Stay Awake (Dreams Only Last for a Night)
Caught In A Cold Sweat
“It’s all your fault.”
“…never loved you.”
“Fucking fag…”
“Shut up!”
Jack’s mind was racing as he sat silently in his desk. He could see Alex, Zack and Rian surrounding him, each end of their desks making up one side of the square they were sitting in. They were heatedly discussing something, but Jack wasn’t listening. He could only hear the sounds of the screaming voices in his head.
“No!”
“…have to…”
“Stop!”
“Jack…”
“Jack.”
“Jack!”
“Jack!” A voice called, stirring him from his thoughts.
“Huh?” Jack responded with a blank expression on his face. As he regained his focus, he saw three pairs of eyes gazing at him expectantly.
“Well, what do you think?” Alex asked him. Jack closed his eyes and let out a sigh, bringing his hands to his head and resting it on them. He wasn’t going to even try to pretend that he’d heard the discussion.
“Sorry, I zoned out,” he replied, his head still sitting on his hands. “What were you saying?” Alex began to rant on again, but Jack tuned him out. Even though the yelling in his head had subsided, he still couldn’t concentrate; he prayed that something would make the day go faster. It seemed that luck was with Jack today, because the bell rang moments later, cutting off Alex’s rambling. Alex and Zack quickly gathered their things and sped to the door, hoping that for once they could make it across campus to their next class without being late. On the other hand, Rian and Jack took their time.
“You okay, man?” Rian asked Jack as the two finished packing things into their backpacks and started walking to the door. The worry was evident in his voice. “You’ve been zoning out on us more and more lately.” Rian moved a little closer to Jack; his voice got softer with every word. “Is everything all right, you know, at home?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jack replied. “Everything’s fine. I’ve just been stressing over Mr. Moore’s algebra final. That thing really kicked my ass.”
Rian smiled and shook his head. That was something only Jack would be worried about. Jack was one of the few students at Dulaney High who actually gave a damn about his grades. He may not seem like it, but he was one of the top ten students in his class. Jack was the kid that could goof off with one person, and then turn around and explain the properties of nuclear science to another. But even though he didn’t take anything too seriously, he never seemed let up on his schoolwork. “Of course,” Rian thought, “that could be because of the driving force behind him…”
“Relax, Jack-o,” Rian said. “I’m sure you did fine. You always do.” As Jack and Rian entered their next class, they made their way to the back of the room, taking the two empty seats they had claimed at the beginning of the year. “Now come on. It’s the last day of school. Enjoy it.”
“…never loved you.”
“Fucking fag…”
“Shut up!”
Jack’s mind was racing as he sat silently in his desk. He could see Alex, Zack and Rian surrounding him, each end of their desks making up one side of the square they were sitting in. They were heatedly discussing something, but Jack wasn’t listening. He could only hear the sounds of the screaming voices in his head.
“No!”
“…have to…”
“Stop!”
“Jack…”
“Jack.”
“Jack!”
“Jack!” A voice called, stirring him from his thoughts.
“Huh?” Jack responded with a blank expression on his face. As he regained his focus, he saw three pairs of eyes gazing at him expectantly.
“Well, what do you think?” Alex asked him. Jack closed his eyes and let out a sigh, bringing his hands to his head and resting it on them. He wasn’t going to even try to pretend that he’d heard the discussion.
“Sorry, I zoned out,” he replied, his head still sitting on his hands. “What were you saying?” Alex began to rant on again, but Jack tuned him out. Even though the yelling in his head had subsided, he still couldn’t concentrate; he prayed that something would make the day go faster. It seemed that luck was with Jack today, because the bell rang moments later, cutting off Alex’s rambling. Alex and Zack quickly gathered their things and sped to the door, hoping that for once they could make it across campus to their next class without being late. On the other hand, Rian and Jack took their time.
“You okay, man?” Rian asked Jack as the two finished packing things into their backpacks and started walking to the door. The worry was evident in his voice. “You’ve been zoning out on us more and more lately.” Rian moved a little closer to Jack; his voice got softer with every word. “Is everything all right, you know, at home?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jack replied. “Everything’s fine. I’ve just been stressing over Mr. Moore’s algebra final. That thing really kicked my ass.”
Rian smiled and shook his head. That was something only Jack would be worried about. Jack was one of the few students at Dulaney High who actually gave a damn about his grades. He may not seem like it, but he was one of the top ten students in his class. Jack was the kid that could goof off with one person, and then turn around and explain the properties of nuclear science to another. But even though he didn’t take anything too seriously, he never seemed let up on his schoolwork. “Of course,” Rian thought, “that could be because of the driving force behind him…”
“Relax, Jack-o,” Rian said. “I’m sure you did fine. You always do.” As Jack and Rian entered their next class, they made their way to the back of the room, taking the two empty seats they had claimed at the beginning of the year. “Now come on. It’s the last day of school. Enjoy it.”