"Aaaaaaah!" the child screamed in his bed.
"Elijah!" a woman's voice echoed across the halls of the small house.
She entered the child Elijah's room to find him sitting up in his bed sweating. He was panting and his hot breath filled the room with heat.
"Again mom. It happened again!" Elijah said panting, running his damp hands through his chestnut brown hair.
"Honey this is the fifth time now." the concerned mom said and sat down on his warm bed.
"Yeah I know....I don't know why it keeps happening!" Elijah said putting his face in the palms of his hands.
"It's okay. They're just nightmares. I'm sure that in a few weeks you'll be nightmare free." the mom said to Elijah rubbing his back.
"Okay." he said with a sigh and put his hands down. He looked at his clock. "5:09" the clock read.
"Well I might as well just get up. School bus will be here in two hours anyway." Elijah said hustling out of his bed.
Elijah slowly brought himself to his feet, and clumsily walked to the bathroom, quickly closing it. He breathed heavily and quickly walked over to the bathroom sink. He put both his sweaty and cold hands on either side of the sink and looked up. His head only a couple inches away from touching the mirror, enough for him to focus on the little details of his face. The 13 year old wasn't bad looking, but not perfect either. He had little freckles that sprinkled his face hear and there and slightly pale skin. His eyes were a mixture between light blue and a faded grey, making the perfect combination. Elijah sighed and leaned forward, resting his hands on his acne littered forehead.
"Why do they have to happen all the time?" he whispered to himself.
He finished getting ready and he headed down the stairs and into the kitchen. His mom had made him a bowl of cereal and she was eating some toast. She was already ready for her work. Elijah sat down and began to eat without saying a word.
"So.....did you finish all your homework?" his mom asked meeting her brownish hazel eyes with Elijah's.
"Yeah." Elijah said tiredly, peeling his gaze away from his mother's eyes and to his food.
"Okay.......have you talked to Jordan in a while?" she asked with an obvious effort to try and make conversation.
"Mom he moved away three months ago and he hasn't called or texted me since then so no." Elijah looked up and said with irritation.
"Look. I know it's been hard ever since your dad died and you've been getting those dreams, but I'm really trying here okay?" She said to Elijah and grabbed his free hand and held it. She gave a faint smile in hopes Elijah would do the same.
"Mom, I'm fine. You don't have to keep bringing stuff up." Elijah said yanking his light hand away from his mom's grasp.
He hated it when his mom brought up his dad. He died three years before from a car accident and whenever anyone mentioned it, he wanted to punch the person in the face. He didn't need a reminder of the loss in his life.
"Alright." his mother said with innocence in her voice. Her long black hair brushed up into a ponytail swung as she looked away from Elijah.
He looked at the time and it said "6:03". He still had an hour before the bus came so he went upstairs to play some PlayStation. He turned it on and began to play a game called Grand Theft Auto V. The online session was almost empty so the lag wasn't too bad and he could play without getting killed by another player every second. Before he knew, he heard his mom calling him to grab his stuff for school. Elijah turned off his game and went downstairs with his bag.
"Bye honey. Have a good day okay?" his mom said kissing him on his forehead.
"Mom. Asking to have a good day at school is like asking a guy in a wheelchair to have a dance party with you." Elijah said smartly. His mom looked at him and laughed.
"Well have fun dancing with wheelchair people." she said back as he walked out the door.
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He got to school and was barley noticed, which Elijah was surprised about because he was usually eaten up by other kids.
"Hey man!" a kid wearing a thin flannel called to Elijah waving his arms around like an idiot.
"Hey Noah." Elijah said giving him a quick glance as he went through his locker.
"So. You find out what we're gonna do for the science fair?" Noah asked him excitedly. Elijah gave him a questioning look.
"Science fair? Are you that much of a nerd?" Elijah asked putting his bag in his locker.
"I'm taking that as a no." Noah said rolling on his heels.
"I mean come on. I know it's mandatory, but we don't have to think about it every second! Like....we can just wait 'til the last week and then come up with something online. Like a volcano or something." Elijah said turning around to face Noah. His dirty blonde hair messily laid on his head. His big square glasses rested on his pale skin, causing his sky blue eyes to seem like saucers. He had freckles sprinkled across his face, but they were barley visible from where Elijah was standing. Noah frowned at what Elijah said.
"A volcano? Seriously. That's so unoriginal! Don't you wanna stand out?" Noah complained folding his arms in irritation.
"No. Because when you stand out, all the bullies jump at you the second they get a chance. And besides, I'm way too tired to be thinking about the science fair." Elijah said leaning on his locker.
"Too tired? Did you get a nightmare again?" Noah said smiling mischievously.
"Oh shut up! It wasn't a nightmare just a.....weird dream." Elijah said turning red out of embarrassment.
"A weird dream huh? Well weird dreams don't have components of dead people and monsters." Noah said moving his arms around to imitate the monster. Elijah slapped his arms down.
"I said shut up!" Elijah said almost yelling at him. Noah rolled his eyes.
"Look. I may be a nerd and like educational things, but you're having reoccurring nightmares. I'm just saying that that isn't exactly 'normal'." Noah said air quoting the 'normal' part.
"It is normal. People have dreams, some have weird ones like me okay? Now please just shut up about it already!" Elijah said with an aggressive tone from irritation. His blood was boiling because of anger. He knew that it was embarrassing, but Noah didn't have to make fun of him because of it.
"Alright alright!" Noah said putting his hands up in defense. "I'll shut up!"
"Good." Elijah said. He grabbed some books before he was knocked to the ground and all his books went flying. Noah was knocked down too.
"Aww. Would you look at that? The dork squad!" an older kid who was a Senior said while laughing at the two kids on the ground. Two other guys walked up behind the Senior who pushed Elijah and Noah.
"Yes Liam. We're dorks. It's not something I haven't noticed." Elijah said bitterly at the first guy named Liam.
"Listen you little shit!" Liam started grabbing Elijah by collar of his hoodie and pinning him to a locker. His intense dark brown eyes focusing so hard on Elijah, it could've burned a hole through his head. His golden hair in the style of a mullet flew back and forth as Liam gave an aggressive smile. "If you talk like that to me again, then you won't have a mouth to talk with! You understand?" Liam said harshly tilting his head some to give a more intimidating look.
"Shut up Liam!" Noah yelled at Liam pushing him to the ground. The other two guys started to laugh behind him.
"Shut up you fucking morons!" Liam yelled at the other two guys then getting up and shoving them. Elijah and Noah laughed to themselves.
"Finally. Liam gets pissed off at his two goons." Elijah whispered into Noah's ear. Noah quietly laughed. Kids around the hallway were circling where Elijah, Noah, Liam, and his two guys were to see Liam and the other two guys fight each other.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!" kids chanted as Liam threw a punch at one of the guys and he hit him in the jaw. Then the other guy kicked Liam in the shins sending him to the floor.
"You son of a bitch Dylan!" Liam screamed at the guy who kicked him named Dylan.
"That's what you get for fucking with us." the other guy said confidently to Liam still laying on the ground holding his shin.
"Oh yeah? Well just know that I made you David! You would be nothing but a dork just like those two idiots!" Liam yelled at the other guy named David. "So either you walk out on me, or we settle this like men and you don't laugh when I'm talking. Got it!" Liam said standing up. His eyes were almost glowing he was so mad.
".....Fine." Dylan said putting his hands in the pockets of his baggy jeans. His bright green eyes focused on the floor. David shrugged crossing his arms and not looking at Liam either. His ginger hair in a curled mop on his head.
"Good." Liam said getting up and dusting himself off. His denim jacket slightly ripped from falling on the floor.
"Oh come on. Really? That sucked." kids who were circling around them said disappointed while walking away.
"Shut up!" Liam yelled at all the kids that left. None of them payed attention to Liam's outburst.
"I heard there was a fight." an older women's voice said from behind Liam, Dylan, and David. It was the vice principle of the school standing next to a small Sophomore girl with pigtails and glasses. The vice principle stood in heels that were laced around her ankles. Her long black skirt barley brushed the laces of the heels. Her white button-up tank-top slightly showing through a long black sweater. Her dark ash-like hair pulled into a tight bun on the top of her head. The small wrinkles around her eyes pushed back from the bun. She intensely stared at Liam with her eyes as black as an endless abyss.
"Uh...there wasn't any-" Liam started before Noah suddenly blurted out "Yeah the three of them kinda beat each other up then disappointed everyone by not knocking anyone o-" Elijah widened his eyes and quickly covered Noah's mouth. Noah tried to talk through the palm of his hand, but was unsuccessful.
"Is that true?" the Vice Principle looked up and stared at Liam intensely once more.
"That kid's an idiot and doesn't know what he's talking about." Liam said with a sour attitude. His anger showing through his attempt to be chill.
"He's lying! I saw them hitting each other!" the Sophomore girl squeakily said, pointing at Liam, Dylan, and David. She quickly hid behind the vice principle's back as she poked her head out a tiny bit to see what was happening.
"Principle's office now you three!" the older women said harshly then turning around gesturing for them to follow. The Sophomore girl quickly hurried in front of the vice principle and out of the range of Liam's reach.
"This isn't over dorks!" Liam said aggressively to Elijah and Noah then turning around and the three guys followed the vice principle.
"Great. Now they're really gonna be after us. Nice going." Elijah bitterly said, squinting his eyes Noah.
"Well I wanted to see them get in trouble." Noah whined in defense. His saucer-like eyes widened in innocence.
"Yeah? Well now they're gonna get suspended for a day or two and during that time they're gonna spend all their time trying to get back at us somehow." Elijah said putting his hand on his forehead. Noah sighed at Elijah's irritation.
"You're right. I'm sorry okay? Let's just get school over with and hope that Liam and his goons don't jump at us as soon as we walk out the school doors." Noah said making hand gestures while he spoke.
"Okay." Elijah said with a bit of sourness to his voice. He grabbed his stuff from off the floor and walked down the hall with Noah.
Before they got to class, Elijah saw a tall black thing dart across the hall from the corner of his eye. He jumped and turned around. Nothing was there.
"What?" Noah asked turning around to face Elijah, seeing sweat pour off him like a waterfall.
"Oh..um....nothing. I just thought I saw something, but it's probably just my exhaustion." Elijah said rubbing his eyes and looking back at the hallway. "Let's just get to class." Elijah nodded at the door in front of Noah.
"Okay." Noah carelessly said shrugging. Elijah followed him into the classroom and began the slow school day.
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