Limitless: The Second Edition

Oliver

It's now Monday. Back to school, back to everyone treating me like dirt. Everyone except for Principal Warner and Ms. Dawson. Bonus points; the football bullies won't be here. They're stuck at home for their crimes. However, I don't wish any harm on them, despite putting up with them all the time. There's a reason I never fight back. I'm a pacifist, and I don't believe in violence. However, these two wake up every day and choose violence. And knowing them, they'll come back in a week and start right back up again.

But for now, I have another problem to deal with. Everywhere I go, I hear the whispers.

"Did you hear that Carowski tried out for the show?"

"What made him do that? Has he lost his mind?"

"I almost feel bad for him. He'll never get in."

Joke's on them. I did get in. And I got the lead role. Now all that's left is to check the cast list after school and see who I'm working with. Hopefully nobody like Nolan and Patrick.

Right now, I'm in the library, reading as part of English class. I'm reading a book about an emo girl who falls in love with a famous children's show actor. And no, I don't like romance novels. I like novels about theater, acting, and stuff like that. Unfortunately most of them seem to be romance novels. I don't pay attention to the romance part. It just reminds me that I'll likely be single for life.

I'm so engrossed in my book that I nearly jump out of my skin when I feel someone tap me on the shoulder. It's one of my classmates, Riley. She's not a nasty person, but she's also pretty pessimistic. I brace myself for whatever she's about to say.

"I heard you tried out for the musical," she whispers. "I'm so sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" I ask her, not looking up from my book.

"I can't imagine how hard it must have been to try out for your last high school musical knowing you won't get in," she replies. "I can't imagine."

I bite my lip and silently will her to go away and let me read. "Please get your bad vibes out of here," I mutter. "I don't need your negativity."

"She's only trying to help you," another classmate, Ivan, calls out from the side. "Keep dreaming, Carowski. You'll never make it."

"I'm sorry for upsetting you," Riley continues. "I'm just trying to get you to face reality. They aren't going to pick you for anything. Maybe you can work on the side. That would be better than nothing, right?"

I clench my teeth and resist the urge to use some colorful language to tell her to leave me alone. instead, I finally look up from my book and stare at her. "I'm trying to read. Now will you get your bad vibes out of here, or do I need to call Mr. Price over here?"

Mr. Price, the teacher, upon hearing his name, looks up from the corner where he's sitting. "Riley, leave him alone," he directs her calmly. "He's told you politely to go away multiple times. Go back to your reading and let him be."

The rest of the day goes by in a blur. Well, that is, a blur dotted at every turn by people whispering about me. I try to remember what my parents and Albert told me. I try to block out the haters. But their whispers, which they think are quiet enough to escape my radar, are deafening.

Failure.

Cripple.

Dreamer.

Okay, that last one has some truth to it. I am a dreamer. I'm always daydreaming about being on a Broadway stage. Maybe even alongside Derek Anderson. I've wanted to work with him ever since I discovered him.