I Just Want Peace - Chapter 7 First Day

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Alex grumbles as rolled onto his side, taking his pillow to cover his ear to drown out the irritating alarm. Even with the repetitive beeps muffled Alex could still hear the alarm although it sounded far away. However, it was worse now because his mind unconsciously strained to hear the ongoing beeps and it’s giving Alex a headache.

It was like getting playful pokes, at first it doesn’t hurt but after awhile the pokes get more and more forceful making you feel like there’s a bruise forming.

Alex surrender his sleep but not without a small rebellion. He accurately smashed the alarm clock with his pillow. He successfully knocked down the alarm clock but now without a heavy price. The lethargic bookworm immediately woke up fully as he looks in horror as his tower of books began fall to the floor.

Not wasting any time, Alex urgently rolled off his bed and tried his best to catch his beloved books by using his body as a cushion. A book landed on its corner on Alex’s stomach making him winded. Another book fell flat on Alex’s face injuring his nose.

Alex gently lifts the books off of him and groaned in pain from being beaten up by his books. Curling up into a ball, the brainless bookworm realized that there was no reason to use his body to soften the books fall. With the carpet floors it would’ve been a soft fall either ways.

“Alex, are you okay in there? I heard a loud thud,” Alex’s mom lightly knocked on Alex’s door.

“It is nothing,” Alex replied as he clutches his stomach. “Some books fell. Nothing major.”

“Okay, if you say so. Hurry up and get ready, today your first day of high school!” Alex’s mom said in a cheerful voice, hoping the cheeriness will rub off on Alex. Alex gave a ‘mhm’ and crawl his way to his closet while holding his stomach. After caressing his stomach a few times, Alex felt a little better but instantly became depressed when his mom’s last sentence floats into his mind.

His arms became jelly and stopped supporting Alex’s weight and he crashed face first into the carpet floor.

The first day of high school.

At that moment, all the sad bookworm wished to do is dig a hole where he could lived until the whole school year is over. Alex laid down on the semi-comfy floor and almost drifted off to dreamland.

Knock. Knock. “Alex, I know you’re lying down on the floor. You do the same thing every year,” Alex’s mom scolded. “Get up and get ready for school already. Stop moping around.”

Alex listens to his mom saunters towards his sister’s room. He could hear Alice yawned and ignore their mom as she pulls the covers over her head. Alex not the only person to lounge around, and yet dread missing the first day of school.

“Just because I’m dealing with Alice doesn’t mean I can deal with you at the same time, Alex!” Their mom yelled across the hall.

‘That woman is a real life psychic,’ Alex thought but quickly dismissed the idea, afraid his mom could actually hear his thoughts.

Sliding open the closet door, Alex randomly fished out a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Then he threw his summer pajamas on his bed once he finish changing, and opens his blinds to take a look outside. The sun has yet to finish rising and no life could be seen outside.

This is one of Alex’s favourite time of day. He loves the fresh, crisp morning air. The way the sun peeked at the world under its covers of the night sky. Then the covers slips away as the sun climbs higher and higher into the sky. The morning dew that gives the grass and plants a refreshing drink, and how the world lazed about before the first trickle of life soon became an overflowing world of people with places they have to be, and things they have to do.

“Alex, Alice, one way or another I’ll make you two go to school,” Alex’s mom impatient voice filled the house, her words foreboding.

Sighing to himself, Alex opened his door and trudges to the bathroom. Before Alex could finish rinsing his mouth, Alice rubbed her eyes as she was shoved inside the bathroom by their mom. Opening her mouth to give a great, big yawn.

“Mmorning Alice,” Alex greeted, water he hadn’t spit it out yet spilling out of his mouth. Their mom immediately smacked Alex on his head, and scolded, “Don’t be a disgusting dork first thing in the morning!”

Eventually their mom kicked Alex out of the house once he was done preparing for school. Alex weeps in his heart as he watches his mom locked the door then take his little sister’s hand. Scolding Alex for being a dork and over dramatic as they walk to Alice’s bus stop.

“Alex, you should go ahead. I don’t want you to miss your bus,” Alex’s mom finally stopped reprimanding and said. Alex pushing Alice who is on the swing, ignoring his mom’s words.

Alex’s mom: (#^-^)

“Alice, it’s time for your older brother to go to his bus stop,” Alice’s mom tried to appeal to a new target. However, it was ineffective, Alice kept playing with her older brother and asked him to give her an underdoggy.

Alice’s mom: (###^-^) “Not in front of the little kids, Mei,” she muttered to herself.

“Alex~* I need to talk with you,” their mom said, her voice dripping with artificial sugar. The parents, and the kids would think the two kids’ mom wanted to have a ‘nice’ chat with her eldest son, but Alex easily saw through her facade.

Alex: (|||)

Alex quickly became terrified of his mom at this moment because he could see a menacing black aura being emitted from her. But he was even more terrified of the consequences of not listening to his mom.

The fear of having his books taken away fuels Alex’s feet as he hesitantly shuffled to his mom. Just before Alex reached his mom sitting on the park’s bench, he glanced back. His eyes pleading with Alice to help him to soften their mom. With Alice’s little kid cuteness combine with being the youngest in the family, she could help alleviate their terrifying mom. However, Alice pretended not to notice her brother desperate eyes and started to play with another girl.

Alex: QAQ We are brother and sister! Don’t throw me under the bus!

Alice: |) I’ll light a candle for you.

“Alex, dear, you’ll go to your bus stop now?” Alex’s mom stated, her menacing aura growing darker by the second.

“Y-yes ma’am,” Alex used formal speech unconsciously. Then with his back to his mom, Alex obediently walks to his bus stop. He could feel his mom smile being whittled into his back making him shudder. At the intersection, he glanced back to see his sister school bus had come and loading all the littles children with one of the older kids that’s a bus patrol guiding the new ones.

It wasn’t a particularly a hot day as Alex waited for the bus. In no time he was surrounded by students as each person tried to find their first class. The grade 9s were lucky as whoever came to orientation day got their schedule early

In Alex’s old elementary school there was Day 1, 2, and continue on until Day 5. In a week it was impossible to have two days with the same schedule, each day was slightly different from the other days.

However, high school was much simpler. There’s only 2 days and the only changes is on day 1 the period’s order is 1, 2, 3, 4 and on day 2 the order is 1, 2, 4, 3. It’s also easy to know what day it is since they correspond with the date. Odd number days are Day 1 and even number days are Day 2.

Alex’s first period is math, his class number prt 2. That’s correct, Alex homeroom is inside a portable. Where he will suffer outside in the sweltering summer heat, pouring rain, and the harsh winter.

*cough* The author not that evil to make Alex suffer that much.

Alex: -_-|| ‘that’

Anyways, Alex first checked out his locker but didn’t have anything to put inside and just put his lock on the locker. Leaving the locker cold and empty.

Since Alex’s bus came early, there was only one other person inside the portable other then him. Alex chose a seat at the very back, making himself as invisible as possible. Much to Alex’s relief, the other boy didn’t pay attention to him but remain focus on his phone.

The desk were set in columns of 2 desk instead of groups which was different from how Alex’s old school arranged desk. Alex was satisfied with this as long no one sat beside him.

Alex pulled out a book to read while people started to stream in. Soon the once quiet room quickly changed into a lively atmosphere. Alex began to panic when he saw how full the room is. But as if the gods above heard his wish, when the final bell rang and the teacher started introduction. Not a single person sat next to Alex.

“Morning class, I’m your homeroom teacher, Mr. Smith. This is my first year teaching and this is your first year at high school. I hope we will help each other out in our first year in high school,” Mr. Smith gave a brief welcome speech to the class. The moment Mr. Smith said it’s his first year teaching, Alex could see some of the boys smirking and planning in their heads how to control their inexperienced teacher.

“Let get to know each other better. Let go by rows and everyone say your name, and one thing you did this summer,” Mr. Smith continued. Alex’s face was full of black lines as he thought what answer he should give without attracting any attention. “We’ll start at the front. You can go first.” Mr. Smith gestured at the boy that Alex remember was here before him.

“My name is Aiden. I didn’t do anything interesting this summer. Just reading and watching TV really,” the boy introduce himself. The moment he said reading, Alex impression of him raised a 100 points.

As they went around the room there were a few interesting story and some jokes that made the whole class laugh. All but Alex. Then finally it’s Alex’s turn.

Wiping the sweat onto his pants, Alex was about to stand up when the portable’s door slammed opened. A boy with light chestnut brown hair was heavily panting as he walks up to the teacher.

“I’m sorry. I woke up late and missed the bus and my parents weren’t home so I had to take the city bus. It took me a while to figure the bus route in order to get to school,” the boy hastily explained himself, his sentence breaking as he paused to take a breath.

“It’s fine, I haven’t done the attendance yet so I haven’t marked you absent. Take a seat and introduce yourself,” Mr. Smith kindly said, touched to know a student went through so much trouble just to make it to school.

“Hi, anyone sitting here?” The boy asked Alex. Alex’s face was full of black lines as he shook his head.

‘It was the last seat in the class, of course it is empty or did the school made an error and make a class with an extra student,’ Alex retorted in his mind. But what made his heart started bleed is that he recognize the boy.

“Nice to meet you all. The name’s Sheridan,” the boy greeted the class. Alex cried without tears when he remembered who Sheridan was.

At orientation day, he was one of the people on team We Shall Not Be Name. Alex didn’t resent Sheridan because he beat him, but because of something more serious. Even with the large group making a ruckus, that boy was the loudest one of them all. He loved to talk to everyone. When Alex’s team joined, Sheridan made it his duty to get to know everybody on a personal level.

A major chatterbox, not reserved at all, bouncing all over place, annoying like a fly is how Alex describe Sheridan, with many more details coming rapidly. Alex now regretted not sitting with Aiden. With Sheridan Alex knows he won’t have any peace and quiet for even a second.

But what made his heart truly bleed is what Mr. Smith said next.

“Let’s get to know your classmate whether they’re already your friend or complete stranger. So, for the first month this’ll be your seats unless I need to make changes to avoid troublemakers going crazy with their friends. That’s right, I can see you boys planning to stir the pot,” Mr. Smith stated. “Talk to your desk mate or people around you for a bit, get to know everybody a little better.”

Alex’s face darkens into something darker than pure black as Sheridan immediately jumped into a long, tiring conversation.