How Life's Rivers Flow
By Vampire-knows
Max
First days of school were like poking your toe into the water to see if it was cold. Only the cold is freezing, your toe gets frostbite and then it falls off. Being a Junior I thought I learned by now that sometimes you just have to jump in and let yourself die, but of course that would be too easy.
No, I had to test the water, disable myself, and then attempt to learn how to balance with a missing toe.
Of course, it wasn't really poking my toe into some chlorine-shocked pool, but rather wading with my brand new Jeep through the black sea that was the parking lot to my high school. My toe falling off? That was the truck that had oh-so dramatically cut me off and swung into my assigned lot before I could fully turn into the lane. Learning to balance? That was me switching into park faster than an army general punishes his new recruits and slamming the car door open.
My body fell out of the car before my mind caught up. I wasn't exactly seething with anger, or foaming at the mouth, but I could potentially be about to rip someone's head off. I had already had a late start this morning and I didn't need this.
It started with my alarm clock. What alarm clock, you ask? Well I'd ask that too considering it had mysteriously pulled a Houdini on me and disappeared. Eight in the morning was not a good time to find this out when the tardy bell for first period rang at eight forty-five. To top off the just-getting-up part I had somehow managed to entangle my hand into my hair in my sleep and my legs into my comforter. Getting out of that caused a couple bruises.
Although once I was finally freed from my bed burrito the torture didn't end. My brother, Ari, fabulously known for taking showers hotter than the Sahara in summer, was currently using all the hot water. Needless to say nothing wakes someone up more than icicles raining down on them at eight ten in the morning.
Breakfast went smoothly, which shocked me since I had to make my own. Last time I used the toaster it exploded and somewhere in the back of my mind I vaguely remember Ari having a panic attack because my shirt caught on fire and bravely passing out on the kitchen floor while I put myself out. He was a real help in tough situations.
This time though, the toast didn't burn, and I had actually smeared the butter on it without cutting myself. Everything was going dandy. Food was good, it was eight thirty, my baby brother was heading out the door to catch the bus, and-
It. Was. Eight. Thirty.
On an average day, when the birds chirped and the trees waved in the breeze, twenty minutes would fall away before the school would come into my peripheral vision. Well the birds were chirping, the trees were waving, but this was not an average day. Fifteen minutes to get to school, but speeding in the mornings wasn't really an option considering there was more traffic on the roads than in a Starbucks shop.
I will admit in my rush I forgot what a seatbelt was, or even how to spell the word for that matter. I will also admit that while driving over medians on highways to get to the frontage road is illegal I may have or may have not have done such a thing.
Cue the glowing lights that meant I was meant to be a star of a show called Cops.
Again, another little confession, I sobbed like I was auditioning for one of those soap operas, my inherited ability to have a panic attack (which I have learned how to harness as a superpower) also came in handy right when he began to leave to write out my ticket.
At the end of the thirty minute affair I got off with a two hundred dollar fine for trying the old "didn't actually buckle it but it's on" seat belt technique, but otherwise got off with a concerned "Are you okay, Ma'am?" followed by snot dribbling out of my nose as I nodded a yes.
Their disgust by that usually got them to leave me alone. This man was no different.
After he was far out of sight I let a smirk fall to my face. "Max, you are so good you should audition for theatre," I showered myself with praise, warm praise that didn't leave my lips blue with the chill of stepping soak and wet into an air conditioned room.
After that little encounter my need for speed blossomed into a need for ten miles over the speed limit, and yes that did apply to when I reached the school zone. Twenty-five? Pft, I was already late for class. Try forty-five. Was that twenty miles over? Huh. Maybe if my math classes weren't the perfect time to catch up on some sleep I'd be better at the basic concepts.
Which leads me into where I am now.
My mind was too busy boggling over the idea of someone resting their beast of a vehicle in my parking spot to bother caring who it was. I wanted blood. I wanted it to paint the asphalt I walked on as I stormed over to the truck. I wanted to have a bathtub full of it.
I had already missed first period, and this little predicament wasn't going to make my transition into second any easier. Walking into class late on the first day of school never set well with me. I didn't expect to be liked, and I didn't need to be liked, but I needed to make a good impression. Of course I already knew a lot of my teachers, but that didn't mean anything. First days of school are the arguably most important, and I was being held up by a spot-stealer who didn't even understand what the number 137 meant apparently seeing as that was what was on their sticker. They were obviously in 136.
"Hey," I snarled, seeing as they were too busy behind tinted windows to bother stepping out of their monstrosity of a four-wheel drive. My knuckles banged against the glass- or rather my forehead did, seeing as the door seemed to open in sync with my expression of anger.
Hey guys, starting this collab story with my best buddy M, enjoy!
Stay Majestic
VR