Chloe's World

Everything is wrong

My first night at my new house was hell.

My bed was comfy. Big too. My aunt gave me space, shutting the door behind me after I refused to say goodnight to her or Ned. Around eleven I got off my laptop and turned off the lights. I rested my head down on the pillow.

I closed my eyes. It seemed like an eternity since I have seen absolute darkness. I thought for a moment I was actually going to fall asleep. My thoughts emptied from my brain, leaving a peaceful hollowness. My pulse slowed and I could feel the darkness swallowing me up.

But in the blackness I saw two bright lights speeding towards me. I could hear the haunting echo of my parent's laughter. Pain shot through my whole body. And I felt like I was falling, as if someone had pushed me from behind. My stomach was twisted from the inside, developing the feeling you get when you go speeding down the top of a roller coaster.

My eyes shot open. I was breathing as if I had just run a marathon. The thoughts rapidly spilled into my head, destroying the peace that I had just witnessed for a brief moment.

I knew that was it. I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. What was the point of lying down, staring at a blank white wall? Instead I got off my back and sat at the edge of my bed.

I didn't go back down. Instead I stared outside my window, watching the black sky slowly get lighter. My eyes stayed wide open. To be honest I'm not even sure that I blinked.

Around six thirty in the morning, Robin walked in on me. Her warm smile contorted into a frown when she saw me, baggy eyes and ratty hair, staring out the window like I was possessed by the rising sun.

"Did you stay up all night?" Robin asked. I could sense the worry in her voice.

"I haven't slept in months," I muttered. My voice was hollow, like someone had sucked all of the life out of it.

I looked over at her. The stern look she was giving me made my blood boil. It probably didn't help that she was wearing that cop uniform. "Ok. Just get dressed for school alright? Ned made breakfast downstairs."

I got onto my feet and walked around the room, trying not to make it obvious that I was in the stage of exhaustion. "Yeah about school. I'm not feeling up to it. I was thinking I could take a sick day. My stomach feels gross. I think it had something to do with Ned's cooking."

I know Robin didn't like that answer. Her eyes said it all. But instead of arguing she just pursed her lips. I could tell that my attitude was starting to really piss her off, which was my set goal.

"Get dress or you'll miss the bus," she informed. "And I'm not driving you to school."

"Mom use to drive me," I lied through my teeth. My mom never use to drive me. She always made me take the bus. But I could tell in a neighborhood like this the public transportation would be pretty empty.

"Well I'm sorry but I don't have time," Robin admitted with a shrug. "And besides do you really want to be seen pulling up in a cop car."

I raised my hand in defense. "Hey in my old school that was considered cool."

Robin gave me another look like she was trying to figure me out. But that was a hard task. I was written in a different language. "Just get dressed, ok?"

I pinned my shoulders back and put my two glued together fingers to my forehead, giving Robin a sarcastic solute. "Whatever you say, officer."