Music is a part of life, a part of who we are. You can go anywhere in the world and music will follow you. You can't escape it. Whenever you hear a song, it makes you wonder, is this song meant for me? Is this the song that represents who I am, shar...
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It was one of those days where I was absolutely exhausted. I'd barely managed to drive myself and my brother to school to school this morning, and nearly slept through my classes. At least I'd made it to lunch without getting into trouble or killing myself.
Time for a well deserved nap.
After dumping my bag in my locker, I walk into the cafeteria. A lot of things had changed over the last few weeks. Instead of eating in the library I now ate with the band (plus Azura) at their table. No longer was I hidden behind shelves of books, quietly eating my lunch on my own. Most days I would drive not only my brother, but Azura and Hisashi to school, and then to football practice after.
Then there was my insomnia.
My fucking insomnia.
I was going through a rough patch where I would be lucky to get two hours sleep at most, which left me exhausted for most of the day. Copious amounts of coffee helped, but the caffeine in my system didn't last long before I crashed.
Like now.
I make my way through the maze of tables, half-heartedly waving to my brother as I pass his table in the middle and continue to the back of the hall where the rest of my friends were already sitting. The only seat left was facing the large window that was spilling sunlight into the cafeteria.
Dropping myself next to Azura who was chatting animatedly to a quiet but smiling Aiden, I mutter a barely there "Hi" before yanking the hood of my brother's large grey hoodie over my head before laying my head on my arms which where folded on top of the table. The streaming sunlight hit my head, blanketing the top of my body in warmth.
Optimal napping conditions.
"Is she OK?" I hear someone ask, the question breaking through my sleep hazed mind. I don't hear a reply, assuming someone shrugged their answer. No one but Ethan knows why anyway.
The fuzziness in my mind slowly fades until it's completely blank; a rare occurrence. This is always when I sleep the best during times like these. No thoughts to disturb me from my rest. Pure exhaustion is the only way I can sleep peacefully.
It lasted for all of 10 minutes.
"Hey, Jess-snake-a!" was what woke me from the best shut eye I've had in days, no matter how short it was. "Don't ignore me you bitch! I'm talking to you!"
It wasn't often Georgia called me a bitch, so when she did I knew she was pissed. I raised my head off my arms slightly to look over my shoulder at her, my sleep crusted eyes making it difficult to see properly.
"Go away," I rasp, my voice husky still from sleeping, and unceremoniously dump my head back on my arms and close my eyes.
"Excuse me?" she fumes, her heels clicking closer to our table.
"She said go away you incompetent Barbie! Mattaku! Bakajanaino?"
I may have been half out of it, but I heard the hush that went through the cafeteria at Azura's rather loud comment. I could almost picture the shocked yet outraged look on Georgia's face. Shocked, because people rarely stood up to her, and outraged, because, well, who would want to be called an incompetent Barbie?
"Can't stand up for yourself anymore, huh, Jess-snake-a? Was hiring out of country the only way you could keep a friend?" she taunts, clearly not realising that the feisty girl she just insulted sitting in front of her could knock her out in two seconds flat.
"Will you just shut up? I'm trying to sleep here, if you hadn't noticed, and your nasally voice is giving me a serious migraine," I say with a groan, hoping my muffled voice was loud enough for her to hear.
"Whoring around will do that to you."
At that comment, everything went silent. Even the usual clattering from the kitchen stopped. Slowly, I sat up and turned to face the devil herself, who was standing barely a meter behind me, a smirk stretched across her face. I lowered my hood, looking her dead in the eye before replying: "Of course you'd know, right?"
A few "oooooo's" rose up from the crowd around us, and Georgia's face started to resemble something like a ripe tomato, even with the thick layers of make up she had caked on her.
"You're such a creep," she spits out, her voice laced with enough venom to make a snake proud. How fitting.
I try not to let her words hit their mark like the many times she's said it before. As hard as it may be to block it out, I've had ample opportunity to build up shields around myself thanks to her years of tormenting.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo, what the hell am I doing here, I don't belong here, blah, blah, blah. Your point is?"
She looked confused at my words, not understanding what they meant which seemed to only piss her off more. Closing the distance between us, she leans down so her face is just inches away from my own, slamming her hand next to me on the table, the sound echoing through the room. "Stay away from my man," she hisses in warning, and then turns on her heel and begins to strut away.
"Which one? You'll have to be more specific," I call after her, earning a collective gasp from the crowd.
Georgia spins around impressively quick for someone in heels, her face contorted in fury. She stalks towards me, ripples of rage coming off her in waves. "You little-" she starts as she raises her hand to slap me, the first time she's ever tried to do so.
I swiftly catch her wrist, happy my sleep deprived body still had it's quick reflexes. Tightening my grip on her wrist, I pull her closer until my mouth was by her ear. "I wouldn't," is all I whisper, knowing she'll get the message.
She rips her wrist from my hold, raising herself up to her full height before leaving with a scathing glare sent in my direction, her posse not far behind.
Nobody moved once she was gone, all too busy staring at me in shock. "Shows over people," I say, starting to feel slightly uncomfortable under the gazes of my peers. The words break everyone out of their shocked states, and it doesn't take long for them to start gossiping animatedly with each other about what just happened.
Letting out a tired sigh, I turn back to face the table, raising my hood in the process. I had just wasted five minutes of perfectly good napping time.
"Did you just quote Radiohead?" is the first thing I'm asked when the table settles, not surprisingly by Jason.
"Yeah, I guess I just did," I reply with a small smile, before getting back into the position I was in before I was rudely woken by Georgia.
Please, just five more minutes.
Glossary
Mattaku is an expression of exasperation or anger depending on the context.
Bakajanaino in this context translates to "are you stupid?"
