Here Comes The Sun [wattys 2016]

JUNE 2007

JUNE 2007

"SUMMER VACATION!" Alex yells into the phone as soon as Jem says, "Hello?"

"I'M ALWAYS TECHNICALLY ON SUMMER VACATION BUT YEAH!" Jem yells back.

"I'm also grounded for two days."

"What? Why?

"Because I got my report card."

"That bad?"

"Pretty bad."

"Did you fail anything?"

"No... my lowest was a D."

"In what?"

Alex sighs. "Algebra. And Government."

"Eek. I thought you were good at government."

"Turns out I was wrong, wasn't I?" But the truth is- Alex is good at Government. It was a subject that did not make him want to claw out his eyeballs, which is pretty good. He spent four hours in a row studying but when he woke up the next morning, his mind was blank. He wondered if he had studied at all but he knew he had.

"What did you get in English lit?" Jem asks.

"B."

"That's good, right?"

"Probably." Alex's words come out rushed and he wants this conversation be over. Who cares about grades? They're just stupid alphabets pinned to your forehead that in no way assess your knowledge. If I ever become president, he thinks, I will scrap this schooling system.

*

Alex wasn't technically supposed to have his phone but his mom forgot to confiscate it. (After warning him that he wouldn't get it back till he was twenty one.) He wasn't allowed to leave the house so he spent every a lot of time in his room with his door locked, talking to Jem. This was mostly done at night because Jem had to be at work four days a week and had to mind the shop when his mom was busy.

He also talked to Ruth once who informed him to drag his ass to her house for a party on Friday.

"But I'm grounded." Alex lies.

He can almost hear Ruth roll her eyes. "You're grounded for two days, Alex. Don't give me that shit. Bring your chemistry friend if you want to."

That sweetened the deal a little but Alex was adamant. Ruth threw such creatively phrased profanity at him that Alex was duly impressed with her. In the end, she made him promise that he will come. The promise didn't matter to Alex- who keeps promises?

Having absolutely nothing to do all day left too much time to think. Alex could be battling a dragon while playing table tennis and singing karaoke and yet his mind would wander. When his mom returned from work and asked him, "What did you do all day?" Alex hesitated because he couldn't remember. What had he done all day? It was the impending nothingness and the gaping holes in his day which didn't properly fit in, like two wrong puzzle pieces. But then again, he liked it that way- when he couldn't think. When he had nothing to think about.

Alex was losing it, and he was enjoying it.

His head hurt when he thought about it too much so he just lied. "I did the dishes. I listened to music. I read." His mom believed him because she no reason not to.

The next day, he snuck out.

His mom had already left for work so the house was empty. He jumped out of the living room window after locking the front door, just in case. He didn't want to be responsible for his house getting robbed.