Cal’s heart was racing non-stop the past few days. They couldn’t stop dwelling on the scene before they left home.
They’d gotten up earlier than usual that day, if two interrupted hours was considered sleep. They made breakfast for their younger brothers, leaving it on the counter before the two woke up. Alongside the plates was a small note, saying nothing but I’m sorry.
The night before, Cal’s stepfather number 37 had offered to give them a ride to the airport. They wanted to curse him out, to yell out their frustrations before they left, but they only bit their tongue and shook their head. They couldn’t cause a scene. Their brothers’ wide eyes were staring right at them, wondering what was happening. Another fight would’ve been disastrous in front of them.
And the current morning, he was still asleep when it was time to leave. So Cal, alone as always, carried their suitcases to the porch and waited for their taxi to arrive. They swung their backpack over their shoulder and put a hood over their face, hiding the tears welling up in their eyes.
Their life was about to change, maybe for the better. But the uncertainty of it all just added more and more stress.
When will things stop changing?
The plane ride was almost a blur. They tuned out the world with headphones over their ears, watching the movie they’d seen countless of times before. It was comforting and predictable, knowing every line and detail in the script. Before they knew it, their eyes closed. And by the time they opened again, the plane had reached the academy.
After Cal was sure their roommate had left, they made their way back to their shared dorm with a hood covering their face. If only they got a private room. They took off their backpack and threw it on their bed. They closed the door and leaned against it, sinking to the ground. The speech was in a few minutes and the whole school was going to attend. But Cal wasn’t sure how they’d make it without drawing attention. They buried their face in their knees, running their fingers through their hair. Their hands clenched into fists and they grit their teeth, feeling their body fill with rage. It was awful. Just awful.
An academy for nothing but the elite, children of celebrities and the rich, gifted students with an exceptional talent. And what was Cal compared to them? Some kid they paid to kick out of home.
After a few moments of silence, they sighed loudly. They checked their phone for the time, realizing they needed to hurry to the speech. Putting their headphones over their ears, they got off the floor and headed for the auditorium.
And once Cal got there, they sat as far back as they could, hood over their face. They plugged their headphones in and played a movie, tuning out the world.
Approachable kinda
Outfit
