Co-Author: @c-NYC-
Joy, sunshine, hope... this wasn't a normal day. Chaos, sadness, devastation... that is my life. Being distracted from reality is a chore which takes determination and devotion. Death seems common in my little community, just on the other side of the compound three little ones died. Maybe several years ago, the town would have held a service for the loss of such innocent lives...but now, all they receive from the living is a halfhearted shake of the head.
"Whatcha thinkin' about?"
A familiar shadow towers over me, breaking my thought.
"Nothing, Oren. You better stop sneaking up on me."
"Only making sure that you get your little butt to class on time. There's a very intriguing lecture in government that I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss."
I can only snort at his words before he grabs a hold of my arm and pulls me up from the patch of grass I'd been sitting on.
"Hey. While a lesson on International Relations sounds every bit of interesting, I've got other plans for today."
He leans down, his icy blue eyes inches from mine. "Your plans for today are to attend class before you get in trouble again. You and I both know that you're a very smart girl - you could pass all your classes with flying colors if you tried, and you will. Because you're going. Right now."
"If I spend another moment in that prison I might burst into a raging fit!" I ball my fists at my sides as dread spreads throughout every nerve in my body.
"You'll survive." Oren places his hand on my shoulder and guides me towards the entrance of the brick and mortar school. "Talk to your little-girly friends about your problems like all you girls do. Won't that make you feel better?"
I know better than to respond to that question - he knows exactly how I feel about my friends, and often vexes me for it.
My friends...they're alright, I guess. They aren't as bad as they could be. Gianna, Mila, and Erin, they're a few of the nice ones. I'm only friends with them so I don't have to be alone, but after creating this alliance, I think I'd rather be alone than pretending.
I guess the main reason I don't like my classes is because they cut off any and all creative thinking. They don't allow you to think anything other than what is taught, as if there is only one way to learn. I feel trapped in a place where real learning is prohibited and exploring ones creativity is discouraged.
"Elle?" Mr. Reanno inquires while glaring at me with a look of frustration. I stare back, trying to silently get away from the conflict. I see Oren shaking his head with a grim smile on his face. It seems everyone knows what's going on but me.
"Yes?" I wait for a response.
"Daydreaming is not a good way to learn, you need to focus on why you're here and not on why you don't want to be." I feel my face begin to blush, remembering the one million and one other times this had happened. I have always been a person distracted from reality, at least that's what I've been told. Despite my lack of desire to come to school, I always seems to follow Oren's precedent. While continuing to ignore what's going on, Mr. Reanno hands out the assignment for the day, I resort back to my dreamlike state of mind. As the minutes pass, the class becomes dull and quiet. Everyone is seated at their straight, square desks, hunching over their white pieces of perfectly lined paper, scribbling with their black pencils. Nobody is paying any attention when Lorella Zavor stands up and carries her paper to the teacher's clean white desk, and mumbles what sounds like a question about the assignment. I tilt my head and study her movements as she shifts her weight from one slender leg to another, leaning on her right hip. The way she presents herself with a sultry self confidence that I can never quite achieve, makes me feel uneasy. She appears almost catlike in her movements. Behind her flawless skin and cascading blonde locks, she holds a sheltered personality that I can't care less about. Beauty is blinding, my grandma would say. And not in a good way.
I see her shoot Oren a smile as she sits back down and starts a small conversation.
"Hey!" Gianna bumps my shoulder with hers. "Who are you judging, with a sneer like that? Because, meow!"
"Hush," I snap, twisting my head away from her view. "This is just my face."
"I won't hush, until you tell me what you're so interested in scowling at. Is it the sun? You've always hated happy things." She scans the room with her dull brown eyes, until they lock on Oren and Lorella. Gianna leans in closer to me, and her voice drops low. "I think they have a thing for each other, don't you?"
"Huh." I say halfheartedly. "I wouldn't doubt that Lorella would have a thing for any guy."
"What on earth are you talking about?" She gives me a sideways look. "Are you saying that Lorella is a-"
"No, don't you dare," I hiss. "I'm done gossiping."
She blinks, once, then twice at me as the bell rings for lunch.
I quickly collect my books and head downstairs to the small cafeteria, to the table that I normally sit at. Cramming into the seat between Erin and Gianna, I hear that they're talking about something that I'm excluded from. Which is fine by me, - I'm used to staying on the sidelines of their conversations. Calmly, I tune into their rapid chatter.
"I've heard that another tsunami hit the west coast-"
"-swallowed the land-"
"-Three miles, gone-"
"-And that earthquake last Tuesday?"
"Devastated so many city buildings -"
"-Government's not helping anymore -"
"-heard rumors of a war-"
"Not enough good land-"
"War?" I pipe up suddenly, even though I instantly regret giving in to the temptation of spreading rumors.
Mila leans in, over the table, her dark hair sweeping the table. "Mhm. It's practically the end of the world."
Erin snorts aloud. "It's not the end of the world."
"Just the end of us," Gianna chirps, unphased.
"That's a bit of a stretch." I say. "This country's taken quite a hit though...people will start to go crazy over the land that's left."
"Well, well, well, guess we found the topic that gets you talking," Gianna singsongs.
I roll my eyes, even though I know it's vital to stay informed of the status of our country - which is on a slow but steady decline. Natural disasters caused by a rather large hiccup from Mother Nature, has been plummeting the land here, with floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, dust storms, and droughts, depending on where you live. And with big disasters come smaller ones - wildfires, hailstorms, thunderstorms. And they all have given their fair share of damage. Countless deaths, diseases, and injuries have occurred, and the numbers keep getting higher. Nobody can afford to pay for anything in those areas, because their belongings have been swept away one way or another. Whilst others suffer greatly, I must admit that I am grateful to live in a place such as New York, where dangers are seen from afar, on a blurry screen or a newspaper, and not in person.
