The (Not so amazing) adventures of Max

Eleventh Entry: Back to the Grind

Monday, August 14

The sweet bliss of the weekend officially ended at 6 a.m. this morning when my alarm went off and I had to drag myself out of bed. Sam was still sleeping, looking way too comfortable, and I had a moment of deep, intense jealousy. The start of a new week felt like walking into a battlefield, with my backpack weighing down on me like it was full of rocks instead of textbooks.

First period was the usual morning fog. Mr. Cooper, still wearing his perpetual vacation vibe, asked us if we were "ready to seize the week." I think I nodded out of pure habit, but I wasn't fooling anyone—not even myself. Second period was math, and I spent most of it doodling in my notebook while trying not to look like I was in over my head.

Then, it was time for the main event: third period with Mr. Dreadmore. Just hearing his name sends a shiver down my spine. Today, he started class by giving us our first assignment: an analysis of the themes in The Odyssey. And guess what? It's due by Friday. As if reading about a guy who spends ten years lost at sea wasn't bad enough, now I have to write about it. Dreadmore paced around the room like a lion watching its prey, and I swear he looked directly at me when he said, "No late submissions will be tolerated." I made a mental note to start that assignment tonight...or at least think about starting it.

Lunch was a welcome break. Ben was still riding the high of Alex's chicken dance on Saturday and kept reenacting it until we threatened to dump our trays on him. Leo found out we have a surprise quiz in history tomorrow, and that news spread like wildfire, putting everyone in a collective state of panic. Even Alex, who usually doesn't stress about anything, had that worried "did I even take notes?" look.

The rest of the day dragged on. Gym class involved running drills, and Coach Lewis yelled like he was coaching an Olympic team. I think I'll be sore for a week. By the time the last bell rang, I was more than ready to head home and pretend that homework doesn't exist for an hour or two.

So, Monday is over. One day down, four more to go this week. Here's hoping tomorrow doesn't come with any more surprise quizzes or epic homework assignments.