The Narrator

1 - Today Was A Bad Day

Journal Entry

December 3rd, 10:44 AM

I wonder if Mom would consider homeschooling me... Nah. Probably not.

Honestly, it's always math class that gets me. Stupid Mrs. Anderson, the one teacher that won't let me touch the iPod. I hope Principal Kent fires her.

That's a little mean. I take it back. At least she lets me use the bathroom more frequently than the other kids.

I swear this is the only place where it's mostly calm and I don't hear them. Though I still have my earbuds in, even now. (Note to self: Download some more songs by AC/DC. I'm really digging Highway to Hell.) I don't trust myself not to start freaking out like last month when my headphones broke. God, that was awful. (Another note to self: Dollar store headphones are crap.)

I'm honestly starting to consider talking to someone about this. Maybe a doctor. Or Mom. Actually, no. No way. A) I have less courage than the Cowardly Lion. B) How do you tell someone you hear voices in your head?

There's the bell. Gotta run. I just hope I survive the rest of the day. I think the cold weather's starting to get to me...

I'm okay with portables I guess. They're hot and stuffy in summer and a complete hassle in the winter but it gives you those few minutes of walking across the school track to ready yourself for over an hour of work.

I stepped through the door and into the cold December air with my jacket pulled tight around me, boots on, earbuds in. There wasn't snow on the ground just yet but it was too cold to wear my high-tops outside. I could faintly see my breath in the air as I quietly hummed the melody of It's My Birthday by will.i.am along with my iPod.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see my pal, Alex Malarkey, gesturing for me to remove my earbuds. I turned up the volume on my iPod and pulled out one of the little buds.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi, yourself." He said. Alex has light brown hair and, like, huge brown eyes. Add that to his athletic figure and there's usually a herd of girls following us around. Okay, more like three or four, but still. Do you think any of them ask for my number? Right. You're funny. The correct answer was no. "The one class we have together all day and you don't care to walk with me?"

It was at that moment I heard them. Two voices. One said, Jerk. The other said, How about we have a real conversation?

I blinked hard and turned up the volume on my iPod. "Sorry," I muttered. "I just hate the cold."

"I thought you loved the cold."

I shook my head. "I love the snow. If it's cold and it snows, I'm good. But if there's no snow, there's no point."

"The heat is worse though," Alex said matter-of-factly.

Torture! One screamed. Just look at me! Another bellowed.

I took in a breath. "Race you!" I exclaimed, mostly so I could have an excuse to put my earbud back in. I didn't wait for Alex to respond and simply began racing across the remainder of the track, thankful for the relief of my iPod.

When I won the race (Alex would've won had I not gotten a head start and if the distance was longer. He ran cross country for our school. He actually won a couple times, no surprise) I didn't wait for Alex and simply rushed into the portable classroom.

My school isn't overcrowded. That's not the reason we need the portables. No. See, our school is possibly the poorest school in the country. In addition to having nowhere near enough textbooks or materials, our school is practically falling apart at the seams.

Okay, I might be exaggerating a bit. But not by much. The paint is falling off the walls, a lot of light bulbs need to be changed and we even have asbestos in certain parts of the building. We need the portables so we can keep the classes out of those areas. Yeah.

Worst. High school. Ever.

But it's super homey. Everyone knows each other and the teachers connect with us as if they were one of us. In fact, the teacher in this particular portable was the only teacher to always let me listen to music during her lessons.

Good old Mrs. Dupont. She was an older lady, maybe late fifties, who typically liked to wear dress pants and t-shirts. She had deep lines around her black eyes, I guessed from years of teaching kids. A real nice lady. All I had to do was spit out some crap about not being able to focus in an environment like the portable and needing the iPod to really pay attention. She said something about understanding and wishing the school could afford to remove the asbestos so she could teach in her old classroom. Bam! Easy.

Today was a bad day. I couldn't take out my earbuds without hearing voices. Annoying voices that spoke over each other, overlapped, whispered, screamed. Total nuisance.

On the way home on the bus, with Alex sitting next to me I closed my eyes, turned up the volume on my iPod and tried to focus on the music. It wasn't long before Alex slapped my shoulder.

"Huh?" I exclaimed, snapping my head up and tugging out one of the buds.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go on a double date next Friday. Miranda has a friend who wouldn't mind meeting you."

"Mmm... I don't know." I didn't know Alex's girlfriend Miranda that well and I wasn't great at meeting people.

"Come on, Travis." Alex scoffed. "You don't do anything these days."

That's me, Travis Bailiff. A little on the pale side, with short dark hair that I honestly can't tell whether is black or brown and deep grey eyes with fairly large ears. Hermit extraordinaire.

What a weirdo. One said. Leave me alone! Another said.

I bit my lip, determined to at least finish this conversation with Alex. "What's her name?"

"Diana."

"Like the Roman goddess?"

"Sure, why not? She likes sports and dancing."

"I hate sports..." I muttered.

"But you like dancing." He said with an inquiring tone.

"Not really," I admitted.

How much farther? Just give up.

The nice mechanical voice of the bus said Alex's stop was next.

"Just come, Man. You'll have fun I promise. We're just going to that burger joint on Fifth. Nothing fancy. But dress nice; change that coat."

"The coat stays." I said flatly.

"Right, sorry."

"And I'm not coming." I harrumphed.

"Alright. Fine. Leave a guy alone to fend for himself."

"Come on, Ladies Man, you'd love to be alone with two girls."

Alex rolled his eyes with a smirk. "You'd have someone if you'd just get out more."

"I have you." I shrugged.

Alex scoffed and said goodbye. He waved as he stepped off the bus and it rolled down the street. It wasn't long before the bus pulled up to my stop and I hopped off and started for my apartment. I was looking forward to relaxing with just my music.