Routine
Monday- Friday
Wake up the unbearable monotonic buzz of the alarm clock just out of arm’s reach and the click of 6:45. Convince yourself that there is a reason to leave the place that has been your shelter for the past eight hours. Convince yourself that today there will be some other reason to get up other than the fact that you have to. Other than the fact that if you don’t your mother and principal will look down on you because you “knew better,” but you really didn’t know anything because you have never stayed in bed when you were supposed to get up for school so you in all realism know nothing about what would be better for you, getting up, or hiding for just one day beneath the white layered shields. You’re not strong though, what are you trying to prove. You have to take a shower.
Turn on the shower. Move your hand under the faucet to properly adjust the water temperature to just your correct mood. Usually it’s the same; nearly scorching hot so as to bring back the feeling that you are still resting comfortably in your bed. Nod off for five minutes standing up, thinking that you are in fact at a ninety degree angle. Wake up to the startling realization that you are at a 180 degree angle. Udder obscenities under your breath.; turn off the water, and open the door only to turn into a frozen object for the five seconds between stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around you so as to not lose all warmth. Carelessly dry yourself off and put your clothes on so that water spots seep through your clothes. They will dry before school; no one will notice your lack of effort to look good for them. Make sure you use plenty of deodorant and cologne. The only good smells are the one that come in glass bottles and harder aluminum cans for over $25. Pick out a shirt that catches the eye but that no one else has. This will make people appreciate you more. No time for breakfast. You’re late for school.
Run down the stairs and out of the garage door. You forgot your iPod. You can not get through school with out it. It is what you use to keep the mindless conversations from affecting your intelligence. Today you have regular pre cal. You need your iPod. Run back in the house and up the stairs to grab it. Stuff it in your pocket without wrapping up the ear buds. Sprint out the garage door, open up your car door and quickly take a look at your clock; 7:47. Terrific, you’ll miss all the good parking spots. Pull out of the drive way and onto the street. You are no longer in the mood to listen to Explosions in the Sky. Reach over to the passenger seat to grab a CD out of the over head storage area. Mogwai will have to do for the three minutes it takes to get from your house to your school. Obviously though short, this drive is a crucial one and must require the correct music. Arrive at the one light separating you and the building you will be held in for the next seven hours. The light turns green. The eight cars in front of you are taking their time to wander through the intersection to the other side of the light. The light turns yellow with two cars before you to go. You have gone this far, do not let hold off of the accelerator pedal until you safely reach the other side. As you go across, check for police cars or motorcycles. None this time; safe for another day. One more pull through spot is left. It is between you and the girl with the truck three times your Camry’s size. She understands that you want the spot, and does not hesitate to make her presence known by speeding into the spot, nearly colliding with the cars surrounding it. Concede to the parking lot warrior, and seek a new spot.
Begin to make a determined walk to the side doors of the school. You do not want to park by the front doors. The people who park there are the same ones who made you feel like a terrible person in 7th grade because you were unable to make the basketball team. You convince yourself you’re better than them now because you have your smarts, but in reality you could not be more scared of any one group of people. You wear your mask well though, no worries, you pull it off well. It’s quiet; reach in your pocket and pull out your iPod. Make sure that the song you pick will briefly make you feel like the main character in a movie walking in to begin his day in which he will surely make many eventful accomplishments with his best friend and girl by his side. You walk with a confident stride down the hall just envisioning countless groups of people giving you waves, high fives, and pounds. You proceed to walk invisibly through the sparse hall leading to the main area where the life begins to become a bit more apparent and pathetic. You stroll past the groups you swear to yourself you’re better than, though they would not for the life of them take you into their group. The 3:29 are over. Time to come back to the person you wish you had left forever.
First period is the same every time. The kid next to you ignores the fact that your headphones are in your ears drowning your head with sound to prevent any unprovoked thinking. You have never really figured out what to do in this situation, so you pretend as if you are unable to see or hear him, as if the sound affects your vision as well. You manage to successfully ignore him the full 50 minutes and class is let out.
You stand with the people you’re closest to and do not speak. You have nothing to say. Occasionally you will mix in a laugh and a hypothetical to fool yourself into thinking you are a fun loving guy that is having a blast with all his friends in a another care free day of his high school career. You underestimate yourself.
The same thing is repeated with each class and passing period, as it is now time to go home. You make the hike out to your car, and once again change the cd that you will be able to blast at a high volume with the windows down so as to get the attention of whoever cares to look. Deftones it is. This will prove how much of a hard ass you are. Make your way to wait at the other side of the light. As soon as it turns green, be sure to speed across the intersection with your music blaring so as to draw stares to you thus making on lookers afraid of you. You promise yourself you are not a force to be reckoned with.
Park your car in the front of your house and race upstairs to get dressed for your job. It takes you under 6 minutes to get dressed, as you’ve had 10 months of experience, by far the longest any low level employee that has been working. Leave Deftones on. You can actually listen to them for right now, as you are not sick of them just yet. Pull into work and walk in the door. Greet all those who care to greet you first. You don’t have time to greet the ones that don’t. you don’t owe them anything. You have a table. Put on the nicest fake guy you can be and greet their table. Be sure to say every line you rehearsed so you do not forget any of the crucial information the customer must know to make an informed and tasty decision. The valued customers hold up their finger as they are no quite done conversing with each other of who of the neighbors takes better care of their garden. Okay they’re ready, remember your lines. Repeat this one scenario or some variation of it 25 times over five hours.
You are ready to go home the same way you came. You open the garage door, pull the car in, shut the garage door, go upstairs, waste away on the computer until 11, and the crawl 5 feet from the computer in your room to your bed, looking forward to what will surely be another day. But tomorrow will be different. Just like today