Is This My Life?(Completed)

Week 1

      Monday:

          As usual, I was woken up this morning by Nick and Lila bursting into my room, then jumping onto my bed. I gasped awake, then tickled them mercilessly, ignoring the gut-retching pain oozing through every inch of my body. After a good few minutes of tickling, we all laid there on my bed, laughing.

        That is, until Lila looked up at my face, and her cheerful smile slowly faded into sadness, causing Nick to look over and look the same. I furrow my eyebrows, "What is it, guys..?" Lila crawled over until she was sitting on my right thigh, then Nick sat on my left.

        God, these two are growing up way too fast! Just yesterday I could easily hold them both on my lap with ease after one of Dad's friends' nights... So, either they were overly zealous in their actions last night, or Nick and Lila have been seriously growing.. And surprisingly, they weren't as rough as usual last night.

        I don't know... All I do know, is that right now, both kids were looking at me with teary eyes, hovering their little hands just above my not yet scabbed wounds, along with my fresh bruises. I take a deep breath then force a convincing smile at their sad little faces. "Don't worry, guys! I'm fine!" I widen my smile into a goofy one, pointing at my own mouth I continue with the strong facade, despite the pain in my jaw from the smile, "See? All good!"

        I can see them trying to resist. But their child-like happiness and fun-loving sides soon overpower their will to be solemn, and the next thing I know, they're both they're both laughing their little heads off, making me fill with joy despite last night. Despite the awful pain that made me want to swallow as many pills as it took to make it go away.

        After about an hour of playing pillow-fights and tickle-wars with the kids, I finally send them out of my room and into their own to get ready for school. As they leave, I close and lock my door before slowly sliding down it, ending up on the floor with my knees to my chest, breathing heavily with a few tears running down my face. "God... It hurts..." I mumble to myself before I begin to think, 'Maybe I could just stay home, today... The school wouldn't care, since I've hardly ever missed before.. And I can easily make up the work tomorrow.' I inwardly groan in frustration, though a hint of fear is thrown in as well, 'But... If I stay home, he and his friends will come again...'

        School is my only escape. When I'm at school, I can feel like I'm in another world. Like what happened last night, has never happened before. Sure I don't have friends or anyone to talk to, but there's always plenty of books. And if I just make sure to cover myself up, then sit in the back corner of the class, teachers usually don't call on me, and students usually don't bother me. It's peaceful. Just me, my schoolwork, and my books.

        I drop the kids off at High View Elementary before heading to my school, West End High. I park my barely-working red 1984 Honda Prelude in one of the "Student Parking" spots. This car idles high whenever I first start it, randomly stalls when I'm trying to drive, and the breaks threaten to go out of I go over 40 MPH... Not the safest car out there, but it gets both me and the kids out, so it's alright.

        After I park, I make sure to tuck my keys safely away in my pocket,  and pull my sleeves down over my hands, "Was it really necessary to dig your nails down the backs of my hands, David?!" I shake my head to myself before putting up the hood on my gray hoodie, then brushing some invisible dirt off my dark gray washed jeans. I grab my black and white checkered book bag and start into the school.

        I make it to my locker, keeping my head down the entire way, and pull out my textbooks for my first class period; English with Mrs. Hayes. I walk into the classroom, keeping my head down, and walk the familiar steps to my seat. In the far back corner of the room, farthest from the door, away from everyone else.