Crossing Over, chapter 2
<p>My mind went blank. The sweat that covered my forehead was cold. I tried to shout, but my throat had closed itself. Slowly, my lungs began cooperating. I began to breathe normally, though I still felt slightly bummed. It had been years since my last attack, and it had been pretty bad. </p>
<p>I struggled towards the kitchen. My hands were shaking slightly. Every bone in my body ached. That feeling in my head didn't disappear. <br />I grab a soda and slip into my bedroom. This is a mistake, since the last time I went into my room was with dad. Memories flood into my heart. But I stay, not caring of what goes into my mind. I could be thinking about the Eiffel tower and not realize it. I could be thinking about ants crawling on my back and it doesn't really matter. I could be thinking about the map to Blackbeard's treasure and it wouldn't sound stupid. My mind was just another obstacle to jump over. It plays tricks on me, but it's best not to pay attention. Or was this thought a mind trick? Was this a premonition of stupidity or insanity? Or was I as sane as ever? Only I could say that.</p>
<p>My eyes travel around the room. Old magazines lay scattered on the floor. It hadn't been cleaned in ages. Junk lay on the bed, the closet, everywhere. I just threw some of the junk on the floor and lay there, my mind running. The bird perched on my window is the most annoying thing I have ever heard. I throw a sock at it and it leaves. I look at the clock. The glowing numerals say it's three in the morning. I try to sleep, but my mind is too crowded to permit me a good night's sleep. I simply close my eyes and rest, knowing that I hadn't done my homework nor had I bothered to put my alarm on. I wanted to sleep. Just do nothing but sleep.</p>
<p>My eyes didn't want to stay closed. Every few minutes they would snap open and I would feel desperate. But my mind was blank and calm. It was as empty as it could be.<br />My mother's voice woke me, saying that I would be late for school if I didn't get a move on.<br />I wasn't planning on going.
But I got up anyways. Maybe my friends could help me get my mind on straight.
I searched around for something to wear. Chained pants, zippered pants, black t-shirts, Converse sneakers, Goth creepers. Everything thrown on the floor. I finally picked my oldest zippered pants and an AC/DC t-shirt. Red Converse. My black hair was tousled in every direction possible. Just the way I liked it.
I went downstairs. My mother was sitting on the couch reading a book. When she heard me, she put it down and smiled. It was insignificant things like these that made me feel better every day.</p>
<p>I heard a car in the driveway. Peggy, the nurse that took care of my mom, climbed out. I think I had scared her in a way. She never talked to me. She never smiled. She never even looked.<br />"Hey," I said, the ghost of a smile on my face. She just hurried past, shielding her eyes. My hands let go of the door and I grab my backpack.<br />"Have a good day, honey," my mother calls from the couch. I smile the most honest smile that has ever left my lips. Turning around, I head down the stairs and towards the building that for some reason is called school.</p>
<p>"Dude! How's it goin'?" Cody yells.<br /> I turn around and grin. A tall figure walks up to me.Cody is, what some people call, weird. Others say he's being himself. <br />You know what I think?<br />I say he's a true individual.
Sure as hell ain't normal.<br />"Hey, man," I say, whispering. I notice that he's a few inches taller. His red hair was as messy as my black hair, and his green eyes were vivid. He was wearing chained pants and a Pink Floyd t-shirt.<br />
"Hey, check this out," he said, shoving a few strips of paper into my hand. "Montreal got us ticks for the Battle of the Bands at Evergreen's tonight."
I read the tickets. They had said they were sold out, but Montreal was good for this type of things. The annual Battle of the Bands was a famous event here in my town. Evergreen, which was the local music club where all the street scum hanged out at night, had gotten famous because of this event and had opened four more club's around the USA to promote it.<br />"You coming?" Cody asked, waking me up from my trance. I considered this. Mom sometimes needed me during the night, but I could always call Peggy and tell her to stay a little longer. Maybe offer her a fat paycheck.<br />"I'll try," I said. Cody's face lit up.<br />
We walked into the school. Most of the students in the main corridor stared at us. <br />"Better get to the next area pronto," I whispered at Cody. He nodded, and we quickly walked to the side corridor. </p>
<p>At our school, people are kinda racist when it comes to labels. So some kind of idiot created a "corridor system". There was the Jock Corridor, which was mostly for the guys; Cheer Corridor, which was for the cheerleaders and "popular" girls; Drama Lodge, which was for all these weird aspiring actresses and actors and members of the drama club; Geek Corridor, for the bands geeks, nerds, computer geeks and members of the chess club; Individual, for the ones who didn't like labels. And last but not least, there was the Urchin Street, completely for the punks, Goths, street scum and emos of the school. It had originally been called the Rock Corridor, but it sounded corny, so we changed it ourselves. This was paradise for us. <br />I walked up to my locker. Cody's locker was opposite to mine. I started searching for my books, when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
It was Montreal.<br />"Hey," she said, opening her locker, right beside mine. <br />"Hi," I said.<br />Montreal was about my height. She had short black hair with green highlights, which matched her eyes. Her real name is Stephanie, but the only person I have ever seen call her that and not get beaten into a pulp is her mom. She was dressed in baggy jeans- which were torn at the knees-, and a striped black-and-white tank top with a gray hoodie jacket. The black eyeliner was smeared around her eyes chaotically.<br />Cody walked up beside me. <br />"Darren, d'you got to go to your 'therapy session' today?" he asked.<br />
I shrugged. I felt Montreal shift uncomfortably next to me.<br />"Why'd you ask?"<br />"I dunno," Cody said, running his fingers through his hair. "Just curious."<br />"Curiosity killed the cat," Montreal said scathingly. She turned towards me. "No, seriously, Dae, d'you have to go today?"<br />"I'm not sure," I answered. "I mean, yeah, I gotta go, but I'm not sure if I'm goin'."<br />The bell rang. We slipped away into class. My mind had new thoughts surging inside. But I didn't pay attention.<br />
I never do.</p>
<p>I struggled towards the kitchen. My hands were shaking slightly. Every bone in my body ached. That feeling in my head didn't disappear. <br />I grab a soda and slip into my bedroom. This is a mistake, since the last time I went into my room was with dad. Memories flood into my heart. But I stay, not caring of what goes into my mind. I could be thinking about the Eiffel tower and not realize it. I could be thinking about ants crawling on my back and it doesn't really matter. I could be thinking about the map to Blackbeard's treasure and it wouldn't sound stupid. My mind was just another obstacle to jump over. It plays tricks on me, but it's best not to pay attention. Or was this thought a mind trick? Was this a premonition of stupidity or insanity? Or was I as sane as ever? Only I could say that.</p>
<p>My eyes travel around the room. Old magazines lay scattered on the floor. It hadn't been cleaned in ages. Junk lay on the bed, the closet, everywhere. I just threw some of the junk on the floor and lay there, my mind running. The bird perched on my window is the most annoying thing I have ever heard. I throw a sock at it and it leaves. I look at the clock. The glowing numerals say it's three in the morning. I try to sleep, but my mind is too crowded to permit me a good night's sleep. I simply close my eyes and rest, knowing that I hadn't done my homework nor had I bothered to put my alarm on. I wanted to sleep. Just do nothing but sleep.</p>
<p>My eyes didn't want to stay closed. Every few minutes they would snap open and I would feel desperate. But my mind was blank and calm. It was as empty as it could be.<br />My mother's voice woke me, saying that I would be late for school if I didn't get a move on.<br />I wasn't planning on going.
But I got up anyways. Maybe my friends could help me get my mind on straight.
I searched around for something to wear. Chained pants, zippered pants, black t-shirts, Converse sneakers, Goth creepers. Everything thrown on the floor. I finally picked my oldest zippered pants and an AC/DC t-shirt. Red Converse. My black hair was tousled in every direction possible. Just the way I liked it.
I went downstairs. My mother was sitting on the couch reading a book. When she heard me, she put it down and smiled. It was insignificant things like these that made me feel better every day.</p>
<p>I heard a car in the driveway. Peggy, the nurse that took care of my mom, climbed out. I think I had scared her in a way. She never talked to me. She never smiled. She never even looked.<br />"Hey," I said, the ghost of a smile on my face. She just hurried past, shielding her eyes. My hands let go of the door and I grab my backpack.<br />"Have a good day, honey," my mother calls from the couch. I smile the most honest smile that has ever left my lips. Turning around, I head down the stairs and towards the building that for some reason is called school.</p>
<p>"Dude! How's it goin'?" Cody yells.<br /> I turn around and grin. A tall figure walks up to me.Cody is, what some people call, weird. Others say he's being himself. <br />You know what I think?<br />I say he's a true individual.
Sure as hell ain't normal.<br />"Hey, man," I say, whispering. I notice that he's a few inches taller. His red hair was as messy as my black hair, and his green eyes were vivid. He was wearing chained pants and a Pink Floyd t-shirt.<br />
"Hey, check this out," he said, shoving a few strips of paper into my hand. "Montreal got us ticks for the Battle of the Bands at Evergreen's tonight."
I read the tickets. They had said they were sold out, but Montreal was good for this type of things. The annual Battle of the Bands was a famous event here in my town. Evergreen, which was the local music club where all the street scum hanged out at night, had gotten famous because of this event and had opened four more club's around the USA to promote it.<br />"You coming?" Cody asked, waking me up from my trance. I considered this. Mom sometimes needed me during the night, but I could always call Peggy and tell her to stay a little longer. Maybe offer her a fat paycheck.<br />"I'll try," I said. Cody's face lit up.<br />
We walked into the school. Most of the students in the main corridor stared at us. <br />"Better get to the next area pronto," I whispered at Cody. He nodded, and we quickly walked to the side corridor. </p>
<p>At our school, people are kinda racist when it comes to labels. So some kind of idiot created a "corridor system". There was the Jock Corridor, which was mostly for the guys; Cheer Corridor, which was for the cheerleaders and "popular" girls; Drama Lodge, which was for all these weird aspiring actresses and actors and members of the drama club; Geek Corridor, for the bands geeks, nerds, computer geeks and members of the chess club; Individual, for the ones who didn't like labels. And last but not least, there was the Urchin Street, completely for the punks, Goths, street scum and emos of the school. It had originally been called the Rock Corridor, but it sounded corny, so we changed it ourselves. This was paradise for us. <br />I walked up to my locker. Cody's locker was opposite to mine. I started searching for my books, when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
It was Montreal.<br />"Hey," she said, opening her locker, right beside mine. <br />"Hi," I said.<br />Montreal was about my height. She had short black hair with green highlights, which matched her eyes. Her real name is Stephanie, but the only person I have ever seen call her that and not get beaten into a pulp is her mom. She was dressed in baggy jeans- which were torn at the knees-, and a striped black-and-white tank top with a gray hoodie jacket. The black eyeliner was smeared around her eyes chaotically.<br />Cody walked up beside me. <br />"Darren, d'you got to go to your 'therapy session' today?" he asked.<br />
I shrugged. I felt Montreal shift uncomfortably next to me.<br />"Why'd you ask?"<br />"I dunno," Cody said, running his fingers through his hair. "Just curious."<br />"Curiosity killed the cat," Montreal said scathingly. She turned towards me. "No, seriously, Dae, d'you have to go today?"<br />"I'm not sure," I answered. "I mean, yeah, I gotta go, but I'm not sure if I'm goin'."<br />The bell rang. We slipped away into class. My mind had new thoughts surging inside. But I didn't pay attention.<br />
I never do.</p>
