9 Days Before [2nd Draft]

The Sixth Day

The way to school felt like a daydream that never ended. In the back seat of the car, Lin sits back.

Groaning due to another day of school, however he's out of sorts: like he's missing something—something important.

It wasn't notebooks, pencils, or any appliances, but something major he can't quite put his finger on.

He recalls this morning, listing everything that had happened: He didn't forget to eat, didn't forget to brush his teeth, he also didn't forget his homework.

Nothing that he listed seemed major enough to fit this puzzle.
The question lies on his mind, as his mother looks back at him in the rear view mirror, "whats up, Hun?" She darts her vision between the road and him.

He snaps back out of it, "nothing." He simply replies and looks at the window, seeing foliage and structures fly by.

She nods and gives a slight acknowledgement towards his decision to not answer firmly, giving a few glances here and there before she mains her focus onto the road ahead.

Placing his head onto his fist as he peers at the window, the rummaging of thoughts formulates again.

Making his mind melt as he tries to figure out what's going on, Lin's on his way to school and his mom is taking him, maybe that's what's off, he normally gets on the bus.

His thought bubble pictures this outcome as a piece to the puzzle,"Hey mom, why is it today that you're taking me to school?" Her mother perks her eyes up to the rear-view, "I've always taken you to school" leaving them both feeling like the puzzle at hand.

"Sorry, I must be tired." He says, shrugging it off doing a big inhale, getting a whiff of car freshener, then letting it out.

The rest of the drive felt dull and long as the two of them remained silent.

~○●~

~○●~

Vehicles start to pull up to the school, doing a gentle turn, following the parking rules.

Lin's mom pulls up, keeping the car to a low buzz. Its engine does a slight massage to its riders, "have a good day at school, here" she says, giving Lin a paper bag filled with lunch goodies.

He accepts the food, making a crumbling sound as he grabs the bottom half. "Thanks, mom." Lin responds to the gesture, placing the goodies into his backpack.

Questions arise: his mother drives him to school instead of taking the bus and she makes him lunch, for some reason to Lin, it doesn't feel right.
Like he just won a reward and his mother is giving him treatment for it.

Lin weaves a goodbye to his mother as she waves and smiles back at him, he pushes the car door making a slight thud to its closer, turning around to see the school ahead of him.

Something about it feels different, which piles onto the other question he has, Lin shrugs it off taking a sigh as he lets go of the unfamiliarity.

Continuing ahead to finish another school day, he makes his way through the arches of the entrance.

His observations speak to him as he notices the school's sign when passing it. "Still looks the same'' with a small sigh, almost encasing it with relief.

Lin strides towards the section on where his locker is, "Yo!" He hears from behind him, a familiar voice.

Here comes Opel, with the sight of him, a memory flashes yet it's dark and blurry, barely making anything out of it; a shiver courses through his spine. "It sucks having to spend summer at this school, huh?" Opel snaps him out of it, Lin's dark memory fades as his friend asks another question. "Are you excited for your birthday that's coming up?"