Project Nebula

To Personalize

I struggled to open my eyes. The morning was pitch dark. My beeping alarm stopped my fading nightmare and forced my eyes open. My arm stiffened overnight, and slowly reached my phone. Once I turned it off, I heard every thought bouncing in my head from my dream. I turned on the lamp and lumbered to my dresser. My school calendar, untouched and still new, had no closings. October was void of any holidays or events besides Halloween. I uttered to myself, it's only Wednesday? I was so tired I could feel the bags weighing my bottom eyelids down. 

Helix's glass bottle of cologne laid at the front of my dresser. Overlooking the fact that I stole it, I held it firmly and sprayed the fragrance in front of me. It transported me to a mountainside of willow trees reflecting off a clean river in a misty Spring. The grass complemented by dew. It was all Helix.

I pulled a random white T-shirt from my bottom drawer. As I took off my shirt walking to the door, it was as if the bottle of cologne was speaking to me, demanding I stay there. It sounds crazy. I held it up to my mouth and gave it a small peck. . . And rubbed the print off on my shirt to remove the evidence. Should I punch the glass, too? I asked myself.

I entered the living room. The only thing on was my television. I never, ever saw my TV on, before. It was a rerun of an episode of Friends. Indigo paced around the living room in his black robe, holding his phone up to face. The corners of his mouth reached from ear to ear. I could only hear a muffled voice from the phone.

"Indy why aren't you dressed?" I yawned and rubbed my eyes. "It's, like, 6:50."

"No school, today!" Indy cheered. "Smile!"

"I think I had a nightmare."

"What kind of nightmare? Was it creepy?"

Images of Helix's beat up face flashed in my head. Somehow, I could still feel the sensation of breaking his nose.

"Denver said Helix came home with bandages on his face," Indigo's smile faded.

"Who's Denver?"

"Helix's older brother. I—"

"Now you're talking to his brother?"

"I knew him way before I knew you. Like a year before you."

"He's a Tunstall! Pretty sure the Tunstall family is full of liars."

I limped into the kitchen to prepare the coffee machine. My toes hit up against a woven laundry basket with warm clothes folded neatly and tucked compactly in it. Another basket next to it was filled with jeans. I knelt down to observe them. My black shirts were mixed with Indy's more vibrant attire.

"Wow, thanks, Indy." I sifted through the heavy jeans. "You didn't have to."

"I mean, this is kinda my home, too, isn't it?" Indy laughed.

"What's up with your place?"

"Kicked out."

Indy entered the kitchen, still staring into his phone screen. He was waiting for a text, I assumed. He opened the fridge door, but no light came from it. Milk, cheese, and all twelve things I had were left to spoil in the dark. Indy raised an eyebrow and looked back down at his phone. The bright white screen faded to an inactive dark one.

Indy grunted, held the door open, and pointed inside."What happened to the power. What're we going to eat, Castor?"

An grimace appeared on my face and I scratched the back of my head. "You know, coffee isn't so bad."