Operation: Break Up

Part 10- The One & Only

“Will all the high school students report to the auditorium. We are having an assembly.” Our principal, Mr. Kanobi, announced over the intercom during 4th period. We were just getting into a great lesson in World History about communism in North Korea. I didn’t exactly love everything about school, but History was DEFINITELY my favorite subject. It was like storytime for a kid; I was a little 5 year old being tucked into bed everyday at 10 in the morning. Except, without the comfortable Sleep Master mattress and the air circling my room. Oh, and the drowsiness. I can never sleep in History.

I search the hallway for my 2 best friends, only to be accompanied by Bryson and Alex. As soon as they show up, I see Elena and Addi coming my way. They instantly start blabbing with curiosity of what the assembly is about. I just hope it’s worth my History time. Because I am going to be one mad son of a gun if I fail that test on Friday.

“What do you think it’s about?” Addi asked me, looping her arm through mine.

“Hopefully not another ‘bully intervention’, I don’t know if I can take another one of those suicide videos with the sad music and the pictures of the kids. Mrs. Bartos showed me enough of those in middle school.” Bryson said, rolling his eyes to add dramatic effect.

“I know, man. Those are sad,” says Alex, nodding in agreement.

“Ha! Gayyyy!” We hear someone call from behind our huddle. All four of us turn to see Zack and Caden, walking side by side. Seeing Caden in his plaid button up and wrangler jeans make my heart skip every other beat. Did someone turn on the heater? Damn, it’s hot.

We finally get through the double doors of the auditorium, and the whole group almost take up a whole row. Zack sits himself next to me, while Caden sits beside him. I notice Bryson and Addi sitting together, laughing loudly about who knows what. The superintendent grabs our attention with a tap of the microphone, going on with a speech about why he called us here this morning.

“And now,” he says, “please turn your attention to the overhead screen to watch this clip about texting and driving, provided by AT&T.” The lights dim and the screen pops up, except it isn’t the video we were hoping for...it was a presentation…

of me…

last night…

dancing around my room with a hairbrush in my hands.

The sound bust out the speakers; the sound of me singing along to Emerson Drive.

Terribly.

As everyone proceeds to laugh, I stand up slowly and walk out of the auditorium with tears stinging my eyes. I look over at the person controlling the projector and school laptop.

Who would’ve thought?

The only bitch capable of this would be

the one and only...

Scarlet Falls.

Strutting past her and her ego with what little pride I have left, I push the door open past me, and walk out. I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket and take it out to see who’s calling.

“Mom” comes across the screen. Why would my mom be calling me? She knows I’m in school and can’t answer.

….Or can I answer?

“Hello? Mom?” I ask.

“Your father…hospital...wreck” are the only words I can get out of her frantic screaming.

“Mom...mom...MOM!” I finally cannot hold it in anymore- with all the shit that just happened back there, and if I heard my own mother correctly, my father’s wreck- I yell through the phone. She finally shuts up and waits for me to calm down.

“Slow your roll...what happened exactly?”

“Your father was in a car accident today. He’s being rushed to the hospital right now. Can you meet me there? I can call the office assistant and say it’s an emergency.”

“No. That won’t be necessary; I’ll be there.” I tell her before hanging up and sprinting to my truck in the parking lot. Tears from my aching eyes fell furiously down my cheeks and onto the black pavement. I swear I could’ve saw my whole world falling in each drop, being ripped from my grasp and crashing onto the ground. I reached my truck and got in, slamming the door and turning on the engine. I remembered I had left my bag in Mr. Davis’ class, but how could I care at this point? I was leaving my bag behind; as if it were a reminder of how great I thought my life could turn into. Turns out I was wrong…

big time.