Run of the Mill

As you'd expect, it didn't play out well at all.

In fact, the result was so mundane that I honestly feel a bit embarrassed about explaining how anticlimactic it was.

Yeah..it was a real shame too. I even hyped myself up way more than I usually do (yes, I've attempted to talk to her after school multiple times. You honestly shouldn't be surprised by this point).

What really ended up happening was very simple. I just walked right past her (getting a whiff of those lusciously rich scented locks-no I'm not a creep) and went down the hall over to the bus pickup area. However, though I didn't speak with her, I did notice her taking a few glances at me.

"Hey Greg, come on! We're gonna miss the bus!" I heard Mark shout to me from the exit hall I was walking towards (which is not too far from my locker area, as well as Penny's which is also pretty close to mine if you don't remember). 

You may be wondering why Mark shouted out to me in, what was essentially, the middle of the hallway, but that's just because it was almost entirely empty (luckily enough). Otherwise he wouldn't have done it (probably, since he knows it's embarrassing for me. But knowing him, it's just as likely he would do something that fatuous).

"Right, hold on!" I replied

After waiting for what felt like an eternity for my school bus to arrive (it was really only about 12 minutes I think) and strolling inside, I sat down at the front right seat next to the window and sighed audibly. Mark sat down next to me soon after.

"Great, what is it this time, oh great mouth breather?" Mark jested rhetorically.

"Shut it man, I just messed up..again. Ugh, I'm sick of myself, it's annoying" I complained.

"Hey, don't think too much about it. You'll gain the confidence to actually attempt a real convo with her pretty soon. Probably" Mark consoled (or more like lightly jabbed).

"You didn't have to add that last part" I replied. "But thanks for trying to cheer me up I guess"

I stretched out my arms while trying to avoid touching Mark, then stared out the window in silence as the bus rolled across the street pathways tacitly.

After around 15 more minutes, we finally got off at my neighborhood. Marks house is a couple blocks down from mine, so we usually walk home together.

"So, are we taking the bus to school tomorrow, or are we walking again?" Mark asked as we trotted along the sidewalk.

"Let's just walk again. I don't wanna wake up at 6am to make the bus" I groused.

That's another of many-no, another of a plethora of grievances I have with Royal Oak: their scheduling process. I'd bet my life that the school council organizes all of their events, classes and even pickups to be specifically catered for the students in a way to make their lives 10 times more miserable than they already are (I mean, going to school in the first place is already a hellish prospect). Because like, why in the WORLD would the bus have to leave that early in the morning for pickups? The sun isn't even out yet! Who's driving all the buses, Dracula?!

"Alright. So what're you gonna do when you get home?" Mark inquired.

I huffed. "I'll just work on my drawings, I guess. I've gotta focus on going over some of my fundamentals again"

"Why's that?"

"Well, I've been thinking about getting more into architecture lately, since it sounds pretty cool and I already have some experience with shapes and stuff"

I'm not exactly sure why, but recently I've been getting more into the process of blueprinting. I always thought drawing different kinds of buildings and architecture  was really entertaining growing up, so maybe that's why, but I'm still a bit offset by the new growing interest (even though I'm still not too well informed on the whole process). I never thought it was interesting enough to bring up until now (mostly because it's a boring topic and I don't really have any fancy quips to add into my explanations regarding it), but I guess now that I think about it, I should probably try talking about my potentially future goals and dreams more often. Who knows, perhaps it could be pretty interesting if I rattle on about it in the right way (like I do with pretty much everything else to you guys), especially if I find out that I'm really passionate about those sorts of things (unless some of you that are reading this portion find it dull, and in that instance, I apologize for my incessant banter).

"Ah, well have fun with that. I'm probably just gonna watch some Family Feud for the rest of the night" Mark told me (yeah, gameshows are something he's always had a big thing for. It's to the point that he even turned it on and refused to change the channel whenever he would come over to my house when we were younger).

"Oop, looks like we're here. Tell your sister I said hey" He continued with a gratuitous smile on his face (the cheeky bastard).

I know exactly why he smiled at me like a creep (yes, it was a genuinely creepy smile..what a weirdo), but uh, I'll save that for another day. Anyways, after Mark parted ways with me, I looked up at my house, preparing to walk inside

I live in a pretty normal suburban area, so the composition and design of my home isn't too special. Still though, I can't help but like it (after all, I did grow up in it).

It consists of a grey monogram exterior, lining up the front entrance and traveling all the way across the back and to the front again horizontally. The second story is plated with dark asphalt up around and circling the base roof, and the rest of the second story below the uppermost roof (which is also lined with that very same asphalt) consists of glued and layered wood colored brick. The windows all around the house are pretty typical, plated with tempered glass and more monogram, this time though the colors are brown.

After examining my humble abode for a moment and pondering thoughtlessly, I walked up to my front steps, triggering the hanging electric powered lantern lights as I walked inside, beginning to unload my things after closing the door behind me. Right after I got done though, that's when my third trial for the day begun. Yep folks, you heard that right! Loud and clear! And I bet you're wondering: "Greg, what else could you have possibly been put through? You were already subject to Marks moronic perorational lecture on why Penny is as basic as a blank piece of notebook paper, J.B.'s idiotic tomfoolery, and now something else?"

And you would be right to think this way. Well, unfortunately, the last aforementioned trial I had to overcome (or endure, since it was that insufferable) was brought about by a small young girl, my little sister: Sarah

"Hey Kisu!" I heard her say after getting done taking off my shoes. Don't ask me about the name she calls me by, I don't feel like explaining.

I sighed conscientiously as I made my reply: "Hey.."

"How was your first day back? Didja talk to Penny today?" Sarah indiscreetly (VERY indiscreetly) asked.

You probably wouldn't recognize it at first, but Sarah always has this fake imperious, supercilious act she plays when she asks these types of annoying questions (and if any of you have a sister and can relate to what I'm talking about, I respect you so much more than I already did).

And that's exactly what pissed me off so much.

It's not necessarily "what" she said that's the issue. It's "how" she said it with that stupid cocky grin on her face.

"Yep, I sure did" I replied, plainly.

"Ohh, and did she reject you again?" She razzed.

I started to grit my teeth. "Ugh, shut up already. I had a long day" I groaned, walking past her position on the living room couch into the kitchen to wash my hands and prepare to heat up some leftover fried catfish for lunch (it was an amazing dish might I add).

"Aww, come onnn~, relax! I'm sure you're just over exaggerating. Exaggerating..., isn't that a funny word? Haha! Exaggerating..exaggerating..I just learned it today from a book we read in class! Exaggerating..." she continue ceaselessly.

Endlessly. Aggravatingly. Unbearably.

By the way, Sarah is 7, turning 8 in November, so the way she likes to just learn random yet interesting phrases is a unique and endearing trait for her to have at her age, despite her brattiness. She more than likely picked up that habit from me, since I'm always telling her about interesting new words I discover.

"Yeah yeah, it's great, now will you let me eat?" I said, a bit peeved.

"Hmph, fine then! Be that way!" She pouted, puffing her cheeks and turning away (that's the second girl that's done that while in a conversation with me today).

Well, it was actually more of a hissy fit, so I just kinda ignored her.

I continued to wait for the fish to finish heating before taking it out of the microwave and set it down on the marble table, next to a kitchen chair. I grabbed a fork and a napkin swiftly, before picking up a Sprite from inside the fridge and setting it down next to said fork. I sat down immediately after, then prayed briefly before gazing hungrily at the delectable meal that sat in front of me. When I looked up from my dish for a moment (man was it amazing), I saw Sarah staring at me from the opposite side of the kitchen, sitting on the counter.

"..."..she said absolutely nothing, yet stared at me with petulant rage.

....

You've got to be kidding me.