I wake up to the smell of smoke and stale beer. Mom's passed out on the couch again, one arm dangling over the side like she forgot I existed. The TV murmurs something I don't care about. I shrug off the blanket and swing my legs to the floor. Cold. It's always cold. Faded walls, peeling paint, a radiator that clanks like it's about to explode—but it's home. Sort of.
I glance at the clock. I'm late, obviously. School doesn't care if I'm awake or not. Neither does she. Hell, sometimes I think nobody cares if I even get there at all.
But that's fine. I don't care either. Not really.
I push my hair back and rub the sleep from my eyes. My chest tightens a little—nothing major, just the usual. A warning I've learned to ignore. My heart doesn't like running, climbing, or pushing too hard. Doesn't like excitement. But I love it anyway. Adrenaline makes the ache worth it. Makes me feel alive. Makes the world notice me—even if for the wrong reasons.
"I look like shit."Mei says she looks at herself in the mirror, her hair messy from her unusual sleeping positions. Her eyes have black bags underneath due to sleeping at 1AM. Mei sighs as she goes to the shower, switching on the tap as she starts removing her clothes....
8:50 AM
Mei is now running to school, still tying her long, luxurious blond hair, but she gives up throwing the elastic bans away as she maneuvers around a car that almost hits her. She then spots her school Shenzhou High School (神州高中) , she then jumps over the back wall of the school landing in a crouch, but she quickly stands up and picks up her bag before running off,
"God, I don't want to get detention already!" Mei says in a quick breath as she climbs up the stairs.
"Salvation!Finally!" Mei exclaims as she finally reaches her class, and while still opening the door, the bell, as if it was waiting for her to arrive, rings, signaling the end of the lesson.
"I'm.....late, aren't I?" Mei says as she grins sheepishly as Mr Tanaka, their homeroom teacher.
"Miss Lian Mei rules will be respected and followed in this class understood?" Mr Tanaka responds as he eyes her sharply as Mei takes her seat at the back row of the class sighing in relief as she puts her bag down.
"Sure thing, sir." Mei exclaims as she rubs the back of her head, smiling apologetically as she stares back at Mr Tanaka.
"Miss Mei, if you can't behave, then don't come. You are only stalling people who came here to work and be educated. Sit down. I don't want to hear any complaints about you in the next 6 hours.If you want to avoid detention, then" Mr Tanaka says as he turns his attention away from Sakura as he cleans the board with a nearby duster."
"Ay Ay Mr Grumps I won't even hurt a fly." Mei replies lowly as she grins mischievously , pulling out her book she places her book onto the table and opens the book as she starts scribbling the notes down but she cracks a joke here and there when Mr Tanaka averts his attention from them.
9:30 AM
The bell rings, signaling the end of the period and the beginning of lunch ." Ah, my favorite sound in the whole world , the sound of brief freedom."Mei said as she quickly started packing up her stationary and books already getting up to her feet as she slang her bag over her shoulder, running off.
Mei runs to the back of the school and hides beneath the bleachers as she lowers her bag and desperately searches in her pockets for an inhaler.
She was having one of her episodes again, but this time, she realized she may have pushed it too far .
"Okay, next time, jog to school and create a sad story, then try to become a star track runner."Mei exclaims as she finds her inhaler, and she quickly steadies her hands to stop them from shaking as she inhales deeply.
After a few more, Mei breathes softly as she pockets her inhaler , searching and scanning the whole perimeter to see if anyone had spotted her but smiles as she realizes no one is there.She stands up from her crouch dusting off the dirt and any remaining evidence. She then takes her bag and runs off as if her entire episode didn't happen.
"Just smile and keep acting like everything is okay. Mei, they won't ask questions when they see you're smiling or realize that you're actually hurting, but enough of the negative thoughts gotta hurry before the bell rings" Mei says quietly to herself as she stares at her pocket where the inhaler is and she tucks it in nicely one more time before smiling mischievously as she runs off to the cafeteria.