I'll Never Understand Boys(Or Girls)

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Back in my own bed. Like none of it had ever happened; like the water sprouted through my skin and carried me all the way back home. The only hints of the remaining memories regarding the night before were misting around me in swirls of blue. All in all, I awoke dripping in sweat, dizzy and still in my school uniform. Now I've been tired before, but never like this. Every single pore was yawning amidst the brand of blankets left in my legs, and up to my mouth-god my mouth tasted horrible. Nevertheless, I unwrapped my arms and packaged them in new, clean bandages. As I looked down at my arms, I found that those water-ridden bandages left strips of brown outlines all over my wrists. Gross. Whoever dressed me forgot to take those off, huh? After many internal protests, my limbs were dragged to the bathroom where I planned on getting that putrid taste out of my mouth. Bare feet trailing across the cold tile floor, I managed to see my toothbrush out of the blur of my eyelashes. By the time I shoved my toothbrush into the slobbery cave, my lips were drooping as if someone had stretched them out, and the froth of toothpaste curdled into the sink. In little bubbles they trailed and I was so mesmerized by the way they trapped sunlight into their minty bulbs that I didn't realize how far back I was digging with my brush.

"Agh!" I gagged, and the violence of the gag thrust toothpaste behind the bars of my teeth. Without another breath, I was face to face with my reflection. But he wasn't me, not at all. He dripped in must and melancholy, his movements were so rigid, reeking of disgust. And don't even get me started on his eyes, they were drilled into his face, surrounded by a tsunami of dark purple rings. There was no doubt in my mind that the one who messed up my routine, tucked me into bed like this, and let me wake up as a complete mess in the morning, was not going to make it past me alive. Something told me that I could not go to school like this, so I tussled with my hair, finished brushing my teeth, and dug through my mom's makeup bag. Wearing concealer from time to time is a skill I already had under my belt, as there have been nights where I studied extra late and paid the price in the morning. Freshening up was checked off my list, and just in case, I glanced back at the mirror. Instead of studying myself once again though, my eyes were drawn to the window. Not because I caught Saiki or Aren in my peripheral, but because there was nothing and no one at all. Just the sound of crickets chirping about. Cautiously I rubbed my eyes, careful not to smudge some concealer into either one of them. And yet I was wrong, it wasn't my grogginess tricking me, it was truly still and dark; the only thing rousing was me. With a woosh I went to go consult with my alarm clock. "4:06 a.m." I read aloud. Unless there was some kind of important event, I had no reason whatsoever to get up so early. Even with my attempts I couldn't get back to sleep, so I put on a coat and walked out the door.

I take walks at night because I like the way the sky drips stars onto my shoulders. I like how my eyelids sink underneath the moonlight and the chilling puffs of smoke when it unfurls from the belated cavities of my tongue. Squeak, squeak, squeak, the nightly air fizzed as the squeals of my sneakers burnt holes into the lifeless ambiance. Although in the process of ignoring them, I made shapes out of the dark and noticed the bright, neon features of the sneakers in which had been disrupting my stroll. By my own nature I thought out loud, "Huh. I must've put on Sora's." Sora only has one pair of none-depressing shoes and the pair in question is the only pair of her's that fit me; but they usually sit untouched next to the door. Did Sora tuck me in last night?  Turning a corner, a piercing eye sliced through the air around me. Its purple iris hid behind a wall, and its ominous call echoed off of it. Just in the way that I'd squinted at my own sneakers, I squinted at the strange figure and its rustling plastic bag held in one hand. "Aren?" if it had been daytime I would've ran over to him, but my legs pouted and turned away. Who in the world would be awake right now? Apparently someone else out there couldn't get back to sleep either. Once he noticed me he turned and materialized in the glow of a nearby convenience store. That's Aren, all right. Of course I waved and smiled, but as soon as he caught my gaze he hurried off, swallowed up by the night sky. Maybe he didn't see me. I went home after that.

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