. I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to make it." She says with a sigh.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Lana. I overslept and then I couldn't find my math homework and-"

She holds up her hand to stop me, her eyes narrowing. "That's not my concern right now. Just find a seat and get your things out. You have five minutes to catch up, and then we'll begin."

I quickly find an empty desk at the back of the class and start unpacking my things. My heart is still racing, and I can feel the heat in my cheeks. As I'm setting up my materials, I can't help but steal glances at the other students. Some of them are shooting me sympathetic looks, but most are just going about their business like nothing happened.

Finally, Mrs. Lana claps her hands together and the class falls silent. "Alright, everyone. Let's begin." Her voice is stern, I take a deep breath and try to focus on the lesson at hand, determined not to fall any further behind.

As I listen to her explain the concept of imaginary numbers, I can feel my heart rate slowly returning to normal. The familiar rhythm of the classroom helps ground me, and I find myself beginning to relax in my seat. I glance around, taking in the familiar faces of my classmates, most of whom seem to be following along just fine.

My gaze lands on Angel, who's sitting a few desks over. He gives me a small smile, and for a brief moment, it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. His support, even in such a small gesture, helps me feel less alone in this mess.

As the lesson continues, I try to focus on what Mrs. Lana is saying, but my mind keeps wandering back to the events of the morning. I can't believe I overslept again. I'm going to have to figure out a way to get up earlier in the morning because this is getting ridiculous.

During a brief break in the lecture, I hear a gentle cough from behind me. I turn to see Angel holding out a piece of folded paper. "I saw you dropped this in the hallway coming back from the bathroom," he says, handing it to me. It's my math homework. I feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"Thank you, Angel," I managed to say, taking the paper from him. "I really appreciate it."

He shrugs off my gratitude with a smile. His kindness warms my heart, and I find myself smiling back at him.

The rest of the class passes by in a blur, with me scrambling to keep up with the lesson and finish my homework. Mrs. Lana occasionally glances in my direction with the same disappointed face as before.

Angel approached me during our second period and asked why I was late. I explained that I overslept. "What were you doing last night to sleep in?"

"I was working on my math homework for some reason I still don't understand how to do problem 4 or 5... or 6," I say while looking at my feet.

"Seriously? The homework wasn't even that hard. I'd say those three were the easiest." He said that while acting like it was nothing. I excuse myself to the bathroom and when I come out I don't go over to him again. I didn't talk to him for the rest of the day.

The next day I went to my favorite cafe. When I finally arrive, I make a beeline for my usual spot at the far end of the lounge. I'm determined to avoid Angel today, but he seems to have other ideas. I see him walk up to the register and order a drink. Once he pays he sits down across from me.

"Hey, August," he says with a smile. "How's it going?"

I look up from my food, feeling a mixture of annoyance and resentment welling up inside me. "What do you want, Angel?" I snap. "I thought I made it clear that I don't want to talk to you."

He tilts his head to the side, looking confused. "I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I shouldn't have made you feel bad about being late. It's not your fault; you have a lot on your plate." His voice is sincere, and there's a hint of vulnerability there that I'm not used to seeing in him.

I chew on my bottom lip, feeling a pang of guilt. Part of me wants to accept his apology and move on, but another part of me is still angry. I'm not sure what to say.

"Look," he continues, "I get that school can be tough for you. You're smart and you're trying your best, but you're just not used to it yet. And I'm sorry if I made things worse by teasing you. I was just trying to help."

I stare at him for a moment, surprised by the depth of understanding in his eyes. Maybe I've been too quick to judge him. Maybe he does care about me. Slowly, I find myself nodding. "Thanks, Angel," I say, my voice barely audible. "It means a lot that you get it."

He reaches across the table and takes my hand in his. His touch is gentle and reassuring. "You know where I am if you ever need someone to talk to, okay?"

I smile back at him, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. Maybe I won't be so lonely after all. "Aside from that, how far along are you with the project for English?" He asks so casually.

"WHAT PROJECT?" I didn't even realize that I was standing. I looked around and the whole cafe was looking at me, which was about 15 people. I sunk into the booth awkwardly. Well, that was embarrassing.

After we finish our drinks, I head straight to my house. Once I got there I looked at my journal and turned the page to this week's homework. Angel was right. We did have a project due Friday for English. It was a writing assignment about an issue in our community. I haven't even started.

My alarm was blaring in my ears again. When I looked at the clock it was already 8:58. Guess mom forgot to wake me up before she went to work. Afterwards, I got up while rubbing my eyes, and changed from my nightwear to school clothes. At 9:12 I head out the door and start my walk to school.

As I walked into the office I checked in and headed to Mr. Haven's class for world history. I explained to Mr. Haven that I just came to school and that I was sorry for being late. "It's fine, just make sure to get the notes from someone near you." He says as I start walking to my seat.

"Overslept again, Gust?" Angel whispers while I sit down in my chair.

"Yeah," I responded while taking out my papers, "Got the notes?"

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