November 30
I almost didn't go to school today, but I couldn't stay in the house, and I was starting to get hungry. There's nothing to eat, and I can't bring myself to take my brother's job.
I got a notice in first period that I have to attend detention today for skipping on Tuesday. It's just as well, since I don't want to go back to the house.
I needed school, needed the classes, the questions, the puzzling, to pull me out of my head. But after days in silence, the place was overwhelming and it made me want to go back to sleep just to escape the noise. I drowned in it the whole day, my own thoughts getting caught up in that stream of sound until they mixed with it and I thought I could hear them and everyone could hear them, but no one was listening.
At one point in the day, I remember a note being pushed into my hand. Somehow, it ended up in my pocket. That was how the whole day went. Just noise—and someone snapping a book shut—noise—and pushing myself off the floor—noise—and my mouth moving, two eyes widening, jaw setting, a shoulder shoving mine—noise—and an empty tray—noise—and a full one—noise—and it's empty again—noise—and I'm sitting—noise—and I'm walking—noise—and then it quiets.
Detention was a sucking silence that should've pulled the air out of my lungs, but it's easier to breath there than in the noise. I guess I've gotten used to this. I worked on homework mechanically—homework that I'd somehow picked up between the noises. I couldn't remember. I couldn't remember. And that should've scared me, but it didn't. I'm better off not remembering, not thinking, not feeling, because that means not caring. I don't care. People are bad for me and I'm bad for them. I'm better off alone.
YOU ARE READING
PROPERTY OF A. KENDRICK
Teen FictionA. Kendrick is bullied at school and has no allies among students or staff. And why should he? He's small and strange-looking and slow. His only purpose in life is to keep his younger brother safe from their negligent and occasionally violent mother...
