Impaired

Your 'little push' just happens to be at the edge of the cliff.

Chapter 5

***

I woke up groggily the next day. For some reason, felt a huge sense of dread weighing me down. I had forgotten what I was so anxious for. 

Ah, Max is was my new designated prison officer. The realization made me feel like someone dumped ten tonnes worth of bricks. Ignorance really was bliss.

After a couple days, I had (kind of) gotten used to waking up. I had a little more time (not really, I was still lazy) to get ready in the morning. After throwing on some clothes and making myself look somewhat presentable, I grabbed a banana from the kitchen, where my brother was waiting for me. I had told him about my misfortunes with Max the night before, but just laughed me off. He assured me Max was a 'good person' and 'not that bad once you get to know him'. Then, he proceeded to make fun of me for needing a mentor.

You could feel the sympathy oozing out of him.

"Good morning, my dear sister." Levi said, a wide grin spread across his face. Curse him and his morning person habits.

I slumped in my wheelchair lazily, giving him the middle finger.

"Ouch. You really shouldn't treat your brother like that." Levi replied.

I rolled my eyes as my father came to the kitchen. "Well you shouldn't—"

"Geez, you two are at it again? Even at the crack of dawn? Do I ever get a break?" My father sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly while making a cup of coffee. 

I grinned. My dad wasn't exactly a morning person either. I blame my bad sleeping habits on my genes! 

My dad and Levi, unlike me and my mother, had fair, brown locks and adorning blue eyes. I had gotten my mom's jet black hair and dark brown eyes. Levi and I looked nothing alike. If you saw us side by side, you would have never guessed we were siblings.

"Morning, dad." I turned back to Levi. "You're the one who changed my alarm without my permission!"

He shrugged, nonplussed. "You've always had a bad sleep schedule. It is my duty as your loving brother to, you know, give you a little push in the right direction."

"Little push? Setting my alarm to 6:00 AM is not just 'little push'. Your 'little push' just happens to be at the edge of the cliff." I replied, thinking about the dream I had the other night.

"You'll survive." 

We bickered back and forth on our way to the car and on the way to school. Once we got there, Levi pulled into a parking spot and I got back into my wheelchair. Most people had already heard about 'the girl in the wheelchair', but I still felt unsettling stares on the back of my head once I entered the building. I weaved through the crowd and found my locker, gathering my books before heading off to first period. 

I entered the loud classroom, seeing everybody chatting away with their friends. I noticed Jamie enter the classroom and gave her a wave. She smiled and sat in the seat next to mine.

"Okay, class. Settle down. Today, we have an exciting assignment!" The teacher said.

Oh, joy. 

"You will be working in pairs to create a piece of media of your choice. You will be able to choose who you work with, but if I see someone without a partner, I will assign them to a group. Your work must outline the turmoil—"

And that was when I stopped listening. I groaned inwardly. I wished we could have just worked alone. Partner projects had never really been my thing. (I had never actually done one before, online classes were always solo) I glanced at Jamie.