He sees an old friend

As he rode on the bus, Alex thought about his two older sisters. He wonders why Mary and Aurora are so different, despite being twins. He could see that Mary and Aurora aren’t identical twins, but Mary should be at least as nice as Aurora. Mary always had a Tomboy personality. Wearing clothes that are most suitable for men and have a short hairstyle. Aurora’s personality is a typical girly girl. She likes to wear make-up, wear what’s in fashion, and loves the color pink. There was one thing that he couldn’t understand. Why did Mary get all the good assets instead of Aurora? Mary’s breasts are almost as big as their Mom’s. Aurora’s chest is as flat as a board. Alex could never understand why the world could be so cruel.

When the bus arrived at his stop, he walked calmly to his school. The warm morning air felt comforting as if he were lying in his bed. Alex couldn’t wait to graduate from this school and sleep in as long as he wanted. Thinking about sleep made him yawn. He shook his head to try to shake off the sleepiness. He had to remind himself that in a few weeks, he would be graduating.

Walking through the school’s halls, spotted someone he recognized. It was his once friend and his enemy Taylor. She was his first friend whom he made in elementary school. He thought they were close, but as high school started things changed. She started to hang out with the popular students. Then she went into cheerleading and soon became the captain. She’s still the captain after two years running it. They soon walk past each other without acknowledging the other.

Alex was able to get to his chair before class started. He sat furthest away from his classroom. As he opened his notebook, he thought about Taylor. He remembered the moments that he spent with her. She used to watch anime with him and could listen to him for hours. He doesn’t know why she stopped talking to him, but he missed her company. Alex didn’t want to feel depressed, so he was going to stop thinking about her and continue with his day. He hoped that Nora would have planned something special.

It was later in the school day that he started to feel drowsy. His eyes grew heavy as he struggled to stay awake during history class. He wondered if it was because of his lack of sleep or if it was just the monotony of the lecture. Nonetheless, his head fell onto his desk and his eyes closed. He didn’t know how long he slept, but it was his teacher, Mrs Turner, who woke him.

With a loud thud of books, Mrs Turner stared daggers at him and said, “Did you have a nice nap?”

Alex noticed that everyone in the classroom was staring at him. He covered his face in shame. Before he could recover, Mrs Turner spoke first. “I see my class is too boring for you. A trip to the principal's office should wake you up.”

Alex's heart sank as he realized the consequences of his actions. He tried to apologize to Mrs Turner and assured her that he wouldn’t fall asleep again. She wouldn’t agree because this was the fifth time he had fallen asleep in her class this month. He felt more embarrassed than ashamed at that moment. He didn't think that Mrs Turner would be counting. Without making a fuss, he grabbed his things and walked to the principal's office.

As he walked down the hallway, Alex wondered if there were going to be any good rumors about him. He wouldn’t have minded going to the principal, but it would have been better if it helped his reputation. If he had any reputation, to begin with. Alex knew that it was better to have some reputation than to have nothing at all. To him, it’s like being invisible. As he reached the principal’s office, Alex took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It wasn't long until he heard a voice calling him.

Mrs Russell, the principal, was in her early fifties. She had been the principal for thirty years. There were some traces that she was pretty at one time. Yet years of dealing with teenagers stripped her of her beauty. She sat upright at her desk, her spectacles perched on the bridge of her nose as she looked at Alex with a neutral expression. “Alex Morpheus, what did you do today?”

With a calm tone, he said, “I was caught falling asleep, again.”

She let out a sigh. “And how many times does this make it?”

Alex hesitated for a moment before responding, "This is the third time, Mrs Russell. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

Mrs Russell leaned back in her chair, studying Alex intently. “I understand that you've been having trouble staying awake in class lately. Is there something that you should be doing about it?”

Alex thought about it and came up with an idea. “I could take a nap during lunch.”

Mrs Russell simply stared at him, like he hadn't already suggested that. “During your lunch break, you’re allowed to do anything you want. You could also be going to sleep sooner than your usual hours. Wouldn’t that be better than skipping your hour of break?”

Alex didn’t have the guts to tell her that he already tried her idea. He didn't know why he hadn't been sleeping that well. He has been taking medicine for insomnia. For the past three weeks, he hasn’t had one good night of sleep. Not wanting to stay in there any longer than necessary, Alex simply nodded and muttered, “You're right, Mrs Russell. I’ll be going to bed sooner, so I won't miss my lunch break.”

Mrs Russell smiled and nodded in his response. She was glad that Alex was willing to give her suggestion a try. “I hope it works out for you,” she said before returning to her desk and resuming her work.

Alex said his goodbyes and left her office. Looking at the time, he still had one more class to go until he could go to school. He went to the restroom to splash some water on his face before returning to class. As he got to his classroom, he walked to his desk and waited for class to end.

When school finally ended, he felt relieved and tired. He thought about taking a nap on the bus, but he didn’t want to accidentally miss his stop. He also didn’t want to miss the birthday cake that Nora probably already baked for him, so he **** himself to stay awake. On the ride home, he wondered who would be at the house already. In his family, no one is allowed cake until everyone arrives. He figures that Nora is already home. His dad should be working, so he wouldn’t come home until later. He hoped not too late. His older sisters are probably out with their friends or their boyfriends. He hasn’t met any of them, but he guesses that is what they are doing right now.

Arriving at his home, he found it quiet inside. He didn’t hear or smell Nora’s cooking. He looked around the house and found her sleeping in her bed. She was still wearing the same clothes from this morning. Seeing her big breasts rise and fall confirmed that she was still breathing. Next to her bed on her dresser was a small bottle. The bottle was his sleep medicine. He sighed, feeling a little disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to eat her cake tonight. He pulled a blanket over her. As soon as their skin touched, Alex immediately started to feel sleepy. He didn’t know why he started to get tired, so he tried to head to his room. Yet he collapsed on the floor.