◄ All I think about is you ►

ᄈᄐ • page 2

- - -

I'm lying on my bed now, my back facing the ceiling as my fingers tap lazily on the keys of my laptop. The soft glow from the screen is the only light in my room, casting shadows across the walls. I'm supposed to be studying for this huge science exam coming up, but my mind keeps wandering. I reread the same sentence three times, but none of it is sticking. The words about cells and ecosystems blur together, mixing with thoughts about Josh. I sigh, resting my chin on the pillow. Why does everything feel so off lately? It's like I'm trying to focus on one thing, but my head is somewhere else entirely.

I glance over at my phone, sitting face-down next to me. No new messages. Josh hasn't texted me all evening, and I can't help but wonder if I should be the one to reach out again. But after how dry he was earlier today, I'm not sure if I even want to. Instead, I force myself to return to the screen, trying to push everything else out of my head and focus on biology. The exam is only two days away, and I need to do well. At least I can control that, right?

The websites I'm trying to load are getting slower by the second, thanks to this ancient laptop. It's been through a lot—dropped in water, fallen two feet from the air, and even thrown at the wall once when I lost it over a game. It's a miracle it's still working at all. To make things worse, the Wi-Fi signal in my room is barely hanging on. My parents refuse to upgrade to a better router or get an extender, so the signal barely reaches my bedroom door. Between the dying laptop and the weak internet, getting anything done feels like a battle.

Frustrated with my sluggish laptop and spotty Wi-Fi, I finally give up and decide to pack my things. Studying at home clearly isn't going to happen, not with the weak signal barely reaching my room and the constant distractions swirling in my head. I grab my bag and slip my laptop inside, wishing I'd thought to go somewhere with a reliable connection in the first place. But honestly, I've been too distracted by everything else—Josh, school, the way my life feels like it's spinning in slow motion. I need a change of scenery, a place where I can clear my mind and actually focus.

I end up at a cozy café a few blocks away, the one with free Wi-Fi and just the right amount of background noise to keep me from overthinking. As soon as I walk in, the scent of freshly brewed coffee hits me, calming me a little. I order an iced coffee—my usual—and find a small table by the window. The light filters in just right, casting a soft glow over the room. I settle in, my laptop set up in front of me, the cool condensation from my drink brushing against my hand. Outside, people pass by, going about their lives, while I sit here trying to find a sense of peace in the middle of everything.

Four hours slip by without me even noticing. The steady hum of the café, the quiet clinking of cups, and the occasional chatter from other customers created the perfect backdrop for my studying. I've been so immersed in biology notes that the world outside feels distant, like background noise. My iced coffee is long gone, the ice melted, and my laptop screen is filled with highlighted notes and diagrams. I'm finally in the zone, absorbing everything I've struggled with all week. The anxiety I felt earlier starts to fade, replaced with a calm sense of accomplishment.

Just as I'm finishing up, a gentle tap on my shoulder pulls me out of my focus. I turn to see one of the café workers standing behind me, offering an apologetic smile. "Hey, just wanted to let you know we're closing in about two minutes," she says softly. I blink, surprised by how much time has passed. "Oh, sorry! I didn't even realize," I say, quickly packing up my things. As I leave the café, the cool night air hits me, refreshing after hours spent inside. I walk home feeling lighter, more confident about the biology exam. For the first time in days, I feel like I've actually made progress.

As I walk home, lost in thought and feeling good about the hours of studying I just put in, I decide to take a shortcut through an alleyway. It's quiet, the kind of shortcut I've taken before without thinking twice. But tonight, something feels different. Just as I'm halfway down the alley, I hear a strange noise—like metal scraping. Suddenly, something jumps out of a manhole right in front of me. My heart leaps into my throat, and before I can even process what's happening, I scream in pure shock. My grip loosens, and my laptop slips from my hands.

I watch in horror as it crashes to the ground. The screen shatters on impact, scattering tiny pieces of glass, and the keys burst off like popcorn. It bounces once before landing in a puddle—except it's not just water. The sticky, sugary smell hits me immediately. It's soda. My heart sinks as I stare at the broken mess, lying in a pool of sticky soda, the remnants of my once barely-functional laptop. All I can do is stand there, frozen, as the reality of the situation sets in.

I stand there for a moment, staring at the ruined mess of my laptop, my pulse still racing from the shock. My hands are trembling as I slowly look up, ready to unleash on whoever—or whatever—just scared the life out of me. My throat is tight, a mix of anger and adrenaline pushing up inside me, desperate for someone to blame. But when I scan the alley, there's no one. Nothing. The manhole cover sits crooked, but the figure that jumped out is gone. I blink, half expecting something to leap out at me again, but the alley is dead silent, save for the distant hum of the city. Confusion floods in, layering over the fear.

I take a few cautious steps toward the manhole, my heart still thumping in my chest. Did I imagine it? No, I'm sure I saw something—or someone. My brain replays the moment over and over, but there's no logical explanation for what just happened. The frustration begins to build as I realize I'm standing here, in a dark alley, with no answers and a laptop that's now officially destroyed. My hands curl into fists, the anger finally winning out over the confusion. Who even jumps out of a manhole like that? And why here, why now?

I glance down at my poor laptop again. The shattered screen reflects the dim light from the streetlamp at the end of the alley, and I feel a tight knot form in my chest. All that hard work—hours of studying, the only thing that had been going right today—now soaking in a pool of sticky soda. The thought of it makes my stomach twist. I crouch down, my fingers brushing against the cracked plastic, but it's no use. It's gone. The one thing I had left that connected me to my schoolwork, to any sense of progress, is completely wrecked. A part of me wants to scream, but all I can do is let out a shaky breath, trying to hold myself together.

I stand back up, blinking hard to push away the tears that threaten to spill over. I'm not just upset about the laptop. It's everything—the stress of school, the weirdness with Josh, and now this. It's like the universe is throwing everything at me all at once, and I'm barely holding on. My chest feels tight as I take one last look around the empty alley. Whoever—or whatever—was here is long gone, and I'm left standing alone, feeling completely defeated. Without another glance at the mess behind me, I turn and walk out of the alley, my footsteps echoing softly in the night, the weight of the day heavier than ever.

I crouch down and pick up the wrecked laptop, bits of broken glass still clinging to the screen. As carefully as I can, I slide it into my bag. I'm not about to leave it behind, adding littering to my list of problems tonight. Maybe, just maybe, I could sell a few of the parts—the ones that didn't get completely ruined. But who am I kidding? No one's going to want this pile of scrap. It's barely holding together as it is.

I sigh, the weight of the bag feeling heavier than it should as I sling it over my shoulder. Defeated, I turn and start walking back home, my feet dragging a little with each step. The cold night air does nothing to clear my head, and all I can think about is how this day went from bad to worse.

- - -

End

◄ Tysm for reading page 2! Rlly hope ya' liked it! This is getting so fun and I can't wait to write more!! ►