Entry 1

My eyes opened to a squint as the ringing alarm I had had now fallen to the floor. The sounds of rustling clothes on the bed from last night paled in comparison to the alarm clock I was trying to find by aimlessly touching the cold floor.

With a few failed attempts, I caught it, and put it out of its misery. The room was then filled with a calm, only disturbed by the creak of his bed as I got up.

With a slight yawn, I asked myself what time it was.

The thought mattered less and less as my body felt more and more heavy, until with another creak of the bed, and more rustling of his clothes, I fell back to sleep.

Beep… beep… beep…

The bliss of my second nap was then abruptly ended by a ring too far for my hand to reach, though that fact didn’t stop me from trying at first. With the constant ringing in my ears I finally got up, only find that the ringing had stopped once I stood up.

I dragged my feet across the room where a phone lay a top my desk, showing a miss call from a friend. Picking it up, I realized that it was about time I should get to school.

I Instinctively placed my phone in my pocket, I grabbed my clothes on the bed and made my way to the bathroom, stumbling while trying to. As I entered the bathroom I took of my clothes and made a ball with it with the other clothes I grabbed on the bed. I aimed to tossed it in the washing machine with this week’s pile yet to be cleaned when it hit the floor with a clank just in front of the opening.

Getting in a hot shower was a great way to start the day, or so I thought as I wake up to the cold water sliding down my back. Well now I’m awake, a bit annoyed and cold as hell, well opposite of hell to be honest, but nevertheless awake.

As I turned off the shower, the noise of rushing rain turned to a drizzle, when it was replaced by the ringing coming from the pile I threw earlier. My phone I thought, and upon realizing that I had almost put my phone in the washing machine I panicked and slipped. Fortunately, I caught my balance and merely slid on two feet.

I grabbed my pants I just took off and found the phone causing the noise; it was another call from the same person: My friend who sat in my table group in class, Mark.

With multiple attempts trying to press the screen with a wet finger, I managed to answer the call.

“Just woke up huh?”

“Nah, I got up earlier, I just got out of the shower.”

The lie came out of my mouth as naturally as the truth. Maybe it was my colder than normal shower, but the assurance in his voice made me annoyed, like I was so predictable, and so I lied just to spite him. Petty, sure.

“Ah. anyways, you got an idea for a project yet?”

“Not yet, I’m still trying to figure out something easy to do”

“Hmm… Dan said he was making a game, Sally was still undecided, but you know her. We’re the half that’s indecisive, so yeah. Just wanted to see what you’re up to.” His tone not differing from the last line he said, but it felt weird.

“No, none yet. I wanted something easy so I’m still deciding what’s easiest.”

I lied, I did have an idea, but this time not out of annoyance; but instead out of pity. Mark was a smart person, in fact, he was arguably one of the smartest people in class; However, his intellect comes from indecisiveness. Instead of telling him what to study, he just studies to try to figure out what he wants to do, gaining a broad area of knowledge, with little interest in all he’s known. Being special in having no specialty.

I had the idea for a while, it was simple, it was easy, it was something I took interest in. I just couldn’t say to him that he was now alone. I’ve been trying to help him find something he can take interest it, but his mind just takes in everything to the point where something new for me, is normal for him. Whether new or not, he’d take it in without discrimination.

“I’ll try to decide later, if the idea comes I mean.”

“Sure, I think I’ll do the same as well.”

Upon hearing what he said my eyes widen and slight hope lit in my mind, that he meant the same as I did. That our situations were the same on both ends, and we were being considerate for each other.

I took that hope, buried it, and hung up the call, as it was simply me overthinking; reading too much in the situation, finding meaning where there was none.

I dried and covered myself with the towel that hang next to the shower and went back to my room. I got dressed in my uniform, putting my phone in my pocket and pen in my collar, and walked off to school.

On the way I saw Sally and raised my hand slightly to wave. Noticing, her ponytail bounced as she ran towards me in response.

“Are you ever going to just say hi or just wave back and walk like a normal person?” The thought tried to escape through my mouth, but I stopped it in fear of being slapped in the back. Sally is quite physical with her expressions you could say.

She then greeted me with a slap on the back. My previously cold spine now stung. Great.

“You’re up early.”

“Come on, I just left late the other times.”

“Says the person that’s always sluggish and short tempered when morning.”

“I’m just bad at mornings, it doesn’tꟷ” I cut myself off, knowing she’s just playing with me to prove her point, “I’m not really sluggish or short tempered though.”

“Hmm, sure,” she said with a smug grin.

She turned around and hanged her hands on her neck while looking up, walking away like she knew I’d follow. I mean I did, but still.

“How your project going?”

“I still don’t have one.”

“I thought you had an idea already?” She peaked over her shoulder to look back at me with a confused face.

“I don’t,” I simply said to avoid digging deeper in the topic.

“Well I thought you were going to make like a novel or something. I mean you did spend a lot of time enjoying yourself in stories. Why not make that?”

“I don’t think I have the know-how to actually write anything though. Reading is different from writing.”

“Ah, right. Either way we need to get an idea or something, the thought that I haven’t even decided on an idea, let alone a project is killing me.”

Her eyes winced as her voice grew faster and peaked with a sigh.

We reached the entrance of the school and entered through the revolving door. Sally then ran to the staircase to our right, noticing Peter’s vibrant blue hoodie just out of view from me who was still in the door.

I just kept my pace, and followed the girl running through several people trying not to act like I knew her.

Peter gave a big wave a top the staircase while he talked with Sally as I turn the corner, in response I give one slight motion with my hand.

“How the game going?”

Peter then gave a thumbs up and chuckled.

“Still unplayable.”

“Why don’t you ask Mark for help again later.”

“Yeah, I was going to ask him that later when he shows up.”

Sally’s head tilted in confusion as mark’s usually the first one to show up. For all the years we’ve been together from my recollection, though unlikely, today is the first time he wasn’t first.

“He’s still not here?”

“Nope.”

I guess it bothered him that much…

Without missing a beat, Sally turned around and headed up the stairs. “Let just wait for him upstairs. He’ll probably get here before first period.”

We entered the our class with 6 tables are in the class, 4 person in one table, and mark was our last man.

We sat at our designated table at the very back, and grabbed my phone in my pocket.

[-]

Sally took my phone as it looked like he was hiding something. Sally just couldn’t resist. She grabbed it without thinking while I tried to stand up to get it back. Unfortunately for me, Dan was always on Sally’s side so he grabbed me the moment he saw me move in front of him, with Mark gone, it’s not even fair to call it resisting.

“See you were writing a story!” Sally said with a voice that anyone that wasn’t already engaged in something could hear.

I, now embarrassed but didn't let it show, just sat back down and let out a sigh.

“It’s not bad. What’s it about?” said the girl that read through today’s events dramatized, without even realizing its today’s events.

“I didn’t write that though, it’s just the squeal to the story I showed you before.”

I hoped that the book he gave her before that she found boring would act as a good deterrent for her to give it back without reading anymore.

“Hmm, ah sure. Here catch.”

The phone flew in the air as he sighed in relief.

“Though I didn't get to read all of it, I do think Mark is pretty indecisive.”

He didn’t catch the phone. 

Worse, he tried to catch it with his feet without thinking, and kicked it right to the back wall. 

The two chuckled as I wished for Mark's return. 

"So, how was it?" 

"I mean it's fine, though I'm not really a fan of over descriptive..." 

She again tilted her head.

"Descriptions? Yeah, overly descriptive descriptions."

"You mean you like this?"

He tapped on his phone for a minute or two while Sally waited like a dog patiently waiting for a treat. 

He stopped typing and gave her the phone, this time handing it over instead of stealing or throwing.

[-]

"Yeah, like thi— hey wait, what do you mean dog!"

"I mean your ponytail does sort of look like a dogs tail though when you were rocking your head left and right waiting..." Dan said. Apparently he had been sneaking a peek while she read. 
A sudden betrayal, Mark may not have been needed after all.

"So come on, is it good or what?"

"I mean I think it's fine."

"I don't read so..."

"You guys are worthless..."

"I said it's fine. That's helpful right?"

"Why not just write what we say?"

"I tried to do that earlier, I can't show who's talking without extra text that seem forced though."

"Then just remove the forced text."

"How are the readers supposed to tell who's who then?"

"Ah right... Books don't differentiate... Why not just make a script and ask people to voice it."

"Dan... I'm making a book. Stop making an excuse for you to not read."

"Wait, he may have a idea here Jake, Why not try it? Maybe I'll like it better than the previous."

"Are you going to actually help me though afterwards?"

"Sure!"

[-]

"Here"

Sally took the phone

Her gaze were fixed onto the screen, much more so than the last time. As well as her thumbs didn't just motion her scrolling down the page but scrolling up as well. Her head now not like a dog waiting but a cat on guard.

"How was it?" Dan asked now doing his own thing on his phone.

"I don't know?" She tilted her head once again but not letting go of her gaze.

"Confusing huh? I mean I don't think I could make it better though..."

"I mean I sort of like it? Like it's confusing so it's getting me to focus more, does that make sense?"

"Like a more convoluted story the more interest it gets?"

Dan simply nodded while he doing something else.

"Wouldn't that be a pain to read though?"

"Hmmm..."

The two thought for a good few seconds, as Dan turned and said, "Why not just do all three?"

"This is going to be a pain to write though."

"Yeah just do all three, best of three worlds."

Though that's what he was trying to do in his first attempt, he realised the balance was all over the place. Best of three worlds can just as easily turn into worst of the said three. Nonetheless, he took back his phone and started tapping. Sally, did what you'd expect, and rocked her head left to right, and once again the tail of the dog returned. For Dan, he was still in his own world, periodically looking at what Jake was typing. 

Then Jake's thumbs stopped over the letter I.

"I feel weird type it in first person. I sort of feel like a narcissist and edgy..."

"You are," Sally and Dan said, the former with a smile and the latter without looking.

He sighed.

"I'll just try again tomorrow. I don't think this'll work out." 

With a click, Jake deleted the newest thing he wrote. Another, Turned off his phone as it vibrated. Putting it inside his pocket, the vibration stopped and was replaced by the bell as the first period teacher came in.

Mark was absent for the first period.