Blind (A PJO fan fiction)

CHAPTER 2

Pretty much every morning was the same and this one, wasn't really any special. As usual, I'd woken up with my alarm at five thirty. As usual, Rachel groaned a bit, covered her face and returned somewhere in dream-land. As usual, I'd made herbal tea and was now, seated in front of my favourite textbook in World, Lewin's cells, Second edition. My tea-cup only had a few tea-leaves remaining, and as usual I'd used some early morning silence to meditate before tea. So, it was about six fifteen when I started with my daily-morning ritual of reading my Biology textbook. 

This practice gave me some time to read before classes started. Usually, after school, I was generally pissed off, and punching stuff tended to do me good at that hour. At this hour, I was enjoying the silence and re-reading the first few lessons -- starting from the first chapter, Cells. I was about fifteen pages through, by now. Thing is, I was a slow-reader, so I read slowly and gave myself the time I needed. Quite often, I just repeated the book, over and over. Like, catechism, honestly. This book, was for all purposes the Bible.

The Focus Keeper app on my phone, which was a timer sort of thing based on the Pomodoro technique, said that I'd had two small breaks by now. So basically, I'd been reading for a little over an hour and soon, the bell would go on my phone and signal my third "small" break -- which was when I had to stop my lovely morning session on weekdays. The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management technique and each "session" lasts for twenty-five minutes, after which you take a five minute "short" break. You repeat the process until you've taken four twenty-five sessions and hence, finished a "pomodoro." After that, which a is round -- about two hours --you're entitled to an hour-long break. 

So, basically, I didn't have to waste my time looking at a clock and freaking out about the time when I had to still get dressed. I could stay solely focused on one task during twenty-five minutes, take a tiny break and get back. 

Ding.

I sighed and stopped, mid-passage. Whenever this happened, that I stopped mid-passage, I would restart the entire section in my next-sitting. I closed my book, got up and placed it in the top-shelf. Then, I went over to Rachel and shook her a bit. "Wakey-wakey, Rach. Time to wake up." 

"Hm." 

"Wake up soon...." I sang. 

"Five minutes." she muttered. 

"Cool...." 

After that little morning encounter -- which I called "phase one of waking Rachel," I hopped into the bathroom. Soon after showering, I got dressed and got out. "Rachel, wake up!" I said, combing my hair, and playing some music through my iPod jack. Evanescence played right now. 

And it played loud enough. 

"Rachel, I will put on some Lamb of God or Mindrage if you don't wake up now." 

"Oh, God." she grumbled. 

So, initiating phase two, a little to my dismay as I preferred that genre at night, I hopped over to my iPod and played some Mindrage. 

As phase two would dictate, Rachel swore colourfully and got up. "What's the time?" 

"Uh...." I stammered, applying some soft lipstick. "About quarter to eight. You've got twenty minutes, including breakfast." 

As I checked my light ash-brown hair in a neat pony-tail today and grey uniform, Rachel got out of bed. "Shut that thing up," she mumbled. 

I chuckled. "Sure." I said and walked over and played the playlist, 'Rachel + me." As Wonderwall played, I was certain she wouldn't really complain. With that, she walked over into the bathroom and I went over to the kitchen. 

I tended to prepare my uniform and breakfast the night before; so breakfast was ready. I opened the fridge and took it out -- fruit salad and juice. Waiting for it to warm a bit, I went over to the living area and found my bag from the sofa, checking it for it's requirements. 

While I swallowed  juice, I separated the salad into two bowls. 

We had about ten minutes to leave and about half an hour to our first class.