Imperium

Chapter 2

I wake up, attempting to turn my head and look at the clock without lifting it. I smile as I look at the alarm clock, slowly removing my hand from under my blanket and grabbing it. I turn off the alarm; the clock reads 4:45, one hour and fifteen minutes before it goes off.

My eyes look like they will force themselves shut. I can feel the bags that had formed beneath, eyes still red from crying. Hopefully, a shower and a cup of coffee will fix this.

I'm up so early I'm sure my mother isn't up. She usually wakes me when she's leaving for work. This is when I prepare for school when she has already left. Now she isn't even up, but there's no use staying in bed.

I slowly remove my blanket, not wanting it to rub it against my badly bruised body. I slowly wake up, wincing as I do so.

I take slow and steady steps as I make my way to the shower. I'll be hyper again after that cup of coffee. There's nothing like a little caffeine to get you up and going.

Washing is hard because I have to be careful when touching some parts of my body. I spend most of the time standing there looking at the wall as drops of water slide down the shower wall.

I finally exit the shower and by the sounds of it, the woman I call mom is up. I could hear her dragging her feet in the kitchen.

Like it or not, I am going to school today. I get the feeling that I'd break every bone in my body and that woman would still tell me to go to school.

I've given up on understanding her or making excuses for her, and to think this all started after my father died. I don't think she handled that well, which may be the reason she's like this. Then again, that's just me making excuses for her.

I know there's a good person somewhere in there. I shake my head, probably giving her too much credit.

I get dressed, if I don't count Josh, I have another best friend, the mirror. I scowl as I force my hair to behave. After a few strokes, I place the comb down. The figure in the mirror smiles at me before turning around.

I could hear my mother's footsteps coming closer. I walk closer to the door. When she pulls the door open, there I stand. She jumps back with her hand over her mouth. I smile and laugh, satisfaction written all over my face. I know I shouldn't be pulling any stunts, but I couldn't help myself.

"Somebody is up early," Mara observed, displaying the nicest smile ever. You'd swear she is an angel.

I frown, remembering the reason I couldn't quite sleep. I walk past my mother making it to the kitchen. The blood I had left in the living room is all cleaned up, even my blood trail heading up the stairs.

After breakfast and a deserved cup of coffee, I leave the house I call home. I rush to the door of the house, placing one foot in front of the other in one successive motion. If I walked any faster, my movement would change into running.

A soft breeze helps me open the door, kept company by the grey weather outside. This breeze wasn't going anywhere fast. Clouds hug the sun and deprive it of shinning any sunlight down to the earth.

I cross the street, looking at the spot they parked the Camaro. A chill runs up my spine just thinking about it. Thoughts of leaving Josh behind run through my mind as I make it down the street. I was a little earlier than usual, but I quickly shake off the idea, dismissing it. I turn around and head to his home.

I walk over to Josh's house and knock. I can hear footsteps run down the stairs. The door flies open and there stands Josh with a game controller in hand. His eyes open wide at seeing me standing there.

Josh hits his forehead.

"I told you not to be early," he complains, throwing the controller on the couch. He runs up the stairs and down, returning with his bag strapped upon his back and ready to go.