God, guys, it's legit been a year since this thing started, and it's changed so much- I'm so grateful for all of your support, even though at the beginning it didn't even make sense before this update.
I LOVE ALL YOU GUYS ALL I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS!

~/Darryl\~

"Hey, what's your name?"

I remember my hand holding my pencil tighter that day, perhaps the sudden voice had thrown me off. I was doing something, probably one of the endless homework packets my algebra teacher handed out almost nightly.

"Hello?"

My eyes traced up from my desk, hesitant to look to the voice.

A red haired girl with glistening emerald eyes stood before me, smiling ecstatically.

"Um, hi?" I asked, a confused tone drawing from my lips.

It had been weeks since anyone other than a teacher had addressed my presence.

"Hey! I'm going around asking everyone their names. Ya'know, making some new friends!"

She seemed nice.

"Oh, ok. Um, My name is Darryl,"

"Nice to meet you Darryl!" The girl grinned.

"So uh, what's your name?" I ask

"Allison." She smiled," Allison Azhol."

She extended her hand to me, inviting me to shake it.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Allison." I felt my own mouth lift into a smile.

"So, what lunch you got?" She asked me, still smiling.

"Oh, second." I reply.

"Oh my gosh! Same!" She cheered.

"Really?" I ask, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders.

A true 'Yureka!' moment it had been.

"Yeah! We should definitely eat lunch together!" She cheerfully glowed.

"Y-yeah! We should!" I say, smiling nervously.

"Ok, I'll see you then!" She excitedly jumped away, swinging her backpack onto her shoulders, only seconds before the bell echoed through the building.

Did I just make a friend?

A soft feeling a of warmth spread throughout my stomach at the thought.

A friend.

The feeling, the thought, now leaves me hollow, to ever think she'd befriend me.

...

"You fucking loser." Allison grinned, kicking me in the shin, before pushing off the lockers.

I gasped at the sharp pain and cradled my shin, while hopping on my other leg.

She gave a high five to all of her other friends, laughing, walking off into the distant hallway.

Her laughs still haunts my thoughts.

"Oh, and by the way!" She yelled from afar.
"I want my homework done and back to me by tomorrow!"

She kept laughing with her friends, with the sound of hand clapping together following.

"What a fucking idiot." I heard her voice cackle, echoing through the long, dreary hallways.

I let go of my foot and got onto my knees, beginning to collect all of my stuff, which was scattered everywhere throughout the hallway.

I sighed.

That's my friend, alright.

My hand grabbed the papers on the floor, shoving them back into my bag.

Stupid stupid stupid

I swung my backpack over my shoulder, and heard the bell echo through the halls.

People flooded out of the cafeteria doors, like a never ending mob.

I sighed and began to flow with the crowd, but everything seemed to stretch on forever.

The bland halls stretched infinitely, the dull brown and red stripes going for what seemed to be miles, stopping at the occasional door or window.

My head hurt at the sight of it, so much to the point where I felt dizzy.

Soon everything was spinning, only pieces of colors and shapes flashed before my eyes before melting back into a blobby, brown mush.

Then I felt myself fall.

I gasped, throwing my arms in front of my face, but never hitting the unforgiving concrete.

I peeked through my eyes, only to find myself falling deeper into a deep, dark hole.

Full panic fell over me as I began waving my arms around, screaming. A raw sound only ripped from the throat from those most desperate for escape.

...

I woke up in darkness, laying in my cozy bedroom. A soft breeze wafted around my room, biting at my exposed legs.

Images from the dream flash before my eyes, showing most parts out of context, but enough for me to remember her.

God forbid ever seeing her repulsive grin again.

I take a deep breath and stare at the ceiling, listening to the deafening silence of night.

I drag my eyes over to the clock, standing promptly on my bedside table.

My eyesight is a bit blurry, but I can still make out 3 obnoxiously bright numbers.

It's 3 in the morning.

The first day of highschool is tomorrow and I'm up at 3 am.

I sigh and grab my blanket, as it has been pushed to the side of the bed from all the tossing and turning I've been doing all night.

The comfort and warmth of the blanket brings me to close my eyes, to bask in the warmth of the moment...to lay and fall into deep slumber once again.

But something stirring deep in my stomach decides to protest against such rest.

A hand runs through my hair in annoyance, and open my eyes to stare at the ceiling once more, searching it for the answers of why I feel so restless.

Perhaps it was due to school.

It was a new school after all, and almost anything could happen.

Everything could very much go exactly as it did last year. Everything could easily twist into the vicious cycle of relentless bullying.

I sighed.

No matter how much I dewelled on the thought, it couldn't change a thing to happen tomarrow.

As the thought of pondering further was rendered useless, the stir in my stomach began to calm down, leaving me exhausted and ready to fall back to sleep.

....

~/Zak\~

I wake up, surprisingly well rested.

I roll out of bed, escaping the beams of lights streaming from my blinds, and finding myself to my feet.

God, I usually can never get out of bed immediately.
Especially after a long break from school...

My eyes find the clock.

If I remember correctly, and if that clock is right, school starts at 7:30..
That's about 20 minutes from now.

I yawn as I sit there, staring at the digital numbers, tracing it's cracked screen with my eyes.

Then it hits me.

Oh shit-

I jump off of my bed, snatch my phone from my nightstand, and sprint over to my dresser to throw on whatever my hands grasp.

I then stumble over to the mirror and try to make my hair look somewhat acceptable. Hopefully this year I'll be able to act and well, look somewhat normal.

I scramble around the room looking for my backpack, which I swear I packed with all my school stuff last night.
Kitchen? Nope
Dining room? Nah
I swear I packed it in the dining room last night-
WHERE IS MY BAG??!! WTFF?!!!!!

What about my room...?
I stop.
Why tf did I not look there first??

I sprint back down the hallway to my room and find my bag by my desk.

...I swear that wasn't there before.

I snatch up my bag, swing it over my shoulder, and pray to God that I packed everything I needed the night before.

I pocket my keys which are by the door, lock up the door behind me as fast as I can, and dash from my apartment's entrance.

I feel the cold breeze of September air comb through my hair as I sprint towards the stairs.

I dart down the seemingly endless staircase, not caring about the loud banging noises I make with each rushed step. I stagger past the parking lot, and sure enough, mom's gone.

She's probably staying at her boyfriend's house again.

My mom works fairly late, so sometimes she just goes to her boyfriend's house since it's alot closer to her work then our apartment is. And by sometimes, I mean 9.5 out of 10 times.

Which is fine, since me and her don't have the best relationship. Whenever she does come by, her boyfriend comes with her, and she always yells at me for something.

Grades, The cleanliness of the apartment, my clothes, and how there's not that much food in the cabinets to feed the three of us. Blah, blah, blah. Pretty much anything.

And since the incident, she's been 10 times colder.

Her eyes always advert mine, always mumbling how much of a disappointment I am, and how I've disgraced the family name by doing such an act.

Like she can talk, all she does is drink when she's not working.

I tug myself out my thoughts and realize I'm almost there. I continue to run, hoping I'm not too late. As I approached the front field, I began to slow down. There's other people in front of the school somewhat close to me, so I know I can't be too late.

I pull out my phone.

7:25

I guess doing sports last year paid off.

I kept jogging, feeling a slight burning sensation in my legs.

I strode through the grassy lawn in the front of the school, slowing to a walk.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to fix it after running around a mile within 7 minutes.

I'll definitely have to try and fix it at one point before class begins.

I stroll up to the building, walking up the narrow, crooked stairs.
I push open one of the front doors open and begin wandering around my new highschool.

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