Room 101. The room of unfinished tests and assignments. The dreadful room full of uninspiring inspirational quotes and perfectly depressed faces.
A page gets flipped over, computer keys are clicking, the clock is ticking. Tick, tock, tick. A phone buzzes. No one bats an eye.
Pretty pictures of places we could be, coat the white brick walls.
When will this torture end? Oh, it’s just begun. That’s fun. Class ends at 12:30. What time is it now? 11:39. 51 minutes left. Now 50. 49. 48.
Is anyone here actually working? Oh, they are.
Quiet conversations between student and teacher, fill the almost silence. A shoe scuffs on the ground, a pencil drops. Tick, tock, tick.
All I can do is sit and sit and listen to the tick tick, scuff, ping!, bzz, click click click, tick.
Why must I sit and face the wall with a screen in my face when I could be reading with the rest of my English class? Why am I being punished for my depression and executive dysfunction? Why am I here?
Why am I here?
Why did I go to school? I mean, I was home yesterday. Today is Friday. After today, it’s done. I’m done. I’m done, I’ll be free.
Until Monday, when I have to do the same thing all over again.
Again, again, again, again, again.
And everyone wonders why teenagers develop depression so easily.