Afterglow

Repetition

Today was Sunday. As any student would know, the last day of freedom before the facade of peace and relaxation comes crashing down again as the memory of school and homework become reality once more. The dread and silent resentment that came from the fact that waking up early and stressing out all night over some assignments would almost always become dominant in one's mind.

Especially now, when today the last day of Winter Break in Echo Creek. Three weeks had come and gone in a flash, and now, Marco found himself spending the last morning of break stuffed in bed, groaning at the very fact. Despite living in a desert(ish) region, Echo Creek's winters were rather chilly. As the sun's rays were blocked by overcast skies and the warmth of his bed inviting as ever, Marco found no reason to get up from his bed, opting instead to just try and sleep in some more.

Today was the last day he could do such a thing for a while anyway. The past three weeks had been rather busy, especially with Star around. They'd spent essentially all of their free time together, going to numerous other dimensions, having escapades through the city, and really, celebrating the holidays with her for the first time ever. The lack of school or compulsory attendance just put their adventures on full throttle over the span of twenty days nonstop.

If he was being honest with himself, this was the most eventful break he'd ever had in his life, and part of him wanted it to continue, to never see it end and just keep going on. He wanted that adventure and that thrill to remain instead of just fade away... Now his grades would have to take up all his focus and majority of his time again.

School in itself wasn't a challenge for him. Not at all, he got his assignments in on time and did well in tests, he didn't get bullied or really care too much about his social status (especially with Star around now).

The real problem was the dullness, the lack of change and the lack of vibrancy he'd come to know by spending countless hours sitting away in a classroom for days without end and weekends that seemed to end too fast to savor.

What went on in class becomes a haze. The bell rings, everyone settles down. Stuff happens. Then after endless minutes, the bell rings once again, and everyone's up, walking blindly to the next class.

Six times a day, five days a week, for thirty-six weeks of the year.

It was a distraction, a detractor that took away eight hours of his life during the day and countless more each night. A mind-numbing task that had no value. A cycle with no end upon which the days no longer become cherished or spontaneous but instead ordered and predictable.

Lying in bed, he couldn't bear to imagine returning again. Not after he'd been exposed to all this wonder and magic that Star had to offer. Not after he'd been to other dimensions and had discovered his own potential and capabilities.

At school, he was just another piece in a puzzle. Another person in an ocean of thousands stuck searching for the unachievable and impossible. Another Average Joe destined to live a normal life and have nothing to contribute to the world. Invisible to the world and leaving it the same as when entered.

But with Star... he was somebody. He'd escaped from that normality and found with her a new calling, far from the dull hours spent in classrooms or endless lectures. He was free to do whatever and have fun doing it. She'd shown him that there was more to living than a lesson.

The end of break meant that he'd have to return to his own reality again and put off Star's shenanigans to the side again. Not by choice, but by compulsion.

...

So much for the past three weeks, then. The good things have to come to an end, always no matter what.

He'd just wished they didn't have to.

Staring out through the window and to the grey skies, Marco roused himself from bed and tried to calm himself down a bit after suddenly remembering school started tomorrow and bittering his morning mood.

It didn't seem like he was the only one up this early either though, as the sound of footsteps and a bursting door startled him up once more from his stupor almost immediately after his rising.

"Mornin' dummy! Took ya long enough to wake up!" Star eagerly greeted, entering his room and sitting beside him.

Regaining his senses for a moment, Marco responded with a simple, "Morning, Star." and a slight smile.

She ushered him downstairs, and Marco obliged, following her down as they began their last day of break.

...

Maybe things wouldn't be so bad.

Star would be with him throughout the school hours, bringing variety and excitement in a place that lacked both.

She'd already changed his daily routine so much in the classroom that he'd no longer expected to learn a math lesson and instead started to expect the unexpected from Star. There had been the field trip, the mewberty incident, and so much more that had happened and become a part of regular life now.

He'd wondered how he'd forgotten how much different last semester had been compared to his other school years now that Star was around.

Somehow, just with her around, school was an adventure, just waiting to be explored and redefined.

Break ending didn't seem as much of a bad prospect after all...

Besides,

He still had one more day left. 

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(951 words)

A/N:  i'm back yaaaay

This was mainly just a way for me to vent about break ending, hopefully you like it? I dunno, but regardless, thanks for reading!