The Other World

Chapter 1

Rivers slouched back in her desk stifling a yawn.  Desks were sitting in neat, orderly lines and each one was filled.  She was in Mr. Brown’s World History class, which was usually a little interesting, but today she could barely stay awake.  Her least favorite thing was Modern History and that just happened to be what Mr. brown was introducing.  Mr. Brown was her least favorite teacher. He was young and nice but he was also notorious for hating inattentive students and today Rivers’ mind was solely focused on staying awake.

      Rivers, if you don’t look up and pay attention your going to have detention for a month, she thought to herself, forcing her sleepy eyes to the board.  Mr. brown continued to talk about Reagan, Bush, and Clinton.  Rivers had been having nightmares, well she don’t know if you could really call them nightmares.  They weren’t scary, just extremely realistic and disorienting.  When she had these dreams she felt like that was her reality.  When she awoke she was tired and winded but could never remember what they were about, only that her dreams made her feel more alive then she ever did awake. 

     “ . . . Rivers . . . Rivers, are you going to answer my question or not”.  She woke up from her slight daze to see Mr. Brown’s grey eyes peering down at her.

     “Sorry, Brown, I wasn’t paying attention,” She replied smartly.  She hated when he looked at her like that.  Like she was a child or something.

     “That’s Mr. Brown to you.  I asked you if you knew an important event of the 2000’s”, he said.  He flowed way too much for a man in his twenties.

     “I don’t know. Do you know any important events of the 2000’s?” she said with heavy sarcasm.

     “Keep this up and your going to have detention for the rest of your . . . “

     “I know one Mr. Brown”, Nicole said her hand waving softly to get his attention.

     “See that, that girl is eager to learn, unlike you.  This is your junior year. I’m being easy on you this time but don’t push your luck.  You should try being more like Nicole: now that is a good student.”  He turned his handsome, stuck-up smiling face towards Nicole, the embodiment of the perfect student.  Rivers considered her not only her opposite but also her nemesis.  Nicole got perfect grades and with her petite frame, blonde hair and blue eyes, they couldn’t be more different.  Rivers was curvy and taller than average at 5’9 with thick brown hair, and her skin was a rich caramel. Plus she wasn’t the most polite girl in school but what she lacked in people skills she made up with wit.

     Rivers’ best friend Charlotte leaned across the aisle to whisper in her ear.  “Man, you’re so lucky, I wish Mr. Brown would take the time to talk with me.  He’s just too hot.”

     “That kill-joy is not hot.  I wish he was yelling at you instead of bothering me.  He just trashed my Friday.”  The whole scene had knocked the sleepiness right out of her.  At least she could thank him for that.  “He doesn’t make me angry, he’s just really annoying.”

     “Well I still think he’s cute.”

     “Rivers, if you say one more word you are going to have detention for a month.”  Mr. Brown had interrupted his lesson again to yell across the room.  She had chosen this desk in the back because she thought she would be less noticeable, but now she was yelled at even more.

     “Whatever, sir.”  Right then the bell rang dismissing them from class.  Rivers couldn’t help but sigh in relief.  She gathered up her books and ran down the hall before anyone could stop her.  She stopped by her locker to get her things and was out the building before Mr. brown could show up and point out another flaw.  Charlotte caught up with her on her way out of the school building because they both had to wait for their rides to pick them up.