Strife

Chapter 1- Alexander

I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling fan spin for a while. I then wipe the tears that streamed down my face. I hate reliving that night. I look over to my alarm clock in on its nightstand. It reads 5:47 a.m. Well what do you know? I beat the alarm clock to it. That's a rare thing. I want to stay here in sleep but I have to get up for school and my case of senioritis isn't helping either. Well I only have a few months left before I graduate. I only have to deal with this for a little bit longer then I'm scott free.

 I rise up from my bed like a vampire has just awoken from its slumber. I toss over my blankets to the other side of my bed so I can get up although I really don't want to. I look around to find my clothes that I planned to wear for today that I laid out the night before. I find them on my chair right next to my desk where my PC is. I stand up and stretch my muscles and yawn.

Once that is all well and done I walk over to the chair so I can get changed for school. I pick up my clothes and then decide to think if I should take a shower or not before I change. I opt for the shower and head to the bathroom with boxers and a towel in my hand. I should take a quick shower so I don't wake up Mom. 

Twenty minutes later and I'm out of the shower feeling refreshed. I head back to my room and finally change and finish getting ready. When I finish brushing my teeth I quietly open my mom's door to her bedroom to check on her. She is still sound asleep and then I close the door and head to the front door. I lock up the door and then begin my thirty minute walk to school. I live in a very rural town that is not also entirely empty. A good amount of people attend my high school its safe to assume that this place isn't a ghost town.

I walk down my street and plug in my headphones to my mp3 player and play my music as I go off on my merry way. I finally arrive at my school with at least ten minutes to spare. As I walk up to the steps of my school other people that know me wave to me and greet me. I just wave back while I continue to the middle of the school. I get annoyed by this but like I said I won't have to deal with this much longer. I head off to the cafeteria to get something for breakfast before class starts. I get in line and check the time on my phone. 7:20. I just want to be in bed sleeping already. School why must you hurt me so?

I finally get to the front of the line and ask for a banana muffin and some chocolate milk. As I exit the cafeteria the bell rings signaling everyone to get up and head to their classes. I start to eat my banana on the way to my class. My throat feels a bit dry. Maybe this sweet and delicious chocolate milk should help. I open the milk carton with my other hand and take a sip before I'm bumped in the back my someone. "Oh sorry!" the person yells as they continue walking away. Bastard made me spill my milk. I freaking love chocolate milk. 

I turn forward and continue walking but I stop in my tracks. Crap. The girl in front of me is covered in chocolate milk. "I am so sorry about that! Someone pushed me and my grip on it loosened!" I yell to the girl hoping she won't explode in anger. She turns to me and says in a disturbingly calm voice, "Its fine. Accidents happen right?"

 Why do I suddenly fear for my life now? "Yeah.. err want me to get you some paper towels or something?" I ask her. "I have art right now so its fine I can clean up myself." She says in her scary and calm voice. "No I'll help you clean up. Its the least I can do." I say as motion for her to lead me. She walks forward ahead of me and I follow. It doesn't take us long until we reach her classroom which is luckily for me not too far from my class. I open the door for her and she says, "What a gentlemen." in a sarcastic tone. Well isn't that ladylike of her. 

We walk over to the sink that's very close by the door. She turns on the faucet and I get paper towels for her to soak and try to clean off her shirt. "Thanks...ummm... what's your name exactly?" she says right before giving an awkward laugh. "The name's Alexander or Alex for short. Whatever works for you." I tell her before shaking her hand. "And you?" I ask her. She throws away the paper towel and tells me, "It's Carina." We stand in an awkward silence before the last warning bell rings. "Crap I'm going to be late!" I yell as I rush out of the door without saying a word to Carina. No need for pleasantries besides its not like I or she plan on getting to know each other. 

A few hours pass by and the last bell for school rings. I collect all of my stuff and place it neatly in my backpack. One of my classmates walks up to me and says, "Hey man are you doing anything this afternoon? I heard there's going to be a party at Ellis' place?" I answer him with, "Can't do man. I have way too much homework and I got to keep up if I want to graduate." He nods his head and walks out of the class as I watch him leave. I'm not really one to go out to parties especially not with the grades I currently have. I exit the classroom and take the same route I used to get to school. Once I finally get down the stairs I then hear the sound of sirens in the background. I've really grown to hate that noise. I pull out my phone to check if I had any calls from Mom. My phone is a smart phone with a light weight to it and a good tight grip. The grip of the phone makes it feel like the phone is weaved together with one's skin. No calls from Mom.

When I finally get to my front door I pull my keys out of my pocket and open the front door. I find my mom in the living room watching t.v. "Hey mom didn't you have work today?" I ask her as I close the door behind me and lock it. "I did but now they gave me the day off. Why?" she says as she lowers the volume on the t.v. "Welp seems like I can't have a party now. I guess I should tell everyone its not happening now." I joke to her as I pull out my phone and pretend to call people.

Me and my mom laugh before my mom asks me, "Hey dear. Fathers Day is coming up. Would you like to go with me to visit your dad?" I walk over to my mom and tell her, "Of course I would." I kiss her on the cheek before I head to my room. "Let me know when dinner is ready please?" I yell to her as I enter my room. She yells an okay before I close the door to my room.

Another day on this sad planet now over. I sigh to myself and throw my backpack on the bed and walk over to my computer desk and take a seat. I boot up the computer and log in. I then open the web browser and open up my email. Huh nothing new. I was hoping maybe I could get some discounts at that game store that's not too far from the school. I then click on the shortcut to Youtube and click on my music play list I always listen to when I'm doing my homework. I plug in my headphones to the jack and get straight to work. 

I put down my pencil and check the time on the monitor. It reads 6:50 P.M. My stomach growls as I get up to check if dinner is ready. I open my door and find my mom heading over to my room. "Oh dinner is ready." my mom says as she turns back around to the kitchen. I head to the kitchen and take a seat at the table while my mom prepares my dish. She walks over to hand it to me and I thank her. Italian food and hey it actually looks like Italian food! Mom's been brushing up on her cooking skills. I began to gorge my meal while my mom also joins me and turns on the t.v. to find that it's a news station. The newscaster is talking about mounting tensions between North and South Korea. Right after that the newscaster starts to talk about the up and coming United Nations peace summit. Peace huh? That's a far away dream that humanity will never accomplish. If people can fight over such trivial things such as who dates who or money, what makes people think that they can all work things out with serious problems work? It would take a god given act for that to happen.

As I exit the shower I say goodnight to my mom as I head to my room and close the door. I pick out my clothes for tomorrow and lay them at the same place I did yesterday. I take a seat again at my desk and start to shut down my computer. I take a look at the picture frame right next to my monitor. In it is a picture of a happy little boy sitting with his mother and father on a park bench. I stare at it for a good while thinking of all the good times with my dad. It's a shame that little boy isn't so happy anymore. Right Dad? I get up and lay down in my bed and get ready for sleep. I close my eyes to end one day with another.