Barely Bones

Barely Bones 2

Chapter 2, Part I: Sleep is for the Weak

"Go to sleep," Ess hissed. "You have school tomorrow."

"I'm not going. It's the last day," I reminded her.

The clock read 6:02 a.m, and ever since midnight I'd been reading until my eyes stung. During the summer weather, I had this bad habit of not sleeping until I saw the sun rise, then waking up during the time that school would end.

"What do you need?" Ess asked, sighing.

I grinned. Ess was always irritable in early hours. "Okay. Have you ever read SYBIL?"

"By Benjamin Disraeli?"

Of course she knew the author. Ess's house had a private library cluttered with fading first-editions.

"The one and only."

"Well, I haven't read it. Why do you ask?"

"I wanted to know if it was a good book," I grunted. "Does Cameron know?"

"Cameron's asleep!" Ess laughed. "You should know, he'll of course be going to school."

"Damn him and his goody-two-shoes self," I muttered.

"You should go as well. You need to see your exam results. Don't you have that one kooky teacher for history? She probably marked something wrong, so you should be there to check."

"Ess, it's freaking ten past six. School is at nine."

"Sleep is for the weak," she reminded me."If you go to school tomorrow, I'll ask Cameron for you."

"Deal!"

I heard Ess's laugh echo through the shaky phone connection, then she mumbled something along the lines of "good luck," and hung up.

I stuffed my phone under my pillow and shut my eyes.

ー

Chapter 2, Part II: The Day I Met Sebastian

Inky bulges under my eyes was something I was used to. Today was a short day, so I barely took care of myself. I picked up a sweater and a pair of jeans I'd left on the floor, waved them out in an attempt to de-wrinkle them, and put on a beanie even though I hadn't brushed my hair. After brushing my teeth and, wiping my face with a cold towel, I popped into my mom's room. Naturally, she was still asleep, so I hiked out the front door.

A ten-minute walk later, I pushed the doors to the front entrance of the school. I caught Gwynn in the office, talking to the secretary and some curly-haired boy who wore the same beanie as me.

'Well crap,' I thought. 'Gotta tell him to remove the hat.'

Once they exited the office, Gwynn and beanie boy walked up to me.

"Have you been sleeping late again?" Gwynn demanded. "I swear, if you slept later than one I will-"

"I slept at six," I replied, and to the boy, I said, "Nice hat."

He smiled half-heartedly and looked away.

"New kid?" I asked Gwynn.

She nodded. "Sebastian. He's here on the last day so he can get used to the school. Moved in from Massachusetts two and a half weeks ago."

"Cool. Are you just gonna follow us around all day? Because Gwynn and I have the same classes."

He nodded.

"Mrs. McCabe assigned me to be his 'school tour guide' today," Gwynn added.

"Okay, then let's all go to history. I wanna see how many mistakes Miss Maurer made marking the exam," I said.