Carlos-less world

All the dreamers

 September 27.1998

My image stares back from the distant mirror, eyes reflecting my poor mood on a school morning.

It's currently 6 o'clock and way too early for my tastes. I am standing on the cold floor of my tiny bathroom. Questioning if I should even bother going to school.

My face looks exhausted, and I don't wonder why that is. Student life took too much of my time on top of many other things, leading to a poor sleep schedule. Either way, this was about "my future". As my parents used to say.

Too bad they aren't in the picture anymore. But I must go to pass this semester.

I walk to my bed, humming a song that has been stuck in my head for a while. I wear a pair of skinny jeans and an oversized band shirt. I put my massive chemistry books in my backpack and take a long coat from my hanger by the door.

I do one last check before I step outside of my tiny studio apartment. What welcomes me to the outside world is a harsh drilling noise coming from across the hall. The reason for the noise happening to be the second-floor restoration.

You could say that I was fortunate enough to stay in my cramped apartment.

I suppose being friends with the cranky landlord has its benefits.

Today seemed ordinary. Blue sky and whitish clouds hung over our city. The morning air started to crisp day by day as autumn made its way.

Sun started to shine its light on Raccoon city as I kept walking.

Briskly walking through my neighbourhood, I head to pick up Zev. My best friend and the greatest baseball player I know.

I pass exactly 3 apartment buildings and a blueish detached house until I get to Zev's home. The house was the same as any other building around. But I had learnt it like the back of my hand.

I step onto the city-sized porch to wait for my scatterbrained friend.

A minute or two passes as I listen to the life around me. Until I hear Zev's mom, Miss Adams, shout something inaudible. I step aside when the wooden door swings open.

I come face to face with half-asleep Zev.

He wore a checkered pattern brown jacket, a grey hoodie and beige sweats. His signature pink hair was a mess but made his outfit stand out better. Plus, he had his usual army-style backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Good morning, Zev." I wink with a sly smile on my lips. Mentally laughing at his tousled pink hair.

"Wait, where is Trooper?" I question. I wanted to see him and hug him. The fluffy dog would have made my day just by looking at me.

Every time I visit, Trooper greets me with a lick on the forehead. But today, he was nowhere in sight.

"Oh, he went on a walk with Logan," Zev answered me, yawning and stretching his arms. Trooper with Logan? That's rare to hear. How did a fluffball dog go with a shady prick?

"You aren't the only one worrying." Zev continued. He gave me a half-assed smile while smoothing out his hair with his hands. We both walked in silence after that. It wasn't an awkward silence, more a comfortable one.

We were halfway to Charlotte's when Zev started to chatter again.

"What do we have in school today?" He looks at me with a shimmer of hope in his green eyes. He clearly wasn't prepared for school, again.

" Uuh, I have chemistry lectures in the morning. So you and Charrie have English," I respond.

Zev grunts at the answer. Zev forgot to take his books?