Insomnia // Billie Eilish

Chapter 2

I slid across the wooden floor in my knee-high socks and carefully walked down the stairs. "Cameron, you're running late," my dad yelled from the kitchen. "Hurry up! And don't forget your project."

"I'm trying." I groaned and ran up the stairs to change. I quickly got dressed and ran back down the stairs.

"Stop running in the house, Cam." He looked at me over his reading glasses. "You're gonna fall."

"Dad, stop calling me by my middle name," I said. "And you're the one who told me to hurry."

"Oh, be quiet. There's no point. The only other person ever here besides me, you, and your little brother is Olivia, and you guys have been friends for long enough that she ought to know your middle name. Now go."

I grabbed my project and ran out of the front door. I started walking while I waited for Olivia to pull up. She never did. I walked to school and I'm greeted by Bryant Walker, a stereotypical jock and class-A jerk with his curly, permed mullet. I tried to walk around him but he stepped in front of me. "What the fuck, dude? Move."

"So, is it true?" He smirked.

"Is what true?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"You're mom abandoned you because your brother was addicted to drugs?" He raised his eyebrows. "I also heard that he was arrested for having drugs and sexually assaulting you."

"Wha-What? How did you..." I squinted at him for a second and then glanced around the hallways. A lot of people were gathered around us. Amongst them was Olivia, smiling mischievously. I got ready to punch him, but before I could Jasmine stepped in front of me and shoved him.

"What's up, you little pussy?" She shoved him again. He looked at her wide-eyed. "You gonna do something or are you just gonna sit there like a little bitch?" She shoved him for a third time and he swung at her, punching her in the lip. She knocked him to the ground and started punching him over, and over. I sat there in shock before quickly prying her off of him with the help of two other people.

Bryant got up and backed away, his nose and lip bleeding. Jasmine smiles. "That's right." She nodded. "Back the fuck up."

She turned around and wiped her lip. "I can fight for myself," I said, even though I knew it definitely wasn't true. Jasmine was a lot taller than me, and just bigger in general.

She walked past me, shrugging. "Yeah, you could try. You have a lot to lose anyway. You'd get kicked off the soccer team and out of choir. Plus, I hate that dude." I watched her walk away before approaching Olivia.

"What the hell, Ollie? Why would you do this," I asked, my voice cracking.

She shrugged and smiled. "I don't want to be your friend anymore and this was a pretty fun way to get rid of you."

I didn't understand why she'd do that. She did stupid stuff that hurt me frequently, but never anything that bad. Jasmine was right, I just wasn't willing to accept that yet. I walked out of one of the side doors and started walking to Taco Bell. I couldn't go home and I didn't want to go to the park because it would be way too hot.

I walked inside and sat at a table in the corner with my head in my hands. I didn't understand. Why would she do that just to get rid of me? Something wasn't adding up.