The T.R.A.K.Z

   Another day at school. Doing the same routine almost everyday. Wake up. Bathe. Brush teeth. Dry hair. Change. Eat. Greet my mom goodbye. Grab my bag. Wait for school bus. Go to classes. Avoid trouble. Go home. Do homework. Eat. Bathe. Sleep. Repeat until Friday.

   This has been going on in my head as I was walking through the crowd of students in the hallway, trying to avoid bumping into people. I never wanted to be noticed by anyone at school because I always preferred to be invisible to avoid trouble.

   And who am I, you might ask? My name's Alexandria Moore but I prefer to be called Alex. I'm fourteen years old and I have long black hair with dark brown eyes. I am an 8th grade student who doesn't have any friends because I am socially awkward and really shy so people tend to avoid me while some pretend that I'm not there. It may seem sad but I prefer it that way no matter how lonely it is as long as I stay away from trouble.

   I was grabbing my books from my locker for my first class: Biology.

   After grabbing my books, the bell rang signaling five minutes until class starts so I walked to my Science class, entered, and sat on my usual place which is at the back of the class, just in time for the bell to ring for the start of class.

   Our Biology teacher, Mr. Reed, is a kind and fun teacher who just started teaching for this school year at our school. He was a tall man who has dark brown hair with dark blue eyes. He always wears a tie even though he's wearing casual clothes.

   Mr. Reed enters the classroom with his smile and colorful tie. "Good morning, class," he says, standing behind his desk.

   "Good morning, Mr. Reed," we say happily from our seats. Mr. Reed is the most favored teacher in the school because of his friendly attitude and he makes Biology class fun.

   "Okay," Mr. Reed continued, happy from the tone of our greeting, "Today, I am going to show you some pictures, I'm going to call one of you, and you'll say what you see from the picture," he starts up the projector and a picture starts to form on the whiteboard, "Ready and..."

   The projector showed a picture of a park and a giant tree, "Ms. Jones!" Mr. Reed calls Stephanie from the front of the class who was startled from the volume of voice, "What can you see from the picture?"

   A face, I thought as I noticed the leaves from the tree form a face at the corner of the picture.

   "Uh, a park?" Stephanie asks unsurely from her seat. "Good. Next picture," Mr. Reed says as the projector displays a picture of a family; a mother, a father, and three children.

   "Mr. Miller," Mr. Reed calls a tall, fit guy with gelled black hair with brown eyes, "What do you see from the picture?"

   A pregnant mother, I thought, noticing the barely seen baby bump of the smiling mother.

   "A happy family," Roy answered with his deep voice that suited him.

   Okay, I know what you're thinking, "Someone's got a crush..." but no, I just think his deep voice suits him. That's all.

   "Good," Mr. Reed said as he lets the projector shows the next picture, "Ms. Moore, what do you see from the picture?" he asks, looking at me.

   Well, this is a first, I thought as I stood up my chair. This has been the first time a teacher called me besides taking attendance. I never even thought he knew my name!

   The projector showed a picture of a pile of leaves, sticks, and branches.

   "Uh..." I noticed some of my classmates looking at me, "A-an insect."

   "An insect?" Mr. Reed asks as he looked at the picture, "Where?" he asks, getting a whiteboard marker.

   This is so awkward, I thought  as I slowly walked to the front of the class, feeling eyes watching me. I shyly took the marker from Mr. Reed's hand and encircled the leaf with small legs and eyes then quickly gave the marker back to Mr. Reed and went to my desk with my head down to avoid my classmates' stares. I fortunately went back to my without meeting anyone's eyes or else I would throw up on the spot.

   "Excellent, Ms. Moore!" Mr. Reed clapped his hands, "What she encircled is a Leaf Mimic Katydid. They are insects that mimic leaves to protect themselves from predators and they..."

   After a few minutes, the bell rand signaling the end of class. My usual routine continues: Go to next class. Eat lunch alone. Get books in locker. Afternoon classes. Return book to my locker. Get in school bus. Arrive home.

   "Mom, I'm home," I said as I opened the door. I grew up with the care of my mom. I never knew my dad and when I ask my mom who is he or what he looks like, she changes the subject.

   "In the kitchen!" I heard my mom from the right side of the house. I went to the kitchen to find my mom cooking dinner.

   "Hey, mom," I placed my bag on the island and sat on the stool to wait for my mom to cook dinner.

   After my mom finished cooking, we ate, chatted, washed the dishes, dried them, and stacked them. I was about to go to my room but stopped when my mom called me.

   "Yes, mom?" I asked, looking back at the kitchen.

   "Horoscope for Gemini: 'Breaking routine will change things for the better.' Goodnight, Alex!" My mom said. My mom enjoys telling horoscopes of my zodiac sign from the internet every Monday night before I go to my room.

   "Goodnight, mom," I said as I went to my room to get ready for the next day.

   After doing my usual stuff I do to get ready for the day tomorrow, I changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed. 

   Despite being called from class, I doubt I will break my routine, I thought before closing my eyes to sleep.