It all started at school, yeah, you heard me right. This swirling hellhole started at school. Well… it more happened like…
I turned over in my bed and stared right at my alarm clock. It read 7:14, "SHIT!" I cried. Leaping from my warm, comfortable to the freezing wood floor. I sped to my closet and threw on a random t-shirt and pair of jeans. Grabbing my bag from its place next to my door and bursting across the hallway to my mother's room. I pounded on it a couple of times then went to the kitchen to create my lunch. A sandwich, with cheese, tomato and lettuce, salt and vinegar chips, and an apple. I shoved it into the front of my bag and picked my shoes off of the floor by the kitchen door, I then waited impatiently for my mother. She was already at the door and we both moved to the car, I leaned in then began to put my shoes on, she glanced at me, "We can't keep doing this you know," she inquired. I sighed, finished with my shoes now, "I know."
When she stopped at the school I already knew I was late, so I headed to the Attendance Office. I calmly walked to the desk, after the lady there finally looked up from her work, she told me, "No tickets today sweetheart," I stared blankly at her, she noticed and simply replied, "We're all meeting in the Assembly Hall." It took me a second to process, but then I nodded and headed out the door to the told place.
After I opened the door, no one seemed fazed by the bang of the door closing. I guess it was mostly because they were used to me being late. I quietly hurried to my classes' area and spotted my friend Leslie's fiery hair. I sat behind her and tapped her on the shoulder, but she ignored me, completely transfixed by the speaker on the stage. It was the principal, as usual, but this time he was talking about something I was actually interested in. "This year we will be starting a program specifically designed for people your age, it's called The Digital Effect. Everyone will participate in their own preference of part. You will all choose a video game that you would like to study, you will be graded only on your final project. That is all." By that time people had blinked out of their state of hypnosis and started talking to each other. I was shocked and amazed and I-don't-even-know-what, we were going to be playing video games ALL YEAR! If that wasn't cool, I don't know what was.
The usual buzz was making its appearance as we walked through the long hallways of the school. I tapped Leslie on the shoulder, and this time she turned to me, hazel eyes shining, grinning ear-to-ear, "Do you believe it! We're gonna be studying video games all year!" I took a small step back from her almost-shouting, "No, no I don't quite frankly. I mean, c'mon, a school, studying video games? Something's not right here." She pouted, then turned, "You're no fun," I rolled my eyes, she was such a child.
I plopped down into my desk, ignoring my neighbor's comments and for once listening to the teacher. "Everyone will have a week to choose what game they would like to study, make sure you choose one you will be able to live with for a year. Otherwise it will be just like school." I smirked at that, "When you decide, turn it in to the assignment box and your choice will be confirmed by the next day."
At break I sat with Leslie and my other friend, Talia, "So Iz, what're you choosing?" inquired Talia, her dark eyes trying to read me. I thought for a couple of seconds, "Dunno, maybe Bioshock, Kingdom Hearts, Ib, maybe Final Fantasy, Assassins Creed… something like that I guess." "I'm choosing Kingdom Hearts," she swept her black hair over her dark shoulders and stared at me, waiting for a reply, "Me too!" then chimed in Leslie. She shifted her intense gaze from me, I expelled all my air, I had no idea what I was going to choose.
They let us go home early that day to decide what we were going to do for the rest of the year. While Les and Talia talked it away about Kingdom Hearts I plugged my earbuds into my ears, flipping it to A.F.I. and silently humming along. After I finished Burials, Talia tapped my shoulder, indicating it was time to go our separate ways, so we did. When I arrived home, instead of finding my mother, I saw my brother, Connor, standing in the hallway. I pushed away all my feelings and set my bag on the floor, casually saying, "Hello Connor. Quit college already?" He laughed at me, "Yeah, as if, you just want to see me lose at something," he retorted. I gestured at him, "You're saying that to me while looking like that?" he stared blankly while I glided to my room and slammed the door shut.