After Infinity

Monday morning, August 6th

Beep! Beep! Beep! I wake up with a start to the sound of my alarm clock. Reaching my arm over to my nightstand, I wearily open my eyes to check the time, turning off the alarm while I do so.

4:30 A.M.

With an exasperated groan I flop back into bed with my face in the pillows. The sleepiness of the morning is still in my body.

"Why can't I just be homeschooled?" I mumble to myself. It's the first day of high school and I couldn't be less excited. If it's anything like junior high, I'm in for a long ride.

I slide myself out of bed slowly and dig through the pile of clothes on my floor. I grab the first shirt I find and slip it on. I don't remember the first time I decided to sleep without a shirt on, but it just became a routine every evening. I always thought the breeze felt nice on my back.

When I open the door to my room, I see the light to the bathroom I share with my brother is turned on. A second later he opens the door to his room, with a tired look on his face.

"Morning Jakey." He says mid-yawn.

"The same to you, Charlie." I scowl. He knows I hate it when anyone calls my Jakey, so I always retaliate by calling him Charlie.

Charles rolls his eyes as he half-stumbles into the bathroom. I keep an eye on him while I walk past because he always insists on picking on me when I have my back turned.

He's a senior at Lakeshore High, the same high school I'll be going to starting today. At least he's got a good reputation there, being President of the Student Council or whatever, so maybe that'll mean I'll get a better reputation just being his baby brother. That doesn't really make me feel any less nervous though.

I make my way down the stairs, one hand on the wall, one on the railing. I don't bother turning on the lights, because mom is a light sleeper and is in the bedroom next to me. Whenever I wake her up before she's ready, she yells. Even if the house was on fire, I wouldn't dare wake her up. That would mean certain death for me.

Still sleepy, I pour myself a cup of coffee. I don't question how old it is, as long as it's coffee. I place the mug in the microwave and set the timer.

I sort of grew an addiction to the stuff. Maybe that's why I'm so short. Now that I think about it, I'll probably be the smallest kid in ninth grade. None of my mother's side of the family is short, and are actually quite tall. Aunt Jade was five feet ten inches. Charles definitely gets his height from them, reaching six feet at least.

Mom doesn't talk about Dad much so I know very little about that side of the family. My blond hair and freckles are alien to the side of the family we actually see, who all have curly brunette hair and pure skin.

Ting!

The microwave beeps and I take the coffee mug out. The smell of the drink fills the entire kitchen and I stand there soaking in the aroma. I take a sip of my coffee, devoid of sugar or cream, or any flavor other than the familiar bitterness of untouched coffee. That's how I like it. Black.

I set my mug on the counter and run back up the stairs into my bedroom, clicking the light on. The door to the bathroom is locked. Charles must have started a shower. The sound of the flowing water hitting the bottom of the shower confirms my thoughts.

I quickly slip on a fresh pair of underwear and search around the floor for a pair of pants. I spot my favorite pair of skinny jeans, still too baggy on my legs to be considered skinny, and pull them on. Then, without thinking, grab a gray jacket, zipping it over the shirt I just wore yesterday, and pull a red flannel over that. Ah yes, my favorite outfit. The perfect one for an occasion as horrifically splendid as this one. The thought of high school still terrifies me, no matter how much I keep telling myself that it'll be fine.