2
He woke up just like any other day, except he felt a little bit more energetic than usual as the morning sun streamed into his room. Cobie looked around his bedroom to see all of his posters hanging up reminding him of his favorite bands and games. Knowing that school awaited him in a few hours he rolled out of his comfy bed and wandered into the bathroom.
This is weird, he thought while brushing his teeth in the dirty mirror he grew up using. He's this energetic in the morning. Maybe it's just a good night's sleep, but then he remembered his dream. He laid in his bed as a thousand snakes took their turns biting him. Others just opened their mouths and poison streamed out and into his nostrils filling him with pain. He remembered waking up halfway through the night after his dream in a cold sweat, but he fell right back to sleep.
"That's weird," Cobie said to himself as he walked out of the bathroom and back to his to change.
"What's weird?" He heard his mom ask from behind him.
"Nothing really, just the dream I had last night. I was just thinking out loud." Cobie said at the entrance to his bedroom.
"Okay. Oh, by the way, when is your award ceremony today? I want to get there early and get a good seat. I can't believe my boy is graduating in a couple of days!" His mom said with a happy smile.
"It's at noon. You don't have to come mom, I won't be getting much anyway." Cobie said leaning against his door frame.
"Nonsense, of course I'll come. It's not every day you see your baby boy grow up." She said as she turned around and made her way down the stairs before he could refuse.
Shaking his head, Cobie went back into his room to finish getting dressed.
When Cobie got out of his old beat up car another, better looking car swung into the spot next to him. The driver got out a second later and ran up to Cobie. "Hey, man! You ready for all of those awards that we aren't going to get!" Cobie's friend Darren exclaimed.
"Yeah, we won't get much. I mean I might get the choir scholarship but it's iffy. There are a lot of good singers here." Cobie said, opening the school door for Darren. "Ladies first."
"Oh, you're such a gentleman," Darren said pretending to be flustered. Once they were in the school heading to their lockers Darren spoke up. "I wouldn't worry about it man, you're a great singer. Ivan can suck one, he sucks compared to you."
"I don't know man. But, hey, aren't you getting that computer science scholarship?" Cobie said getting to his locker.
"Yeah, it was easy. I mean I was the only one even qualified for it."
"Well that's what you get for being a nerd."
"Look who's talking," Darren said. He wasn't wrong, Cobie was a nerd thin, pale, and weak. Cobie loved to play video games and listen to music. So, he couldn't argue with Darren.
"Screw you man," Cobie said, giving him a small punch in the chest. He meant it as a joke and didn't even hit him too hard but Darren yelled out in pain holding where he was punched. "Dude, don't be a bitch. I didn't even hit you that hard."
"Dude, it's not that," Darren said rubbing his chest." It just felt like I got stabbed or something. It's weird."
"Yeah, well class is starting soon so I'll see you around man." Cobie said, checking his watch.
"Yeah man, I'll see you." Darren said, walking away holding his chest. Cobie watched him walk away clutching his chest and wondered what just happened. He didn't have much time to reflect because the bell rang signaling the first class of the day was going to start.
With a quick stop by his locker, Cobie grabbed his phone along with his headphones. He didn't really care much for school, or at least he didn't care much about the uninteresting parts like history or math. What he wanted to do was just get out of the school and make a shared game company with Darren. Darren was going to school for business to help with running the company while Cobie was more interested in art and advertising. He didn't really need history or math classes to help him.
Knowing that today was going to be short thanks to the award ceremony at noon, Cobie didn't grab any books before heading to class. When he walked into his first period class he was slightly relieved to see Mr. Calliham on his phone. This told him that his math class was going to be laid back just as he expected.
Without making his presence known, Cobie made his way to his desk in the back of the room and put on his headphones. With his world disappearing into a world of loud music, he got onto his favorite art website for inspiration for new advertising ideas.
Cobie's thoughts went back to Darren as he viewed the featured art. He wondered if he would be okay. There was no way his punch could have dealt that much pain. Like he was stabbed? Maybe he was just joking, or maybe I hit a sore muscle, Cobie thought. Either way Cobie thought it would be okay.
Just then someone bumped into his desk. When Cobie looked up he saw it was the short timid girl that was assigned the desk beside him. She said something but Cobie couldn't hear her through the pulsing music in his ears.
"What?" He asked her, taking off his headphones.
"I said that I was sorry for bumping you," she said quietly. Cobie watched her eyes as they wandered to his phone. They widened when she saw what was on the screen. "You like art?"
"Yeah, I was just looking for ideas," Cobie replied.
"What do you think of this one?" She asked, reaching over him and tapping on a colorful picture at the bottom of the features. It showed a setting sun but in it was what seemed like a mother and daughter dancing while a man's silhouette watched.
"It's not bad," Cobie said, wondering why she asked. "You like art too?" He looked at her too see that she was starting to shy away from him and color was starting to fill in her cheeks.
"Yeah, I actually uh, drew that one." She said with a nervous smile.
"I'm guessing you're going to school for art?" He asked wondering all the while why he's never noticed the cute girl that sat next to him.
"Actually I am," she said sitting down with a smile.
"What school are you thinking about?" Cobie said, admiring the way she subtly moves her brunette hair behind her ear.
"I've actually already been accepted to the college in the northern part of the city."
"No freaking way, me too," Cobie said with a smile, "looks like we might see each other around campus."
"I hope so," She smiled. "It's weird how we've sat next to each other for this long and never even spoken. My names Natalie"
"Yeah, I was just thinking that. My name's Cobie," he said holding his hand out. Even though his face seemed confident and cool his heart was racing and his hand was tingling. She leaned forward to shake his hand and the closer her hand got to his the more it tingled. When she grabbed his hand he felt as if energy was just released like he just shocked her.
A scream rang out in the room. It was feminine and pained causing the whole room look back at Cobie and Natalie. She was holding her hand in pain like she just broke it. She was pale as a ghost and looked like she was about to be sick.
"Hey, are you okay?" Cobie asked, putting my hand on her shoulder. Again it felt like he shocked her again and she screamed out in pain throwing her hand to her shoulder.
Her whole body started to shake and she fell out of her seat. Mr. Calliham ran to her side and yelled out for everyone to back up. When Cobie did he bumped into someone behind him with his shoulder and felt another release. The person screamed and dropped down the ground in pain. When Cobie turned around to see him on the ground he was having a seizure. Blood poured out of his mouth and my heart started to beat faster.
"What's going on?" Cobie asked himself as he backed out of the classroom. He didn't hear much past the screams of panic, but he did see Natalie on the ground completely still. He saw Mr. Calliham mouth the word dead right before he told everyone to get out of the room and to call nine-one-one. The guy on the ground stopped seizing and laid still with blood draining from his mouth and nose.
Cobie turned and ran to the bathrooms feeling sick. One of the stalls was closed as he ran into the far one. He vomited and started to cry, not only from the acid in his throat but also from the images he just saw.