6
I sat in English class, dazing off into a world that I call my own...as usual. All I did was daydream in that class, never really caring what was going on around me. Everyone knew that, even my teacher. They all knew to leave me alone, that I would rather be in my own world.
There is one thing I have to add. I'm not crazy or mental. I just don't do a lot of the same things with kids my age. I'm 17 years old, stuck in my junior year, which sucked balls. Yes, I just said that. What's it to you?
On the other hand, I was really smart, pretty, and outgoing. It was like I was by-polar or something (that's what most people could comprehend). But, I never really knew what was wrong with me. Actually, nothing is wrong with me. I'm just...I really don't know. I knew I was out of this world. I didn't want to work with others, but sometimes...I naturally did. I was hot and cold at the same time. I often did believe I was by-polar, but my mother figured I was going through an awkward stage.
I had a twin brother, older sister, and little brother. Mattie was strangely perfect to be a teenager, considering she was only 19. She was the person that everyone wanted me to be like. Mattie was the party girl that everyone wanted to hang out with. Mattie was only two grades ahead of me, so all my friends knew her throughout freshman and sophomore year. This was my first year of school without her, besides junior high and sixth grade.
Max was the sweet football player. He was strong, tall, and the nicest guy around. I turned to him for everything. Half of the time I considered him being way older than me. Then I would look in face and see my face. We are identical twins.
Magnus was only in seventh grade, being a little tiny sweetheart. Practically everyone calls him "Mini Max", but I was the only person to discover the difference between the two. Who knew it? The two girls would be complete opposites and the two boys would be almost exactly alike?
Now moi. Born Marley Ann Richardson. I hated my name, but most people loved it. They would say it was odd and unique, which is better than most. My best friends are Ashley and Ryan. Ashley had been my friend for almost 10 years, Ryan only three. I met him in ninth grade, the beginning of high school. Ashley and I had met randomly and just clicked right on the spot. Soul mates? What a laugh. She's my best friend, not my lover.
English was making me yawn, boring me to tears. Miss Foster wouldn't shut up about this book we had to read. I would rather pass out and be unconscious than listen for minutes on end. I mean, I have a life.
Scratch that.
I meant, had.
My thoughts wandered on their own until they reached something unthinkable. A little voice, my own voice, spoke in my head.
I wonder what it's like to die?
I froze, searching around my seats. I had a quick thought that maybe Max walked into my class and snuck up behind me. He could easily imitate my voice, as well as I. We learned to imitate each other's voices for when we snuck out at night. We loved each other dearly. So, why did I think Max would say such a thing as me?
Would anyone care if I died?
I could barely move. I had to get out of here. Was this book making me feel this way? Huh, well voice?
No answer.
Yup, I'm crazy.
Luckily, the bell rang loudly in my ears, echoing inside my skull, shaking my brain. When I get to quiet, anything can sound loud. I zoomed out of my classroom as fast as my feet could carry me. My head screamed into pain and my eyes began to water from it.
My world slowly changed into a place full of war and destruction. I heard screams fill the air, moans of death everywhere. I felt my feet carrying me, faster and faster. I was running past all this destruction, edging away from it. I had to get away. If I didn't, I would probably go crazy.
My whole body crashed against something and I screeched in terror. I thought maybe it was someone here to kill me, but it was all my imagination. I flashed my eyes open and I was staring at the chest of Ryan. His blonde hair reflected gold in the sun, green eyes burning with questions. I felt safe being next to him. He was like another brother to me. I hugged him, not knowing what else to do.
"Are you okay, Marles?" He asked, fear in his tone.
I only let him and Max call me that. No one ever dared to call me that.
I continued to stay quiet, tears burning my cheeks from fear and pain. Ryan didn't know what to do, so he just held onto me. He knew that was the best way for me. He started to walk me to my class, but I never let go.
"What's going on?" I heard Max ask, mad.
I felt Ryan gulp. "I don't know. I was walking toward her, she seemed perfectly fine. But as she came closer, I watched her eyes grow huge, and she began to run...really fast. Then she just grabbed onto me, crying."
I heard Max shuffle his feet, uncomfortably. He did that whenever he was nervous or worried. He would do it repeatedly if it was both at the same time. If he did it repeatedly, then I would begin worrying.
Which he did.
My heart beat raced. Ryan tensed when he felt it, so did Max. Max was an excellent listener. He's the person that listens and looks for certain things that no one would ever catch. Mother pried on him into becoming a doctor after graduating. Max was considering it.
"What's wrong with Marley?" Ashley asked, her voice stopping and going.
She was panicking.
Max finally gave a large huff, which meant he gave into something or figured out a plan. "I'm taking her to mom."
"What about school?" Ryan asked.
"I would rather ditch and get into trouble than something happen to Marley!" Max growled, picking me up into his arms.
"Well, I'm going," Ashley pestered.
Good thing Max had a crush on Ashley.
"Fine, both of you can come. But you take your own cars," Max informed.
He sounded like a leader. I felt proud...
Somewhere behind this pain.
Max carried me to his car, where he gently laid me in the back seat. I don't know how he got me secure in the seats, but he did it. The car drove quicker than it has been in a long time, Max's eyes determined. I didn't feel one hint of fear, only curiosity. What did everyone think was wrong with me? Did they think I was crazy? Who'd know.
Will this be the last time I see them?
I lifted my head a little bit, trying to figure out a way to react to the voice. But the pain shooting through my head slammed me back down into the seat and screams roared from my throat. I could see Max looking terrified at me from the mirror, but I gave him a wimpy smile, trying to reassure him.
I didn't work.
Before I knew it, Max pulled into the driveway, and carrying me into the house. I heard Ashley and Ryan drive up. I heard mother's voice panicking, searching me over.
"We don't know what is going on," Max replied.
"Let's go to the doctor's."
Mom held my hand as we all rode in the car to the hospital. Mom's car was huge, so everyone could fit into it. She called dad as we drove down there, since he was at work. Mattie was in Santa Cruz and Magnus was in school. I felt the pain driving me into more insanity scenes, so I began to scream again. It was like my nightmares were blending into my own life, with me awake. I could see my reflection in everyone's eyes and I looked crazy. All sweaty, eyes bloodshot and huge, a slight twitch as if from the cold. I didn't know what was going on with me.
The doctor checked me over many times and did some strange X-ray thing with my brain. I sat on the bed like chair and mom sat in a chair near the doctor's desk. I felt sleepy while the doctor went over the results, since all the pain went away. Everything disappeared in seconds. It pissed me off, but at the same time I was relieved that it was gone.
I was beginning to become bored, not knowing to sleep or not. Everything seemed to be in the "in between" world at the moment. I knew I was back to sanity, but it didn't feel real. I needed sleep, I figured.
The doctor turned to us (mostly my mom) and devastation poured from his eyes. I saw my mom tense up, her mouth gaping (though she had no idea why). Max walked in, just to see the doctor's reaction. He escaped through the open doorway and stepped beside my mother. Why was I left by myself in the corner?
"I'm afraid that quite a few of the wires in her brain are loose or broken apart. This is very rare for anyone, let alone a teenager," the doctor said.
"What does all of this mean?" my mother asked, her voice cracking from the fear.
"I'm so sorry. I'm afraid that she's mentally unstable as of now. The wires have been breaking down since she was little, they just have finally meet their maximum. Your daughter is slowly going into insanity."
I heard everything shut down in my body. Insanity? So...I was going crazy? This couldn't be real? I was being punk'd! I glanced at my mom and Max.
That's when I knew everything was a real as it could get.
Mom broke into tears, barely being able to move. The doctor was at her side, while Max stood still, shaking. Max's eyes were glazed and it looked as if he was set on fire. He roared, picking up the chair beside him, and chucking it across the room. Screams now edged from his mouth, tears spurting from his eyes. Mom stood up, grounded.
"Max, stop this. Calm down."
Max glared at mom, with death in his eyes, the irises going dark. "No."
Max had never disobey mom before, but I guess it was a first for everything. The doctor grabbed Max and began to push him back outside. Max turned to me, everything covered in tears.
"I love you, Marley. You are the best sister in the world. I will anything to help you," Max yelled, not meanly at least.
I only stared back at him. His body went weak when he saw I only stared, stared as if I was dead already. The doctor pushed him out and spoke to my mother.
"She will need special help or else she could possibly reach criminally insanity," he reported.
Mom nodded, but I knew she was thinking "not my child, dear god, not my daughter."
Sorry, mom. But it was me. This was thrown upon me. My inside's were screaming, but I stayed calm on the outside, just completely out of it.
"I'm so sorry, Marley," the doctor said to me.
I gazed at him. He nodded as if he read my thoughts.
This isn't your fault, doc. It's...my fault in a way.
The doctor pardoned me to leave so he could speak to mom alone. I stalked out of the room to have Ashley and Ryan run to my aid. I flitted them away, so I could think to myself. I saw Max out of the corner of my eyes. He sat in a chair, shaking, head down in his hands. I stopped in front of him, staring at the floor. He raised his head, still crying.
"I would take this for you if I could, Marles," he ushered.
I nodded and continued down the hall. The thought repeated in my head.
What if this was the last time I saw them?
Something clicked.
This would be.