“Hey! If you don’t wake up you’re gonna be late!” My eyes adjust to the dim light of my bedroom. I gaze over to find my mother standing in the doorway with her hands placed at her hips giving me, what I like to call, a ‘death glare’. She then walks in the room, critiquing my organized clutter. After stepping over the few piles of dirty clothes that have accumulated on my floor, at which she makes the comment “We have a clothes hamper for a reason, son”, she reaches the window. She flings open the blinds, flooding the room with sunlight. I can see the evil look she gives me, propelling me to get out of bed. But I roll back over, covering my head with my pillow. Feeling the soft weight of the covers almost pulls me back to sleep.
I hear the door close and enjoy the peace, until I remember my alarm clock has been ringing the entire time. I uncover my head, and squint my eyes, still adjusting to the light t5hat is temporarily blinding me. I sleepily feel around my small bedside table for the clock, knocking over my book, and phone. Finally I found the clock, and started randomly patting it up and down searching for the ‘off’ button. Once I had found the small button, I mash it, causing the ringing to stop. I let out a sigh, enjoying the quiet for a moment, and finally sit up in bed. I hunch over, still half asleep, and start going over what happened in my dream. Nothing like that has ever happened. In the two months that I’ve been having that same dream, never have I had another person just show up, out of nowhere.
I glance over to my clock and notice the time. 7:30! My first class starts at 8! I make a mad dash for my closet, picking out a pair of jeans, and my favorite black t-shirt. After changing I head to the bathroom to at least make myself look presentable. I first start with brushing my teeth. I look up in the mirror and make eye contact with myself. I stare into my pale green eyes. The small flecks of brown that surround my black pupil at the center. Then I follow my long nose, down to my mouth. I then trace my angular jawline with my eyes. I look up to my dark hair, pointing out in different directions. I spit the remaining tooth paste out into the sink, and turn on the faucet so it will disappear into the drain. I wet my hand and start to somewhat style my hair, pushing it to the side, while trying to hide the giant cow-like at the back of my head.
“Come on Eli!” I hear my younger sister screaming form downstairs. Oh, the joys of having siblings! My younger sister, Annie, has been placed on this beautiful earth just to make my life miserable. Whether that be by teasing me, or rearranging everything in my room. Usually to get back at her Ill pull on her hair, or talk about her ‘boyfriend’ at dinner.
I run back into my room, pick up my book bag hanging off the chair at my desk, and run out the door. I make my way downstairs, grab a piece of toast sitting on the counter, and dart out the front door, shutting it behind me. I see my mother, and sister sitting in the station wagon, parked in the driveway. I run over and jump on the passenger seat. “Took ya’ long enough” my sister says, glaring at me.
“Shut up!” I say giving her a similar look.
“Why don’t you make me?” She yells.
Looking over to my mother, I ask “Can I?”
“No! How about you both give me some peace before I have4 to go into work this morning!” Both I and Annie can tell she’s annoyed now. We know better than to keep fighting when mom is irritated. So we quickly mind out own business, and stop talking all together.
~-(+)-~
I walk into my first class of the day. Math! The only class that I truly dread. It’s not the class but the teacher. Mr. Quinn is one of the most grumpy, and easy to anger teachers in the whole school. Not to mention he ancient!
“Warwick! You’re late. That’s what, the third time this month?” He says, calling me out in front of the whole class. I look up to the clock. 8:01. “Are you serious?” I think.
“Sorry, sir. Won’t happen again.” I slowly make my way back to my seat.
“Good. Now back to what I was saying …” Mr. Quinn starts his daily ramble of random confusing equations that nobody in the room understands. I almost make it to my seat when I trip, falling flat on my face. The whole room bursts into laughter. I can already feel my face redden. I think that maybe, just maybe, if I lay here completely still nobody will notice and I’ll just disappear. But I feel a hand on my back, and somebody asks me to get up. I look up, my face still burning up, to see my best friend Daniel helping me up. He picks my books up for me and heads toward my desk near the middle of the class. I rise and walk over thanking him. Daniel had always been there to pick me up when I fell. Even in elementary school, he would defend me when the other kids made fun of me, or picked on me. Daniel was always strong, and I always envied him for that, though we have stayed best friends.
I pull out my binder and attempt to pay attention to Mr. Quinn, and the lesson, but I feel like I’m back in the dream. Just trying to pass the time until I can leave. I start daydreaming, like usual, but I’m brought back to reality when something hits the back of my head. Turning around, I see Jason Reaver, the biggest jock, more like ‘jerk’, of the entire school laughing and smiling to his friends. He points down to floor, and I find a ball of paper lying behind my chair. I pick it up and start to open it as quietly as possible.
“Mr. Warwick, what’s that you’re reading?” Apparently I wasn’t quite enough. “Maybe you’d like to share with the class? He asks.
“No, not really.” I think to myself. He gestures for me to stand next to him. I debate whether I should just stay put. But I find myself slowly getting out of my seat, and start to make my way to the front of the class. It feels like an eternity until I finally arrive in front of the board. I don’t dare lift my head to face the room. Instead I unravel the paper, and start to read out the messy words scribbled on the note.
Scuff my buddies shoe again and you’re paying me big-time
The whole class starts to laugh hysterically, except for Daniel who looks furious. From the back, Jason yells, “That’s right flea-li!” I immediately feel sick. I walk back to my desk, trying not to embarrass myself any more by throwing up. For the rest of the class, I sit there in silence, blocking out the world around me.
The bell rings signifying the end of first period. Everyone rushes out eh door except for me and Daniel, who walks over to comfort me. “Don’t worry about Jason and them. They won’t mess with you while I’m still around.” Daniel reassures me. Once again, Daniel comes to save the day.
“Yeah, thanks for back there though. I can’t stand those jerks.” I say, picking up my book bag.
“Who can?! All they do is make everybody around them feel like crap!” He replies. We start to head out of the class, and down the hall. That was the only class I have with Daniel, so for the rest of the day I just have to endure the beatings, and name-calling by my wonderful peers.
“Well I guess I’ll be heading off to my class.” He says. We exchange our goodbyes and he heads off, up the stairs, while I continue down the hallway.
YOU ARE READING
Four White Walls
Teen FictionWhat would you do if you had the exact same dream every night? And in this dream time passes at a crawl, its all you can do to keep yourself occupied until morning. Eli Warwick wakes up in a blank, empty room every night. He's tried to stay awake, b...
