Echo of Shattered Reality

CHAPTER TWO

TWO YEARS AGO

"Josh... Josh... JOSH!" *Slam!*

The sharp sound of a book hitting the desk jolted him back to reality. Mrs. Walker's voice pierced through the fog of his daydream.

"Where are you pacing off to?"

She snapped, eyes narrowing in frustration.

"Huh... uh, sorry ma'am, it's... nothing,"

Josh muttered, regaining his composure nervously.

Mrs. Walker, now walking towards him, softened her tone but remained firm.

"What happened to you? What were you thinking about, drifting off like that? Is everything alright?"

The classroom, filled with 25 students, had fallen silent. Josh felt all eyes on him as his teacher's concern hung in the air. Mrs. Eva Walker, his history teacher, was known for being strict but fair. Josh, an above-average student, rarely caused trouble.

"No, no... ma'am, everything's fine. I'm okay,"

Josh said, his voice steady but inwardly feeling embarrassed.

"Alright then. But keep your focus on the board, and don't zone out again in my class," 

She warned, turning back toward the front of the room.

Just as Mrs. Walker reached her desk, the bell rang loudly, signalling the end of the day.

"Okay, class, we'll continue this topic tomorrow. And don't forget to submit your assignments by the end of the week," 

Mrs. Walker announced before leaving.

As students started packing up, the classroom buzzed with the usual post-class chatter. For Josh, this was the moment he'd been waiting for.

Finally standing up, he stretched his arms and muttered to himself, 

"Huh... finally, I can take a good nap at home." 

He yawned and as Josh was packing his bag, zipping it up and getting ready to leave, he felt a sudden smack on his back. He jerked forward, startled, and turned around to see Billy grinning at him.

"Yo! What's up with you, man? You spaced out so hard in class today!" 

Billy asked, laughing as he slung his arm around Josh's shoulder.

Billy was Josh's best friend, always the lively one, never missing a chance to poke fun at him. He had seen Josh's zoning out and was clearly curious.

Josh chuckled weakly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I don't know, dude... just... thinking, I guess."

"Thinking? In history class? Come on, bro, you weren't just thinking—you were practically in another universe!" 

Billy teased, lightly punching Josh's arm.

"What's going on? You never zone out like that."

Josh hesitated for a moment. He trusted Billy, but even he wasn't sure how to explain it. 

"It's just... something weird, Billy. I don't even know how to explain it. It's like I get lost in these thoughts, and suddenly I'm not here anymore."

Billy raised an eyebrow, his usual joking tone fading slightly. 

"You alright, though? If something's bugging you, you can tell me."